For Major Lance’s first British tour, promoter Roy Tempest arranged for northwest London group Bluesology, who featured a very young Elton John (known as Reg Dwight at the time), to back the singer.
It’s not clear whether Bluesology backed Major Lance on all the gigs, so we’d welcome any further information on this in the comments section below.
At the time, Bluesology comprised Stu Brown (guitar/vocals); Reg Dwight (keyboards/vocals); Rex Bishop (bass); Pat Higgs (trumpet); Dave Murphy (sax); and Mick Inkpen (drums)
The following tour gigs are incomplete
Tour dates:
3 December 1965 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (two sessions including an all-nighter) with The Rockhouse Band (Melody Maker)
3 December 1965 – In Place, Baker Street, central London (Melody Maker)
4 December 1965 – Jigsaw, Manchester with Alex Harvey and The Mockingbirds (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle)
4 December 1965 – Oasis, Manchester with The Crestas (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle)
5 December 1965 – Dungeon, Nottingham with Blues Incorporated (most likely Bluesology) (Melody Maker/Nottingham Evening Post)
6 December 1965 – Gig in Rochester, Kent (Melody Maker)
7 December 1965 – Birdcage, Eastney, Portsmouth, Hampshire (Melody Maker)
8 December 1965 – Bromel Club, Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley Hill, southeast London (Melody Maker)
9 December 1965 – Cue Club, Praed Street, Paddington, west London (Melody Maker)
10 December 1965 – Durham University, Durham (Melody Maker)
11 December 1965 – Mr McCoy’s, Middlesbrough (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)
12 December 1965 – Lennoxbank House Hotel, Balloch, Scotland with The Five Interns (Clydebank Press)
12 December 1965 – Stramash TV (Melody Maker)
14 December 1965 – (possibly Birdcage Club), Harlow, Essex (Melody Maker)
15 December 1965 – TWW’s TV Discs A Gogo (Melody Maker)
16 December 1965 – Cromwellian, south Kensington, west London with Bluesology (Melody Maker) This was originally planned for 15 December.
16 December 1965 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Alan Price Set (London Live book: Tony Bacon)
17 December 1965 – Princess Theatre, Chorlton, Greater Manchester and then Domino Club, Openshaw, Greater Manchester with Bluesology Incorporated, The Manchester Playboys and Jonathan Goon Tweed (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle)
17 December 1965 – Stockport, Greater Manchester (Melody Maker) Unless this is above gig
18 December 1965 – New All-Star Club, Artillery Passage, Bishopsgate, east London (Melody Maker)
19 December 1965 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (afternoon) (Melody Maker)
19 December 1965 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London with Duke Lee (Melody Maker)
20 December 1965 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London (Melody Maker)
We’d welcome any comments from readers below