Lead guitarist Gary Boyle, bass player Roger Sutton, keyboard player Ray Deville, drummer Clive Thacker and sax players Dave Quincy and Ian Thomas had backed singer Brian Bentley as Brian Bentley & The Kingsmen during 1962.
In early 1963, the remaining members (minus Quincy and Thomas) became The Five Embers after ditching Brian Bentley and recruiting sax player Ron Foster. Initially, the musicians played under their own name and then in March 1964 started backing Jamaican singer Millie.
Notable gigs as The Five Embers:
22 March 1964 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire
24 March 1964 – Café Des Artistes, Fulham, London
Notable gigs with Millie Small:
25 March 1964 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, Kent
28 March 1964 – Café Des Artistes, Fulham, London
29 March 1964 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire
31 March 1964 – Peter’s Club, High Wycombe, Bucks
5-11 April 1964 – Cavern, Liverpool
16 May 1964 – City Hall, Salisbury, Wiltshire with The Initials
17 May 1964 – Blackpool ABC, Blackpool, Lancashire
18 May 1964 – Scarborough Futurist, Scarborough with others
5 June 1964 – Palace Ballroom, Maryport, Cumbria with The Defenders
16 June 1964 – Locarno, Swindon, Wiltshire with The Soul Agents
27 August 1964 – ABC Theatre, Plymouth, Cornwall with Rolling Stones and others
After splitting with Millie, The Five Embers continued to gig into 1965 before breaking up that spring and at some point backed Barry St John.
In August 1966, Clive Thacker joined Julie Driscol, Brian Auger & The Trinity and was joined two months later by Roger Sutton.
While Thacker remained with Brian Auger and Julie Driscol throughout the late 1960s, Sutton left in May 1967 and played with several groups before briefly joining The Krew in August 1968.
Roger Sutton subsequently played with a number of notable bands, including The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, Nucleus, Mark-Almond and Riff Raff.
Gary Boyle initially played with Lulu’s backing band during 1965. Then, in 1966, he worked with Dusty Springfield’s support group, The Echoes before reuniting with Roger Sutton and Clive Thacker in Julie Driscol, Brian Auger and The Trinity in January 1967.
After leaving in November of that year, Boyle subsequently played with Eclection in March 1969 and then returned to Julie Driscol and The Brian Auger Trinity that June.
Ray Deville meanwhile joined The Missing Links in February 1966 and stayed with this band when it took on the name, The All Night Workers in October 1967. He left in January 1968 and is rumoured to have worked with Dusty Springfield. Deville died in 2013.
Please note: this is a very brief overview of the band and its history. Garage Hangover would welcome any additional material and corrections.
Mike Collins’s interviews with Roger Sutton and Gary Boyle were really useful resources. Please see above links to his work.
Dave Martin Group, 1966. Left to right: Dave Martin, John Chinnery, Roger Flavell and Albert Woodward. Photo credit: Roger Flavell
This West London band’s roots can be found in The Dave Martin Group, which was formed around September 1966.
The original formation comprised:
Martin Thomas (aka Dave Martin) – lead vocals
John Chinnery – guitar/vocals
Roger Flavell – bass/vocals
Albert Woodward – drums
The Dave Martin Group was managed by John Chinnery’s older brother Geoff, who’d played with Mike Forde & The Fortunes in the late 1950s and early 1960s and briefly managed The Tridents (with a young Jeff Beck).
Guitarist John Chinnery had started out in a Hillingdon school band with Richard Walker and John Morgan. Albert Woodward, who attended another local school, completed the group.
Woodward introduced Martin Thomas and Roger Flavell and together with John Chinnery, the quartet began rehearsing at Ickenham Hall near Ruislip, Middlesex.
According to John’s brother Geoff Chinnery’s detailed gig list (complete with earnings for each performance), the new outfit’s debut show appears to have taken place on 28 October 1966 (most likely) at the Fisheries in Harefield, Middlesex. The gig list notes that The Dave Martin Group played at the same venue on 11, 18-19 and 26 November and also 3-4, 11 and 17 December.
The following gigs are then listed (during which period Roger Flavell was briefly replaced on bass while he had his tonsils out. John Chinnery suspects it was his school friend John Morgan, who covered Flavell’s absence).
Dave Martin Group gigs:
21 December 1966 – Ickenham Hall, Ickenham, northwest London
23 December 1966 – Warburton Arms, Hackney, north London
24 December 1966 – Harefield Football Club, Harefield, northwest London
30 December 1966 – Warburton Arms, Hackney, north London
31 December 1966 – the Fisheries, Harefield, northwest London
6 January 1967 – Warburton Arms, Hackney, north London
7 January 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, northwest London
14 January 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, northwest London
21 January 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, northwest London
24 January 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, west London
28 January 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, northwest London (Roger Flavell returns after this show)
29 January 1967 – Hesden Hall, Ruislip, northwest London
31 January 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, west London
4 February 1967 – Warburton Arms, Hackney, north London
5 February 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, northwest London
8-9 February 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, west London
10 February 1967 – Warburton Arms, Hackney, north London
11 February 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, northwest London
13-16 February 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, west London
17-18 February 1967 – Warburton Arms, Hackney, north London
19 February 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, northwest London
20-23 February 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, west London
26 February 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, northwest London
27 February-2 March 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, west London
4 March 1967 – Hanwell Sports Club, Hanwell, west London
5 March 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, northwest London
6-9 March 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, west London
12 March 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, northwest London
13 March 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, west London
Dave Martin Group, 1967. Left to right: Lindsay Bex, Roger Flavell, John Chinnery and Dave Martin. Photo credit: Roger Flavell
At this point, Lindsay Bex replaced Albert Woodward on drums, who later became a percussion lecturer.
Older than the others, Lindsay Bex had worked with Geoff Chinnery in Mike Forde & The Fortunes during the late 1950s and early 1960s. In early 1964, Bex joined Chiswick band, The Tridents (who were managed by Geoff Chinnery). He remained with the group until about September 1964 during which time Jeff Beck joined on lead guitar.
In early 1965, Bex went to Germany for three months with The Redcaps and then played with various scratch bands before returning to Germany in 1966 to play American air bases with The Kathy Sampson Set. When Albert Woodward left suddenly, he accepted the call to join.
Dave Martin Group gigs (continued):
14-16 March 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, west London
18 March 1967 – Wedding reception, Teddington, west London
20-23 March 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, west London
24 March 1967 – Blue Coat Boy, Bishopsgate, City of London
25 March 1967 – Wedding reception, Old Kent Road, south London
26 March 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, northwest London
27-30 March 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, west London
31 March 1967 – All Stars Club, Artillery Passage, Liverpool Street, east London (audition)
2 April 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, northwest London
3-6 April 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, west London
7 April 1967 – West Dulwich Sports Club, West Dulwich, south London
8 April 1967 – Derwentwater Club, Acton, west London
9 April 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, northwest London
15 April 1967 – The Pheasant, South Oxhey, Watford
17 April 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Streets, Soho, central London (audition)
22 April 1967 – Saracens Rugby Club, Finchley, north London
23 April 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, northwest London
27 April 1967 – Byron Hotel, Greenford, west London (audition)
30 April 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, northwest London
7 May 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, northwest London
8 May 1967 – St Moritz Club, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (audition)
13 May 1967 – Rank Xerox private party, Denham, Buckinghamshire
14 May 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, northwest London
19 May 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, west London
20 May 1967 – Rank Xerox, Denham, Buckinghamshire
27 May 1967 – Civic Hall, Guildford, Surrey with Five Proud Walkers
28 May 1967 – the Fisheries, Harefield, northwest London
3 June 1967 – Wedding Reception, Tea Rooms, Kenton, northwest London
4 June 1967 – Byron Hotel, Greenford, west London
8 June 1967 – RAF Northwood
9 June 1967 – Unknown venue, Purfleet, Essex
10 June 1967 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, northwest London
12-15 June 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, west London
16 June 1967 – ILI Co, Wembley, west London
17 June 1967 – Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
19-23 June 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, west London
23 June 1967 – UKAEA, Harwell, Oxfordshire with Brian Poole & The Unity
24 June 1967 – Wedding reception, Hendon, north London
26-29 June 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, west London
30 June 1967 – Greenway School, Uxbridge, west London
During 1967, the band recorded a couple of demos at a studio in Denham, Buckinghamshire comprising Martin Thomas/Roger Flavell co-writes.
Dave Martin Group gigs (continued):
3-6 July 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, west London
8 July 1967 – Rank Xerox, Denham, Buckinghamshire
20 July 1967 – Pinn Club, RAF Uxbridge, West London
28 July 1967 – Epsom Youth Club, Epsom, Surrey
29 July 1967 – Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
5 August 1967 – Thames Boat Trip, Westminster to Teddington
6 August 1967 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, northwest London
12 August 1967 – Thing-a-me-jig, Reading, Berkshire
31 August 1967 – Sword & Wheel Club, RAF Northolt, northwest London
At midnight, immediately after finishing the gig at RAF Northolt near Ruislip, the band had to pack up in order to drive down to Dover to catch the ferry to the continent and only just made the boat by the ‘skin of their teeth’. Having just turned professional, The Dave Martin Group changed its name to The Magic Roundabout and headed to Germany and then Switzerland.
Magic Roundabout in Bad Vilbel. Left to right: Roger Flavell, Dave Martin, John Chinnery and roadie Stuart Cook. Photo credit: Roger Flavell
The Magic Roundabout gigs:
1-30 September 1967 – Ritterkelleer (9 performances) and Western Club (11 performances), Bad Vilbel, Frankfurt, West Germany
1-15 October 1967 – Haus Der Music, Wuppertal, West Germany with The Berkeley Squares (15 performances)
Arriving in Zurich, Switzerland, the band now briefly includes organist Dave Eldredge, a musician from Leicester group The Berkeley Squares, who split up after the shows in Wuppertal. Eldredge remains with the group until mid-November.
16 October-1 November 1967 – ‘Beat Club’, Hotel Hirschen, Zurich, Switzerland (17 performances)
3-6 November 1967 – ‘Taverns Bar’, Ingolstadt, West Germany (4 performances) (the band’s final night is cancelled; a fight had broken out the previous night between US servicemen and German police and the club was wrecked. The club is closed for refurbishment and The Magic Roundabout head home to the UK.)
On the band’s return to the UK, organist John Elliott joined after Eldredge left. Geoff Chinnery had convinced the organist to join The Effect but this proved short-lived. Eldredge subsequently joined Pussyfoot.
Elliott had previously played with Ealing band, Magnus Pike with lead guitarist/singer Jerry Smith, bass player Roger Searle and drummer Tony Haslam. Searle and Haslam will later go on to work with The Who’s road crew.
Magic Roundabout’s new line up comprised:
Martin Thomas (aka Dave Martin) – lead vocals
John Chinnery – lead guitar/vocals
John Elliott – organ/vocals
Roger Flavell – bass/vocals
Lindsay Bex – drums
The Magic Roundabout gigs (continued):
17 November 1967 – Women’s teachers’ training college (location not known)
18 November 1967 – Young Conservative’s Club, Twickenham, west London
25 November 1967 – YMCA, Baldock, Hertfordshire
4-7 December 1967 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, west London
8 December 1967 – Guild Hall, Ilford, east London
9 December 1967 – The Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
15 December 1967 – Gillettes, Great West Road, west London with Fortunes and Episode Six
16 December 1967 – RAF Feltwell
23 December 1967 – Rugby Club, Upton Park, Slough, Berkshire
26 December 1967 – Halfway House, Dunstable, Hertfordshire
31 December 1967 – Sword & Wheel Club, RAF Northolt, northwest London
1-4 January 1968 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, west London
5 January 1968 – Youth Club, West Drayton, west London
6 January 1968 – Baker’s Row Club, Cardiff (Bex’s bass drums falls off the roof rack on the way)
12 January 1968 – USAF Woodbridge, Suffolk
13 January 1968 – Hanwell Community Centre, Hanwell, west London
20 January 1968 – Mildway Tavern, Highbury, north London
24-25 January 1968 – Mildway Tavern, Highbury, north London
26 January 1968 – Scotch of St James, Mayfair, central London
27 January 1968 – Kodak Hall, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
30 January 1968 – BBC Maida Vale (audition)
31 January-1 February 1968 – Mildway Tavern, Highbury, north London
Magic Roundabout, spring 1968. Left to right: Miki Anthony, Lindsay Bex, John Elliott, John Chinnery and Roger Flavell. Photo credit: Roger Flavell
2 February 1968 – Northcote Arms, Southall, west London
3 February 1968 – Queen’s Hall, Halstead, Braintree, Essex
10 February 1968 – Thing-a-me-jig, Reading, Berkshire
12-15 February 1968 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, west London
16 February 1968 – Northcote Arms, Southall, west London
17 February 1968 – Rank Xerox, Denham, Buckinghamshire
21 February 1968 – Club A Go Go, Newcastle Upon Tyne
29 February 1968 – Bluebell Inn, Hackenthorpe, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
1 March 1968 – County Ballroom, Carlisle, Cumbria
2 March 1968 – Sheridan Rooms, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
3 March 1968 – Woodhouse WMC, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
8 March 1968 – RAF Club, Tredegar, Wales
9 March 1968 – Howard Winstone Club, Merthyr, Wales
10 March 1968 – Beech Grove, Pengham, Wales
13 March 1968 – Faculty of Technology, Manchester
14 March 1968 – Bluebell Inn, Hackenthorpe, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
15 March 1968 – Northcote Arms, Southall, west London
18 March 1968 – Quaintways, Chester, Cheshire
24 March 1968 – The Pheasant, South Oxhey, Watford, Hertfordshire
25-27 March 1968 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, west London
29 March 1968 – Brighton Tech College, Brighton, West Sussex
After the above gig, singer Michael Derrick (aka Miki Anthony) took over from Martin Thomas and brought his own manager with him (which would see the band split with Geoff Chinnery).
