Wainwright’s Gentlemen

August 23, 2020 Nick Warburton 2 Comments

Chris Wright – lead vocals

Jim Searle – lead guitar

Alfred Fripp – rhythm guitar

Jan Frewer – bass, vocals

Phil Kenton – drums

West London band Wainwright’s Gentlemen are most notable for containing several musicians who went on to fame and fortune in the late 1960s and early 1970s – Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) and Brian Connolly and Mick Tucker (The Sweet).

Formed as Unit 4 in early 1963, the band’s original formation comprised lead guitarist Jim Searle, rhythm guitarist Alfred Fripp (who had previously played with Hayes, Middlesex high school band, Paul & The Alpines) and bass player/singer Jan Frewer. Soon after, the trio were joined by lead singer Chris Wright and drummer Phil Kenton.

Paul & The Alpines, 1963 with Alf Fripp far right. Photo: John Kerrison

Taking on Jan’s father, John, as the group’s manager, the musicians began gigging at youth clubs and social clubs in the Hayes, Harrow and Wembley areas.

During late 1963, however, the band changed name to Wainwright’s Gentlemen after the musicians discovered that there was another Unit 4 on the west London scene (future Brinsley Schwartz Ian Gomm’s group).

In early 1964, Wainwright’s Gentlemen became resident band at Hayes Beat Club in Hayes, Middlesex and also landed a residency at two coffee bars in London’s West End – Le Chat Qui Peche in Regent Street and the Cave St Germain in Poland Street.

Having entered the Mecca Dancing and Walls Ice Cream nationwide Beat Group contest, Wainwright’s Gentlemen appeared at Hammersmith Palais on 9 January 1964 in their area competition, beating several groups, including The Detours, who later became The Who.

Wainwright’s Gentlemen returned to the Hammersmith Palais on 6 February for the ‘Hall Final’, which the band won.

Photo: Daily Sketch cutting, 2 April 1964

Unfortunately, when the national finals were held at the Lyceum on the Strand on 4 May, the group finished fifth out of 13 bands.

Later that year, Wainwright’s Gentlemen secured a recording test at Jackson Sound Studios in Rickmansworth but the session was not successful.

In mid-October, the band added Annette Culley as a second singer. She may have been the same Annette who sang with The Keymen.

Wright, who worked at Dawe Instruments in Acton, Middlesex, invited tenor sax player Dave Brogden from The Midnites to join the group in early November 1964 but the very night he auditioned and joined Wainwright’s Gentlemen, Wright had a falling out with Jan Frewer’s father and departed.

Selected gigs:

9 January 1964 – Mecca Dancing and Walls Ice Cream’s nationwide Beat Group Contest, Hammersmith Palais, Hammersmith, west London

10 January 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, west London

11 January 1964 – Le Chat qui Peche, Regent Street, central London

6 February 1964 – Hall Final of Mecca Dancing nationwide Beat Group Contest, Hammersmith Palais, Hammersmith, west London

21 February 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, west London

28 February 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, west London

1 March 1964 – Beat contest at Watford Town Hall, Watford, Herts with others The group came third

7 March 1964 – The Scene, Florida Room, Brighton, West Sussex

9 March 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, west London

30 March 1964 – Hi-Fi Hop, Walton Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey

30 April 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, west London

2 May 1964 – Long’s Ballroom, Bishop Stortford, Herts with The Marauders

4 May 1964 – Mecca Dancing nationwide Beat Group Contest finals, Lyceum Ballroom, Strand, central London with others

23 May 1964 – Hi-Fi Hop, Walton Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey

6 June 1964 – Assembly Hall, Walthamstow, north London with Johnny Lonesome & The Travellers adn Keith Young & The Skyways

9 June 1964 – Hi-Fi Hop, Walton Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey

12 June 1964 – Long’s Ballroom, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire with Manfred Mann

27 June 1964 – Hi-Fi Hop, Walton Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey

6 July 1964 – Attic Club, 1a High Street, Hounslow, Middlesex with Rory Blackwell & His Monsters

25 July 1964 – Assembly Hall, Walthamstow, north London with The Four Zodiacs and The Nu-Trons

31 July 1964 – Whitehall, East Grinstead, West Sussex with The Shades

8 August 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, west London

13 September 1964 – Attic, Hounslow, Middlesex

25 September 1964 – Attic Club, 1a High Street, Hounslow, Middlesex with Ken Gordon & The Downsiders

29 September 1964 – Kodak Hall, Wealdstone, Middlesex with The Dolphins and The Beachcombers

4 October 1964 – Kihoty Club, Guildford, Surrey with The Aces and The Shieks

24 October 1964 – Witham Public Hall, Witham, Essex (Billed as Annette with Wainwright’s Gentlemen)

Ian Gillan – lead vocals

Annette Cully – lead vocals

Jim Searle – lead guitar

Alfred Fripp – rhythm guitar

Dave Brogden – tenor saxophone

Jan Frewer – bass, vocals

Phil Kenton – drums

Within days of Dave Brogden joining on tenor saxophone, Wainwright’s Gentlemen brought in Chris Wright’s replacement – Ian Gillan, lead singer with Hayes, Middlesex group, The Javelins.

The new formation remained steady until early March 1965. Brogden’s diary shows that the musicians traveled to Jackson Sound Studios in Rickmansworth on a number of dates in February (3^rd, 10^th, 15-16^th, 19^th and 28^th) presumably to cut material. However, his original date sheet puts the recording dates for the three tracks that the band cut as 3^rd, 8^th and 15^th March.

Wainwright’s Gentlemen recorded three tracks – “Ain’t That (Just Like Me)”, which has since surfaced on Acid Jazz’s Rare Mod 3 CD compilation; “Que Sera Sera”; and “Slow Down”.

At the start of March, Dave Brogden gave three months’ notice that he was leaving Wainwright’s Gentlemen to join west London group Jean & The Statesides. His first contribution to his new band was at EMI Abbey Road studio on 17 June. He would remain with The Statesides until 26 September when Phil Kenton got in touch to join him in an Irish show band at an Irish dance hall in Balham, south London (see later entry).

Around the same time, Ian Gillan started to get itchy feet and covertly started his own band Ian & The Dragsters who gigged intermittently while he remained with Wainwright’s Gentlemen until late April. Dave Brogden played with Gillan’s band on nights when Wainwright’s Gentlemen weren’t gigging.

Selected gigs:

7 November 1964 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire

8 November 1964 – La Dolphin Club, Baker Street, central London

12 November 1964 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, Middlesex

14 November 1964 – Dreamland, Margate, Kent with Tony Lindell & The Cruisers

15 November 1964 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire

16 November 1964 – Seagull Hotel, Southall, Middlesex

21 November 1964 – Assembly Hall, Walthamstow, north London with The Mad Hatters and Brian Ford & The Sapphires

22 November 1964 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire

25 November 1964 – USAF Ruislip, Ruislip, Middlesex

26 November 1964 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, Middlesex

29 November 1964 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire

30 November 1964 – Seagull Hotel, Southall, Middlesex

1 December 1964 – Hammersmith Town Hall, Hammersmith, west London with The Grenades, The Impacts and The Fairlanes

3 December 1964 – Locarno Ballroom, Streatham, southwest London

6 December 1964 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire

7 December 1964 – Seagull Hotel, Southall, Middlesex

10 December 1964 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, Middlesex

12 December 1964 – Hammersmith Town Hall, Hammersmith, west London

13 December 1964 – Start & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire

17 December 1964 – Locarno Ballroom, Streatham, southwest London

18 December 1964 – Willesden Grammar School Youth Club, Willesden, northwest London

19 December 1964 – Hotel in Holborn, central London

20 December 1964 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire

22 December 1964 – Overseas Visitors Club, Fulham, west London

23 December 1964 – Ventures Youth Club, Greenford, Middlesex

24 December 1964 – Plaza Ballroom, Guildford, Surrey with The Downsiders

26-27 December 1964 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire

28 December 1964 – Seagull Hotel, Southall, Middlesex

31 December 1964 – Whitehall, East Grinstead, West Sussex

1 January 1965 – Ventures Youth Club, Greenford, Middlesex

2 January 1965 – Watford Town Hall, Watford, Herts

3 January 1965 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire

7 January 1965 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, Middlesex

8 January 1965 – Ashford Golf Club, Ashford, Middlesex

9 January 1965 – Unknown venue in West Wickham, Kent

10 January 1965 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire

11 January 1965 – Seagull Hotel, Southall, Middlesex

14 January 1965 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, Middlesex

15 January 1965 – London School of Economics, central London

16 January 1965 – Dreamland, Margate, Kent with Twinkle and The Gonks

17 January 1965 – Locarno Ballroom, Leicester

20 January 1965 – Ballroom in Dartford, Dartford, Kent

21 January 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, Middlesex

23-24 January 1965 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire

27 January 1965 – Hall in Carpenter’s Park (this could be Carpenders Park, Watford)

28 January 1965 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, Middlesex

29 January 1965 – Hoover Social Club, Alperton, Middlesex

30 January 1965 – Hi-Fi Hop, Walton Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey

31 January 1965 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire

1 February 1965 – Seagull Hotel, Southall, Middlesex

5 February 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex with Unit 5

6 February 1965 – Annunciation Club, Wembley, Middlesex

7 February 1965 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire

11 February 1965 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, Middlesex

13 February 1965 – Tottenham Town Hall, Tottenham, north London

14 February 1965 – Kodak Social Club, Hemel Hempstead, Herts

17 February 1965 – London School of Economics, the Strand, central London

18 February 1965 – BOAC Social Club, Northolt, Middlesex

20 February 1965 – Railway Hotel, Greenford, Middlesex

21 February 1965 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire

22 February 1965 – Seagull Hotel, Southall, Middlesex

23 February 1965 – Kodak Social Club, Harrow, Middlesex

25 February 1965 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, Middlesex

25 February 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, Middlesex (advertised in newspaper)

26 February 1965 – Kookey Nook, Windsor, Berkshire

27 February 1965 – Whetstone Hotel, Finchley, north London

28 February 1965 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire

Ian Gillan – lead vocals

Annette Cully – lead vocals

Jim Searle – lead guitar

Alfred Fripp – rhythm guitar

Dennis ??? – tenor saxophone (or Dave Brogden intermittently)

Jan Frewer – bass, vocals

Phil Kenton – drums

During early March 1965, Wainwright Gentlemen’s employed a tenor sax player called Dennis to cover for Dave Brogden, who was unable to commit to the band fully (he was working covertly and intermittently with Gillan’s band The Dragsters). Dennis, however, only lasted around a month until late March.

Even though he was leaving in mid-June to join Jean & The Statesides, Dave Brogden agreed with Jan Frewer to continue to perform with Wainwright’s Gentlemen from 1 April to 24 September whenever he was able to honour gigs (see gigs with *).

After a gig on 26 April, lead singer Ian Gillan left Wainwright’s Gentlemen to concentrate on his own group, Ian Gillan & The Dragsters. However, soon after performing a gig on 20 May with his band, Gillan joined Episode Six and later found fame with Deep Purple.

Alf Fripp (centre) with Jaymes Fenda & The Vulcans, December 1965. Photo: Alf Fripp

Alfred Fripp departed on the same date as Ian Gillan and joined south London band Jaymes Fenda & The Vulcans. Fripp would briefly return to Wainwright’s Gentlemen in January 1967 when Frewer was injured in a car accident and covered bass duties until Frewer recovered.

Selected gigs:

2 March 1965 – Kodak Hall, Wealdstone, Middlesex with The Gaylords and The Beachcombers

4 March 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, Middlesex

18 March 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, Middlesex

1 April 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, northwest London *

2 April 1965 – Leonian Hall, Harrow, northwest London *

3 April 1965 – Blythe Hotel, Sevenoaks, Kent *

4 April 1965 – Windsor, Berkshire (most likely Star & Garter)

5 April 1965 – Seagull Hotel, Southall, west London

8 April 1965 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, west London

9 April 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London

10 April 1965 – Scala, Dartford, Dartford, Kent *

11 April 1965 – Windsor, Berkshire (most likely Star & Garter)

12 April 1965 – Co-op Hall, Wealdstone, northwest London *

15 April 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, northwest London

16 April 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London

17 April 1965 – Cinema in Watford, Watford, Herts *

18 April 1965 – Kodak Social Club, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire

19 April 1965 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with Tony Rivers & The Castaways

22 April 1965 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, west London

23 April 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London

25 April 1965 – Southall Community Centre, Southall, west London

26 April 1965 – Seagull Hotel, Southall, Middlesex (Gillan and Fripp’s last gig)

Annette Cully – lead vocals

Jim Searle – lead guitar

Jan Frewer – bass, vocals

Phil Kenton – drums

Dave Brogden – tenor sax (intermittently)

The stripped back line-up played just over a week’s worth of gigs with Brogden helping out when he could make the commitment. However, around 10 May, Jan Frewer’s father brought in two new musicians – keyboard player Tyni Manning and new tenor sax player Robert Schole.

