Following two successful British tours earlier in 1966, the first with The Krew as backing band and the second with The League of Gentlemen, promoter Roy Tempest brought Lee Dorsey back for a final tour that autumn.
According to Disc & Music Echo, the tour kicked off on 14 October and the main backing group was The Garden of Eden.
Hailing from Watford, Hertfordshire, they comprised Dave Rodwell (vocals); Dicer Sarney (aka Roger Matthews) (lead guitar); Barry Rich (bass); Tom Hill (organ); Chunky Mo (drums). When The Garden of Eden started working with Dorsey, they had literally just come off another tour backing The Mad Lads.
However, they weren’t the only outfit to provide backing on this tour. Stuart Francis, drummer with Glaswegian outfit, The Scots of St James, says they backed Lee Dorsey on some gigs in late 1966. The line-up at this time comprised James Oakley (lead vocals); Hugh Nicholson (lead guitar); Ian Murray (bass); James Mylchreest (keyboards); and Stuart Francis (drums).
Chris Rodger, sax/trumpet player with London-based group The Noblemen, which became (The) Motivation in late October/early November 1966, says they also did some dates with Lee Dorsey. This is also confirmed by the band’s keyboard player Mick Ketley and bass player Bryan Stevens.
In addition, Martin Barre, the band’s guitarist, mentions backing Dorsey during this time in his recent book about his career, including with Jethro Tull, A Trick of Memory. At the time, the remaining two members of the band were Jimmy Marsh (lead vocals) and Malcolm Tomlinson (drums).
Finally, there is an advert in the Brighton Evening Argus, in its 16 December 1966 issue, that mentions The Groove and says they are just back from touring in the USA. It also says that they are backing group for Lee Dorsey. We’d welcome any clarity on this.
This is an incomplete gig list
Tour dates:
14 October 1966 – Starlite Ballroom, Greenford, northwest London (Melody Maker/NME)
14 October 1966 – Location, Woolwich, southeast London with The Scots of St James (Melody Maker) Backed by The Scots of St James
Ian Murray says The Scots of St James backed Lee Dorsey at the Scotch of St James through their manager Stan Beadabeck and this date looks the most likely following the Woolwich gig.
15 October 1966 – Toft’s, Folkestone, Kent (Melody Maker/NME) Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald also lists this date but looks like Dorsey was replaced by Guy Darrell Syndicate so it didn’t happen. On this date Garden of Eden played with The Mad Lads at the Dungeon in Nottingham
15 October 1966 – Twisted Wheel, Manchester (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle)
16 October 1966 – Oasis, Manchester with The Wheels (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle)
16 October 1966 – Cavern, Liverpool with The Hideways, The Dark Ages, The Times, Georgies Germs, The Insite and The Gates of Eden (Liverpool Echo) Mick Ketley, keyboard player with The Noblemen, says they backed Lee Dorsey here, although The Gates of Eden are on the bill unless they were advertised but substituted at the last minute
17 October 1966 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with The Gates of Eden and The Sovereigns (Melody Maker) Chris Rodger, sax player with The Noblemen, and Mick Ketley say they did back Lee Dorsey on this gig. Again, The Gates of Eden are listed but may have been substituted at the last minute. The Sovereigns were also one of the groups that Roy Tempest used to back visiting US soul acts
19 October 1966 – Saddle Room, Park Lane, Mayfair, central London (NME) Mick Ketley confirms The Noblemen backed Dorsey here
20 October 1966 – Maple Ballroom, Northampton (Melody Maker)
21 October 1966 – Iron Curtain Club, St Mary’s Cray, Kent (Melody Maker)
22 October 1966 – Locomotive Club, Paris, France (Melody Maker/Disc & Music Echo)
23 October 1966 – Club West Indies, Stonebridge Park, Harlesden, northwest London (Melody Maker) Possibly backed by Scots of St James
24 October 1966 – Community Centre, Welwyn Garden City, Herts with The Gates of Eden and The Trekkers (Welwyn & Hatfield Times) Backed by The Gates of Eden
