Alan Ray – lead vocals

Kenny Surmon – lead guitar (replaced by Geoff Foster)

Terry May – keyboards

Dave Goodman – bass

Martin Hayles – trumpet

Robin Lawrence – tenor sax

Rodney Barrett – trombone

Tony Hampton – drums (replaced by Martin Bryan)

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George Russell – alto sax (played on and off 1969-1970)

John Barter – tenor and baritone sax (played on and off 1969-1970)

Orange Rainbow were a west London soul band that had worked as The Bluesville Soul Band, changing name around late March 1969.

Little is known about the group and Garage Hangover would welcome any additional information.

According to tributes to the late Dave Goodman, who went on to become sound engineer for the Sex Pistols, Orange Rainbow began as seven-piece group.

Goodman had started out with The Frinton Bassett Blues band, who were profiled in the 22 September 1967 edition (page 2) of the Middlesex Chronicle, Hounslow Edition.

The article lists the band’s seven-piece line up as Steve Crawford (lead vocals); Alan Cook (lead guitar); Dave Goodman (bass); Denis Smithers (drums); Pete Watson (alto sax); Ray Johnson (tenor sax) and an unnamed keyboard player.

According to the newspaper, The Frinton Bassett Blues Band had been formed around the spring of 1966 and added the sax players in the summer of 1967, prompting the slight name change to New Frinton Bassett Blues Band.

Goodman and Martin Hayles (who had joined later) subsequently worked with The Bluesville Soul Band, which formed the nucleus of Orange Rainbow.

Alan Ray had started out with The Keyes (sometimes spelt Keys), who also included guitarist Geoff Foster and keyboard player Terry May.

However, around December 1967, Geoff Foster left to play with west Londoners The Casuals (Frankie Reid’s former group) and Terry May joined The James Royal Set and then The Huckle Buck Band.

Alan Ray put together The Bluesville Soul Band with lead guitarist Kenny Surmon; sax player Robin Lawrence; trumpet player Martin Hayles; bass player Dave Goodman; and drummer Tony Hampton. Terry May joined in July 1968. Rodney Barrett joined soon after.

Alan Ray and Kenny Surmon (plus Geoff Foster who was playing in The Army after Steve Priest left to join The Sweet) all auditioned for Tangerine Peel around this time but turned the offer to join down.

The Kingston & Malden Borough News, which profiled the band in its 12 July 1968 issue, lists the following gigs:

20 July 1968 – Excel Bowl, Tolworth, southwest London

3 August 1968 – Apple Tree Club, Kingston Hotel, Kingston Upon Thames, southwest London

17 August 1968 – Apple Tree Land, Staines, Middlesex with Way In and Souvenir Badge Factory (Staines & Egham News)

27 September 1968 – Apple Tree Club, Kingston Hotel, Kingston Upon Thames, southwest London

21 December 1968 – Excel Bowl, Tolworth, southwest London

Around March 1969, Geoff Foster took over from Kenny Surmon and Martin Bryan replaced Tony Hampton.  Later this month they became Orange Rainbow.

According to Goodman’s webpages, Orange Rainbow toured the UK extensively and even worked on the continent. They also backed Ben E King, The Drifters, Nicky Thomas, The Flirtations and The Fantastics (from mid-1970 onwards after Pip Williams’ band, The House of Orange). Orange Rainbow also supported The Four Seasons and The Jackson Five on UK tours.

From mid-July to early August 1969, the band was booked to perform at the Ye Ye Club in Rimini, Italy for three weeks. Geoff Foster also remembers the musicians playing at Sloopy’s Disco in Manchester, the Place in Hanley, Staffordshire and the Pavilion Ballroom in Gillingham, Kent.

Orange Rainbow played Sunday lunchtimes at the Railway Hotel in Southall, west London and were also regulars at Samantha’s in central London.

Geoff Foster’s former band mates in the Army, George Russell and John Barter worked with the band on and off throughout 1969-1970 but never officially joined as permanent members. All three left during 1970.

Orange Rainbow continued into the early Seventies during which time the group underwent many personnel changes (see comments below). Dave Rose took over from Terry May on keyboards and Graham Board replaced Martin Bryan on drums. Eventually, the group morphed into Polecat.