The Magic Roundabout gigs (continued):
20 April 1968 – Northcote Arms, Southall, west London
21 April 1968 – Warmingham Grange Country Club, Sandbach, Cheshire
26 April 1968 – Kiosk Ballroom, Castleford, West Yorkshire
27 April 1968 – Sheridan Rooms, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
28 April 1968 – The Pavilion, Bournemouth, Dorset
29 April-2 May 1968 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, west London
3 May 1968 – Bluebell Inn, Hackenthorpe, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
4 May 1968 – Morley Town Hall, Morley, West Yorkshire
5 May 1968 – Woodhill, WMC, Normanton, West Yorkshire
11 May 1968 – Bradford University with Jeff Beck Group
17 May 1968 – Board of Trade, Eastcote, northwest London
18 May 1968 – Faculty of Technology, Manchester with Fleetwood Mac
19 May 1968 – Warmingham Grange Country Club, Sandbach, Cheshire
23 May 1968 – Arundel WMC, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
24-25 May 1968 – Raven Club, RAF Waddington
26 May 1968 – Kiosk Ballroom, Castleford, West Yorkshire
30 May 1968 – Kimbleworth Park Social Club, Rotherham, South Yorkshire
31 May 1968 – 270 Discotheque, Barnsley, West Yorkshire
Sometime around this time, the group recorded a cover of The Bee Gees’ “I Am The World”, which is never released.
Magic Roundabout, 1968. Left to right: Roger Flavell, John Elliott, John Chinnery, Miki Anthony and Lindsay Bex. Photo credit: Roger Flavell
The Magic Roundabout gigs (continued):
1 June 1968 – Manchester University
8 June 1968 – The Pavilion, Weymouth, Dorset
14 June 1968 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire
15 June 1968 – Alexander Hall, Halifax, South Yorkshire with Jackson Union
20 June 1968 – Kimbleworth Park Social Club, Rotherham, South Yorkshire
21 June 1968 – Woodhill, WMC, Normanton, West Yorkshire
22 June 1968 – Morley Town Hall, Morley, West Yorkshire
24-27 June 1968 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, west London
28 June 1968 – Shades, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
29 June 1968 – University of Aston, Birmingham
30 June 1968 – Arundel WMC, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
1 July 1968 – Wilbeck Country Club, Hatfield, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire
2 July 1968 – Top Ranke Suite, Southampton, Hants
5 July 1968 – Cossack Club, Sir James Altham School, Oxhey, Watford, Hertfordshire
6 July 1968 – Bellpunch, Uxbridge, west London
14 July 1968 – Industrial Club, Norwich, Norfolk
18 July 1968 – Cossack Club, Sir James Altham School, Oxhey, Watford, Hertfordshire
19 July 1968 – Victoria & Bull, Dartford, Kent
20 July 1968 – Bourne School, Ruislip Manor, northwest London
25 July 1968 – Oasis Club, RAF Biggin Hill, Kent
26 July 1968 – Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex
28 July 1968 – A Train, Hayes, west London
29 July-1 August 1968 – Kew Boathouse, Kew, west London
2 August 1968 – Harrow Inn, Woolwich, south London
3 August 1968 – Thing-a-me-jig, Reading, Berkshire
10 August 1968 – Airman’s Club, USAF, West Ruislip, northwest London
11 August 1968 – Wake Arms, Epping, Essex
16 August 1968 – Kiosk Ballroom, Castleford, West Yorkshire
17 August 1968 – Black Swan, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
18 August 1968 – Manor House, near Skipton, North Yorkshire
20 August 1968 – Almonbury WMC, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
21 August 1968 – Ponderose, Barnsley, West Yorkshire
22 August 1968 – Blue Bell, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
24 August 1968 – Morley Town Hall, Morley, West Yorkshire
30 August 1968 – RAF Whitton, Whitton, west London
Michael Derrick’s manager informed the band that he would take the singer away unless he can assume sole management and the musicians begrudgingly agreed as Geoff Chinnery had been managing them from the outset. Soon afterwards, Lindsay Bex and John Elliott both departed following the RAF Whitton gig, which (ironically) Chinnery believes was the band’s best performance to date.
Two weeks later, it was clear that the group’s career had ground to a halt and the band broke up. While Chinnery briefly abandoned a musical career and returned to work in insurance, Flavell subsequently joined Grand Union, the backing band for US soul act, Johnny Johnson & The Bandwagon in 1969.
In late 1970, Flavell briefly played with Geno Washington before working with Tony Hazzard/Richard Barnes, Judd, Kris Ife and The Tommy Hunt Band. In the early Seventies, Flavell joined Christie and then went on to Johnny Wakelin & The Kinshasha Band, The Lonnie Donegan Band and The David Byron Band.
Miki Anthony meanwhile established a highly successful solo career.
John Chinnery and drummer Roger Willis, who have known each other since childhood and are Arsenal FC fans, decided to reform The Magic Roundabout around February 1969 with John Elliott, who has been working in a bank since the band’s break up in September 1968.
The Kool, 1967, featuring Ray Brown (far left). Photo credit: Ray Brown
Ray Brown, who had previously played with Jeff Curtis & The Flames and The Kool agreed to join after his next band, Champagne appeared on the same bill as The Magic Roundabout.
Ray Brown (centre) with Champagne in 1968. Photo credit: Ray Brown
Lead guitarist Ian Hollands, who had previously played with Frankie Reid & The Casuals and The Legends answered an advert in the music press and completed the new formation.
The new Magic Roundabout formation now comprised:
Ian Hollands – lead guitar/vocals
John Chinnery – rhythm guitar/vocals
John Elliott – organ/vocals
Ray Brown – bass/vocals
Roger Willis – drums/vocals
The Magic Roundabout gigs (continued):
9 May 1969 – Harefield Youth Club, Harefield, northwest London
17 May 1969 – R&B Club, Feltham, Middlesex
18 May 1969 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London
23 May 1969 – Lorraine Club, Chingford, east London
31 May 1969 – Wake Arms, Epping, Essex
6 June 1969 – Salvatorian College, Wealdstone, northwest London
7 June 1969 – White Hart, Tottenham, north London
13 June 1969 – Lorraine Club, Chingford, east London
21 June 1969 – Greenford Hotel, Greenford, west London
27 June 1969 – Woodford Youth Club, St Barnabos School
28 June 1969 – St Annes School, Hanwell, west London
3 July 1969 – New Penny Disco, Watford, Hertfordshire
4 July 1969 – Pinkwell Youth Centre, Hayes, west London
6 July 1969 – Cambridge Hotel, Edmonton, north London
12 July 1969 – Bourne School, Ruislip Manor, northwest London
13 July 1969 – the Cherry Tree, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire
18 July 1969 – King’s Head Disco, Harrow, northwest London
19 July 1969 – Wake Arms, Epping, Essex
26 July 1969 – King’s Head, Harrow, northwest London
1 August 1969 – Lorraine Club, Chingford, east London
2 August 1969 – King’s Head, Harrow, northwest London
7 August 1969 – Top Rank Suite, Watford, Hertfordshire
15 August 1969 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London
16 August 1969 – Oldfield Tavern, Greenford, west London
22 August 1969 – King’s Head, Harrow, northwest London
23 August 1969 – Spa Ballroom, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
24 August 1969 – Cambridge Hotel, Edmonton, north London
30 August 1969 – Links Pavilion, Cromer, Norfolk
31 August 1969 – Industrial Club, Norwich, Norfolk
26 September 1969 – Greenford Hotel, Greenford, west London
27 September 1969 – New Penny Disco, Watford, Hertfordshire
28 September 1969 – Oldfield Tavern, Greenford, west London
3 October 1969 – King’s Head, Harrow, northwest London
4 October 1969 – Oldfield Tavern, Greenford, west London
10 October 1969 – Grange Youth Centre, Hayes, west London
11 October 1969 – King’s Head, Harrow, northwest London
24 October 1969 – Greenford Hotel, Greenford, west London
25 October 1969 – Industrial Club, Norwich, Norfolk
1 November 1969 – King’s Head, Harrow, northwest London
2 November 1969 – Oldfield Tavern, Greenford, west London
7 November 1969 – King’s Head, Harrow, northwest London
8 November 1969 – Oldfield Tavern, Greenford, west London
9 November 1969 – Hunter’s Club, Horn Hotel, Braintree, Essex
14 November 1969 – Lorraine Club, Chingford, Essex
21 November 1969 – Kettering WMC, Kettering, Northamptonshire
28 November 1969 – Greenford Hotel, Greenford, west London
5 December 1969 – King’s Head, Harrow, northwest London
6 December 1969 – Oldfield Tavern, Greenford, west London
7 December 1969 – Headstone Hotel, North Harrow, northwest London
11 December 1969 – Oldfield Tavern, Greenford, west London
12 December 1969 – Harefield Youth Club, Harefield, northwest London
13 December 1969 – Greenford Hotel, Greenford, west London
19 December 1969 – Greenford Hotel, Greenford, west London
Magic Roundabout in 1969. Left to right: Ian Hollands, Ray Brown, John Chinnery and John Elliott. Photo credit: Ray Brown
2 January 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, northwest London (Hollands ill)
8 January 1970 – Oldfield Tavern, Greenford, west London (Hollands ill)
16 January 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, northwest London
17 January 1970 – Oldfield Tavern, Greenford, west London
23 January 1970 – El Grotto Disco, Ilford, east London
24 January 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, northwest London
30 January 1970 – Greenford Hotel, Greenford, west London
7 February 1970 – Gillettes, Isleworth, Middlesex
8 February 1970 – Cambridge Hotel, Edmonton, north London
12 February 1970 – Oldfield Hotel, Greenford, west London
13 February 1970 – Cook’s Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London
14 February 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, northwest London
20 February 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, northwest London
22 February 1970 – Oldfield Hotel, Greenford, west London
24 February 1970 – Civic Hall, St Albans, Hertfordshire
27 February 1970 – Greenford Hotel, Greenford, west London
6 March 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, northwest London
7 March 1970 – Spotlight Club, RAF Brize Norton
12 March 1970 – Oldfield Hotel, Greenford, west London
14 March 1970 – Civic Hall, St Albans, Hertfordshire
20 March 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, northwest London
21 March 1970 – Airmen’s Mess, USAF Wethersfield
26 March 1970 – Oldfield Hotel, Greenford, west London
28 March 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, northwest London
Ray Brown (left) and Roger Willis on stage with Magic Roundabout. Photo credit: Ray Brown
3 April 1970 – AYA USAF West Ruislip, northwest London
4 April 1970 – Andromeda Club, Colchester, Essex
10 April 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, northwest London
11 April 1970 – Oldfield Hotel, Greenford, west London
16 April 1970 – Oldfield Hotel, Greenford, west London
18 April 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, northwest London
19 April 1970 – Links, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire
24 April 1970 – West Ham College, West Ham, east London
2 May 1970 – Airmen’s Club, USAF Mildenhall
9 May 1970 – Oldfield Hotel, Greenford, west London
14 May 1970 – Oldfield Hotel, Greenford, west London
26 May 1970 – Oldfield Hotel, Greenford, west London
29 May 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, northwest London
30 May 1970 – NCOs Club, USAF High Wycombe
1 June 1970 – King’s Head, Edmonton, north London (audition)
The band auditioned for the John Edwards Agency (most likely the above date), performing three songs, including a cover of The Moody Blues’ “Ride My See-Saw”.
