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.
The Sugar Band was formed in late 1966 out of the ashes of West London R&B/soul outfit, Colin Shane & The Shannons. Coxon had joined the outfit that summer after working with Hampton, Middlesex group, The Others.
Around September 1967, the group’s agent linked the band with Jamaican singer Delroy Williams and they worked initially as Delroy Williams & The Sugar Band before becoming The Delroy Williams Show. Go go dancers Una and Paula joined them on stage.
During late 1968, Dave Mumford and Dick Merrit departed and were replaced by new members.
However, a combination of poor management and artistic differences led to a split in early 1969 when Coxon left to join The Kool. He subsequently reunited with Dave Mumford in Calum Bryce alongside sax player Mel Wayne, who had been Colin Shane & The Shannons from 1962-1965.
Mumford had recorded the track ‘Love Maker’ under the name Calum Bryce and needed a group to tour to promote the single. The band recorded a second single, “In My Valley”, which was never released.
Notable gigs:
30 September 1967 – Hertford Corn Exchange, Hertford, Hertfordshire with Coloured Chicks (and 10-piece Sugar Band) (Welwyn Times) Billed as The Delroy Williams Show
8 October 1967 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)
14 October 1967 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks with Granny’s Show (Bucks Free Press) Billed as The Delroy Williams Show
20 October 1967 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)
25 November 1967 – Victoria Hotel, Forres, Scotland (Forres, Elgin & Nairn Gazette)
Photo may be subject to copyright
1 December 1967 – Ballerina, Nairn, Scotland with Keith Taylor (Forres, Elgin & Nairn Gazette)
25 December 1967 – Pink Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)
30 December 1967 – Garrison Theatre, Graven Hill, Bicester, Oxfordshire with The Amorous Prawns (Bicester Advertiser)
Photo may be subject to copyright
13 January 1968 – Gloucester Dance YMCA, Gloucester with The Intrepids (Gloucester Citizen)
19 January 1968 – Ritz, Bournemouth, Dorset (Bournemouth Evening Echo) Billed as The Delroy Williams Show
Photo may be subject to copyright
24 January 1968 – St Matthew’s Baths Hall, Ipswich, Suffolk with The Herd, James Brown, The Healers and The Stax (Ipswich Evening Star)
27 January 1968 – Sheridan Rooms, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire (Huddersfield Daily Examiner)
29 January 1968 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday/Herts & Essex Observer)
2 February 1968 – Tiger’s Head, Downham, southeast London (South East London Mercury)
4 February 1968 – Sunday Club, Addlestone, Surrey (Woking Herald)
10 February 1968 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with Spirit of John Morgan (West Briton & The Royal Cornwall Gazette) Billed as The Delroy Williams Show
The following gigs are from Melody Maker:
1 March 1968 – Gig in Galashiels, Scotland
2 March 1968 – Gig in Glasgow, Scotland
3 March 1968 – Gig in Edinburgh, Scotland
4 March 1968 – Gig in Aberdeen, Scotland
5 March 1968 – Gig in Elgin, Scotland (probably Red Two Shoes)
6 March 1968 – Gig in Stonehaven, Scotland
7 March 1968 – Gig in Dundee, Scotland
8 March 1968 – Gig in Forfar, Scotland
9 March 1968 – Victoria Ballroom, Forres, Scotland (Forres Elgin & Nairn Gazette)
9 March 1968 – Gig in Edinburgh, Scotland
10 March 1968 – Gig in Glasgow, Scotland
11-16 March 1968 – Playboy Club, Park Lane, central London
17 March 1968 – Gig in Leytonstone, Essex
18-23 March 1968 – Playboy Club, Park Lane, central London
24 March 1968 – 76 Club, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire (Burton Daily Mail)
25 March 1968 – Recording
26 March 1968 – Bournemouth, Dorset (probably the Ritz)
27 March 1968 – Catford, southeast London
28 March 1968 – Ealing, west London
29 March 1968 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, London
30 March 1968 – Gloucester, Gloucestershire
31 March 1968 – Gillingham, Kent
1 April 1968 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with the D C Dancers (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday/Herts & Essex Observer)
11 April 1968 – Colchester, Essex (Melody Maker)
12 April 1968 – Eastbourne, East Sussex (Melody Maker)
Photo may be subject to copyright
13 April 1968 – Princes Theatre & Ballroom, Yeovil, Somerset with The Generation (Western Gazette)
14 April 1968 – Stockport, Greater Manchester (Melody Maker)
15 April 1968 – Leeds, West Yorkshire (Melody Maker)
16 April 1968 – Hanley, Staffordshire (Melody Maker)
17 April 1968 – Revolution, Mayfair, central London (Melody Maker)
18 April 1968 – Abingdon, Oxfordshire (Melody Maker)
19 April 1968 – Perton (Melody Maker)
20 April 1968 – Raven Club, RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire with Pink Floyd (Lincolnshire Echo)
21 April 1968 – Silver Ends (Melody Maker)
22-23 April 1968 – London (Melody Maker)
26 April 1968 – Steering Wheel, Weymouth Pavilion, Weymouth, Dorset with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, The New Trend and The Continuity Big D Show (Dorset Evening Echo/Western Gazette) Billed as Delroy Williams and The Sugar Band
Photo may be subject to copyright
27 April 1968 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)
29 April 1968 – London (Melody Maker)
