Stan Endersby (Guitar, vocals)
Peter Quaife (Bass)
Marty Fisher (Keyboards, vocals)
Mick Cook (Drums) replaced by Gordon MacBain (Drums, vocals)
This fascinating Anglo-Canadian group is best known for containing Kinks bass player Peter Quaife who first proposed the idea of forming a band with Canadian guitarist Stan Endersby when the pair met by pure chance at Hatchetts nightclub in Piccadilly in mid-1968. Endersby was in London visiting his actor brother Clive after his Toronto group Livingston’s Journey had split up. He met Quaife on his first night!
To read the band’s fascinating story, visit these two websites which provide a detailed account of Mapleoak’s history:
https://thestrangebrew.co.uk/interviews/stan-endersby-1/
https://www.kindakinks.net/misc/articles/warburton-mapleoak.html
Garage Hangover would love to hear from anyone who can add more information about gigs the band played in the comments section below.
Notable gigs
April 1969 – St Donat’s Castle (possibly the Tythe Barn Theatre), Llantwit Major, south Wales (Stan Endersby’s memories) Debut show
April/May 1969 – Speakeasy, Margaret Street, central London (this may have been later in the year as MacBain remembers playing here and he didn’t join until late June)
May-June 1969 – Le Carousel, Copenhagen, Denmark (Stan Endersby’s memories)
Mick Cook stayed in Denmark and the group brought Gordon MacBain over from Toronto. MacBain had previously played with Fisher in Bobby Kris & The Imperials. The pair had worked with Endersby on The Cube TV show in late 1968.
26 July 1969 – Union Rowing Club, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)
6 September 1969 – The Factory, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail)
19 September 1969 – The Factory, Birmingham with The Mickey Max Show and The Visio Workshop (Birmingham Evening Mail)
26 September 1969 – The Factory, Birmingham with The Mickey Dunne and Society Max (Birmingham Evening Mail)
Circa October 1969 – Marquee, Wardour Street, central London with Renaissance (Stan Endersby’s memories)
3 October 1969 – The Factory, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail)
6 October 1969 – Park Hall Hotel, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (Wolverhampton Express & Star)
10 October 1969 – The Factory, Birmingham with The Mickey Max Show (Birmingham Evening Mail)
7 November 1969 – The Factory, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail)
30 November 1969 – Pied Bull, Angel, Islington, north London (Melody Maker)
14 December 1969 – Pied Bull, Angel, Islington, north London (Melody Maker)
31 December 1969 – The Factory, Birmingham with Mickey Dunne and Visio Workshop (Birmingham Evening Mail)
At some point, Mapleoak played in Antwerp, Belgium, Amsterdam, Netherlands and Hamburg, Germany
14 February 1970 – Queen’s Hall, Narbeth, Wales (Poster/newspaper advert that needs source)
Sometime around now, the band appeared at the London Palladium with Matt Monroe and Roger Whittaker. They also did a TV show with Creedence Clearwater Revival.
20 March 1970 – Bridge House, Borough High Street, Elephant & Castle, south London (Melody Maker)
27 March 1970 – Bridge House, Borough High Street, Elephant & Castle, south London with Sky port Ade and Luke & Jessie (Melody Maker)
After the Son of a Gun single’s release in April 1970, Peter Quaife departed and the group continued as a trio and recorded their lone LP for Decca
8 May 1970 – Roundhouse, Chalk Farm, London with Ginger Johnson and Free Little Rock, Curved Air, Cochise, JJ Jackson’s Dilemma (Poster from Stan Endersby/Melody Maker)
23/24 May 1970 – Whitsun Festival, Plumpton, East Sussex (although advertised to perform in Melody Maker they did not appear)
19 June 1970 – Senate House, University of London, Bloomsbury, central London (Poster from Stan Endersby)
In August 1970, Endersby, Fisher and MacBain returned to Toronto and played a final gig at the Night Owl before splitting.