The Magic Roundabout gigs (continued):
4 June 1970 – Galaxy Club, RAF Northwood, northwest London
6 June 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, northwest London
13 June 1970 – Oldfield Hotel, Greenford, west London
18 June 1970 – Oldfield Hotel, Greenford, west London
19 June 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, northwest London
20 June 1970 – Braintree College, Braintree, Essex
26 June 1970 – Oases Club, RAF Biggin Hill, Kent
1 July 1970 – NCOs Club, USAF High Wycombe
3 July 1970 – Beaconsfield Youth Club
4 July 1970 – Airmen’s Annexe, USAF Upper Hayford
9 July 1970 – Angelique, King’s Road, southwest London
10 July 1970 – King’s Head, Harrow, northwest London
11 July 1970 – North Park, WMC, Kettering, Northamptonshire
15 July 1970 – Winston Churchill Hall, Ruislip, northwest London
16 July 1970 – RAF High Wycombe
24 July 1970 – Spotlight Club, RAF Brize Norton
25 July 1970 – Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
31 July 1970 – The Pheasantry, King’s Road, southwest London
PLEASE NOTE: There are some missing gigs from this list. John Chinnery believes that the group played until at least November 1970.
Sometime in 1970, the new line up got the opportunity to record two tracks at Abbey Road, which are never released. One is a cover of a song called “Everything Under The Sun”. The other is an early cover of Neil Diamond’s “Red, Red Wine”.
Around October 1970, John Elliott was invited to sing lead on a backing track – the Findon, Shelley, Hazelwood and Hammond collaboration, “Dark Side of the Moon”. Incidentally, Elton John had earlier cut a version.
Not long after, the rest of the band was brought into the studio and recorded an instrumental track composed by Ian Hollands. For some reason, Ray Brown was not available and former member Roger Flavell, who named the track “Black Boots”, provided bass. However, the song was later credited to producers Ben Findon and Pete Shelley.
Tragically, the band’s career then came to a dramatic halt after returning from a gig in Bedford around late October/early November 1970. Stopping off at Toddington Services on the M1, the band’s roadies went into the service station to get some food and someone broke into the van and stole much of the band’s equipment. Only John Chinnery was insured!
All of the remaining the gigs were cancelled but The Magic Roundabout did play its final gig on 31 December 1970 on borrowed gear because the money (£100) was too good to give up.
In the meantime, Findon and Shelley brought John Elliott back into the studio to add more vocals to “Dark Side of the Moon”.
With the band no longer active and unable to use The Magic Roundabout name, the producers released the single on Decca in May 1971 under The Outer Limits name.
Ian Hollands later played with a group called Mobius. Ray Brown briefly played with a harmony group from Tooting from January-February1971 before joining Easy Virtue and then Crackers.
Roger Willis meanwhile joined Capability Brown in 1972. After several albums, Willis and two other band members joined Christie, which featured original Magic Roundabout bass player Roger Flavell in the group.
Willis later played with a number of groups, including Crazy Kat, before reuniting with Ray Brown in Crackers.
In recent years, John Chinnery, Roger Flavell, John Elliott and Lindsey Bex have held four reunions.
A huge thanks to John Chinnery and Lindsay Bex for providing the gig lists (from Geoff Chinnery) and to Roger Flavell, John Chinnery, Lindsey Bex, John Elliott, Ray Brown and Ian Hollands for helping with the group’s history. Thank you Roger Flavell, Lindsay Bex and Ray Brown for photos.
North Carolina had many record labels in the 1960’s, but few were as prolific as Tornado Records. Based in Greensboro, the label had offices at 1712 Farrell Avenue, but also did business via PO Drawer 6787.
Tornado’s stock in trade was regional Country & Western music, although artists from as far away as Pennsylvania and Maine were released by the label. Tornado was owned by David Lee Perkins, whose name appears frequently with author credits on many releases.
The years of operation for the label seem to have been rather compact, roughly estimated to range from late 1964 to mid-1967, referencing Mike Markesich’s excellent tome, “Teenbeat Mayhem.”
Although typically beyond the scope of Garage Hangover, Tornado registers in the minds of garage fans as the home of the second single by The Nomads of Mt. Airy, North Carolina. As far as Tornado was concerned, The Nomads were a “Sensational New Discovery,” and said just that right on the record label. “Thoughts of a Madman” b/w “From Zero Down” was released in April of 1967, and ranks high among garage rock enthusiasts nationwide. It was the Nomads second single, the first being on the Stark label profiled on this site.
Also of note are the Caravans from Greensboro. Their single, “Twistin’ Rockin’ Baby” b/w “Rainbow of Love” from a couple of years earlier rocks pretty well, with an occasionally cool, John Lennon-esque vocal on the A-side.
Profile of Tornado Records artist Gail Day, Feb. 2, 1967
Tornado Records Discography (if anyone can help fill in the gaps, more power to them):
Tornado EP-100 – Roy & Jackie Baker & the South Mountain Boys – You’re Not the Girl I Used to Know, I’m Showing You the Way/Little Heart, What Life Could Have Been
Tornado T-101 – Glenn Thompson “My Mary” / “What A Line” Tornado T-102 – South Mountain Boys featuring Little Debbie Baker – “Twistin’ Rockin’ Baby” / “I’m Falling for You, You, You” Tornado T-103 – Dewey Ritter & the Panhandle Boys “I Walk A Lonely Road (Because of You)” / “Be My Sunshine Forever” Tornado T-104 – South Mountain Boys “Gonna Hand You A Ticket” / “Dial My Number” Tornado T-105 – Roy Baker & the South Mountain Boys “Jocassee Nona” / “Close As The Nearest Phone” Tornado T-106 – Caravans “Twistin’ Rockin’ Baby” / “Rainbow of Love” (Greensboro) Tornado T-107EP – Gloria Weston “Missing in Action (In Vietnam),” Kenny Craft “What A Fool Am I,” and Rod Rodgers “Hot Game of Dice” and “A Daughter Never Fools Her Mother” Tornado T-108 – Joyce Mills “You’re Not the Boy I Used To Know” / “Cry On My Shoulder” Tornado T-109 – Dewey Ritter – “Big Deal” / “Georgia Took My Name”
Harold Crosby
Tornado T-110 – Harold Crosby “Big Big Truck” / “I Will Mend Your Heartaches Tomorrow” (Maine) Tornado T-111 – Cloyd Sullivan “I Don’t Have the Heart” / “My Love is Guaranteed” Tornado T-112 – ? Tornado T-113 – Dick Mosely “Cry No More” / “Wagons-Ho” Tornado T-114 – Henry E. Noe & the Calvary Gospel Team – Tell Them When You Saw Me, Cry Aloud & Spare Not/Ananias, I’m Moving Up Tornado T-115 – Joyce Love “Judy Judy” / “Strawberry Sundae” Tornado T-116 – Gord Worrall – “Wagon’s Ho” / “Freedom Will Take Command” Tornado T-117 – Joyce Lynn “Touch of Heartache” / “Heaven Help Me (Another Lonely Day)” Tornado T-118 – Dick Mosely “Getting My Kicks in ’66” / “Nascar-Circuit” Tornado T-119 – Margie Lee “It’s Too Late” / “Let’s Fall In Love Together” Tornado T-120 – ? Tornado T-121 – Carl Pride “You Can’t Catch My Mustang” / “If I Don’t Miss You” (Greensboro) Tornado T-122 – Lorene Weaver & the Country Boys – “I’m Leaving You”/ “Mr. Blues Walks In” Tornado T-123 – Larry Campbell & the Country Playboys “Break-Through” / “Bluegrass Mountain Home” Tornado T-124 – Bobby Adkins & Allen Mills “Bluegrass in Kentucky” / “I’m So Sorry That I Threw Your Love Away” Tornado T-125 – George Dry & the Daydreamers “One Lung Charlie” / “Hard-Rock Sam” (PA) Tornado T-126 – Jimmy Hart – Symbol of Love/I Think I Know Tornado T-127 – Joe Stone & Bobby Atkins “Singing Love Songs (Bluegrass Style)” / “Tears and Roses” Tornado T-128 – Jimmy Osborne – “Though Not As Yet” / “Walk Away Memories” Tornado T-129 – Billy Beal “Rainy Day Blues” / “Cold, Dark And Deep” Tornado T-130 – Tommy Jones & the Hayriders “Ballad of Gamblin’ Lil” / “God – Dollar” Tornado T-131 – Glenn Eck “Bittersweet Love” / “Clock On the Wall” Tornado T-132 – Joni Day “I Wonder If” / “Again He Said to Me” (PA) Tornado T-133 – Johnny Jones “You’ve Turned Me Down” / “A Million Times” Tornado T-134 – Harold Crosby “Bright Lights (and Blond Haired Women)” / “Let’s Fall in Love Together” (Maine) Tornado T-135 – Rosie Lartigue – “Walking With My Baby”, “Million Heartaches” / “Little Echoes of Love”, “Take Me Back Again” Tornado T-136 – Joe Stone & Bobby Atkins “Stolen Kisses Are The Sweetest” / “Mister Bluegrass (Here’s To You)” Tornado T-137 – Gail Day “Santa Didn’t Come” / “Please, Mr. Santa” (8 year old daughter of George and Joni Day) (PA) Tornado T-138 – Bobby Adkins “Bluest Guy In Town” / “You Stopped Loving Me” Tornado T-139 – Ray Josey “Orchids & Diamonds” / “Silver Tears” Tornado T-140 – Joyce Lynn – “Stop That Knockin'” / “Though Not as Yet” (Clint Thompson, D.L. Perkins) Tornado TLP-141 – George & Joni Day EP “Tears In My Heart,” “Sorry,” “The One You Left Me For,” “Make Up Your Mind,” “Too Many – Too Few,” “We’ll Work It Out” (PA) Tornado T-142 – Tommy Jones – Country D.J./He Started With a Quarter Tornado T-143 – Glenn Thompson “Bad, Bad Dream” / “Thirteen Stripes in Old Glory” Tornado T-144 – Glenn Thompson “Walk Softly (You’re Walking On My Heart)” / “You Didn’t Want Me Yesterday (I Don’t Want You Today)” Tornado T-145 – Hank Brooks & the Midnite Rangers “Big, Big Heart” / “Pretty Picture On My Wall”
Lefty Hales
Tornado T-146 – Lefty Hales & the Carolina Partners “Stop Me” / “Anywhere, Anytime” (Goldsboro) Tornado T-147 – Mettie Lou “A Mother’s Heartache” / “A Soldier’s Prayer” Tornado T-148 – Bobby Adkins “Soldier’s Return” / “There’s Not Enough Words” Tornado T-149 – Tommy Jones & the Hayriders “The Commies Are Coming” / “Love Is A Mountain Of Gold” Tornado T-150 – Tommy Jones and the Hayriders “Tell Me Darling, Tell Me” / “See-Saw Love” Tornado T-151 – Wyona Lambeth – “Lost Below Heaven” / “I’ll Never Get Over You” Tornado T-152 – Garland Atkins & the Sunny Mountain Partners “I Miss You Most Of All” / “Singin’ The Blues” Tornado T-153 – Tommy Harrell & the Country Valients “One Drink Too Many” / You Sure Got The Best Of Me” (Eastern NC) Tornado T-154 – Evelyn Hooper “Now There’s An Ache In My Heart”/? Tornado T-155 – ? Tornado T-156 – ? Tornado T-157 – Cousin Lee & Little Hank EP “Lonely and Blue,” “Don’t Judge Another Person,” “Lifetime To Forget,” “Little Hank’s Shuffle” Tornado T-158 – Tommy Jones & the Hayriders “You Got Something Gal” / “Let Her Go” Tornado T-159 – The Nomads “Thoughts Of A Madman” / “From Zero Down” (Mt. Airy) Tornado T-160 – Glenn Thompson Sunshine Through The Rain” / “You’re Not The Girl I Used To Know” Tornado T-161 – Dick Mosely “Truck Stop Number Three” / “Under the Double Eagle” Tornado T-162 – Billy Beal “A Lifetime to Forget” / “Queen Without a Throne” Tornado T-163 – Bobby Adkins “Ballad of Gamblin’ Lil” / “What About My Blue Heart” Tornado T-164 – Bobby Adkins “Miss Thirteen, Teenage Queen” / “Day of God’s Wrath” Tornado T-165 – ? Tornado T-166 – Glenn Thompson “Where The Red River Flows” / “King of the Endless Highways”
One Tornado LP has been identified thus far:
Tornado LP-102 The Best of Glenn Thompson
Thanks to Chris Bishop for additions, Lightnin’ Wells, Bob Clere for jpegs and helpful comments, and to Mike Markesich for key dates.
