Mick Liddell – vocals
Peter Maggs – lead guitar
Roy Robinson – bass
Bruce Watts – rhythm guitar
John Kerrison – drums
Originally called The Henchmen, this Ealing group included lead singer Dave Kaye (real name: Dave Tregwin), bass player Roy Robinson, rhythm guitarist Bruce Watts and drummer Clive Buckie, who had played alongside Ritchie Blackmore in The Dominators.
In 1962, Peter Maggs, who’d been a very early member of The Downliners with Don Craine from 1959-1962, took over lead guitar.
Mick Liddell replaced Dave Kaye on lead vocals in mid-1964 and the group changed name to The Rockin’ Eccentrics. In late November/early December, John Kerrison from Frankie Reid & The Casuals took over from Clive Buckie.
Eccentrics Pye promo for “What You Got”Sometime around April-May 1965, they shortened the name to The Eccentrics and recorded a cover of Gerry Goffin and Carole King’s “What You Got” backed by “Fe Fi Fo Fum” for Pye Records. After playing the UK scene, The Eccentrics were allegedly the first British band to pass an audition for the famous Piper Club in Rome.
Travelling to ‘Italy, The Eccentrics played the Rome club in June 1965 and later returned to Italy.
During July Kerrison left to return to the UK and was replaced by John “Speedy” Keen from Ealing band, The Second Thoughts. Keen, of course, later went on to found Thunderclap Newman.
Liddell also left at this point and the remaining members brought in singer Romano Morandi (ex-Equipe Ottanta Quattro) and played gigs in northern Italy before returning to the UK in January 1966 and disbanding. Liddell meanwhile put together a new band called Gli Atomi, who recorded a number of singles in 1965-1966.
Back in England, John Kerrison joined Slough-based band The Horizons with singer Rod Evans, lead guitarist Colin Butt and bass player Len Hawkes.
Evans would later become lead singer with Deep Purple after working with The Maze while Hawkes would join The Tremeloes after playing with Davey Sands & The Essex.
The Horizons had work lined up in Berlin during August-September 1965 and played gigs for a few months after which Kerrison returned to the UK. In October 1965, he joined Hounslow favourites The Dae-b-Four.
Kerrison would later reunite with Mick Liddell in Italy for a one-off recording during 1966.
However, in February 1967, he joined The New Pirates alongside lead guitarist Mick Stewart, bass player Nick Simper and keyboard player Johnny Carroll.
By the summer, however, the band had split and Kerrison worked with Episode Six and then The Beachcombers (Keith Moon’s early 1960s band).
Notable gigs (as The Rockin’ Eccentrics unless noted)
30 November 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Monday) (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette)
3 December 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday) (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
10 December 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday) (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette)
17 December 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday) (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette)
19 December 1964 – Witchdoctor, Hastings, East Sussex with Christian’s Crusaders (website: https://dizzytigerstu.proboards.com/thread/880/witch-doctor-1964-1967)
24 December 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex with South West Five (Thursday) (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette)
31 December 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex with South West Five (Thursday) (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette)
7 January 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday) (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette) (needs confirmation but likely)
14 January 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday) (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette)
21 January 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday) (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette)
23 January 1965 – Royal Hotel, Lowestoft, Suffolk with The Millionaires (Bo Street Runners cancelled) (Eastern Evening News)
28 January 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday) (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette)
4 February 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday) (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette) (possibly with Jimmy Royal & The Hawks)
15 February 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Monday) (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette)
22 February 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Monday) (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette)
6 March 1965 – Carfax Ballroom, Oxford with The Ravons (Oxford Mail)
26-27 March 1965 – Silver Blades, Streatham, southwest London (Streatham News) (as The Eccentrics)
27 March 1965 – Witham Public Hall, Witham, Essex with The Decadents (Essex County Standard)
30 April 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Friday) (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette) (as The Eccentrics)
21 May 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Friday) (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette) (as The Eccentrics)
Many thanks to John Kerrison, Peter Maggs and Mick Liddell for providing information.
To contact the author with further information, please email Warchive@aol.com
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