Selected gigs:

29 April 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, northwest London

30 April 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London

2 May 1965 – Windsor, Berkshire (most likely Star & Garter)

3 May 1965 – Wimbledon Palais, Wimbledon, southwest London * (this was mentioned in a newspaper cutting, dated 19 May)

6 May 1965 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, west London

7 May 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London *

8 May 1965 – Venue in Reading, Berkshire (possibly Olympia Ballroom) *

9 May 1965 – Windsor, Berkshire (most likely Star & Garter)

Annette Culley – lead vocals

Jim Searle – lead guitar

Tyni Manning – keyboards

Jan Frewer – bass, vocals

Robert Schole – tenor saxophone

Phil Kenton – drums

The new line-up was short-lived and could have only lasted a month or so (possibly until 4 June) despite being promoted (and photographed) in the Harrow Weekly Post on 19 May.

Selected gigs:

13 May 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, northwest London

15 May 1965 – St Mary’s College (most likely in Twickenham, west London)

16 May 1965 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire

20 May 1965 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, west London

21 May 1965 – Old Lyon Hall, Harrow, northwest London (may have been Café de Artiste in Fulham, southwest London instead but was advertised in Harrow Observer & Gazette)

22 May 1965 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire

23 May 1965 – gig in Mudeford (Dorset?)

27 May 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, northwest London

28 May 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London

29 May 1965 – Starlite (but was this Greenford, northwest London)

30 May 1965 – Windsor, Berkshire (most likely Star & Garter)

2 June 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, northwest London with Tony Rivers & The Castaways (Melody Maker says 3 June)

3 June 1965 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, west London

4 June 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London

Annette Culley – lead vocals

Jim Searle – lead guitar

Jan Frewer – bass, vocals

Phil Kenton – drums

Dave Brogden – tenor saxophone (intermittently)

As agreed with Jan Frewer, Dave Brogden continued to occasionally gig with Wainwright’s Gentlemen (see below gigs with*) when he wasn’t working with The Statesides, who he officially joined on 17 June. This agreement to sit in with Wainwright’s Gentlemen lasted until late September.

Dave Brogden (third from left). Photo: Dave Brogden

Brogden remembers that a few days after 26 September, Wainwright Gentlemen’s drummer Phil Kenton got in touch (possibly because there was a hiatus in Wainwright Gentlemen’s gigs) and said he’d been offered an extremely well paid gig with an Irish show band performing at an Irish dance hall in Balham. The group also needed a sax player and the residency, which guaranteed three nights a week, started on 1 October.

The sax player left The Statesides and Kenton departed Wainwright’s Gentlemen to join the Irish show band but Kenton only lasted the weekend before being replaced by an Irish drummer. Kenton briefly returned to Wainwright’s Gentlemen but was clearly getting itchy feet to move on.

Brogden meanwhile lasted a few more weeks before the Irish show band stopped working and he returned to The Statesides on 29 October.

Selected gigs:

5 June 1965 – Assembly Hall, Walthamstow, north London with The Prophets *

6 June 1965 – Windsor, Berkshire (most likely Star & Garter)

10 June 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, northwest London

11 June 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London *

12 June 1965 – LSE, Malden (Surrey?)

13 June 1965 – Windsor, Berkshire (most likely Star & Garter)

15 June 1965 – gig in Dagenham, Essex

17 June 1965 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, west London

18 June 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London

19 June 1965 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire *

20 June 1965 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire

24 June 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, northwest London

25 June 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London

26 June 1965 – Kodak Hall, Hemel Hempstead, Herts

27 June 1965 – Windsor, Berkshire (most likely Star & Garter)

3 July 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London *

5 July 1965 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Herts

9 July 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London *

24 July 1965 – Hi-Fi Hop, Weybridge Hall, Weybridge, Surrey

6 August 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London *

13 August 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London *

21 August 1965 – Royal Star Ballroom, Maidstone, Kent (Kent Messenger)

21 August 1965 – The Savoy Rooms, Catford, southeast London with Trendsetters Ltd

28 August 1965 – Gari Ballroom, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk with John’s Court

11 September 1965 – Queen of Harts (location not known) *

18 September 1965 – Club de Dance, Colchester, Essex *

22 September 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, northwest London *

24 September 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London

Left to right: Jim Searle, Val Cockayne, Annette Cully, Jan Frewer, Phil Kenton and Peter Cockayne, circa late 1965. Thanks to Phil Cockayne for providing.

Annette Cully – lead vocals

Val Cockayne – lead vocals

Jim Searle – lead guitar

Peter Cockayne – keyboards

Jan Frewer – bass, vocals

Phil Kenton – drums

Around late September, the band appeared to have stopped gigging briefly, which was when Kenton landed the gig with the Irish show band. When that didn’t work out, he returned to Wainwright’s Gentlemen who had brought in a second (female) singer Val Cockayne and her husband Peter on keyboards during the drummer’s absence.

It isn’t clear how long the Cockaynes stayed with Wainwright’s Gentlemen but possibly until November-December (and long enough to be photographed).

Peter Cockayne recalls that Mick Tucker joined shortly before the couple departed Wainwright’s Gentlemen. However, it’s also plausible that Tucker just auditioned when Kenton left to work with the Irish show band and the group held on to his details as a future replacement when Kenton did finally depart sometime in late 1965.

Selected gigs:

9 October 1965 – Hi-Fi Hop, Weybridge Hall, Weybridge, Surrey

Annette Cully – lead vocals

Gordon Fairminer – lead guitar

Jim Searle – lead guitar

Tony Hall – tenor saxophone (joined slightly after Fairminer)

Jan Frewer – bass, vocals

Mick Tucker – drums

Gordon Fairminer (left) and Ian Gillan (centre) with The Javelins 1964. Photo: Tony Tacon

Lead guitarist Gordon Fairminer, who had played with Ian Gillan in The Javelins and who joined Wainwright’s Gentlemen immediately after the Cockaynes left, remembers that Mick Tucker came to see the group play at the Clay Pigeon in Eastcote on one occasion and that he replaced Kenton soon after. Tucker had started out in an instrumentals band with future Wainwright’s Gentlemen and Sweet guitarist Frank Torpey.

Shortly after Fairminer joined (circa November/December 1965), Wainwright’s Gentlemen also brought in tenor saxophone player Tony Hall, who had started out playing with early ‘60s west London band Peter Nelson & The Travellers. As Peter’s Faces, this group had made some recordings.

Fairminer and Searle began playing harmony solos on guitar, which was innovative for its time.

The new guitarist remembers that Wainwright’s Gentlemen had a regular Friday night residency at the Café des Artistes in Fulham from late 1965 through to 1967.

The new line up remained stable until around June-July 1966 when the musicians auditioned for another male singer and brought in Brian McManus (aka Connolly), who had previously sung with The Troop from Harefield, northwest London.

Selected gigs:

11 December 1965 – Acre Hall, Northwood, northwest London

25 June 1966 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge with Bob Kidman & His Band, The Paramounts, Mood Indigo and The Astrobeats

Annette Cully – lead vocals

Brian McManus (aka Connolly) – lead vocals

Gordon Fairminer – lead guitar

Jim Searle – lead guitar

Tony Hall – tenor saxophone

Jan Frewer – bass, vocals

Mick Tucker – drums

Sometime around early November Annette Cully departed and the group continued with Brian Connolly as sole lead singer.

Selected gigs:

30 July 1966 – Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks with The Reasons

24 September 1966 – Victoria Ballroom, Cambridge (featuring Annette)

1 October 1966 – Harrow County School for Boys, Harrow, London with The Stalkers

22 October 1966 – ABC North Harrow Bowling Centre, Moonlight Bowl, Harrow, London (featuring Annette)

Brian McManus (aka Connolly) – lead vocals

Gordon Fairminer – lead guitar

Jim Searle – lead guitar

Tony Hall – tenor saxophone

Jan Frewer – bass, vocals

Mick Tucker – drums

The remaining members – Brian Connolly, Tony Hall, Jim Searle, Gordon Fairminer, Jan Frewer and Mick Tucker – recorded two demo tracks at Regent’s Sound in late 1966/early 1967, which surfaced on an acetate – “You Look So Tame” and “One of a Kind”.

On 2 January 1967, Jan Frewer, Gordon Fairminer and Mick Tucker were involved in a car crash on the way home from a gig on the south coast, possibly in Brighton.

According to Fairminer, Frewer was driving his Singer Chamois when the incident happened. The guitarist was in the front passenger seat and Mick Tucker was in the back seat.

The car hit a tree at around 50-60 mph on a wet Mortlake Road. The guitarist broke both legs. Frewer fractured his pelvis and Tucker had some internal bleeding. The bass player and drummer were both hospitalised for about a week.

Former Wainwright’s Gentlemen guitarist Alf Fripp covered for Frewer while he recovered.

Fairminer had a full length plaster on his left leg for about four to five months and half length on his right leg for about a month. While he recuperated, Jim Searle carried all the lead guitar duties.

The guitarist remembers that after the plaster was removed from his right leg, he continued to gig with Wainwright’s Gentlemen and recalls a show at the Café Des Artistes in Fulham perched high at the front of the stage, with his straight plastered leg hanging over the edge of the stage with a very large black boot. Some of the audience scribbled messages on the plaster.

The Hounslow Post reported its 14 July 1967 issue, page 10, that Julie was singing with the band. However, Fairminer has no recollection of another female singer after Cully left.

Selected gigs:

12 November 1966 – Sperry FC, Bracknell, Berkshire

19 November 1966 – Winter Gardens, Banbury, Oxfordshire with The Cinette Sounds

4 March 1967 – Harrow Boys County School, Harrow, London with The Mustangs

8 April 1967 – Sperry FC, Bracknell, Berkshire with The Movement

10 June 1967 – Sperry FC, Bracknell, Berkshire with The Rite Amount

11 August 1967 – Les Jeux Interdits, Cambridge

2 October 1967 – Harrow County Boys School, Harrow, London with Two of Each

1 November 1967 – Les Jeux Interdits, Cambridge

8 November 1967 – Les Jeus Interdits, Cambridge

Brian McManus (aka Connolly) – lead vocals

Frank Torpey – lead guitar

Tony Hall – tenor saxophone

Jan Frewer – bass, vocals

Mick Tucker – drums

Around November 1967, former Tribe lead guitarist Frank Torpey came in for Gordon Fairminer. Jim Searle also departed at this point (if not earlier) and later became a classical guitarist.

However, Torpey (who’d started out in a band with Mick Tucker in 1962) only lasted a handful of months and by late January 1968, Frewer’s friend Robin Box had succeeded him on lead guitar. According to an article in the Harrow Observer, dated 24 October 1969, Box had previously played with The Phantoms and Five’s Company.

Torpey notes in his diary that his final gig took place on 20 January at a hospital but he doesn’t have any more details. The gigs below are from his diary (where he has firm details).

Selected gigs:

17 November 1967 – Bedford College, Regent’s Park, central London

18 November 1967 – London University, London

25 November 1967 – Gillingham, Kent (possibly Aurora Hotel)

2 December 1967 – Harrow County Boys’ School, Harrow, northwest London with Two of Each

9 December 1967 – Croydon, south London (no details)

15 December 1967 – Ealing Town Hall, Ealing, west London

23 December 1967 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, northwest London

31 December 1967 – Private party

Photo may need copyright. Wainwright’s Gentlemen, January 1968, left to right: Tony Hall, Robin Box, Mick Tucker, Jan Frewer and Brian Connolly

Brian McManus (aka Connolly) – lead vocals

Robin Box – lead guitar

Tony Hall – tenor saxophone

Jan Frewer – bass, vocals

Mick Tucker – drums

Photo may need copyright. Wainwright’s Gentlemen, January 1968

Tucker and Connolly weren’t happy with Torpey’s dismissal and in early February 1968 they left the band. The pair reunited with Torpey and together with bass player Steve Priest from another west London band, The Army, they formed The Sweet.