Selected gigs

5 April 1969 – Hay Makers Hoedown, Lake Farm, Blechingley, Surrey (Surrey Mirror and County Post)

18 April 1969 – Addlestone Community Centre, Addlestone, Surrey (Woking Herald)

26 April 1969 – Kingston College of Technology, Kingston Upon Thames, southwest London with Episode Six and The Giant (Melody Maker)

10 May 1969 – Pavilion Ballroom, Gillingham, Kent

8 June 1969 – Woodhall Community Centre, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire

28 June 1969 – Railway Hotel, Southall, west London

28 July 1969 – Ye Ye Scandinavian Club, Rimini, Italy with Root and Jenny Jackson (Poster)

6 August 1969 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire with Sunnyside (Evening Sentinel)

7-8 August 1969 – Samantha’s, Burlington Street, central London (Poster)

11 August 1969 – Samantha’s, Burlington Street, central London (Poster)

14 August 1969 – Samantha’s, Burlington Street, central London (Poster)

17 August 1969 – Le Metro, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail)

26 August 1969 – Samantha’s, Burlington Street, central London (Poster)

29 August 1969 – George Hotel, Walsall, West Midlands (Walsall Observer & South Staffordshire Chronicle)

31 August 1969 – Samantha’s, Burlington Street, central London (Poster)

10 September 1969 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire with The All-Round (Evening Sentinel)

An article in the Horncastle Target, dated 26 September 1969, page 2, says the band are due to play in Denmark in November. It also says that they have played the Scotch of St James.

15 November 1969 – Walton Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (Woking Herald)

16 January 1970 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)

1 February 1970 – Broken Wheel, Retford, Nottinghamshire (Retford Times/John Kirk’s book “Another Saturday Night”)

5 February 1970 – Acorn Club, RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire with The Stack (Cambridge Evening News)

14 February 1970 – Barn Dance Hall, Penzance, Cornwall (West Briton and Royal Cornwall Gazette)

21 March 1970 – Rebecca’s, Birmingham with James King (Birmingham Evening Mail)

2 April 1970 – Rebecca’s, Birmingham with Rare Bird (Birmingham Evening Mail)

6 May 1970 – Mackadown, Birmingham with Toyshop (Birmingham Evening Mail)

An article in the Horncastle Target, dated 8 May 1970, page 2, says the band has played gigs in Wigan, Birmingham and Wolverhampton and have just been booked to back US vocal group, The Invatations (formerly The Original Drifters).

The line up is listed as:

Alan Ray – lead vocals

Peter Wrigley – lead guitar

David Rose – keyboards/vocals

Dave Goodman – bass

Martin Hughes – trumpet/vocals

Robin Lawrence – tenor sax

Rodney Barrett – trombone

Graham Broad – drums

28 June 1970 – Up the Junction, Crewe, Cheshire (Chester Chronicle)

1 August 1970 – Starlight Room, Gliderdrome Boston, Lincolnshire with Nicky Thomas (Lincolnshire Echo)

8 August 1970 – Il Rondo, Leicester (Leicester Mercury) They play next four Saturdays

15 August 1970 – Il Rondo, Leicester (Leicester Mercury)

22 August 1970 – Il Rondo, Leicester (Leicester Mercury)

29 August 1970 – Il Rondo, Leicester (Leicester Mercury)

20 September 1970 – Blue Orchid, Nottingham (Guardian Journal)

December 1970 – Broken Wheel, Retford, Nottinghamshire with The Fantastics (Retford Times/John Kirk’s book “Another Saturday Night”)

7 February 1971 – Theatre Royal, Nottingham with Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, The Fantastics and Mike Felix (Nottingham Evening Post)

19 February 1971 – Odeon Birmingham, Birmingham  with Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, The Fantastics and Mike Felix (Birmingham Evening Mail)

20 February 1971 – Odeon Hammersmith, Hammersmith, west London with Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, The Fantastics and Mike Felix (Marylebone & Paddington Mercury)

16 May 1971 – Wallsend Rising Sun Welfare Club, Wallsend, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear (Newcastle Evening Chronicle)

20 May 1971 – Skyline Ballroom, Hull with The Fantastics and The Incredible Station (Hull Daily Mail)

24 July 1971 – Whitchurch Civic Centre, Whitchurch, Cheshire with The Fantastics (Chester Chronicle)

11 December 1971 – Drill Hall, Lincoln, Lincolnshire with The Fantastics (Lincolnshire Echo)

1 January 1972 – Birtley Rex Social Club, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear (Newcastle Evening Chronicle)

An article in the Horncastle Target, dated 23 June 1972, page 22, lists the band playing at the London Palladium with The Four Seasons and The Fantastics 

16 July 1972 – White Horse Inn, Cranswick, Hull with The Fantastics (Hull Daily Mail)

I would like to thank Geoff Foster for helping with the story and supplying the excellent photos.

Copyright © Nick Warburton.  All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any from or by any means, without prior permission from the author.