This is the start of a short timeline covering the career of The Flowerpot Men, famous for the UK hit “Let’s Go To San Francisco”.
I’d like to thank Miguel Terol for helping to piece together the following timeline. I would welcome any input from anyone who can add or correct information below. The following sources were also very useful:
Neil Landon and Pete Nelson replace John Carter and Ken Lewis who sang on the single, ‘Let’s Go To San Francisco’.
+ Ged Peck – lead guitar (ex-Billie Davis & Quality)
+ Nick Simper – bass (ex-Billie Davis & Quality)
+ Billy Davidson – keyboards (ex-Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound)
+ Carlo Little – drums (ex-Billie Davis & Quality)
Notable gigs (most sourced from Melody Maker):
22 September 1967 – Broken Wheel, Retford (Derbyshire Times/Retford Times)
29 September 1967 – Floral Hall, Southport, Lancashire
Tour with Traffic, Tomorrow, Art, The Mindbenders and Vanilla Fudge:
1 October 1967 – Mr Smiths, Manchester
4 October 1967 – Finsbury Park Astoria, Finsbury Park, London
6 October 1967 – Rugby Benn Memorial Hall, Rugby, Warwickshire
6 October 1967 – ABC, Chesterfield, Derbyshire
7 October 1967 – City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne
8 October 1967 – Empire, Liverpool
10 October 1967 – ABC Croydon, Surrey
11 October 1967 – Birmingham Town Hall, Birmingham
12 October 1967 – Liberal Hall, Yeovil, Somerset (Western Gazette)
13 October 1967 – Colston Hall, Bristol
14 October 1967 – Gaumont, Wolverhampton
15 October 1967 – De Montfort Hall, Leicester
17 October 1967 – Gaumont, Ipswich, Suffolk
25 October 1967 – King’s Hall, Derby (needs confirmation)
28 October 1967 – St George’s Ballroom, Hinckley
4 November 1967 – Imperial Ballroom, Nelson, Lancashire
14 November 1967 – King’s Hall, Derby (needs confirmation)
15 November 1967 – Locarno, Stevenage
19 November 1967 – Saville Theatre, London with The Bee Gees and The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band
20 November 1967 – Stokley S&S Club
25 November 1967 – German TV Beat Club (most likely broadcast date)
NME announces in its 18 November issue that The Flowerpot Men have formed a four-piece backing group called The Sundial. The magazine reports that the group performs at the following venues:
November – Flowerpot Club, Birmingham (Saturday)
26 November 1967 – Week’s cabaret split between Latino, South Shields and Wetherall’s, Sunderland
The following gigs are from Melody Maker:
8 December 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable
9 December 1967 – Nottingham University
12 December 1967 – Keele University
16 December 1967 – St George Ballroom, Hinckley
23 December 1967 – Civic Hall, Nantwich, Cheshire with Sun Dial and Sound Society
30 December 1967 – German TV Beat Club
18 January 1968 – Whitcombe Club, Brockworth, Gloucestershire with Paper Blitz Tissue
Billy Davidson is ill and various keyboard players fill in, possibly John Carroll
+ Jon Lord – keyboards (ex-Artwoods)
3 February 1968 – California Ballroom, Dunstable
24 February 1968: Nick Simper and Jon Lord leave for Roundabout on this date
+ Tex Makins – bass
+ John Carroll – keyboards
24-30 March 1968 – La Dolce Vita, Birmingham
Early May 1968:
Tex Makins and John Carroll both leave. Carroll goes to Germany to play club in Essen for three months. Makins will reunite with Peck and Little shortly
+ Gordon Haskell – bass (ex-Fleur De Lyes)
12 May 1968 – NME awards (one of Haskell’s first shows)
12 May 1968 – Hatchetts Playground, Piccadilly, London
18 May 1968 – California Ballroom, Dunstable with O’Hara’s Playboys
Circa mid-July 1968:
Gordon Haskell leaves to join Cupid’s Inspiration
+ Tex Makins returns
11 July 1968 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with Bystanders and Sam’s Brothers Band
Circa late July/early August 1968:
Ged Peck, Tex Makins and Carlo Little join David Garrick’s band in Switzerland. Peck subsequently formed the band Storm.
+ Mick Stewart – lead guitar (ex-James Royal Set)
Also another drummer and bass player
6-10 August 1968 – Excel, Middlesbrough
16 August 1968 – Music Hall, Shrewsbury with The Smokey Maks and The Minis
17 August 1968 – Baston Community Association, Baston Playing Fields, Baston Barn, Lincolnshire with The Ivys and The Muffin Band
Circa late August 1968:
+ Carlo Little rejoins on drums after David Garrick show
30 September 1968 – Club Cavendish, Birmingham (play for a week?)
Circa early October 1968:
Mick Stewart leaves to rejoin James Royal Set. The bass player leaves too
+ Robin Box – lead guitar
+ Ricky Wolff – keyboards, flute and sax
+ Tony Hall – saxophone
+ Gordon Haskell – bass rejoins from Cupid’s Inspiration
8 March 1969 – Grand Hall, Kilmarnock, Scotland with Ambrose Slade
22 June 1969 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)
Many thanks to John Carroll and Gordon Haskell for providing information
GARAGE HANGOVER WOULD WELCOME ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS BELOW
D’Arcy Studios was started by Warren Miller, who had cut “Everybody’s Got a Baby But Me” / “Say You’ll Be True” for United Artists in 1958. In 1964 Miller had a label called D’Arcy with two country releases, one each by Charlie Wiggs and Jesse Travers.
In 1966 Miller started D’Arcy Sound Studios in Norfolk, and Sounds International seems to have been the house label for the studio.
About half the label’s releases were soul, of which the Sheepherders is most in demand. The Nite Liters and Del-Notes are good blue eyed soul.
The Rude Awakening is garage, the Outcasts single is heavy organ-based rock. The Common Wealth has been described as folky rock. The Holmes Brothers singles are country.
In 1968 Miller started using a new label, Nottingham Disc Co., which continued the last two digits of the numbering system (for example, changing from Sounds International 640, 641, 642 to 849, 850, 851 for Nottingham Disc Co). Nottingham 853 and 854 read “D’Arcy Studio Center” on the labels instead of “D’Arcy Sound Studios”.
The Journey Back’s single on Nottingham Disc is much sought after, and New Directions “Springtime Lady” is also very good. I haven’t heard the Russ Spooner or Mark III singles yet.
Around 1970 Miller changed the name of the studio to simply Studio Center and began a new five-digit numbering system beginning with “50”. He revived the Sounds International label for at least two releases in a 70s rural rock style.
Twenty Grand Music BMI published all original songs on Sounds International and Nottingham Disc Co. About two dozen songs were registered on April 3, 1968, including “Set Me Free”, “Only Love”, “Old McDonald”, “I Love You”, and “I Wish I Was Home”. Also registered that day was Danny O’Brien’s “Don’t Leave Me Girl” which the Del-Notes had released on Top Cat Records 968.
Sounds International and Nottingham Disc Co. discography: Any help with this discography would be appreciated.
Sounds International 630 – Dean & the Dominants – “‘Copter 23” / “Lost and Found” (both by Sgt. Oscar Capps) Sounds International 631 – Nite Liters – “Set Me Free” / “Harlem Shuffle” Sounds International 633 – Gentle-Men – “Only Love” (Wilson) / “Old McDonald” Sounds International 634 – Rude Awakening – “Certain Girl” / “Fortune Teller” Crane SI 635 – Chuck Mooney With The Arkansas Travelers – “I’m Going Home” / “Jail Bird” Sounds International SI-636 – The Del-Notes – “I Love You” / “I Wish I Was Home” Sounds International SI-637 – DeWayne Mack – “I’ll Never Be Your Only Love” / “The Kind Of Love” Sounds International SI-638 – The Sheepherders with Bubba Bailey – “If You Ever Need Me” (Jones, Lowder, O’Sullivan) / “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” Sounds International SI-639 – The Outcasts – “While I’m Here” / “Spell” (J.G. Heisler, Twenty Grand Music BMI) Sounds International SI 640 – Elsie Strong “This is the Last Time” (Gene Casey) / “Ask the Lonely” (William Stevenson, Jobete BMI) Sounds International SI 641 – Holmes Brothers – “September Love” / “Splendor of Love” Sounds International SI 642 – Pop Tops featuring Roy Hines – “I Want to Make It With You” (Hines, Weaver, Leibman, Esenberg, Barthlow) / “I Can Live” Sounds International SI 643 – ? Sounds International SI 644 – Holmes Brothers – “Searching Eyes” / “It’s a Big Big World” Sounds International SI 645 – Ronnie and the Progressive Society – “Chain of Fools” / “Twenty Five Miles” Sounds International SI 646 – Elsie Strong – “You Better Tale Time” / “Shades Of Green” Sounds International SI 647 – ? Nottingham Disc Co. 848 – Russ Spooner with the Sheep Herders – “We Got That” (Bobby Moore) / “The Truth” Nottingham Disc Co. 849 – The Journey Back – “Synthetic People” / “Run Away Baby” (L. Burnell, B. Sutton publ. Twenty Grand Music BMI) Nottingham Disc Co. 850 – New Directions – “Springtime Lady” (L.H. Jones, publ. Twenty Grand Music BMI) / “Swlabr” (arranged by Chip Golden III) Nottingham Disc Co. 851 – The Machine – “Hey Grandma” / “Roll With It” (S. Miller) Nottingham Disc Co. 852 – George and Judy – “That’s No Way to Ask You” / “Looking For Me” (1969) Nottingham Disc Co. 853 – Mark III “Gigolo” / “39-21-46” (Norman Johnson) Nottingham Disc Co. 854 – Plague – “Brighter Side” (T. Charauros, J. Burcham) / “Cherry Road” Nottingham Disc Co. 855 – George and Judy – “Pocketful of Promises” / “Love Is the Key”
The following releases have a different numbering system and credit “A Product of Sound Center, Norfolk, Va.” on the labels:
Nottingham Disc Co. 50104 – New Directions – “Lalena” / “Them Changes” (1970, Capitol custom matrix #s ZB-737/8) Aim Records 50108 – Windfall – “There Is a Shadow in Here” / “Workers” Fuo Records 50112 – Colonists (Richmond Virginia’s All Girl Band) – “Evil Ways” / “Aimless Lady” Sounds International 50116 – Common Wealth – “Circles” (Carl Brody) / “It’s Over” (Phil Liebman) Sounds International 50120 – Franklin Freight Train – “Full on the Hill” / “Loving What You Can” (Seale-Leighton-Mahl-Seale) Gent’s YGB Records 50124 – “WDJ – THF Prince Of Soul” – “Invitation To Love” / “Funky Loving”
Thank you to Matt Beck for his videos of the Plague 45 on Youtube. Also thanks to Max Waller, Marty Key and J.D. (Ologist) for their contributions to the discography.
The Del Notes (photo from the Peninsula Garage group)
The Del Notes came from Newport News, Virginia. Danny O’Brien attended Newport News High School and formed the group at school.
Early members included:
Danny O’Brien – vocals and keyboards Tom Clark – guitar Earl Howard – guitar and vocals Ronny Methany (also written as Ronnie Matheny) – bass guitar Dickey Moore – drums
Danny O’Brien of the Del NotesThe Del Notes recorded their singles at D’Arcy Studios across the James River in Norfolk, VA.
The first included two original songs, “Don’t Leave Me Girl” by Danny O’Brien b/w “I Been Thinking Lately” by Earl Howard, released on Top Cat 968. Twenty Grand Music registered copyright on “Don’t Leave Me Girl” in April of 1968 along with 20 other songs. The single likely was released earlier than that date.
Earl Howard of the Del NotesFor their second single on the Sounds International label, Danny O’Brien wrote a great blue-eyed soul song “I Love You” b/w another Earl Howard ballad “I Wish I Was Home” which a commentator said was written for Ronnie Matheny who had been sent to Vietnam.
Twenty Grand Music BMI published their original songs.
Danny O’Brien periodically revived the Del-Notes over the next few decades. Later members included bassist Garland Reece, guitarist Fred Ordonio and drummer Randy Jackson.
Earl Howard was killed in an auto accident on May 16, 1991. Dan O’Brien passed away on December 4, 2003.
The photos seen here Tom Hudgins submitted to the Peninsula Garage yahoo group some years back.
I don’t know of any other releases on this Top Cat label, but D’Arcy Sound Studios and Twenty Grande Music publishing show up on many releases on the Sounds International label.