25 October 1966 – Sherwood Rooms, Nottingham with The Ivy League, The Jaybirds, Our Young, Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band (Nottingham Evening Post) Melody Maker says Nottingham University
26 October 1966 – Locarno, Stevenage, Herts (Melody Maker/NME)
27 October 1966 – Locarno, Burnley, Lancashire (NME)
28 October 1966 – Golden Star Club, Westbourne Park, west London with The Dynacords (Melody Maker)
28 October 1966 – Northwich Memorial Hall, Northwich, Cheshire (Widnes Weekly News)
29 October 1966 – New Century Hall, Manchester with The Black Velvets (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle/Disc & Music Echo) Possibly with Scots of St James
30 October 1966 – Club Cedar, Birmingham with The Ebonites (Birmingham Evening Mail) Possibly backed by The Ebonites
30 October 1966 – Leofric, Coventry (Coventry Evening Telegraph)
31 October 1966 – Queen’s Hall, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (NME)
1 November 1966 – Palais de Danse, Leicester with The Gates of Eden (Leicester Mercury) Backed by The Gates of Eden
3 November 1966 – Locarno, Streatham, southwest London (Melody Maker)
3 November 1966 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)
4 November 1966 – Bull’s Head, Syston, Leicestershire with The Gates of Eden, The Pilgrims and Sister Jill & The Brethren (Leicester Mercury) Backed by The Gates of Eden
5 November 1966 – Midnight City, Birmingham with Listen and The Ray King Soul Band (Birmingham Evening Mail)
5 November 1966 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with The Gates of Eden and The Cortinas (Herts and Essex Observer) Backed by The Gates of Eden
6 November 1966 – Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre, Birmingham with Jerry Lee Lewis and Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Birmingham Evening News)
7 November 1966 – Wimbledon Theatre, Wimbledon, southwest London (Melody Maker)
8 November 1966 – Dungeon Club, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)
9 November 1966 – Community Centre, Welwyn Garden City, Herts (Disc & Music Echo)
10 November 1966 – Ashton Palais, Ashton, Greater Manchester (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle/Disc & Music Echo) Possibly backed by Motivation but they were touring with The Coasters at the time and potentially backed Ben E King today at the Twisted Wheel in Manchester (unless this was 12 November). An advert for Motivation playing Cardiff on 16 December says they are Lee Dorsey’s backing band
11 November 1966 – Top Rank Ballroom, Doncaster, South Yorkshire with three supporting groups (Retford, Gainsborough and Worksop Times)
11 November 1966 – Gaiety Ballroom, Grimsby with supporting groups (Grimsby Evening Telegraph/Disc & Music Echo)
12 November 1966 – Reading University, Reading, Berkshire (Melody Maker/NME)
14 November 1966 – Atalanta Ballroom, Woking, Surrey with The Gates of Eden plus supporting group (Aldershot News) Backed by The Gates of Eden
17 November 1966 – Locarno Ballroom, Bristol with The Gates of Eden (Bristol Evening Post) Backed by The Gates of Eden
18 November 1966 – Blue Moon, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire with The Good Goods (https://garagehangover.com/blue-moon-cheltenham-gigs-july-1965-may-1967/) Says backed by The Good Goods
Judging by the article below, it looks like Lee Dorsey played at the Conservative Club in Bedford on this date backed by The Garden of Eden.
19 November 1966 – Starlight Ballroom, Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with The Gates of Eden and The Ray King Soul Band (Lincolnshire Echo) Backed by The Gates of Eden
19 November 1966 – Dungeon Club, Nottingham with Ben E King plus top line groups (Nottingham Evening Post)
19 November 1966 – King Mojo, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Melody Maker/NME)
20 November 1966 – Dereham Tavern Club, Dereham, Norfolk with The Johnny Lofty Soul Band and The Gates of Eden (Thetford & Watton Times) Backed by The Gates of Eden and final gig on his tour
4 December 1966 – Wimbledon Palais, Wimbledon, southwest London (Disc & Music Echo) This did not happen as he’d already returned to the US
We’d welcome any further information below in the comments