The Sweet, July 1968. Left to right: Steve Priest, Brian Connolly, Frank Torpey and Mick Tucker

Remaining members Robin Box, Jan Frewer and Tony Hall brought in drummer Roger Hills and, according to an article in the Harrow Observer from 24 October 1969, toured the northern clubs with Gordon Waller from Peter & Gordon.

They then toured Europe for three months, including playing at the P&N Club in Munich, West Germany as Rupert’s Spoon. Returning to the UK around late May, they toured the northern club circuit.

Selected gigs:

17 February 1968 – Ship Hotel, Weybridge, Surrey with The Effect

4 May 1968 – Harrow County Boys’ School, Harrow, northwest London with Orbit 5

1 June 1968 – Aurora Hotel, Gillingham, Kent with The Web and The Foundations

Minus Frewer, who later went on to roadie for The Sweet, Robin Box, Tony Hall and Roger Hills found work backing The Flowerpot Men whose members included Hall’s ex-colleagues from Peter’s Faces. They toured Europe as their backing band, Rupert’s Spoon.

Hall later left to join Simon K & The Meantimes before joining Geno Washington & The Ram Jam in mid-1970. In early 1971, however, he reunited with Robin Box and Roger Hills in White Plains.

In later years Hall went on to work with the Houseshakers, Screaming Lord Sutch, Flying Fox and Chas & Dave among others and also did session work for Shakin’ Stevens and Sheena Easton.

Huge thanks to Dave Brogden (who very kindly shared his diary entries), Jan Frewer, Alf Fripp, Val Cockayne, Phil Cockayne, Frank Torpey, Gordon Fairminer, Tony Tacon and Tony Hall for helping with the story. I’d also like to credit Mark Lay’s book on the band’s early years.

This is an extensively updated version of an article that was originally published on the Strange Brew website. I’d like to thank Jason Barnard for all of his help and support over the years.

Gigs above were sourced from many newspapers and magazines. This is not a complete list but includes Melody Maker, Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette, Walthamstow Guardian, Hayes Gazette, Yarmouth Mercury, Herts & Essex Observer, Hertfordshire Express, Harrow Observer & Gazette, Woking Herald, Cambridge News, Surrey Advertiser and Evening Argus.

I have tried to ensure the accuracy of this article but I appreciate that there are likely to be errors and omissions. I would appreciate any feedback from anyone who can provide any additions or corrections. Email: Warchive@aol.com

Categories: England, London

The Tribe

August 22, 2020 Nick Warburton 2 Comments

John Neighbour – lead vocals/harp

Frank Torpey – lead guitar

Martin Slavenic – Hammond organ

Dennis Cowan – bass

Malcolm Wolffe – drums

The Tribe were a northwest London band from Kilburn that formed around late 1964 and were notable for featuring future Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band bass player Dennis Cowan and Frank Torpey, who was the original lead guitarist in The Sweet. Torpey had started out in a band with future Sweet drummer Mick Tucker. Drummer Malcolm Wolffe subsequently played with Happy Magazine and then Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band.

Regulars at the Ealing Club and the State Ballroom Kilburn, the band gigged widely (see gigs list below) and travelled to Paris twice to play at the Gaff Club. The Tribe also spent a month in Copenhagen, Denmark in spring 1966. Petticoat Magazine ran a short article on them in its 4 June issue (see below).

Signed to Shel Talmy’s Planet label, The Tribe’s debut single was the blues rocker “The Gamma Goochie” c/w “I’m Leaving”, which was produced by John Sullivan and issued on 4 February 1966.

The former can be found on the Big Beat compilation CD Planet Mod while the latter has been included on another CD in the Big Beat series, Planet Beat. Out of interest, Planet Mod also includes the previously unreleased Tribe recording “Don’t Let It Be”, which was cut in March 1966.

After recording a couple of unreleased demo tracks after leaving Planet, including a cover of Edwin Starr’s “Headline News” and a track called “Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Lose” (the latter at Abbey Road), The Tribe moved to RCA for its second release in May 1967 – the soulful “Love Is a Beautiful Thing” c/w “Steel Guitar and a Glass of Wine”.

That same month, the group landed a three-month residency at the Marquee (and while there played at the exclusive Mayfair club the Scotch of St James a handful of times after finishing up at the Marquee in the evening).

In mid-August, to tap into the burgeoning psychedelic scene, The Tribe changed name to Dream and appeared at the Festival of the Flower Children held at Woburn Festival on 27 August 1967.

When the band broke up in October 1967, Torpey spent a few months with another west London band, Wainwright’s Gentlemen where he worked with soon-to-be Sweet band mates Brian Connolly and Mick Tucker.

Selected gigs:

7 November 1964 – Wilton Hall, Bletchley, Bucks with The Troggs

9 January 1965 – Club A Go Go, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear with Jimmy Powell & The Dimensions

30 March 1965 – Nurses Club, Jolly Gardeners, Isleworth, Middlesex

8 April 1965 – Bromel Club, Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London

13 April 1965 – Elms Club, South Harrow, northwest London

2 May 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London

7 May 1965 – Elms Club, South Harrow, northwest London

11 May 1965 – Elms Club, South Harrow, northwest London

13 May 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London

14 May 1965 – Elms Club, South Harrow, northwest London

23 May 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London

25 May 1965 – Elms Club, South Harrow, northwest London

28 May 1965 – Elms Club, South Harrow, northwest London

31 May 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London

3 June 1965 – Elms Club, South Harrow, northwest London with The CC Riders and Initial Four

3 July 1965 – Club Noreik, Tottenham, north London

6 July 1965 – London Cavern, Holland Park, west London with The Dae ‘B’ Four

13 August 1965 – California Ballroom, Dunstable with Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band and Bern Elliott & The Klan

14 August 1965 – Maple Ballroom, Northampton with The Dragsters

4 September 1965 – Club Dolphin, Luton, Beds

18 September 1965 – Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks with Johnny Cannon & The Shades

8 October 1965 – Legion Hall, Amersham, Bucks

16 October 1965 – Finstock, Oxfordshire

23 October 1965 – Tackley, Oxfordshire

20 November 1965 – Airport Restaurant, Rochester Airport, Rochester, Kent

22 November 1965 – Drill Hall, Newmarket, Cambridgeshire

9 December 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London

18 December 1965 – Royal Links Pavilion, Cromer, Norfolk with The Devil’s Coachmen

24 December 1965 – Beachcomber, Nottingham with The Dickens Set

26 December 1965 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire with Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds and Jimmy Cliff, Ayshea, Pete Hodges and The New Generation (advert says they are from the Marquee)

8 January 1966 – Gala Ballroom, Norwich, Norfolk with The Sneakers

14 January 1966 – Fiesta Hall, Andover, Hampshire (from the Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London)

5 February 1966 – California Ballroom, Dunstable with The Overlanders and The Amboy Dukes

19 February 1966 – Dreamland, Margate, Kent with The Zombies

26 February 1966 – Marcam Hall, March, Cambridgeshire with The Fenmen

1 April 1966 – Club Continental, Eastbourne, East Sussex

30 April 1966 – Gala Ballroom, Norwich, Norfolk with The Amboy Dukes

Photo: Petticoat magazine, 4 June 1966. Image may be subject to copyright

10 June 1966 – Il Rondo, Leicester

19 June 1966 – Pavilion Ballroom, Bournemouth, Dorset with The Valiants and The Trackmarks

25 June 1966 – Dreamland, Margate, Kent with St Louis Union

26 June 1966 – Dreamland, Margate, Kent

2 July 1966 – Gala Ballroom, Norwich, Norfolk with Abject Blues

17 July 1966 – Kettering Working Men’s Club, Kettering, Northamptonshire with Brian Poole & The Tremeloes

6 August 1966 – Union Rowing Club, Nottingham

7 August 1966 – Bromel Club, Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London

13 August 1966 – ABC Promotions, Public Hall, Heacham, Norfolk with The Zuider Zee

14 August 1966 – Dungeon Club, Nottingham

20 August 1966 – The 7 Club, Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury, Shropshire with Chris Ian

27 August 1966 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with The Small Faces, John & Nicky (and group), The Flashbacks and The Ferryboys

2 September 1966 – Dancing Slipper, Nottingham

3 September 1966 – Gaiety, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire with The Eyes of Blond

10 September 1966 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge with Bob Kidman & His Band, The Utopians and The Versions

25 September 1966 – Dungeon Club, Nottingham

30 September 1966 – Elbow Room, Aston, West Midlands

7 October 1966 – Glenlyn Ballroom, Forest Hill, southeast London

15 October 1966 – Royal Links Pavilion, Cromer, Norfolk with New Generation

22 October 1966 – The Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Savoy Brown Blues Band

2 November 1966 – Gravesend R&B Club, Clarendon Royal Hotel, Gravesend, Kent (Thanks to Andy Neill for providing PACE magazine entry)

5 November 1966 – The Bromel Club, Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London (also have them playing at New Spot, Gosport, Hampshire on this day)

6 November 1966 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London

18 November 1966 – Beaconsfield Youth Club, Beaconsfield, Bucks

19 November 1966 – Union Rowing Club, Nottingham with Fla Makane

2 December 1966 – Dancing Slipper Ballroom, West Bridgeford, Nottingham with Herbie Goins & The Night Timers

3 December 1966 – 76 Club, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire

15 December 1966 – Flying Fox Club, RAF Cottesmore, Rutland with Davey Sands & The Essex, Marmalade and The Nemkons

17 December 1966 – ABC Promotions, Public Hall, Heacham, Norfolk with The Seasons

19 December 1966 – Kettering Working Men’s Club, Kettering, Northamptonshire with The Missing Links

24 December 1966 – Bath Regency Ballroom, Bath with The First Lites and The Workshop

1 January 1967 – Dungeon Club, Nottingham

7 January 1967 – Il Rondo, Leicester

13 January 1967 – Bicester Youth Centre, Bicester

14 January 1967 – Winter Gardens, Banbury, Warwickshire with The Pride & Passion

14 January 1967 – Flamingo Ballroom, Penzance, Cornwall with The Dissatisfied

16 January 1967 – Kettering Working Men’s Club, Kettering, Northamptonshire

25 January 1967 – Dreamland, Margate, Kent

31 January 1967 – Crayford Town Hall, Crayford, Kent

18 February 1967 – Il Rondo, Leicester

25 February 1967 – Club A Go Go, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear with The Washington DCs

5 March 1967 – Dungeon Club, Nottingham (they might have been replaced by The Army)

8 March 1967 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London with The Savoy Brown Blues Band

18 March 1967 – New Yorker Discotheque, Swindon, Wiltshire with Sac-0-Woe

25 March 1967 – New Dungeon Club, Nottingham

30 March 1967 – Marquee, London with Marmalade

1 April 1967 – Union Rowing Club, Nottingham

1 April 1967 – Beeches Barn Theatre, Cirencester, Gloucestershire (advert mistakenly says they are from Oxford)

10 April 1967 – Kettering Working Men’s Club, Kettering, Northamptonshire with The Finger Print Set

14 April 1967 – Bluesette, Bridge Street, Leatherhead, Surrey

15 April 1967 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Tonicks featuring Joey Young

16 April 1967 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent

4 May 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Marmalade

6 May 1967 – Royal Links Pavilion, Cromer, Norfolk with Chicago Line featuring Mike Patto and The New Generation

26 May 1967 – Slipper, West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire

27 May 1967 – Exeter Eights Week Ball, Oxford University with The Cream, The Other Extreme and The Cabinet

27 May 1967 – St Thomas’ Hall, Brentwood, Essex

3 June 1967 – Bal Tabarin, Downham, southeast London with supporting groups

7 June 1967 – Dungeon Club, Nottingham

9 June 1967 – Union Rowing Club, Nottingham

15 June 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Marmalade

17 June 1967 – Hull College of Commerce Students’ Union, Hull, Humberside with That Feeling and The Locomotion

24 June 1967 – Il Rondo, Leicester

1 July 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Stalkers

2 July 1967 – Dungeon Club, Nottingham

8 July 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Love Affair

15 July 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Monopoly

22 July 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Ten Years After

29 July 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Darlings

5 August 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Third Eye

12 August 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Impact Blues

19 August 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Nite People

Selected gigs (as Dream)

26 August 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Third Eye

27 August 1967 – Festival of the Flower Children, Woburn Abbey, Woburn, Bedfordshire with The Move, Eric Burdon & The New Animals, The Soft Machine and others

2 September 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London

9 September 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Herbal Mixture

16 September 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Iveys

23 September 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Mud

30 September 1967 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire

30 September 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Third Eye

21 October 1967 – Dreamland, Margate, Kent with Zoot Money

22 October 1967 – Rendezvous Club, Margate, Kent

These final gigs must have been a different band unless some of the members carried on with the name after Frank Torpey left.