An early photo shows Earl Howard and Ronny Methany jamming with members of the Nite Liters, including Steve Keith on rhythm guitar, Harrell Baker on lead guitar and sax and Donny Falk [Faulk] on bass guitar. The Nite Liters had their own single on Sounds International, “Set Me Free” / “Harlem Shuffle”.
Ronny Methany and Earl Howard of the Del Notes jam with Steve Keith, Harrell Baker and Donnie Falk of the Nite Liters.
Freddy Mack’s album recorded in 1967 (not 1966). Thanks to Dave Tedstone for image
Retired American light-heavyweight boxer Freddie Mack, sometimes spelt Freddy Mack and also known as Mr Superbad, relocated to the UK in 1965 and established a second career as a soul singer and disc jockey.
Between late 1965 and the mid-1970s, Mack fronted a succession of bands featuring a staggering number of notable British R&B and soul musicians.
Originally called The Mack Sound, the singer’s bands also worked under the names The Freddie Mack Sound, The Fantastic Freddie Mack Show and the Freddie Mack Extravaganza.
The first line-up of this band must have been formed in October 1965 because an advert in Melody Maker from October 1968 says that the group was due to play at the Whisky A Go Go in Wardour Street on 13 October 1968 to mark the band’s third anniversary.
Sometime in November, Freddie Mack was briefly paired with The Phil Wainman Band and female singer Cleo Sylvester (aka Sylvestre). The group’s line up at the time comprised lead guitarist Tony Sinclair; bass player Ron Thomas; organist Mick Fletcher; sax players Mel Wayne and Dave Mahoney; and drummer Phil Wainman.
According to Wainman, Mack was resident DJ at Dolly’s Club in Soho and they shared a brief residency there. The group was then lined up to play a Christmas/New Year show at Count Suckle’s Cue Club in Paddington with Mack.
Mel Wayne says that Mick Fletcher was staying with him in Twickenham and the pair had problems with the trains and arrived late. Mack was going to fine them but the rest of the band rallied and said they’d leave if he did.
Unfortunately, the show proved to be the end of their relationship and Wainman’s band went on to work with West End Promotions, backing a succession of Jamaican artists, including Millie Small, Owen Grey, Jackie Edwards and most notably Jimmy Cliff.
Around February 1966, Mack asked sax player Roger Warwick, who’d done some rehearsals with Phil Wainman’s band, to become part of a new, larger stage show that drew on musicians from two bands and subsequently became known as This ‘N’ That and The Mack Sound. The new formation retained singer Cleo Sylvester.
Mack had also asked American singer Ronald Bertram Greaves (aka Sonny Childe) to join the new stage show but Warwick doesn’t think he stuck around long.
Originally from Ealing, Warwick had attended Walpole Grammar School and was in the year below (and was friends with) John McVie. Studying sax under Don Rendell, he had previously played on The Tornados’ single “Early Bird”, produced by Joe Meek.
He then worked with Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages and had played a few gigs with The Lower Third during April 1965 when David Bowie (still known as Davy Jones) joined them on sax after rehearsing with the band at the Whisky A Go Go in Wardour Street. Warwick remembers rehearsing a very short-lived group with a singer called Glen Singer, David Bowie and Steve Marriott of The Small Faces (with The Lower Third backing) during this time, but nothing ever came from it. After he dropped out that summer, Bowie enlisted The Lower Third as his next backing group.
In December 1965, Warwick backed singer Bobby Rio on a German tour with future Mack Sound bass player Alan Cartwright.
Back in England, Warwick joined a short-lived group based in Fulham, which also included an Irish singer called Leon, tenor sax player Nobby Clarke and a Welsh Hammond organist, who was possibly Mike Vaughn-Jones. When Warwick joined Freddie Mack, Leon, Clarke and Vaughn-Jones also came onboard. (Ed. Hammond organist Paul Abrahams says he had played with Warwick previously and was involved with the band by early June.)
The other group that Mack drew on for musicians were Screaming Lord Sutch’s latest version of The Savages, Liverpool outfit, Derry Wilkie & The Others.
Lord Sutch had been using the musicians as a backing group for several months but by April 1966 the players were keen to break away from Sutch and try something new.
The entire outfit – singer Derry Wilkie; lead guitarist Ernie Hayes; tenor sax player Phil Kenzie; baritone sax player Ashton Tootell; bass player Derek Bond; and drummer Billy Adamson accepted Mack’s offer and signed up.
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
Joining forces with Warwick’s Fulham players, the new formation debuted at the Ram Jam in Brixton on 22 April 1966 under the name Freddie Mack’s This ‘N’ That.
Warwick remembers that sax player Jimmy Jewell, a former member of Kris Ryan & The Questions, played some gigs with the band during this time.
Jewell confirms that he briefly played with Mack around April 1966 together with former Jimmy Powell & The Dimensions guitarist Martin Shaw and an American singer called Richard Lanham, who’d recently lived in Milan, Italy.
Jewell and Shaw did not stay long and would take part in a German tour with The Paramounts in September 1966 backing singer Chris Andrews.
The excellent Derry Wilkie website also lists a number of other players that became part of this larger show during mid-1966: American jazz singer Jo Baker; lead guitarist Geoff Krivit; trumpet player Mark Charig; and percussionist Eddie Lincoln.
Krivit, incidentally, had briefly been a member of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers in 1965 and Julian Covey & The Machine in early 1966. He would go on to play with Dr K’s Blues Band. Charig meanwhile had been a member of The Sidewinders (recently playing at Count Suckle’s Cue Club in Paddington) and later worked with Bluesology (alongside Elton John).
Billed as This ‘N’ That, the line-up recorded a lone single, “Get Down With It/I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” c/w “I Care About You” for the Strike label, which was released on 10 June 1966.
Judging by an advert printed in 11 June 1966 edition of Melody Maker, the single features singers Derry Wilkie, Sonny Childe, Cleo Sylvester and Leon plus “the explosive sound of TNT and Mack Sound”.
The Redbridge & Ilford Recorder lists the band playing at Oscar’s Grotto in Ilford, east London on 11 June 1966.
The Marylebone & Paddington Mercury‘s 24 June issue (page 5) ran a piece on Mack and notes that the former boxer had booked his group into the Cue Club in Paddington for four nights a week for a month to showcase the 15-piece band, plus five singers, culminating in a big package show in mid-July.
On Mondays, The Mack Sound will back singer The Youth (born Trevor Sutherland and later future reggae artist IJahman Levi).
On Tuesdays, This ‘N’ That will appear with Derry Wilkie while on Wednesdays they will back Jo Baker. Sonny Childe meanwhile will appear on Thursdays.
Photo: Melody Maker
Melody Maker lists The Youth with The Mack Sound playing at the New All-Star Club near Liverpool Street station on 3 July.
Photo: Redbridge & Ilford Recorder. Image may be subject to copyright
The Redbridge & Ilford Recorder also lists the band, billed as The TNT Show with The Youth, Derek and Cleo playing at Oscar’s Grotto in Ilford, east London on 9 July 1966.
After these gigs ended in mid-July, most of the musicians left to work independently as Sonny Childe & The TNT. According to Ernie Hayes, when Sonny Childe returned to the US around August 1967, the guitarist, plus organist Mike Vaughn-Jones and drummer Billy Adamson joined forces with bass player Jet Harris and singer Pete Gage for a few months. Phil Kenzie meanwhile joined Tuesday’s Children for four months.
In November 1967, Ernie Hayes, Mike Vaughn-Jones, Billy Adamson and Phil Kenzie reunited in TNT to back American singer PP Arnold with former Creation’s member Eddie Phillips on bass. Adamson later played with The Searchers while Kenzie returned to Freddie Mack’s band in spring 1968 (see entry).
In the meantime Roger Warwick helped Freddie Mack put together a new version of The Mack Sound, retaining Cleo Sylvester, The Youth and Derry Wilkie. He brought in his old friend Alan Cartwright on bass plus some new players.
The band rehearsed extensively that summer and Warwick remembers the new line up playing a day long show at Douglas House at Lancaster Gate with Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Ed. Fame played here on 29 May 1966 but this would have been too early in the timeline unless Warwick meant an earlier version.)
Photo: Redbridge & Ilford Recorder. Image may be subject to copyright
The Redbridge & Ilford Recorder lists the band, billed as The Mac Sounds, playing at Oscar’s Grotto, Ilford, east London with The TNT on 30 July 1966.
Youth photo. Fabulous 208, 12 November 1966 issue. Image may be subject to copyrightPhoto: Fabulous 28, 12 November 1966 issue. Image may be subject to copyright
Around this time, Warwick and Cartwright were among the musicians who backed The Youth on a lone single for Polydor Records, a cover of Smokey Robinson’s “As Long As There Is Love” backed by Otis Redding’s “Your One and Only Man” at Abbey Road.
Freddie Mack live. Thanks to Miguel Terol for sharing this image sent to him by Ged Peck I would be grateful if anyone can identify any of the musicians shown here.
Drawing on a number of web sources, and accounts from several musicians, it looks like the new line up’s formation, which signed to Dumont Associates (as advertised in Melody Maker’s 15 October 1966 issue), comprised the following players at some point between September 1966 and January 1967:
Freddie Mack – lead vocals
Derry Wilkie – lead vocals
Tony Morgan – lead vocals, congas
Kenneth Harry – lead vocals
Kookie Eaton – lead vocals
Ged Peck – lead guitar
Billy Davidson – organ
Alan Cartwright – bass
Roger Warwick – baritone saxophone
Clarence Jackson (aka JJ Johnson) – trombone
Bernie Wehrman – tenor saxophone
Chris Burdett – alto saxophone (possibly joined later in 1966)
Eddie Thornton – trumpet (joined October 1966)
B J Wilson – drums (replaced by Roger Truth in November 1966)
Clarence Jackson was a member of Otis Redding’s touring band when the singer had made his UK debut in September 1966, so it’s probably safe to assume he joined after the tour had finished.
Eddie Thornton, however, was still working with Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames until October 1966, and therefore it’s possible that another trumpet player was there before.
Thanks to recollections from Ged Peck, it appears that the first keyboard player was Billy Davidson (who later worked with The Flowerpot Men among others) but he was replaced by Art Regis at some point in early 1967 (possibly start of February).
Unknown horn players, Ged Peck (guitar) and Billy Davidson (keyboards). Thanks to Miguel Terol for sharing this image sent to him by Ged Peck
Of the other musicians listed above, lead guitarist Ged Peck had been a member of The Favourite Sons before briefly playing with Chris Lamb & The Universals.
Ged Peck far right in the early 1960s. Thanks to Miguel Terol for sharing this image sent to him by Ged Peck
B J Wilson had played with The Paramounts and George Bean & The Runners. He was an old friend of Alan Cartwright’s.
BJ Wilson centre with Alan Cartwright (left). Thanks to Miguel Terol for sharing this image sent to him by Ged Peck
One thing is clear from tracing Freddie Mack’s bands during the 1960s, the line-ups tended to be pretty fluid and (particularly) horn players appeared to come and go on a regular basis, making pinning down definitive formations almost impossible. There were often around 15 musicians in the group at one time.
Throughout this period, musicians appear to have come and gone on a regular basis. According to Nick Simper’s excellent website, Roger Truth, who had played with the future Deep Purple bass player in Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, took over the drum stool from B J Wilson in late November 1966.
Roger Warwick left in December 1966 while the band were playing at the Upper Cut in Forest Gate, east London. Warwick moved to Turin, Italy to join a band being formed to back Lebanese singer Patrick Samson.
He remembers that when he left, singer Richard Lanham was with the band.
Roger Warwick (back left with white shirt) with The Patrick Samson Set
West Indian trumpet player Sonny Corbett joined during early 1967 as did English trumpet player Chris Dawe.
In January 1967, it’s possible The Mack Sound comprised the following (plus other unknown musicians):
Freddie Mack – lead vocals
Derry Wilkie – lead vocals
Tony Morgan – lead vocals, congas
Kenneth Harry – lead vocals
Kookie Eaton – lead vocals
Ged Peck – lead guitar
Billy Davidson – organ
Alan Cartwright – bass
Clarence Jackson – trombone
Bernie Wehrman – tenor saxophone
Chris Dawe – trumpet
Sonny Corbett – trumpet
Eddie Thornton – trumpet
Roger Truth – drums
Hammond organist Art Regis, who’d previously performed with Mel Turner & Rupert and The Red Devils, Dutch band The Defenders, The Arthur Brown Union and Ralph Denyer & The Uptown Band, remembers Derry Wilkie, Tony Morgan, Kookie Eaton, Dick Morrisey, Bernie Wehrman, Clarence Jackson and Eddie Thornton being in the band at the same time as him.