11 December 1967 – Broadway Club, Dudley Zoo with The Probe (see gig poster as they had been on tour)

29 December 1967 – Dreamland, Margate, Kent

Thanks to Frank Torpey, Alec Palao and Bruce Welsh for providing information.

This is an extensively updated version of an article that was originally published on the Strange Brew website. I’d like to thank Jason Barnard for all of his help and support over the years.

The gigs above were sourced from many sources. I apologise for any sources that are missing but they include Melody Maker, the Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette, Birmingham Evening Mail, Bucks Free Press, Lynn News, Nottingham Evening Post, Northampton Chronicle, Oxford Mail, Cherwell, Banbury Guardian, Andover Advertiser, Hull Daily Mail, East Kent Times & Mail.

Categories: England

The Loose Ends

August 21, 2020 Nick Warburton 5 Comments

Formed in Bexley Heath, Kent in late 1963, The Loose Ends were fronted by singer Alan Marshall (b. 19 February 1944, Karachi, British India, now Sindhi Province, Pakistan) and his bass playing cousin Rick Marshall.

Lead guitarist Ron Spence (b. 23 April 1947, London, England; d. 25 June 1973) was also there from the outset alongside drummer Peter Hetherington and rhythm guitarist John Knox who had been introduced to the band by Spence.

After rehearsing in a scout hut in Bexley Heath and playing some local gigs, keyboard player Roy Davies (b. 3 October 1944, Monmouthshire, southeast Wales; d. 1986), who was working in a music shop on Bexley Heath Broadway, took over from Knox around early 1964.

The group also brought in a drummer from Luton called Rick who was subsequently replaced by Orpington-based drummer Alan “Noddy” Whitehead (b. 24 July 1945, Oswestry, Shropshire). Whitehead had previously worked with singer Crispian St. Peters.

The band became the house band at St Lawrence Church Hall in Catford, southeast London during this period.

The new formation started landing regular gigs at notable local venues like the Bromel Club in Bromley, the Tiger’s Head in Downham and the Glenlyn Ballroom in Forest Hill. Crucially, their manager Bryan Mason secured the group a residency at Lewisham’s El Partido, a club that he owned, which helped build their local fan base.

However, around June 1965, Ron Spence departed to join local rivals The Revellos, who were also managed by Bryan Mason.

Ron Spence (second right) with The Carl Douglas Set, 1966. Photo: Ken Baxter

In early 1966, Spence joined The Carl Douglas Set and remained with the Jamaican singer for about six months (recording unreleased material) before hooking up with Bexley, Kent outfit, The Big Wheel, which featured future Clark-Hutchinson member, Andy Clark. The group toured extensively in Switzerland and recorded a rare single there in late 1966 for the Eurex label. During this period, the guitarist started to work under the name Ron Bryer.

The Big Wheel Eurex PS back — Ron Bryer (far right) with Big Wheel, Switzerland, 1966

When The Big Wheel split, Ron Bryer joined Barry Window & The Movements in July 1967 and appeared on a string of singles and two LPs.

Ron Bryer with The Movements, 1967. Photo: Barry Window

Berry Window & The Movements with Ron Bryer (third from left back row). Photo: Barry Window

During 1968, however, he formed The Third Eclipse who changed name to Brainticket and recorded the Krautrock classic Cottonwoodhill album in 1971. Returning to London in the early Seventies, he briefly reunited with Alan Marshall in One but tragically died from a drug overdose on 25 June 1973.

Selected gigs:

13 June 1964 – Memorial Hall, Newmarket, Suffolk with The Hunters

18 June 1964 – Cafe Dansant, Cleethorpes with Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders

4 July 1964 – Sunset Ballroom, The Sandringham, Hunstanton, Norfolk

18 July 1964 – The Scene, Florida Room, Brighton, West Sussex

8 August 1964 – The Northfields, Stamford, Lincolnshire

5 September 1964 – The Scene, Florida Room, Brighton, West Sussex

26 September 1964 – Glenlyn Club, Forest Hill, southeast London (start playing Monday nights)

3 October 1964 – Corn Exchange, Cambridge with The Paramounts

16 November 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Birds

12 December 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London with The Impacts

14 December 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Original All-Stars

19 December 1964 – Royal Links Pavilion, Cromer, Norfolk with Maniax

24 December 1964 – Public Hall, Heacham, Norfolk with The Roadrunners

24 December 1964 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London

2 January 1965 – Wilton Hall, Bletchley, Buckinghamshire with The Horizons

16 January 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London with The Impacts

22 January 1965 – Market Hall, St Albans, Herts

25 January 1965 – Bromel Club, Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London

29 January 1965 – Rainbow Club, Acre Hall, Northwood, Middlesex

2 February 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Pretty Things

13 February 1965 – Royal Links Pavilion, Cromer, Norfolk with The Trends

18 February 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Graham Bond Organisation

25 February 1965 – Bromel Club, Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London

26 February 1965 – Starlite, Greenford, Middlesex with The Birds

3 April 1965 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London

10 April 1965 – Ticky Rick Club, Carnival Hall, Basingstoke, Hants (Says direct from 100 Club)

15 April 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Graham Bond Organisation

18 April 1965 – Tavern Club, Sunshine Floor, East Dereham, Norfolk with The Tea Time Four

23 April 1965 – Waterfront, Southampton, Hants

24 April 1965 – Corn Exchange, Maidstone, Kent with The Defenders

25 April 1965 – Face Club, Grantham, Lincolnshire

29 April 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Graham Bond Organisation

2 May 1965 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, southeast London with The Five Dimensions

16 May 1965 – Bromel Club, Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London

16 May 1965 – Studio ’61, Leicester Square, central London

23 May 1965 – Studio ’61, Leicester Square, central London

27 May 1965 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London

28 May 1965 – Studio ’61, Leicester Square, central London with Ray Sone

4 June 1965 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon with The Buccaneers

6 June 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London

Guitarist Peter Kirtley (b. 26 September 1945, Hebburn-on-Tyne, County Durham) from Jarrow, Tyne & Wear took Ron Spence’s place. A former member of The Chevrolets and Shorty & Them, Kirtley had appeared on the latter’s lone single, “Pills or Love’s Labour Lost” c/w “Live Laugh Love”, released on Fontana in 1964, and a German-only album, shared with Liverpool group, The Roadrunners, before decamping to London in early 1965.

According to the South East London Mercury newspaper’s 19 February 1965 edition, Kirtley and fellow Jarrow musician, bass player, the late Brian Rowan formed the short-lived Take Six with southeast London musicians, organist Roger Read (ex-Wranglers/Showtimers) and drummer Graham Willard in early 1965.

In February 1966, The Loose Ends landed a semi-residency at the exclusive Mayfair nightclub, the Scotch of St James.

Having inked a deal with Decca Records in late 1965, The Loose Ends cut their debut single, an impressive take on “Send The People Away”, a rare Moody Blues’ track penned by Mike Pinder and Denny Laine, backed with a cover of “I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore”, which was shipped in July 1966.

That same month, South East London Mercury reported that bass player Dave Collman (b. 13 April 1946, Croydon, Surrey) had taken over from Rick Marshall.

The Loose Ends, circa July 1966. Left to right: Roy Davies, Peter Kirtley, Dave Collman, Alan Marshall and Alan Whitehead. Photo: Peter Kirtley

Selected gigs:

13 June 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London

Photo: Bexley Heath & Welling Observer and Kentish Times

19 June 1965 – Jazz & Blues Festival, Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, southeast London with The Dutch Swing College, Solomon Burke, Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band, Unit 4 Plus 2, The Spencer Davis Group, The Downliners Sect, Alan Elsdon’s Jazzband, Brian Green New-O-Stompers and The Epitaph Soul Band

20 June 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London

26 June 1965 – Swaffham Assembly Rooms, Swaffham, Norfolk with Mike Prior & The Pagans

27 June 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London

4 July 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London

25 July 1965 – Tavern Club, Dereham, Norfolk with The Mode

14 August 1965 – Ticky Rick and Rang-A-Tang Club, Basingstoke, Hants

10-11 September 1965 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London with Duke Lee

11 September 1965 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London with Duke Lee, Sonny Childe and Lou Johnson

13 September 1965 – Welcome Inn, Eltham, southeast London

14 September 1965 – Tiger’s Head, Downham, southeast London

15 September 1965 – Cromwellian, south Kensington, west London

16 September 1965 – The Raven, Ladywell, southeast London

17 September 1965 – Beckenham Ballroom, Beckenham, south London

18 September 1965 – Glenlyn Ballroom, Forest Hill, southeast London

18 September 1965 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London with The Artwoods (Southeast London Mercury has Lou Johnson)

25 September 1965 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London with Guy Darrell

2 October 1965 – Royal Star Ballroom, Maidstone, Kent with support

2 October 1965 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London with Jesse Fuller, The Spectres and Duke Lee

9 October 1965 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London with Dave Anthony’s Moods, Duke Lee and Next of Kin

10 October 1965 – Tavern Club, Sunshine Floor, Dereham, Norfolk with The Knock-out Squad

16 October 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London

20 October 1965 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London with Long, Short & Tall and Duke Lee

23 October 1965 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London with The Minor Birds and Duke Lee

27 October 1965 – Adelphi Ballroom, West Bromwich, West Midlands

30 October 1965 – Beachcomber Club, Nottingham (possibly their debut Nottingham appearance)

30 October 1965 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London with Hamilton & The Movement and Duke Lee

3 November 1965 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London with Blues Roots and Duke Lee

11 November 1965 – Hoochie Coochie Club, Wooden Bridge Hotel, Guildford, Surrey

12 November 1965 – Birdcage, Kimbells Ballroom, Southsea, Hampshire

19 November 1965 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire

20 November 1965 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London with Guy Darrell, Winds of Change and Duke Lee

27 November 1965 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London with The Panics and Duke Lee

9 December 1965 – Harvest Moon, Guildford, Surrey with Sonny Childe and Ad Finitum

11 December 1965 – Milford R&B, Strutt Arms, Milford, Derbyshire

12 December 1965 – Britannia Rowing Club, Nottingham (from The Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London)

16 December 1965 – Cook’s Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London

18 December 1965 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London with Frank Sheen Sound and Duke Lee

24 December 1965 – Birdcage, Kimbells Ballroom, Southsea, Hampshire

24 December 1965 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London with Duke Lee and Frank Sheen Sound

3 January 1966 – Gala Baths, West Bromwich, West Midlands

3 January 1966 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London

Photo: Hastings and St Leonards Observer

8 January 1966 – The Dolphin, Marine Court, St Leonards, East Sussex with The Web

16 January 1966 – Tower Ballroom, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk with Ketas

30 January 1966 – Tavern Club, Dereham, Norfolk with The Marvin Lois Enterprise

5 February 1966 – Star Ballroom, Maidstone, Kent with The Defenders and The Convoys

13 February 1966 – Royal Links Pavilion, Cromer, Norfolk with The Trends

15 February 1966 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Five Proud Walkers

19 February 1966 – Witchdoctor, Savoy Rooms, Catford, southeast London

20 February 1966 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London

21 February 1966 – Starting this week, The Loose Ends played the Scotch of St James in Mayfair, central London three times a week. They will continue to play the exclusive nightclub throughout the year.