Art Regis recalls Freddie Mack coming to his flat in Portobello Road and discussing the possibility of forming “an extravagant international soul show”. The Hammond organist also remembers playing at Silver Blades Ice Rink in Streatham and a trek down to Cornwall to play an air sea rescue base in Falmouth.
More importantly, Art Regis also recalls performing with Freddie Mack at Billy Walker’s The Upper Cut in Forest Gate, which opened on 21 December 1966. According to Melody Maker, Mack’s band was the resident support band at this notable venue until early February 1967.
The New Pirates in February 1967. Mick Stewart (far left) who played with Mack in December 1965 and Nick Simper (second from right) who briefly played with Mack in early 1967. Photo: John Kerrison
Nick Simper also spent a week with the band when it was resident support act at the Upper Cut (most likely mid-January 1967) after working with Bobby Hebb’s touring band. However, Alan Cartwright was soon back and Simper formed The New Pirates the following month.
During the first few weeks of February Roger Truth dropped out briefly to reform The New Pirates with Simper but had a change of mind and returned to Freddie Mack after some early rehearsals. B J Wilson filled the drum stool in the interim.
Art Regis would reunite with Nick Simper and Ged Peck in June 1967 in Billie Davis & The Quality before working briefly with Engelbert Humperdinck. Regis confirms that he then joined Jimmy James & The Vagabonds on 27 July 1967.
The Loose Ends in 1966 with Roy Davies (far left). Photo: Alan Whitehead
Another keyboard player that is often associated with Freddie Mack during this time is future Gonzalez member Roy Davies, who’d previously been a member of Southeast London band, The Loose Ends. It looks most likely that Davies came on-board when Art Regis left (around mid-February).
In late February 1967, B J Wilson joined Sands and then Procol Harum. Roger Truth returned to the drum stool.
Ged Peck playing live. Thanks to Miguel Terol for sharing this image sent to him by Ged Peck
Ged Peck certainly was gone sometime in late March 1967 and joined Nick Simper in Billie Davis & The Quality that May before going on to a number of notable acts, including Warhorse (alongside Simper). His temporary replacement was former Tornados and Echoes guitarist Stuart Taylor.
Lead guitarist Dave Tedstone, who had previously been a member of The Doc Thomas Group, remembers going to Eel Pie Island to see Freddie Mack’s band and subsequently joined. Tedstone also recalls that Stuart Taylor was on guitar at the time. Thanks to Pete Watt’s excellent research this gig can be confirmed as 4 April 1967.
Selected gigs:
Photo: Aldershot News. Image may be subject to copyright
2 September 1966 – Carousel Club, Farnborough, Hants. Billed as Freddie Mack Sounds and His Show
9 September 1966 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire. Billed as The Mack Sound (ten-piece band)
10 September 1966 – Jigsaw, Manchester
10 September 1966 – The Cavern, Liverpool with Eddie Cave & The Fix, The Kop, The Hideaways, The Seftons and The Rocking Vicars
Photo: Evening Sentinel. Image may be subject to copyright
16 September 1966 – Beachcomber, Nottingham
22 September 1966 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire Billed as The Mack Sound
1 October 1966 – Flamingo Ballroom, Redruth, Cornwall with The Jaguars
13 October 1966 – Burton Manor, Stafford, Staffordshire
15 October 1966 – Carlisle Market Assembly Hall, Carlisle, Cumbria with The Chuckles
15 October 1966 – Drill Hall, Dumfries, Scotland with The Misfits
Photo: Birmingham Evening Mail. Image may be subject to copyright
19 October 1966 – Elbow Room, Aston, West Midlands. Billed as The Mac Sound
Photo: Birmingham Evening Mail. Image may be subject to copyright
20 October 1966 – Black Horse, Northfield, West Midlands with The Visuals Billed as Mack Sound (11-piece)
Photo: Birmingham Evening Mail. Image may be subject to copyright
21 October 1966 – The Royal Oak, Hockley Heath, West Midlands Billed as Mack Sound (11-piece)
Photo: Birmingham Evening Mail. Image may be subject to copyright
22 October 1966 – Bromsgrove Baths, Bromsgrove, West Midlands with The Exchequers
Photo: City Week. Image may be subject to copyright
28 October 1966 – Cavalier Club, Belfast, Northern Ireland with Tony G Ford & The Crescendos. Billed as Derrie Wilkie & The Mack Sound. Note: The band played in Dublin just before this
29 October 1966 – Cavalier Club, Belfast, Northern Ireland with The King Bees. Billed as Derrie Wilkie & The Mack Sound
City Week, 27 October 1966. Image may be subject to copyright
5 November 1966 – Jigsaw, Manchester with Alan Bown Set
8 November 1966 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire Billed as Mack Sound (ten-piece with Derrie Wilkie)
Image may be subject to copyright
26 November 1966 – Toft’s, Folkestone, Kent
27 November 1966 – Toft’s, Folkestone, Kent
4 December 1966 – Douglas House, Lancaster Gate, Central London (listed as 13-piece band) with Herbie Goins & The Nighttimers
5 December 1966 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London
10 December 1966 – King’s Hall, Stoke-on-Trent with In-Betweens and Lonnie’s Few
11 December 1966 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire (Staffordshire Weekly Sentinel article, dated 16 December, page 13, lists 16 band members)
11 December 1966 – Esquire Club, Sheffield with The Orginators Creed, The Hobo Flats and The Chicago Line
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
16 December 1966 – Tofts, Folkestone, Kent
17 December 1966 – Hotel Leofric, Coventry
21 December 1966-12 February 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London:
Image may be subject to copyright
21 December 1966 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Who
22 December 1966 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Easybeats
23 December 1966 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch
24 December 1966 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Eric Burdon & The Animals
26 December 1966 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Jimi Hendrix Experience (day)
26 December 1966 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Pretty Things (evening)
27-29 December 1966 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London
30 December 1966 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Spencer Davis Group
31 December 1966 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (This may not have happened if gig below took place)
Photo: Dumfries and Galloway Standard. Image may be subject to copyright
31 December 1966 – Assembly Rooms, Dumfries, Scotland
1 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with The Move (This may not have happened if above gig took place)
Photo: Wigtownshire Free Press & Galloway Advertiser. Image may be subject to copyright
2 January 1967 – Newton Stewart, Galloway, Scotland Second Scottish gig suggests not all Upper Cut shows in January happened
2-5 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London (This may not have happened due to Scottish tour)
6 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with The Small Faces
7 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with The Bitter End Singers
8 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with The Mindbenders (Nick Simper’s website says Pink Floyd replaced The Mindbenders. Simper attended and saw Syd Barrett’s group perform. He filled in for Alan Cartwright for a week at this venue, possibly the following week)
9-12 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London (possibly with Nick Simper
13 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Four Pennies (possibly with Nick Simper)
14 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Terry Lightfoot’s Jazzmen (possibly with Nick Simper)
15-19 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London
20 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Sounds Incorporated
21 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with The Fourmost
22-26 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London
27 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds
28 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Jimi Hendrix Experience
29-31 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London
Possible that Art Regis took over from Billy Davidson around about now. Not long after Roger Truth dropped out to reform The New Pirates with Nick Simper. B J Wilson returned to the drum kit.
1-2 February 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London
3 February 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Winston’s Fumbs (now listed as 15-piece band)
4 February 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers, The Satin Dolls and The Avalons
7 February 1967 – Concorde, Basset Hotel, Southampton, Hants
5-9 February 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London
10 February 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with The Rockin’ Berries
11 February 1967 – Gaiety Ballroom, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire with The Fireflies
12 February 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London
It’s possible that Roy Davies took over from Art Regis around about now
13 February 1967 – Winter Gardens Ballroom, Penzance, Cornwall with The Jaguars (The Sheffield Star says they also play the Esquire in Sheffield in South Yorkshire on this day which seems more likely with the Cleethorpes gig later this week)
14 February 1967 – Flamingo Ballroom, Redruth, Cornwall with The Dissatisfied (this was probably cancelled in light of the northern gigs)
15 February 1967 – The Village, Cleethorpes
16 February 1967 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire
18 February 1967 – Beachcomber, Nottingham with The Children (10-piece band)
After this gig, Roger Truth returned when B J Wilson left to join Sands
22 February 1967 – The Village, Cleethorpes
23 February 1967 – Black Horse, Northfield, West Midlands
25 February 1967 – Toft’s, Folkestone, Kent
8 March 1967 – Cromwell Club, Chesford Grange, Kenilworth, Warwickshire with Umpteenth Time
9 March 1967 – Concorde, Basset Hotel, Southampton, Hants
10 March 1967 – Beachcomber, Nottingham
13 March 1967 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire (back by demand)
17 March 1967 – Domino Club, Openshaw, Greater Manchester and Princess Theatre, Chorlton, Greater Manchester
Photo: Lincolnshire Standard. Image may be subject to copyright
18 March 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with The Kool Combination, The Bone and The Caribbean Steel Band and Ray Bones
Photo: Leicester Mercury. Image may be subject to copyright
18 March 1967 – Nite Owl, Leicester with The Executives
19 March 1967 – Britannia Rowing Club, Nottingham
23 March 1967 – The Village, Cleethorpes
24-25 March 1967 – Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, Scotland with Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch, Unit 4 Plus 2, Screaming Lord Sutch and The Roman Empire and The New Pirates
27 March 1967 – Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, Scotland with Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch, Unit 4 Plus 2, Screaming Lord Sutch and The Roman Empire and The New Pirates
Ged Peck left around about now and Stuart Taylor took over lead guitar duties for a week. Possible Art Regis may have done the Cornwall gigs below
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
I would personally like to thank the following for helping to piece this story together: Mel Wayne, Phil Wainman, Roger Warwick, Art Regis, Dave Tedstone and Nick Simper.
PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS BELOW TO ADD/CORRECT INFORMATION
Live gig sources:
During my research on Freddie Mack from 1965-1969, I have found gigs from many newspapers. Here are some of the sources:
The Cornish Guardian, Derby Evening Telegraph, Evening Sentinel, Melody Maker, West Briton & Royal Cornwall Gazette, Lincolnshire Standard, Birmingham Evening Mail, NME, Northwich Chronicle, Sheffield Star, Southern Evening Echo, Warrington Guardian, Wrexham Leader, Grimsby Evening Telegraph, Aldershot News, Manchester Evening News & Chronicle, Nottingham Evening Post, Dumfries and Galloway Standard, Stafford Newsletter and Cambridgeshire Times
Pete Frolich – guitar (replaced original guitarist)
Martin Woodward – keyboards
Dave Moses – bass
Chic – drums
This five-piece harmony band was formed at Warlingham School in Surrey during 1968. The group recorded two singles for NEMS, kicking off with “Like the Sun” c/w “Florence”, which was released in September 1968. Both sides were produced by guitarist Pete Gage, who co-wrote “Like the Sun” with the band. “Florence” was written by Mike Hutson with a school friend.
A second single, “Heart and Soul” c/w “Who Wants Happiness” came out on 24 January 1969 by which point the band had split up. Produced again by Pete Gage, “Heart and Soul” was composed by R MacDonald and M Green while Dave Moses penned “Who Wants Happiness”. Pete Gage made the decision that Pete Frolich rather than Mike Hutson should sing on “Heart and Soul”.
Martin Woodward joined The Fantastics’ backing group, The House of Orange and later recorded with Aquila before working with the Tommy Hunt Band. Mike Hutson subsequently took up a post in promotions at United Artists and RCA.
Thank you Martin Woodward for providing information about this band and also to Pete Gage. Garage Hangover would be interested to hear from anyone that can add more information about the group.
Comprised of singers John Cheatdom, Jerome Ramos, Donald Haywoode and Richard Pitts and originally known as The Velours, US soul band, The Fantastics had enjoyed US chart success before being brought to the UK by promoter Roy Tempest in late 1967.
Billed as the “Fabulous Temptations” (even though there was no connection with the more famous Motown act), the group’s debut British tour took place in August/September 1967.
The Sovereigns, circa 1966. Sitting on elephant, left to right: Mich Tomich, Freddie Tillyer, Pip Williams and Keith Franklin. Standing: Roy St John-Foster (pic: Pip Williams)
To support the soul act on the road, Roy Tempest’s agency hired west London band, The Sovereigns, who had been formed in mid-1965 and comprised singer Roy St John-Foster, lead guitarist Pip Williams, bass player Mick Williams, tenor sax player Freddie Tillyer (ex-Eddie King & The Chequers) and drummer Keith Franklin.
When the band turned professional, Pip’s brother Mick dropped out and Mick Tomich took over on bass. In October 1966, the band supported US soul singer Alvin Robinson on some British gigs.