24 February 1966 – Gala Baths, West Bromwich, West Midlands

26 February 1966 – Glenlyn Ballroom, Forest Hill, southeast London

5 March 1966 – Ram Jam, Brixton, south London with Tony Knight’s Chessmen

11 March 1966 – Chislehurst Caves, Chislehurst, southeast London

12 March 1966 – Golden Star Club, Caledonian Road, north London

16 March 1966 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London

17 March 1966 – Pontiac, Putney, southwest London

Photo: Either Aldershot News or Camberley News & Bagshot Observer

26 March 1966 – Carousel Club, 1 Camp Road, Farnborough, Hampshire with The Koobas

29 March 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Action

1 April 1966 – Witchdoctor, Savoy Rooms, Catford, southeast London with The Lonely Ones

Photo: most likely Coulsdon & Purley Advertiser

2 April 1966 – St Peter’s Hall, Croydon, south London with The Board Walkers

10 April 1966 – The Dolphin, Marine Court, St Leonards, East Sussex

10 April 1966 – Witchdoctor, Savoy Rooms, Catford, southeast London with The Lonely Ones

11 April 1966 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with The Soundtracks and The Reasons

17 April 1966 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London

29 April 1966 – Links, Boreham Wood, Hertfordshire with support

30 April 1966 – Star Ballroom, Maidstone, Kent

1 May 1966 – Welcome Inn, Eltham, southeast London

14 May 1966 – Witchdoctor, Savoy Rooms, Catford, southeast London

18 May 1966 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London

20 May 1966 – Ready Steady Go Club, Market Hall, St Albans, Herts

26 May 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with The Bo Street Runners

27 May 1966 – Queen of Hearts, Queensbury, north London

28 May 1966 – Glenlyn Ballroom, Forest Hill, southeast London

4 June 1966 – Southeast Jazz Blues Festival, Blackheath, southeast London with Manfred Mann, Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames, Roy C and Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band

5 June 1966 – Regency Ballroom, Bath with Tiffany’s Thoughts

6 June 1966 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Ray Brown’s Sounds

7 June 1966 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire

According to London Life magazine, The Loose Ends are one of the three resident bands at the Scotch of St James for the week 11-17 June

12 June 1966 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London

13 June 1966 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Ray Brown’s Sounds

17 June 1966 – Latin Quarter, Leicester with Five Minus One

18 June 1966 – The Dolphin, Marine Court, St Leonards, East Sussex

20 June 1966 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Ray Brown’s Sounds

21 June 1966 – Oscar’s Grotto, Ilford, east London with The Felders Orioles

25 June 1966 – KD Club, Stockton-on-Tees with The Denmen (Says from Scotch of St James)

27 June 1966 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Ray Brown’s Sounds

According to an article in the Wandsworth Advertiser on 29 July, the band held down a Wednesday residency at the Bromel Club in Bromley during July and besides playing at the Scotch of St James and the Flamingo, The Loose Ends also performed at the Marquee. Apparently, they also opened a game at Charlton Athletic FC.

Barely a month after the band’s debut release, Decca issued a second single on 5 August 1966, once again produced by Noel Walker. Coupling a superb freakbeat version of George Harrison’s “Taxman” with the more R&B flavoured “That’s It”; the second outing should have been a hit but for some reason failed to chart.

However, despite the clutch of great singles, The Loose Ends were unravelling.

Photo: South East London Mercury, mid September 1966

In late September, Alan Whitehead departed, initially to join Cops ‘N’ Robbers. He then spent a month or so playing with southeast London group The Epitaph Soul Band before joining The Attack alongside singer Richard Shirman and guitarist David O’List.

Although he was photographed extensively with the band, Whitehead only appeared on two tracks (“Try It” and “We Don’t Know”) as he had already secured the drummer’s position in Scottish band The Marmalade. Whitehead remained with The Marmalade throughout its most successful years. In an interesting side note, Whitehead says that he auditioned for the group that became Procol Harum in spring 1967.

Selected gigs:

6 July 1966 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley southeast London

8 July 1966 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with Rufus Thomas

9 July 1966 – Corn Exchange, Maidstone, Kent with The Corvettes

13 July 1966 – Bromel Club, Bromley, southeast London with The Good Things

16 July 1966 – Savoy, Catford, southeast London

17 July 1966 – Eltham Baths, Eltham, southeast London

18 July 1966 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Ray Brown’s Sounds

20 July 1966 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London with The Squires

22 July 1966 – Waterfront, Southampton, Hants

23 July 1966 – Penthouse, Birmingham with Deep Feeling and Mark V

24 July 1966 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London

26 July 1966 – Scotch of St James, Mayfair, central London

27 July 1966 – Bromel Club, Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London

29 July 1966 – Glenlyn Ballroom, Forest Hill, southeast London

According to London Life magazine, The Loose Ends were one of three resident bands at the Scotch of St James with The VIPs and The Paramounts during the week 30 July – 5 August 1966

20 August 1966 – Corn Exchange, Maidstone, Kent with support

21 August 1966 – Central R&B Club, Central Hotel, Gillingham, Kent

27 August 1966 – The Dolphin, Marine Court, St Leonards, East Sussex

28 August 1966 – Tavern Club, Dereham, Norfolk with The Sullivan James Band

Photo: Mirabelle, 3 September 1966 issue

3 September 1966 – Dreamland, Margate, Kent with The Yes ‘N’ No

9 September 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Gary Farr & The T-Bones

10 September 1966 – Corn Exchange, Maidstone, Kent with support

11 September 1966 – Dungeon Club, Nottingham

15 September 1966 – Ram Jam, Brixton, south London

17 September 1966 – Witchdoctor, Catford, southeast London (Alan Whitehead’s final gig)

Photo: South East London Mercury, 6 October 1966

Rick Marshall and Alan Whitehead’s departure prompted a wider split. In early-to-mid-October 1966, Peter Kirtley departed and accepted an offer to join The Alan Price Set, working alongside bass player Boots Slade; trumpeter John Walters; sax players Steve Gregory and Clive Burrows (later replaced by Terry Childs); and drummer Roy Mills.

Selected gigs:

2 October 1966 – Union Rowing Club, Nottingham

5 October 1966 – Dreamland, Margate, Kent

8 October 1966 – The Dolphin, Marine Court, St Leonards, East Sussex (may have been Kirtley’s final gig)

With two of the band’s integral members gone, Alan Marshall joined forces with Croydon band, The Subjects. The south London group featured Malcolm Rudkin (vocals); Alan Griffin (lead guitar); Phil Lanzon (organ) (b. 30 March 1950, London, England); John Manderson (bass); and Roy Manderson (drums).

The Subjects at Bromley Court Hotel, 1966. Left to right: John Manderson, Malcolm Rudkin, Roy Manderson, Phil Lanzon and Alan Griffin. Photo: Alan Griffin.

At the same time, the band’s manager Bryan Mason recruited sax player/guitarist Mick Patel, who had previously worked with Carl Douglas & The Charmers among others.

Mick Patel (second right) with Carl Douglas & The Charmers, late 1965. Photo: Ken Baxter

By late November/early December 1966, John Manderson and Malcolm Rudkin, who did not want to turn professional, departed and Bryan Mason recruited bass player Colin Pullen from Kent bands, Colin King & The Royals and Bob ‘N’ All. Another Bob ‘N’ All member, Tony Glyde, succeeded Roy Manderson soon afterwards.

The Loose Ends, circa mid-November 1966. Left to right: Roy Manderson, Malcolm Rudkin, Mick Patel, Phil Lanzon, (front) Alan Marshall, Alan Griffin and John Manderson. Photo: South East London Mercury, 15 December 1966 issue.

Roy Davies and Dave Collman meanwhile appear to have worked in a rival Loose Ends for a few months (although Davies appears to be pictured with Marshall and other groups after the Raven Club gig in early November, see below).

Roy Davies (wearing hat) with Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound, July 1967.

Roy Davies joined Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound around February 1967.

Selected gigs:

12 October 1966 – Gravesend R&B Club, Clarendon Royal Hotel, Gravesend, Kent (The Loose Ends played the club’s opening night according to PACE magazine)

15 October 1966 – Bligh’s Hotel, Sevenoaks, Kent

15 October 1966 – Scotch of St James, Mayfair, central London

17-18 October 1966 – Scotch of St James, Mayfair, central London

23 October 1966 – Bromel Club, Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London

25 October 1966 – Yum YumClub, New Georgian Club, The Gun, Croydon, south London (Dick Dale booking)

28 October 1966 – Tiger’s Head, Downham, southeast London

29 October 1966 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge with The Squeeze, The Original Hermits and The Trap

2 November 1966 – Elbow Room, Aston, West Midlands

2-5 November 1966 – Scotch of St James, Mayfair, central London

3 November 1966 – Raven’s Club, Lewisham, southeast London with Lee Hawkins and Coloured Raisins

Photo of The Loose Ends after the Raven Club gig. The photo seems to suggest that Roy Davies (fifth from the right) is still in the band. Photo: South East London Mercury

12 November 1966 – Matlock Ball Pavilion, Matlock, Derbyshire with Family

19 November 1966 – Co-op, Rainbow Suite, Birmingham with guest group

20 November 1966 – Bromel Club, Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London

In early December 1966, Bryan Mason expanded the Alan Marshall version of The Loose Ends by bringing in another Colin King & The Royals and Bob ‘N’ All member – singer Bob Saker (b. 28 March 1944, Erith, Kent) and the group landed a residency at the Playboy Club on Park Lane. While there, The Loose Ends entertained the entire England World Cup winning team and their wives.

Selected gigs:

3 December 1966 – Royal Ballroom, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset with The Soul Foundation

Photo: Most likely Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph

24 December 1966 – Civic Centre, Corby, Northamptonshire with Kru and Size Seven

26 December 1966 – Bromel Club, Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London (billed as The New Loose Ends)

January 1967 – New Spot, Gosport, Hampshire (1^st week of January)

6 January 1967 – Tiger’s Head, Downham, southeast London

15 January 1967 – Bromel Club, Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London (billed as The New Loose Ends)

The Loose Ends in Milan, January 1967. Left to right: Bob Saker, Colin King, Mick Patel, roadie on congas, Alan Marshall, Tony Glyde, Colin Pullen and Phil Lanzon. Photo: Colin Pullen/Bob Saker

After rehearsing at the El Partido in Lewisham, and playing a lone gig at the Star Hotel in Croydon in early January 1967, The Loose Ends landed a residency at the Bang Bang Club in Milan’s San Guiliano district, which kicked off in the third week of January. Alan Griffin departed just before the group left for Italy and Colin King from Colin King & The Royals and Bob ‘N’ All took his place.

While playing at the Bang Bang in Milan, the musicians met Georgio Moroder plus Brian Auger and Julie Driscoll at the club.

The Loose Ends at the Bang Bang Club in Milan. Left to right; Tony Glyde, Colin King, Bob Saker, Mick Patel and Colin Pullen. Alan Marshall and Phil Lanzon are not pictured. Photo: Colin Pullen/Bob Saker

In early March, The Loose Ends returned to London and Alan Griffin took over from his replacement Colin King. The new line-up played at the Scotch of St James and the Speakeasy.

While loading out the band’s gear from the Speakeasy one night, Jimi Hendrix and a couple of friends came out and the famous guitarist told Lanzon: “Nice combo man”.

Sometime in late April/early May, Tony Glyde left to join The Fenmen briefly before moving on to Simon K & The Meantimers and his predecessor Roy Manderson returned.

Simon K & The Meantimers, late 1967. Tony Glyde is far right. Photo: Alan Wherry

Around the same time, Mick Patel also left to join The Canadians (with future rock star David Foster) and then joined The Warren Davis Monday Band (with Foster) with whom he appeared on the 45 “Love Is A Hurtin’ Thing” c/w “Without Fear” before moving to British Columbia in late 1967.

Mick Patel (third left) and David Foster (third right)

During early June, Alan Marshall and Bob Saker flew to the United States to record two tracks at Muscle Shoals with Otis Redding. The soul singer had caught the pair fronting The Loose Ends during the Stax-Volt Tour back in April and impressed by their soulful vocals invited them to record a Fame Studios.

The pair cut covers of “Johnny B Goode” and “Keep on Pushing” with Redding producing. However, soon after there was a split between Jerry Wexler and Phil Walden and the proposed single was held back. The two singers returned to London that summer to find The Loose Ends had splintered.