In late 1966, The Sovereigns were signed to King Records and recorded a lone 45 which was issued in January 1967. The release combined Freddie Tillyer and Pip Williams’ “Bring Me Home Love” with a cover of “That’s the Way Love Is”.
Just before the band got picked up by Roy Tempest’s agency, Scotsman Brian Johnston, keyboard player in The Senate came on board.
During April and May, the group backed The Soul Sisters and then Clyde McPhatter before touring with Garnet Mimms.
Pip Williams, circa 1966. Photo: Pip Williams
Selected gigs (see end for other sources not listed here):
31 August 1967 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel) Billed as “The Fabulous Temptations”
1 September 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Hertfordshire Billed as “Fabulous Temptations”
2 September 1967 – Nite Owl, Leicester with Pesky Gee (Leicester Mercury) Billed as “The Fabulous Temptations”
2 September 1967 – Starlight Room, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with The Equals, The Sovereigns and The Rubber Band (Lincolnshire Standard) Billed as “Fabulous Temptations”
3 September 1967 – King Mojo, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Sheffield Star) Billed as “Temptations”
5 September 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker) Billed as “Temptations” (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle has this as Whisky in Manchester which is more plausible)
5 September 1967 – New Century Hall, Manchester with Newton’s Theory (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle) Billed as “The Temptations”
6 September 1967 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel) Billed as “The Temptations”
11 September 1967 – New Century Hall, Manchester with The New Rave (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle) Billed as “The Temptations”
12 September 1967 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post) Billed as “The Temptations”
13 September 1967 – Milton Rooms, Malton, North Yorkshire (Bradford Telegraph & Argus) Billed as “The Temptations”
Photo may be subject to copyright
16 September 1967 – The Place, Wakefield, West Yorkshire (Wakefield Express) Billed as “The Fabulous Temptations”
16 September 1967 – The Hub, Barnsley, West Yorkshire (The Barnsley Chronicle & South Yorkshire News) Billed as “The Fabulous Temptations”
17 September 1967 – Plaza Ballroom, Handsworth, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail) Billed as “The Temptations”
17 September 1967 – Club Cedar, Birmingham with The Ray King Soul Band (Birmingham Evening Mail) Billed as “The Temptations”
18 September 1967 – Ritz Ballroom, King’s Heath, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail) Billed as “The Temptations”
19 September 1967 – Sloopy’s, Manchester with The Measles (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle) Billed as “The Fabulous Temptations”
Motown advert published in Melody Maker. Photo may be subject to copyright
After the first tour with The Fabulous Temptations (aka Fantastics), the band (now called The Clockwork Orange/Oranges) backed US singer Garnet Mimms (sharing dates with The Senate).
On 29 September 1967, The Clockwork Orange also played a solo gig at Princess Ballroom, Halifax, West Yorkshire.
According to Barnsley Chronicle & South Yorkshire News, Garnet Mimms played at the Hub, Barnsley, West Yorkshire on 8 October 1967. Although the support band isn’t listed, it is likely it was The Clockwork Orange/Oranges.
Half way through the Garnett Mimms tour, Mick Tomich departed and Ron Thomas was brought in from Hamilton & Hamilton The Movement. Tomich went on to play with Pickettywitch among others.
Photo may be subject to copyright
They also did some gigs backing The Soul Sisters, including a show at the Boston Gliderdrome on 14 October.
Soon after, the group started to use the name The House of Orange (although they were also still billed as The Clockwork Orange/Oranges occasionally).
On 22 October 1967, The House of Orange played two shows backing The Soul Sisters. These took place at the Hub, Barnsley, West Yorkshire with The Pitiful Souls and The Place, Wakefield, Barnsley, West Yorkshire with Randy Dandy Band.
Selected gigs (see end for other sources not listed here):
In November, The Fabulous Temptations (aka The Fantastics) returned for a second British tour.
11 November 1967 – New Century Hall, Manchester with New Rave (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle) Billed as “The Temptations”
12 November 1967 – Domino Club, Openshaw, Greater Manchester and Princess Club, Chorlton, Greater Manchester (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle) Billed as “The Temptations” (backing band billed as The Senate) The Senate also backed Garnet Mimms
13 November 1967 – Bluesville ’67 Club, St Mathew’s Baths Hall, Ipswich, Suffolk with The Clockwork Orange (Ipswich Evening Star) Billed as The Fabulous Temptations
14 November 1967 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, northwest London (Harrow Weekly Post) Billed as “The Temptations”
14 November 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker) Billed as “Fabulous Temptations”
Photo may be subject to copyright
15 November 1967 – Savoy Ballroom, Southsea, Hampshire with Clockwork Orange and Nepenthe with The Trend (Portsmouth News)
17 November 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire Billed as “Fabulous Temptations”
18 November 1967 – Plaza Ballroom, Old Hill, Bearwood, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail) Billed as “The Temptations”
Photo may be subject to copyright
18 November 1967 – Plaza Ballroom, Handsworth, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail) Billed as “The Temptations”
Photo may be subject to copyright
19 November 1967 – The Hub, Barnsley, West Yorkshire with The Clockwork Orange and Nepenthe with her Soul Men backing group (most likely The Trend) (Barnsley Chronicle & South Yorkshire News) Billed as “The Fabulous Temptations”
25 November 1967 – Gaiety Ballroom, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire with The Gates of Eden (Cambridgeshire Times)
26 November 1967 – Purple Onion Club, Cleethorpes with The Roll Movement and The Clockwork Orange (Grimsby Evening Telegraph) Billed as “The Temptations”
27 November 1967 – King Mojo, City Hall Ballroom, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (The Sheffield Star)
30 November 1967 – Winter Gardens, Malvern, Worcestershire with The Clockwork Orange Billed as “Fabulous Temptations”
1 December 1967 – Palais Ballroom, Worksop, Worksop, Nottinghamshire with The Priscilla Juke Box with The Clockwork Orange (Doncaster Evening Post) Billed as “The Temptations”
2 December 1967 – New Century Hall, Manchester with other acts (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle) Billed as “The Fabulous Temptations”
2 December 1967 – Sloopy’s, Manchester with The Clockwork Orange (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle) Billed as “The Fabulous Temptations”
3 December 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with The Army Billed as “Temptations”
5 December 1967 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London (Melody Maker) Billed as “Fabulous Temptations”
9 December 1967 – Flower Pot Club, Digbeth, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail) Billed as “The Temptations”
9 December 1967 – Plaza Ballroom, Old Hill, Bearwood, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail) (tour ends today?)
Photo may be subject to copyright
13 December 1967 – Steering Wheel, Weymouth, Dorset (House of Orange only gig)
During January 1968, The House of Orange gigged in its own right. They also backed Garnet Mimms on some gigs. Like this one:
19 January 1968 – King Mojo, City Hall Ballroom, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Sheffield Star)
In early February, The Fantastics returned for another tour
2 February 1968 – King Mojo, City Hall Ballroom, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Sheffield Star)
3 February 1968 – The Place, Wakefield, West Yorkshire with The House of Orange (Wakefield Express)
3 February 1968 – Plebians, Cheapside, Halifax, West Yorkshire (Huddersfield Daily Examiner) Says formerly known as “The Fabulous Temptations”
Photo may be subject to copyright
9 February 1968 – Clifton Hall, Rotherham, South Yorkshire (Sheffield Star) Says ex-“Fab Temptations”
10 February 1968 – Tinned Chicken, Castleford, West Yorkshire (Sheffield Star)
Photo may be subject to copyright
11 February 1968 – The Hub, Barnsley, South Yorkshire (Sheffield Star)
Photo may be subject to copyright
14 February 1968 – St Valentine’s Dance, Victoria Ballroom, Chesterfield, Derbyshire (Sheffield Star) Says ex-“Fab Temptations”
Photo may be subject to copyright
17 February 1968 – Princes Pavilion, Falmouth, Cornwall with Peace & Quiet (Cornish Guardian)
23 February 1968 – Big C Club, 1 Camp Road, Farnborough, Hampshire (Aldershot News) Billed as The Fantastics
24 February 1968 – Tavistock Town Hall, Tavistock, Devon with Cousin Jacks (Cornish Guardian)
24 February 1968 – Royal Lido, Prestatyn, Clwyd, Wales with The House of Orange and The Missing Links (Rhyl & Prestayn Gazette)
25 February 1968 – Beau Brummel Club, Nantwich, Cheshire (bills backing group, The House of Orange) with The Jaytree Organisation
26 February 1968 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)
Photo may be subject to copyright
2 March 1968 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with Gospel Garden, The Reformation (Lincolnshire Standard) (bills backing group, The House of Orange)
2 March 1968 – Brave New World, Southsea, Hampshire (billed but replaced by Mike Cotton & Lucas)
3 March 1968 – Ram Jam, Brixton, south London (Melody Maker)
9 March 1968 – Brave New World, Southsea, Hants (Portsmouth News)
17 March 1968 – Beau Brummel Club, Nantwich, Cheshire (bills backing group, The House of Orange) with The Jaytree Organisation
Photo may be subject to copyright
18 March 1968 – King Mojo, City Hall, Ballroom, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Sheffield Star) Replaced The Impressions as no connection with Curtis Mayfield
Photo may be subject to copyright
24 March 1968 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)
25 March 1968 – King Mojo, City Hall Ballroom, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Sheffield Star) Not sure if this happened as they stepped in the previous Monday. They may have played both Mondays
27 March 1968 – Bluesville ’68 Club, St Matthew’s Baths, Ipswich, Suffolk (Ipswich Evening Star) Says formerly The Fabulous Temptations
Photo may be subject to copyright
28 March 1968 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)
Photo may be subject to copyright
14 April 1968 – City Hall Ballroom, Barkers Pool, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Sheffield Star)
Photo may be subject to copyright
15 April 1968 – Plebians, Cheapside, Halifax, West Yorkshire with The Clockwork Orange (Halifax Evening Courier and Guardian)
17 April 1968 – King’s Head, Edmonton, north London (Tottenham Weekly Herald/Wood Green & Southgate Weekly Herald)
21 April 1968 – Clifton Hall, Rotherham, South Yorkshire (Sheffield Star)
Photo may be subject to copyright
20 April 1968 – Glastonbury Town Hall, Glastonbury with The House of Orange and Chris Shakespere Globe (Somerset County Gazette/Western Gazette)
26 April 1968 – Clockwork Orange, Chester, Cheshire (bills backing group, The House of Orange)
27 April 1968 – Ram Jam, Brixton, south London with The Duke Reid Sound (Melody Maker)
Photo may be subject to copyright
28 April 1968 – Central R&B Club, Central, Gillingham, Kent (Chatham, Rochester & Gillingham News)
5 May 1968 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)
Photo may be subject to copyright
6 May 1968 – Belfry, Wishaw, West Midlands with Immediate Pleasure (Birmingham Evening Mail)
Photo may be subject to copyright
10 May 1968 – Il Rondo, Leicester with House of Orange (Leicester Mercury)
Photo may be subject to copyright
13 May 1968 – Cromwellian, South Kensington, west London (Melody Maker)
Photo may be subject to copyright
17 May 1968 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)
19 May 1968 – Wake Arms, Epping, Essex (Melody Maker)
19 May 1968 – Central R&B Club, Gillingham, Kent (Chatham, Rochester & Gillingham News)
25 May 1968 – Brave New World, Eastney, Hampshire
Photo may be subject to copyright
2 June 1968 – Clouds, Derby (Derby Evening Telegraph)
3 June 1968 – Queen’s Hall, Leeds with The Herd, Bill Haley & The Comets, Alan Bown, Edwin Starr, Amboy Dukes, Gospel Garden, The Clockwork Orange and others
Photo may be subject to copyright
3 June 1968 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with The Action (Cornish Guardian) (unlikely with gig in Leeds on the same day but was advertised)
9 June 1968 – Starlite Ballroom, Greenford, west London (Melody Maker)
10 June 1968 – Carlton Club, Warrington, Cheshire (Warrington Guardian)
11 June 1968 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London (Melody Maker)
15 June 1968 – Bulmershe College of Education, Woodley, Berkshire
Photo may be subject to copyright
22 June 1968 – Wolverhampton College of Technology, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with The Scarab (backed by The House of Orange)
23 June 1968 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)
31 August 1968 – Tees Pop ’68, Recreation Ground, Eston, Teesside with Traffic, Ben E King, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, Alan Bown, Family, Amboy Dukes, Joe Cocker & The Grease Band, The Tramline, Rivers Invitation and Chelfont Line (Newcastle Evening Chronicle)
Fantastics, Record Retailer, 11 Sep 1968, page 24
1 September 1968 –Queen’s Hall, Leeds with Ben E King, Clyde McPhattter, The Flirtations, (the former The Gypsys, booked as The Fabulous Marvelettes and backed by The Trend), Tim Rose, Timebox and The World of Oz