Selected gigs:

January-March 1967 – Bang Bang, Milan, Italy (six weeks and billed as Gli Erranti)

8 February 1967 – Gravesend R ‘n’ B Club, Clarendon Royal Hotel, Gravesend, Kent (This might have been booked but didn’t happen)

11 February 1967 – Ye Ye Club, Milan, Italy (billed as Alan Marshall e Gli Erranti)

25 February 1967 – Bligh’s Hotel, Sevenoaks, Kent (probably the band’s first UK gig after returning from Milan if it did happen)

1 March 1967 – Gravesend R ‘n’ B Club, Clarendon Royal Hotel, Gravesend, Kent

4 March 1967 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London

8 March 1967 – Bromel Club, Downham, southeast London

April 1967 – Scotch of St James and Speakeasy (Otis Redding sees them at one of the venues)

15 April 1967 – The Polytechnic, Central London with The Savoy Brown Blues Band

Cats Pyjamas, 1968. Clockwise from bottom left: Alan Griffin, Kenny Bernard, Roy Manderson, Phil Lanzon and (front) Colin Pullen. Photo: Colin Pullen

With the singers both gone, Colin Pullen, Alan Griffin, Phil Lanzon and Roy Manderson stuck together and looked for a new front man. Adding singer Kenny Bernard (b. 31 December 1943, Diego Martin, Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies), (previously from The Wranglers but at the time a solo artist), they changed name to Cats Pyjamas and made two excellent singles with CBS. The group held down a residency in Madrid in May 1968 and then gigged around London. Lanzon, Griffin and Manderson briefly played with Geno Washington in late 1969-early 1970.

Phil Lanzon later recorded with Grand Prix, toured and recorded with Sweet and has toured and recorded with Uriah Heep since the mid-1980s. He has also recorded solo CDs

When the two recordings were shelved (after Redding’s untimely death), Bob Saker cut a lone single for Polydor and then a string of singles for Parlophone and CBS (as Saker) in 1968 and 1971. In 1972, he reverted to his full name and recorded a series of singles for the York label and an album They’ve Taken Back My Number, which featured Maurice Gibb. He later found success as a voice-over artist.

Happy Magazine, 1968. Alan Marshall (back left). Peter Kirtley (second left). Thanks to Peter Kirtley for the image

Alan Marshall meanwhile reunited with former Loose Ends guitarist Peter Kirtley in Happy Magazine, a soul/R&B outfit that was managed and produced by Alan Price.

Joined by Kirtley’s old friends from Jarrow, the late Kenny Craddock on organ from Tyneside bands The Elcorts and New Religion, and Brian Rowan on bass from Shorty & Them plus Alan White on drums (who was replaced later by west Londoner Malcolm Wolffe from The Tribe), the band cut material that was split over three singles for Polydor.

Kicking off with Alan Price’s excellent “Satisfied Street”, backed with “Beautiful Land” in December 1967, featuring a horn section that may well be Amboy Dukes members Buddy Beadle and Steve Gregory (also ex-Alan Price Set), the label re-issued the track three months later coupled with the Dan Penn/Spooner Oldham soul classic “Do Right Woman – Do Right Man”.

However, it was possibly the band’s third and final outing, a brilliant reading of the Dee/Potter collaboration, “Who Belongs To You”, coupled with the previously available “Beautiful Land”, issued on 14 February 1969, that should have catapulted the band into the charts.

One 1969. Left to right: Alan Marshall, Bobby Sass, Kevin Fogerty, Conrad Isidore, Brent Forbes and Norman Leppard

With the single failing to grace the charts, Alan Marshall departed to form the experimental jazz/funk/blues band, One, who cut a brilliant lone album for Fontana later that year (with Peter Kirtley reportedly playing the lead guitar on some tracks).

Joined by guitarist Kevin Fogarty (originally a member of Southport R&B group, Timebox); keyboardist Bobby Sass (an early member of Happy Magazine); bass player Brent Forbes; sax and flutist Norman Leppard; and drummer Conrad Isidore, One should have been a huge success but the album sank without a trace.

Peter Kirtley and Kenny Craddock meanwhile brought in three friends from Jarrow, Tyne & Wear – ex-Skip Bifferty members, singer Graham Bell and bass player Colin Gibson, and future Yes drummer Alan White, who’d been the original drummer in Happy Magazine, and signed to Bell Records for a one-off single as Griffin.

Produced by Alan Price and issued on 25 September 1969, the Kirtley-Gibson-Craddock collaboration, “I am The Noise in Your Head”, coupled with Kirtley’s “Don’t You Know” was an impressive outing but failed to trouble the charts.

Griffin soon splintered and Kirtley went on to record with several notable bands, including Riff Raff, Radiator and Pentangle. Later he appeared on albums by Liane Carroll and Bert Jansch.

Kirtley also issued two solo albums, Peter Kirtley and Bush Telegraph as well as the charity single, “Little Children”, for Jubilee Action, to raise money for street children in Brazil and featuring Paul McCartney.

Alan Marshall, meanwhile, surfaced as a solo artist on Fontana in 1970. In France, the label issued a rare single that coupled One’s excellent cover of Richie Havens’s “Don’t Listen To Me” with a solo outing – “How Much Do You Know”, adapted from “Adagio Royal” by F de Boivallee.

When that single failed to chart, Marshall ended up working with a new version of One (with Jackie McAuley) before joining Strabismus, which subsequently changed its name to Riff Raff when the singer’s former band mate from The Loose Ends/Happy Magazine, Peter Kirtley joined.

However, Marshall quit before Riff Raff’s debut album was recorded and briefly revised One with Ron Bryer before recording with Zzebra. He then joined Gonzalez in the late Seventies in time for their 1979 release, Move It To The Music. Marshall, who is now a pastor, continues to busk in Stratford, east London.

Interestingly, Gonzalez’s keyboard player was Roy Davies, Marshall’s former band mate from The Loose Ends. In the intervening years between joining Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound and working with Gonzalez in 1974, Davies had played with The Maximum Breed Band and later The Butts Band with members of The Doors. He later became a prolific session player before passing away in 1986.

The Loose Ends recordings meanwhile have surfaced on numerous Sixties CD compilations, including Deram’s Mod Scene and Freakbeat Scene.

I would like to especially thank Alan Marshall, Alan Whitehead, Peter Kirtley, Martin Morrison-Mariner, Alan Griffin, Phil Lanzon, Colin Pullen, Bob Saker, Ken Baxter, Tony Charman and Mick Glyde for helping with the story. Thanks also to Vernon Joynson and Bruce Welsh.

This is an extensively updated version of an article that was originally published on the Strange Brew website. I’d like to thank Jason Barnard for all of his help and support over the years.

I have tried to attribute the photos correctly where possible but would welcome any corrections.

The gigs have been sourced largely from Melody Maker plus many local newspapers, including the South East London Mercury, Aldershot News, East Kent Times, Eastern Evening News, Grimsby Evening Telegraph, Harrow Weekly Post, Kent Messenger, Lincolnshire Standard, Lynn News, Maidstone Gazette, Evening Argus, Bristol Evening Post, Newmarket Journal, Nottingham Evening Post, Birmingham Evening Mail, Stamford Mercury, Surrey Advertiser, Harrow Observer, Tunbridge Wells Courier and Yarmouth Mercury among others.

Categories: Eugene, Graves Recording Service (Eugene), Klamath Falls, Tork

Little John and the Monks – “Woman Take a Trip” / “All Them Lies”

August 19, 2020 Chris Bishop 3 Comments

Little John and the Monks Graves 45 acetate Woman Take a Trip

Little John and the Monks came out of Klamath Falls, Oregon. Tom Davis, a singer from Scotland, founded the group as the Nomads and changed it to Little John and the Monks when they went to Eugene. The membership changed frequently in the few years the band lasted.

Members included:

Lloyd Barnhurst – ?
Tom Davis – vocals
Luis Weathers – bass guitar
Davy Jones – saxophone
Clark Lynch – drums
Stan Brawn – lead guitar
Bob DiMartino – keyboards
Larry Harding – lead guitar
Dennis Baldwin – ?
Lee Wilson – bass
Bob Martin – drums

In late 1965 the group cut Tom Davis’ original song “Black Winds” backed with a cover of “Needles and Pins” on Jerden 775. Many years later, an unreleased song, “Too Many People” appeared on Big Beat’s Northwest Battle of the Bands Volume 3 showing a tougher sound for the group.

Little John and the Monks Graves 45 acetate All Them Lies

In August 2020, an ebay auction featured a demo lacquer (acetate) by Little John & the Monks with two original songs recorded at Graves Recording Service in Eugene. “Woman Take a Trip” continues in the heavier northwest sound, and extends it with a frenzied rave-up of squealing sax, sustained guitar notes and sliding bass notes. The bass line drives the flip, “All Them Lies” with cool unison accents by guitar and sax and some bluesy organ.

Tork Publishing, perhaps meant for release on Tork, which did release the Moguls ‎– “Round Randy” / “Another Day”.

Anyone have good photos of the group? I’d also like to know who played on what recordings.

Categories: Crescent-City Sound Studios (Greensboro), Danville, Not garage, Triangle Recording Studios (Winston-Salem), Virginia, Yanceyville

The Artistics and the Symphonics: Thank You for Choosing Me

August 14, 2020 Jack Garrett 14 Comments

Artistics GWHS 1970 (1) photo — Artistics at the GWHS Spring Fling Concert, May 11, 1971, L-R: Joe Moore, Norman Brooks, Clyde McCoy, John Clark, Barry Price, Steve Eckles, Keith Wiley.

Think of the Artistics and you’ll probably recall the R&B vocal group who struck gold with “I’m Gonna Miss You” in 1966. But a lesser known group by the same name became the definitive soul band in Southside Virginia in the early 70s. Formed by neighbors and school friends, the Artistics got together in 1970 around the nucleus of guitarist Joe “Guitar Man” Moore, bassist Jonathan “J.D.” Oliver and vocalist, John Clark.

Artistics Joe & John — Joe Moore & John Clark of the Artistics on stage (undated)

Kathy Moore Cobbs, Joe’s sister, recalls Joe, John and J.D. rehearsing in her mother’s basement on several occasions and says they already sounded as good as the songs on the radio. Clark recalls that the trio “used to play a little bit, just jammin’ around” at Westmoreland School in their neighborhood. All attended George Washington High School in Danville and knew brothers Keith and Dale Wiley, who played drums and keyboards, respectively. The three had heard that the brothers wanted to form a band, so the five got together and moved the practice sessions to the Wiley’s garage. Shortly thereafter, the teens caught the attention of Langston Band Director Robert Hickson, who agreed to manage the as yet unnamed group.
Classmate Sharon Miller-Ranson remembers those early days well and standing on the corner of Cabell and Monument streets where “John Clark would start singing and we would have a concert in front of Cassidy’s Store.” Lula Dickerson said Joe Moore’s musical prowess was obvious from an early age and remembers his performance of “If I Had a Hammer” during the talent show at I.W. Taylor Elementary School.

The 17-year-old Clark was in 10th grade and recalls that they recruited three trumpet players: Clyde McCoy, Norman Brooks and Barry Price, all of whom played together in the high school band. Clark had just started playing drums but quickly became proficient on the instrument, allowing Keith Wiley to switch from percussion to organ. The move was necessitated by Dale Wiley’s departure to attend college.

Now with a complete rhythm and brass section, all they needed was a name. Rehearsals were moved to “a little place Hickson had” as they prepared for their first gig. They were to perform at the Top of the Stairs Club when a major snowstorm blanketed the city. The group members were riding around downtown trying to come up with a name just a few hours before they were due on stage. They rode down Union Street and passed Danville’s only licensed cosmetology school, Artistic Beauty College. Clark noticed the sign out front and said: “What about the Artistics?” Not knowing that there was already a professional band with the same moniker on Brunswick Records, the other band members agreed and the Artistics were born.

Artistics GWHS 1970 Concert Review — George Washington High School concert review

An early, memorable performance was in 1971 before hundreds of enthusiastic fans on the football field at their alma mater, George Washington High School. The seven-piece outfit included a trumpet section and Brooks, Price and McCoy choreographed their synchronized dance steps for the show. The trio also wore matching shirts and slacks. The brass section made a grand entrance, riding up to the stage in a convertible.

The Artistics were the only soul act on the bill and shared the stage with four rock bands. Clark recalls that their PA system was “lackluster” so all of the groups pooled their equipment and shared a set of drums.

A review of the performance noted that drummer-singer John Clark “placed heavy accents on such soulful hits as (the Jackson 5’s) ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’ and the Temptations’ ‘Just My Imagination.’” Their final number, Kool and the Gang’s “Who’s Gonna Take the Weight,” brought the crowd to their feet and had some dancing in the stadium.

J.D. was unavailable for the spring concert and guitarist Steve Eckles was recruited to fill-in on bass. Eckles was the only white member in the aggregation and the group would often rehearse at his parents Broad Street home. He was an excellent lead guitarist in his own right and was already a veteran of the local music scene, having played with many of the Artistics’ members in various bands at the El Dorado, a Black nightclub on the outskirts of town. Eckles also did arrangements for the band, allowing the brass to play string parts, adding depth to their live performances.

Artistics & James Brown ad (December 27, 1971)

The band continued to perform frequently at country clubs and on college campuses in Virginia and North Carolina and managed to secure a spot as the opening act for James Brown during his tour of small cities on the Chitlin’ Circuit in late 1971. Brown was booked to play the Danville City Auditorium on Monday, Dec. 27, 1971. Clark remembers that the Artistics were practicing one night when their manager stopped by and asked if they’d like to open for the Godfather of Soul. The band viewed it as a great opportunity for exposure and as a chance to make a little money. They were right on at least one count: The concert was well advertised but no cash changed hands. Clark said their manager informed the band members that this was their lucky break and that the show “was just gonna be for some publicity.”

This was the first time the Artistics had shared the stage with a professional act and Clark admits all were a little nervous, especially about their equipment. The roadies had refused their request to share his sound system; however, Brown overheard the discussion and told his crew to “let the guys use it.” They held their own and even got the attention of Brown’s backing band, the J.B.’s. The members rushed from backstage when they heard the Artistics covering Dennis Coffey’s instrumental hit “Scorpio,” note-for-note. While theirs was a small group with just three pieces of brass, Clark insists they “sounded just as good as Brown’s band.”

The show was on a Monday night and attendance didn’t meet expectations. Apparently sometime during the concert the top to Brown’s convertible was cut and he vowed never perform in Danville again. Clark doesn’t recall that incident but said Brown was disappointed with the turnout and announced from the stage that he would not be returning. Mr. Dynamite kept his promise.

The band entered the studio on at least one occasion, cutting a 45 at Triangle Recording Studios in North Carolina. The soul-tinged gospel tune, “The Handwriting is on the Wall,” was written by Keith Wiley. The Artistics traveled to Winston-Salem for the sessions. Clark plays on the track but doesn’t sing. The vocal chores were handled by Wiley, who would later enter the ministry. The single had a limited pressing on Triad Records, an independent label that specialized in gospel, bluegrass and country releases by local artists.

Equally rare is a 45 organist Keith Wiley wrote and recorded with the Symphonics in 1973 at Crescent City Sound Studios, Inc. in Greensboro, N.C. Crescent City was founded by Walt Copeland, who managed the studio and doubled as chief engineer. “Ooh Wee, Thank You for Choosing Me” (Crescent City Sound Studios – CCCSS 1223) is a soulful ballad featuring Ronald James and two male vocalists on a double lead falsetto reminiscent of the Delfonics and the Stylistics. The instrumental flip side, “Symphonic Strut,” includes some funky organ work from Wiley and James solid drumming.

The Symphonics were based in Yanceyville, N.C. and leader Ronald James played drums. Clark describes them as “a rival band,” that included a female bass player whose brother was also in the group. According to Clark, James later transferred to G.W. High School and went on to attend the Boston Conservatory of Music before returning to the area.

The record went nowhere but garnered local airplay on WILA, Danville’s R&B radio station. It was also a favorite on the cafeteria juke box at John M. Langston Junior High School, where Artistics’ manager Robert Hickson worked his day job as band director.

Most members of the Artistics were in the Class of 1973 and pursued other interests after high school. Wiley, Brooks, Price and McCoy all went on to college, while Oliver joined the Marines. Not ready to throw in the towel, Clark regrouped and enlisted brothers James and Grayling Covington on keyboards and bass. Grayling already knew the book, having followed the band to concerts and rehearsals. He also had a reputation as one of the finest bass players on the local scene. Joe Moore continued on guitar with Clark on drums and vocals.

The reformed band continued on the road but some of the members felt that a more “dynamic” name was needed. They decided on “Treachery.” Clark doesn’t recall the year Treachery called it quits but remembers the incident that led to their split. Treachery had landed a regular gig at a VFW Post in South Boston, Va., earning $900 a night. That was unheard of amount at the time and allowed the members to keep a little money and upgrade their equipment. All was well until the night a coat belonging to the wife of a prominent guest went missing. A girlfriend of a band member was accused of the theft. While she didn’t take the fur, the incident ended their residency and the band.

All of the members went on to successful careers, albeit not in the field of music.

Joseph “Joe” Moore served for 20 years in the U.S. Navy. He lived in Norfolk and Hampton, Va., where he worked for the Navy Material Transportation Office until retirement in 1995. While living in the Tidewater area, Joe continued his musical indulgence. He organized gospel music groups, played guitar for Queen Street Baptist Church in Hampton and New Beech Grove Baptist Church in Newport News, Va. Moore returned to Danville and became a music instructor, giving lessons to young aspiring guitarists. He would sometimes play guitar during morning services at Pleasant Chapel Baptist Church in Sutherlin, Va. Moore died on Jan. 30, 2011.

Artistics reunion at Langston School, L-R: Carl Fitzgerald, unknown, Marvin Warner, Joe Moore.

Brothers Keith and Dale M. Wiley both enjoyed successful careers in separate fields. Dr. Keith B. Wiley became a minister and served as pastor of several churches before his death in November 2003 in Wilmington, Va. His brother, Dale, finished law school and returned to his hometown, where he worked as a defense attorney before being named Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court judge for the city of Danville. He is currently the presiding judge over the 22nd Judicial Circuit of Virginia.

Jonathan “J.D.” Oliver joined the Marines and attended Coastal Carolina Community College in Jacksonville. He now lives in Lexington Park, Maryland, where he works for Wyle Laboratories. John Clark is retired but continues to work driving a Yellow Cab. He and his wife have a home in Danville. Grayling Covington still lives in Danville, while his brother, James, moved to Burlington, N.C. At last report, Norman Brooks was living in Richmond, Va.

A high school reunion at Langston in 2015 brought some of the surviving members together again, 45 years after their first practice. Classmates still remembered the group and the music they created. That doesn’t surprise Clark, who says the members “were all perfectionists” and played for an audience who expected their music to sound “just like the record.” They succeeded.

Categories: Nashville, Nashville (Starday), Not garage, Starday

Carol Chakarian “Put Your Accent on Love” on Nashville

August 2, 2020 Chris Bishop 1 Comment

Carol Chakarian lets loose with a great vocal on “Put Your Accent on Love”. Not ‘garage’ music, but a pop song in a country style. Hear an excerpt.

The flip is the more sedate “Lost in This World of Love”, both songs written by Phil DeWolf, publishing by Tronic BMI. Released in 1965 on Nashville 5242, “A Tommy Hill Starday Studio Production”.

I can’t find any info on Chakarian or DeWolf.

Categories: Chanté Records, Unknown

The Little Indians on Chanté Records

August 1, 2020 Chris Bishop 1 Comment

Here’s an obscure one, the Little Indians doing two original songs, “No” / “Wait a Minute”. It may also be the first release on Chanté Records, as it is release 101 and has master numbers CH-1 and CH-2.

Richard D. Tellier and Edward Martin composed both songs, and registered copyright in March 1965. They have other copyrights that may have not been recorded, “Blind Date”, “Life Was So Lonesome” and “Anymore”.

Tellier and Martin registered “Wait a Minute” and “Blind Date” in 1964 with © Sigma Seven Productions, Inc., but that production credit is dropped for the ’65 copyright and the Chanté release. Sigma Seven Productions turns up on singles by the Irridescents on Fleetwood, and the Fabulaires on Chelsea, among others.

Chanté Records labels usually have a Lou Alfieri production credit, but this one reads “A Pabodi Production”. Alfieri Music and Eastwick Music published both songs. A trademark application from 1965 lists a West Moorestown, New Jersey address, not far from Philadelphia.

Anyone have more information on the Little Indians or these song writers?

I do not believe this was the same Richard Tellier who played guitar with a Canadian group called Octopus.

Categories: England, London

Samantha’s, 3 New Burlington Street, W1, London

July 12, 2020 Nick Warburton 21 Comments

Located at 3 New Burlington Street, W1, Samantha’s opened in early November 1966.

There is very little information about this important night club so I would welcome any memorabilia and further details about artists that performed here.

1966

London Life magazine’s 10-16 September issue notes that the club was opening during October.

However, the same magazine’s 22-28 October issue reports that the club was opening shortly with James Bond décor and a coffee bar with outdoor patio, indicating that it was early November.

London Life magazine’s 12-18 November issue reports that Samantha’s was open and hosted groups, although no names were listed.

14 December (Wednesday) – Bobby Hebb (Melody Maker and London Life magazine)

1967

I have no entries for this year apart from the one below so would welcome any further information on artists that performed at the central London club.

According to the poster for Gloucester YMCA below, The Official Receivers played at Samantha’s around October-November 1967.

15 December (Friday) – Circus (Stormsville Shakers’ website: http://www.stormsvilleshakers.com/bandhistory.html)

1968

I have only an incomplete list for this year so would welcome any further information on artists that performed here.

19 March (Tuesday) – Desmond Dekker (Melody Maker)

13 May (Monday) – Toast (Melody Maker)

24 June (Monday) – (Simon K &) The Meantimers (Melody Maker)

18 July (Thursday) – The Dave Davani Five (Melody Maker)

22 July (Monday) – The Dave Davani Five (Melody Maker)

23 July (Tuesday) – The Dave Davani Five (Melody Maker)

29 July (Monday) – Ray King Soul Band (Melody Maker)

1 August (Thursday) – The Dave Davani Five (Melody Maker)

2 August (Friday) – Simon K & The Meantimers (Melody Maker)

5 August (Monday) – Tim Rose (New Musical Express)

This might have been 5 July.

9 August (Friday) – The Dave Davani Five (Melody Maker)

11 August (Sunday) – The Greatest Show on Earth (Melody Maker)

14 August (Wednesday) – The Dave Davani Five (Melody Maker)

22 August (Thursday) – The Dave Davani Five (Melody Maker)

25 August (Sunday) – The Greatest Show on Earth (Melody Maker)

26 August (Monday) – The Dave Davani Five (Melody Maker)

3 September (Tuesday) – The Greatest Show on Earth Melody Maker)

4 September (Wednesday) – Ben E King (New Musical Express)

10 September (Tuesday) – The Greatest Show on Earth Melody Maker)

16 September (Monday) – The Greatest Show on Earth Melody Maker)

18 September (Wednesday) – Jo Jo Gunne (Fabulous 208)

23 September (Monday) – The Greatest Show on Earth Melody Maker)

1 October (Tuesday) – The Greatest Show on Earth Melody Maker)

3 October (Wednesday) – Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound (Melody Maker)

Freddie Mack’s show was cancelled.

9 October (Wednesday) – Peter Kelly’s Solutions (Time Out)

10 October (Thursday) – Peter Kelly’s Solutions (Time Out)

16 October (Wednesday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)

30 October (Wednesday) – The Show Stoppers (New Musical Express)

1969

Trumpet player Jack Drew, who went on to Sonority, says his group Mr Mo’s Messengers played regularly at Samantha’s in early 1969.

5 February (Wednesday) – The Amboy Dukes (Fabulous 208)

20 February (Thursday) – Ben E King (Melody Maker)

New Musical Express reports that Ben E King was backed by Chris Shakespeare Globe Show for his February UK tour.