2 September 1968 – Brave New World, Southsea, Hants (Portsmouth News)
10 September 1968 – Concorde, Southampton, Hampshire (Southern Evening Echo)
22 November 1968 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire
23 November 1968 – Odeon Manchester (or was this Manchester Free Trade Hall?) with Diana Ross & The Supremes and others
24 November 1968 – London Palladium, central London with Diana Ross & The Supremes and others
29 November 1968 – Cue Club, Paddington, central London (Melody Maker)
30 November 1968 – New Century Hall, Manchester (Manchester Evening News)
1 December 1968 – Princes and Domino clubs, Greater Manchester (Manchester Evening News)
3 December 1968 – The Place Club, Henley, Berkshire (could this be the Place, Hanley, Staffordshire?)
6 December 1968 – City Hall, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Sheffield Star)
7 December 1968 – Elms Court Ballroom, Botley, Oxford with Gentle Influence (Oxford Mail)
8 December 1968 – Crystal Palace Hotel, Crystal Palace, southeast London (South East London Mercury)
9 December 1968 – Ramsgate Coronation Ballroom, Ramsgate, Kent
Photo may be subject to copyright
10 December 1968 – Spa Lounge and Ballroom, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (Gloucester Citizen/Stroud News)
12 December 1968 – Worthing Pavilion, Worthing, West Sussex (Worthing Herald)
13 December 1968 – Top Rank, Doncaster, South Yorkshire
15 December 1968 – RAF Mildenhall
16 December 1968 – Tithe Farm, Harlow, Essex
Photo may be subject to copyright
19 December 1968 – South Dorset Technical College, Students’ Association, Weymouth Pavilion, Weymouth, Dorset with Alan Bown (replaced Traffic) and The Package Deal (Dorset Evening Echo) Says backed by The Colourful Orange
20 December 1968 – Tabernacle, Stockport, Greater Manchester
21 December 1968 – Cliffs Pavilion, Southend, Essex
22 December 1968 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, southeast London
23 December 1968 – Golden Torch, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)
Photo may be subject to copyright
24 December 1968 – Soul Club, Plaza Ballroom, Newbury, Berkshire with The House of Orange, The Joyce Bond Show and Barley Mo (Reading Evening Post)
26 December 1968 – Imperial Ballroom, Nelson, Lancashire
27 December 1968 – New Market Discotheque, Bridgwater, Somerset
28 December 1968 – Civic Hall, Nantwich, Cheshire with The Hideaways
29 December 1968 – Mercers Arms, Coventry, West Midlands (Coventry Evening Telegraph)
30 December 1968 – Belfry Hotel, Wishaw, West Midlands
31 December 1968 – Marine Ballroom, Central Pier, Morecambe, Lancashire (Morecambe Visitor)
The Trend. Left to right: John Connolly, Peter Cole, Frankie Morgan and Norman Cummins
At the outset of the 1969 tours, Peter Cole (known as ‘Spam’) the bass player from The Trend, who had recently disbanded, became The Fantastics’ road manager.
5 January 1969 – New Revolution, Baths, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire (Nottingham Evening Post)
5 January 1969 – Clouds, Derby (Derby Evening Telegraph)
17 January 1969 – Birmingham’s first 1969 Extravaganza, Town Hall, Birmingham with Freddie Mack Show, The Locomotive, Ivan Chin Soul Band and Liz Christian
18 January 1969 – Town Hall, Glastonbury, Somerset
19 January 1969 – Surrey Oval Rooms, Kennington, south London
21 January 1969 – King’s Hall, Aberystwyth, Wales
24 January 1969 – White Lion, Edgware, north London
25 January 1969 – Winter Gardens Pavilion, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset
26 January 1969 – Surrey Rooms, Kennington, south London
1 February 1969 – New Astoria Ballroom, Rawtenstall, Lancashire and Bin Lid Club, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
2 February 1969 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire
7 February 1969 – Nottingham Boat Club, Nottingham
14-15 February 1969 – Scene 2 Club, Scarborough
16 February 1969 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, southeast London
22 February 1969 – Cliff’s Pavilion, Southend, Essex
23 February 1969 – Good Companion’s Hotel, Slough, Berkshire
1 March 1969 – Drumbeat Discotheque, Wellington Town House, Shropshire (North Shropshire Journal)
In early March, Roy St John-Foster, Keith Franklin and Brian Johnson all departed. Pip Williams, Freddie Tillyer and Ron Thomas brought in drummer James Smith from The Nashville Teens and organist Martin Woodward from Tapestry.
Selected gigs (see end for other sources not listed here):
19 March 1969 – The Lyceum, the Strand, central London with The Move (debut show with new line up)
Photo may be subject to copyright
23 March 1969 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, southeast London
Martin Woodward and Peter Cole remember playing the following venues but they can’t recall the dates:
Civic Hall, Winsford, Cheshire
400 Ballroom Torquay (at least twice)
Scene 2 Club, Scarborough (two or three times)
The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire
Lyceum, Sheffield
Clouds, Derby
The Plaza Ballroom, Handsworth, Birmingham
The Penthouse, Birmingham
The Starlite Ballroom, (Greenford?) west London
The Skyline, Hull
The U.S.A.F. Base Alconbury near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire
26 April 1969 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Candy Choir (Folkestone & Hythe District Herald)
27 April 1969 – Crystal Palace Hotel, Crystal Palace, south London (South East London Mercury)
30 April 1969 – Blackout, Zurich Airport, Switzerland with Spooky Tooth (Source: Neue Zurcher Nachrichten)
Source: Neue Zurcher Nachrichten Volume 65 Number 96
1 May 1969 – Blackout, Zurich Airport, Switzerland (Source: Neue Zurcher Nachrichten)
3 May 1969 – Drumbeat Discotheque, Wellington Town House, Shropshire (North Shropshire Journal)
18 May 1969 – Surrey Room, Kennington, south London (South East London Mercury)
24 May 1969 – Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone, Kent (Folkestone & Hythe District Herald)
25 May 1969 – Skegness Seaside Soul Festival, Skegness, Lincolnshire with Amen Corner, Inez and Charlie Foxx, Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band and Jimmy James & The Vagabonds
21 June 1969 – Broken Wheel, Retford, Nottinghamshire (Retford Times)
29 June 1969 – Surrey Room, Kennington, south London (South East London Mercury)
Ron Thomas, hotel, Frankfurt, 1969 (Pic: Peter Cole)
According to James Smith, The Fantastics had problems with UK work permits around this time and had to live and work outside of the UK for six months. While playing the US military air bases in and around Frankfurt Germany, Ron Thomas left later to play, most notably, with The Heavy Metal Kids.
Peter Cole, The Fantastics’ road manager (and known as “Spam”), who had started out as bass player with The Trend took over after playing rhythm guitar on the European gigs. The Trend had worked for the Roy Tempest Agency in the mid-1960s backing artists like The Drifters, Garnett Mimms and Ben E King, The Soul Sisters, Clyde McPhatter, The Flirtations (then The Fabulous Marvelettes), The Platters and Buddy Holly’s Crickets among others. When The Trend folded Spam became road manager for The Fantastics.
Jimmy Smith and Ron Thomas (just before Ron left) in Frankfurt, 1969 (Pic: Peter Cole)
July 1969 – US airbases in Germany (Ron Thomas departs in Frankfurt)
Pip Williams, who wasn’t long married and needed to return home, left while the band was in Naples and returned home, subsequently joining Jimmy James & The Vagabonds. Pip Williams later became a top session player, working with producer Phil Wainman among others. Later on, he became a successful producer, and is best known for producing Status Quo and The Moody Blues.
Peter Cole, Jimmy Smith and Martin Woodward in Cannes, France (photo: Peter Cole)
Initially, Peter Cole’s former band mate from The Trend, Norman Cummins took over to play the US air base gigs in Naples and after a subsequent return to Frankfurt stayed to play in a club in Cannes. Cummins then departed and moved to South Africa.
The rest of the band travelled to Majorca where former Tony Knight’s Chessmen and Magicians guitarist Fred D’Albert was flown over to join the remaining backing group. D’Albert had also played with Smith backing a soul act in Essen, West Germany during mid-1968 (possibly Owen Grey).
Selected gigs (see end for other sources not listed here):
July 1969 – NATO airbase in Naples, Italy (Pip Williams left and Norman Cummins joined as lead guitarist).
Norman Cummins in Frankfurt before heading to Cannes (Pic: Peter Cole)
July – Frankfurt and then Cannes, France (Cummins leaves)
August 1969 – Sloopy’s, Palma, Majorca (for one month) (Fred D’Albert joins on guitar)
Fred D’Albert at Sloopy’s, Palma, Majorca (Pic: Peter Cole)
While in Majorca, the musicians met Tina (Christine Sykes) who danced with The House of Orange before The Fantastics came on stage. Tina at a later date joined up with Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers. The musicians returned to the UK afterwards but eventually split up. Fred D’Albert joined Sweetwater Canal in late 1969.
18 January 1970 – Broken Wheel, Retford, Nottinghamshire with J J Jackson & The Greatest Little Band In The Land and The United Nations (Retford Times)
Photo may be subject to copyright
9 March 1970 – Orchid Ballroom, Purley, Surrey with Booker T & The MGs, Johnnie Walker, The Globe Show and Blue Mink
13 March 1970 – Castle Soul Club, Tooting Broadway, southwest London
22 March 1970 – Broken Wheel, Retford, Nottinghamshire with James & Bobby Purify, Edison’s Phonograph, The Globe Show and Midnight Express (Retford Times)
Photo may be subject to copyright
24 March 1970 – Rebecca’s, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail)
Martin Woodward in Rome
When the band folded in March 1970, Martin Woodward and James Smith formed Aquila who recorded a lone album. They then teamed up again in The Tommy Hunt Band. According to Woodward, The Fantastics tried to hire The Tommy Hunt Band but couldn’t afford them.
Aquila (L-R: Phil Childs, Ralph Denyer, George Lee, Martin Woodward, James Smith)
Peter Cole meanwhile replaced Philip Chen on bass in The Joyce Bond Review, who recorded an album, Winds of Change, as Joyce Bond and The Colour Supplement. Bond enjoyed number one hits in the West Indies on Island Records with “Do The Teasy” and a cover of The Beatles’ “Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da”.
One early morning Tina met Pete Cole in the M1 services The Blue Boar after a gig with Herbie Goins. He invited Tina to join the Colour Supplement who undertook a tour in the West Indies. British Guiana, Surinam and Barbados.
The west London group, Orange Rainbow became The Fantastics backing group during 1971-1972 (see their entry).
Gig sources include:
Fabulous 208 Magazine, Lincolnshire Standard, Melody Maker, Crawley Advertiser, West Briton & Royal Cornwall Gazette, Birmingham Evening Mail, Northwich Chronicle, Sheffield Star, Warrington Guardian, Express & Star, Yorkshire Evening Post, Reading Evening Post
A huge thanks to Pip Williams, Martin Woodward, Ron Thomas, James Smith and Peter Cole for their help piecing the band history together. Thank you to Pip Williams for the Sovereigns photos and Peter Cole for the band images.
Formed in early 1967, the original line up played regularly at the Railway Hotel, Greenford on Sunday mornings. Tony Bramwell had previously played with The Fantoms.
The Hum Drum Band also performed regularly at the White Bear in Hounslow where they often ran into Dave Cousins who played there before The Strawbs became famous.
When John Iggleden left (possibly to join The Downliners Sect), the group subsequently brought in a sax player called Brian (Marshall?).
The Hum Drum Band broke up in 1969 and Steve Dunkley went on to play with several local bands before drumming on cruise ships. He later ran his own roofing firm.
Jon Guyett, who was an industrial chemist, went on to run his own business. Tony Bramwell, who subsequently married Jan Ball, qualified as chartered quantity surveyor.
Norman Rowe became a well-respected draughtsman in an architect’s practice.
Garage Hangover would be interested to hear from anyone who can provide more information on this group.
Thanks to Tony Bramwell for the information and photos.
This site is a work in progress on 1960s garage rock bands. All entries can be updated, corrected and expanded. If you have information on a band featured here, please let me know and I will update the site and credit you accordingly.
I am dedicated to making this site a center for research about '60s music scenes. Please consider donating archival materials such as photos, records, news clippings, scrapbooks or other material from the '60s. Please contact me at rchrisbishop@gmail.com if you can loan or donate original materials