19 March (Wednesday) – Desmond Dekker (Melody Maker)

19 May (Monday) – Inez and Charlie Foxx (Melody Maker)

27 May (Tuesday) – The Committee (Melody Maker)

28 May (Wednesday) – The Committee (Melody Maker)

1 August (Friday) – Mr Mo’s Messengers (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

2 August (Saturday) – Mr Mo’s Messengers (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

3 August (Sunday) – High Tension (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

4 August (Monday) – High Tension (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

5 August (Tuesday) – Simon K & The Meantimers (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

6 August (Wednesday) – Simon K & The Meantimers (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

7 August (Thursday) – Orange Rainbow (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

8 August (Friday) – Orange Rainbow (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

9 August (Saturday) – High Tension (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

10 August (Sunday) – Trifle (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

11 August (Monday) – Orange Rainbow (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

12 August (Tuesday) – The Globe Show (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

13 August (Wednesday) – High Tension (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

14 August (Thursday) – Orange Rainbow (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

15 August (Friday) – Mr Mo’s Messengers (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

16 August (Saturday) – Mr Mo’s Messengers (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

17 August (Sunday) – Simon K & The Meantimers (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

18 August (Monday) – Simon K & The Meantimers (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

19 August (Tuesday) – Simon K & The Meantimers (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

20 August (Wednesday) – The Globe Show (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

21 August (Thursday) – The Smythe Brothers (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

22 August (Friday) – The Globe Show (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

23 August (Saturday) – The Globe Show (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

24 August (Sunday) – Trifle (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

25 August (Monday) – Simon K & The Meantimers (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

26 August (Tuesday) – Orange Rainbow (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

27 August (Wednesday) – High Tension (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

28 August (Thursday) – High Tension (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

29 August (Friday) – Mr Mo’s Messengers (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

30 August (Saturday) – Mr Mo’s Messengers (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

31 August (Sunday) – Orange Rainbow (Samantha’s Poster – thanks to Geoff Foster for sharing)

21 September (Sunday) – Sonority (Jack Drew’s gig list)

19 October (Sunday) – Sonority (Del Paramor’s gig list)

20 October (Monday) – Sonority (Bobby Morris’s gig list)

26 October (Sunday) – Sonority (Bobby Morris’s gig list)

28 October (Tuesday) – Sonority (Del Paramor’s gig list)

29 October (Wednesday) – Sonority (Del Paramor’s gig list)

6 November (Thursday) – Sonority (Bobby Morris’s gig list)

9 November (Sunday) – Sonority (Bobby Morris’s gig list)

24 November (Monday) – Sonority (Bobby Morris’s gig list)

Bobby Morris notes that the band turned up but found the gig had been cancelled.

1970

20 January (Tuesday) – Lucas & The Soul Sounds (Melody Maker)

23 June (Tuesday) – Mirrors (Melody Maker)

19 October (Monday) – Kiss (Melody Maker)

1971

8 January (Friday) – Calum Bryce (Ted Hare’s gig diary – confirmed by Geoff Coxon)

6 April (Tuesday) – Octopus (Paul Griggs’ gig diary)

11 May (Tuesday) – Octopus (Paul Griggs’ gig diary)

27 May (Thursday) – Octopus (Paul Griggs’ gig diary)

17 June (Thursday) – Octopus (Paul Griggs’ gig diary)

9 August (Monday) – Octopus (Paul Griggs’ gig diary)

10 August (Tuesday) – Octopus (Paul Griggs’ gig diary)

11 August (Wednesday) – Octopus (Paul Griggs’ gig diary)

Categories: California, San Francisco

Martha’s Laundry at The Balloon Dance, 1031 Kearny

July 6, 2020 Chris Bishop 2 Comments

I found a previously unknown poster for Martha’s Laundry on Sunday, September 24, 1967. The venue was The Balloon at 1031 Kearny in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco.

Red Balloon 1031 Kearny St. — The Red Balloon at 1031 Kearny St., in 1964

The building still exists. When it opened as The Red Balloon on April 1, 1953, it was an indoor amusement center. By 1967, the name shortened to The Balloon, and the entertainment had changed to “Topless Games” including “topless ping pong”. In April 1967 it had a short-lived name, La Carnaval, with “topless rassling”. In December 1967 it advertised as a “Cellar Cabaret” with an underground theatre performance. In 1977 it started a long run as the Palladium Club.

I read the poster artist name as “Eli Lcon”, but I’ve been informed it’s Eli Leon.

There are images of posters and flyers for Martha’s Laundry shows in Concord, Berkeley and Santa Cruz, but I hadn’t seen this one before.

Members of Martha’s Laundry were:

Jim Lehman – lead guitar
Tom Peterain – rhythm guitar
David Kessner – keyboards
Richard Wilkins, then Michael Husser – bass
Randy Smith – drums

The only information on the group comes from an interview that Mike Dugo did with bassist Michael Husser circa 2008, which I’ll quote a section of because it is no longer on the web:

We played diverse locations such as Pauly Ballroom at U.C. Berkeley, The Straight Theatre on Height Street in San Francisco, The Family Dog at The Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco, and private parties. We even played for the ordination of an Episcopal Minister in Berkeley and were mentioned in and article in Time Magazine relating to the event (the issue dates from March 22, 1968 and the article was entitled, “Hippie Ordination”). I don’t remember playing teen clubs and we didn’t play any band battles; we only played places that guaranteed our fee. We did play some festivals with Creedence Clearwater Revival as the headliner.
We played blues and worked on jazz arrangements to blues tunes. Our influences were Gary Burton’s album Lofty Fake Anagram and the first Moby Grape album.
We didn’t play original material and didn’t think people would buy arrangements of known songs. We played primarily covers of somewhat obscure blues songs.
Randy, Jim and Dave started a music store in Berkeley called Prune Music. Jim left to move to Texas and start his own music store. Randy and Dave moved Prune Music to Mill Valley, California. Randy started working on guitar amplifiers and formed a company called Mesa Engineering … Randy then named his amps Mesa Boogie.
Jim’s music store in Austin, Texas is called Guitar Rez.
Dave Kessner had played with many bands including Cold Blood.
I later played with Little Richard, Elvin Bishop, Harvey Mandel and other artists in the Bay area and then started a band called Moon Rose Forest. We recorded a live album with Buffy Sainte-Marie in December of 1968 at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. In ’69 I returned to the Bay area and then moved to New Mexico where I lived on the Acoma Pueblo Reservation and recorded an album of music with tribal members. I then moved to Albuquerque and began a career in broadcast television as an audio and video engineer.

Thank you to Derek Taylor, John Pitts and Vance Pollock for help with background on the Balloon. Any info on the ’50s and ’60s incarnations of 1031 Kearny, the poster artist or Martha’s Laundry would be appreciated.

Balloon Cellar Cabaret S.F. Examiner Dec. 2, 1967 — The Balloon Cellar Cabaret “Underground Theatre in the Round” with the Pitschel Players, W.C. Fields Memorial Orphanage. S.F. Examiner Dec. 2, 1967

Categories: London

Starlite Ballroom, Greenford, west London gigs 1964-1965

June 29, 2020 Nick Warburton 4 Comments

Located on Allendale Road in Greenford (sometimes billed as Sudbury or Wembley) in northwest London, the Starlite Ballroom was a significant music venue in the UK during the early-to-late 1960s. Peter Griffin booked artists for the venue, together with the Starlight Ballroom in Crawley, West Sussex.

I have started to list gigs for the years 1964-1965 but these are incomplete and I would welcome any additions and corrections. I’d also welcome any photos and concert adverts, which will be credited accordingly.

1964

25 September (Friday) – The Paramounts and Alexis Korner’s Blues Inc (Harrow Observer & Gazette) Grand opening

26 September (Saturday) – Sounds Incorporated (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

3 October (Saturday) – Jean & The Statesides with The Rustics (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

24 October (Saturday) – The Merseybeats and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

25 October (Sunday) – The Mojos (Beat Instrumental) Needs confirmation

7 November (Saturday) – Johnny Kidd & The Pirates and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

14 November (Saturday) – Tommy Quickly & The Remo Four and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

18 November (Wednesday) – The Applejacks (Beat Instrumental) Needs confirmation

27 November (Friday) – The Mojos (Beat Instrumental)

28 November (Saturday) – Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

29 November (Sunday) – The Nashville Teens (Beat Instrumental) Needs confirmation

12 December (Saturday) – Linda Laine & The Sinners and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

13 December (Sunday) – Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

1965

17 January (Sunday) – Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

23 January (Saturday) – Jean & The Statesides and Cergano & The Cavaliers (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

30 January (Saturday) – Jean & The Statesides and JJ & The Challengers (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

13 February (Saturday) – Buddy Britten & The Regents and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

14 February (Sunday) – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

27 February (Saturday) – Jean & The Statesides with Unit 5 (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

13 March (Saturday) – Jean & The Statesides and JJ & The Challengers (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

20 March (Saturday) – Jean & The Statesides and James Tamyln (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

21 March (Sunday) – The Nashville Teens and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

2 April (Friday) – The Barron Knights and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

10 April (Saturday) – Johnny Kidd & The Pirates and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

23 April (Friday) – Mike Sheridan & The Nightriders and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

24 April (Saturday) – Jean & The Statesides and The Beachcombers (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

25 April (Sunday) – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Beat Instrumental)

14 May (Friday) – Jean & The Statesides and Sonny Childe & The Elders (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

16 May (Sunday) – Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

22 May (Saturday) – The All-Nite Workers and The Hysters (Don Martin’s diary)

28 May (Friday) – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

Photo: Jeff Sturgeon. Jean & The Statesides, 1965. Left to right: Bill Stemp, Ian Walker, Dave Brogden, Jean Hayles, Jeff Sturgeon, Mick Bloomfield and Dave Hovington

4 June (Friday) – Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

5 June (Saturday) – Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

11 June (Friday) – Peter & Gordon and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

19 June (Saturday) – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

26 June (Saturday) – The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

Singer Jean Hayles left before this gig and they gigged as The Statesides. The band’s line-up comprised Jeff Sturgeon (lead guitar), Bill Stemp (keyboards/sax), Dave Hovington (rhythm guitar), Dave Brogden (sax), Mick Bloomfield (bass) and Ian Walker (drums)

27 June (Sunday) – The Who and The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

4 July (Sunday) – The Yardbirds (Beat Instrumental)

18 July (Sunday) – The Nashville Teens (Beat Instrumental)

24 July (Saturday) – Heinz and The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

25 July (Sunday) – The Moody Blues (Beat Instrumental)

31 July (Saturday) – The Pentad and The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

8 August (Sunday) – The Birds and The Statesides (Dave Brogden’s gig diary)

15 August (Sunday) – Simon Scott & The All-Nite Workers and The Statesides (Dave Brodgen’s gig diary/Don Martin’s diary)

20 August (Friday) – The Statesides (Dave Brogden’s gig diary)

27 August (Friday) – The Graham Bond Organisation and The Statesides (Dave Brogden’s gig diary)

10 September (Friday) – The Birds and The Statesides (Dave Brogden’s gig diary)

12 September (Sunday) – The Pretty Things and The Statesides (Dave Brogden’s gig diary) Beat Instrumental lists The Walker Brothers on this date

26 September (Sunday) – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames and The Statesides (Dave Brogden’s gig diary)

1 October (Friday) – The Hollies (Beat Instrumental)

15 October (Friday) – Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders (Beat Instrumental)

17 October (Sunday) – The Sorrows (Record Mirror)

24 October (Sunday) – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Beat Instrumental)

30 October (Saturday) – The Statesides (Dave Brogden’s gig diary)

31 October (Sunday) – The Kinks and The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary) Beat Instrumental lists The Downliners Sec to this date

6 November (Saturday) – The Bo Street Runners and The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

7 November (Sunday) – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Beat Instrumental)

20 November (Saturday) – Hedgehoppers Anonymous and The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

28 November (Sunday) – Rob Storme & The Whispers and The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

3 December (Friday) – The Animals (Beat Instrumental)

10 December (Friday) – Ketty Lester and The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

12 December (Saturday) – Rob Storme & The Whispers and The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary and Dave Brodgen’s gig diary)

31 December (Friday) – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (Beat Instrumental)

Many thanks to Rolf Hannet for helping with some Beat Instrumental gigs

Garage Hangover

Wainwright’s Gentlemen

The Tribe

The Loose Ends

Little John and the Monks – “Woman Take a Trip” / “All Them Lies”

The Artistics and the Symphonics: Thank You for Choosing Me

Carol Chakarian “Put Your Accent on Love” on Nashville

The Little Indians on Chanté Records

Samantha’s, 3 New Burlington Street, W1, London

Martha’s Laundry at The Balloon Dance, 1031 Kearny

Starlite Ballroom, Greenford, west London gigs 1964-1965

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