4 May 1968 – Hastings Pier, Hastings, East Sussex with Unabridged Telephone Directory (Roger Bistow’s research at Dizzy Tiger Music website)
11 May 1968 – Sheridan Rooms, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire (Huddersfield Daily Examiner)
1 June 1968 – Savoy, Catford, southeast London (Melody Maker)
4 June 1968 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)
7 June 1968 – Shepperton Youth Club, Village Hall, Shepperton, Middlesex (Staines & District Chronicle)
8 June 1968 – Town Hall, Clacton, Essex (Essex County Standard)
15 June 1968 – Marine Ballroom, Central Pier, Morecambe, Lancashire (Morecambe Visitor)
22 June 1968 – Savoy, Catford, southeast London (Melody Maker)
6 July 1968 – Roaring 20’s Club, Carnaby Street, central London (Melody Maker)
21 July 1968 – Top Ten Club, Manchester (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle)
26 July 1968 – New Pink Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)
27 July 1968 – Roaring 20’s Club, Carnaby Street, central London (Melody Maker)
Photo may be subject to copyright
2 August 1968 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)
6 August 1968 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)
10 August 1968 – Princes Theatre & Ballroom, Yeovil, Somerset with Tomorrow’s Children (Western Gazette)
11 August 1968 – Pied Bull, Islington, north London (Melody Maker)
12 August 1968 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Cortinas (East Kent Times & Mail)
16 August 1968 – Ballerina Ballroom, Nairn, Scotland with The New Jacobeats (Forres Elgin & Nairn Gazette)
29 August 1968 – Cue Club, Paddington, west London (Melody Maker)
Photo may be subject to copyright
31 August 1968 – Blue Pacific, Bristol Hotel, Gloucester (Gloucester Citizen)
2 September 1968 – Weymouth Pavilion Theatre, Weymouth, Dorset with Unruly Members (Dorset Evening Echo)
12 September 1968 – New Pink Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)
Photo may be subject to copyright
14 September 1968 – Alex Disco Club, Salisbury, Wiltshire (Western Gazette)
19 September 1968 – New Pink Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)
26 September 1968 – New Pink Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)
11 October 1968 – Clapham Manor Baths, Manor Street, London with Sounds Like Six (Melody Maker)
2 November 1968 – Savoy, Catford, Southeast London (Melody Maker)
8 November 1968 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)
Photo may be subject to copyright
23 November 1968 – Chard Guildhall, Chard, Somerset with The Storm (Western Gazette)
Photo may be subject to copyright
21 December 1968 – Bedford Corn Exchange, Bedford with Rudi’s Rock and Steve Young Sounds (Bedfordshire Times)
22 December 1968 – Central R&B Club, Central Hotel, Gillingham, Kent with The Amboy Dukes (Chatham, Rochester & Gillingham Evening Post)
Many thanks to Geoff Coxon for background information on the Sugar Band.
Garage Hangover would love to hear from anyone who can provide more information on the band and its members.
Johnny Eaton – lead vocals Dave Thompson – lead guitar Louis McKelvey – rhythm guitar Dave Wigginton – bass Alan Worrell – drums
Johnny & The Pursuers was a short-lived R&B outfit from Twickenham, Middlesex, formed around 1961. Drummer Alan Worrell had gone to Spring Grove Grammar School in Isleworth and was classmates with future Small Faces keyboard player Ian McLagan. They had previously worked together in a skiffle group with Terry Munro.
According to Worrell, Ian McLagan designed and produced the group’s business cards in black and silver (see bottom).
On 28 April 1962, the band took part in the Twickenham Rhythm contest alongside local rivals Colin Shane & The Shannons and The Bullets. They also played at Wimbledon Theatre for a week in the Tommy Trinder variety show.
In early 1963, Dave Wigginton and Louis McKelvey departed to join Jeff Curtis & The Flames while Worrell went on to play with Colin Shane & The Shannons.
Garage Hangover would be interested to hear more about this band and what happened to its members.
Thanks to Alan Worrell for the information and images.
E Biggs – vocals P Ravenill – lead guitar B Brown – rhythm guitar J Bennett – bass Keith McGregor – drums
The Bullets were a little known West London R&B band who participated in the 1962 Borough of Twickenham Rhythm contest on 28 April 1962 alongside Johnny & The Pursuers and Colin Shane & The Shannons.
Keith McGregor later played with Nightshift who had featured Jeff Beck on guitar before he had joined.
Garage Hangover would be interested to hear more about this band and what happened to its members.
Here’s a great single by the Skeptics, whom I’ve read were from Dayton, Ohio. The urgency and scuzzy burning distortion on the guitar on “Wondering” scream out 1968 to me, a date confirmed by the QCA # 80330, specifically March 1968. The flip is a slow recitative called “I’m Lonely Again” that I find less essential.
This band of Skeptics is not related to the Oklahoma group who cut “Apple Candy”, “Stripes”, and “Turn It On” among other classics.
There’s very little info on the label, even the publishing is limited to simply BMI. No trace seems to exist in BMI’s databases, but I found a Library of Congress copyright record listing Michael Downing (Michael Joseph Downing) and John Hoskins as co-composers of both songs, plus Donald Ray Parrett on “Wondering”, published by Lamar Music in May of 1968. Presumably Downing, Hoskins and Don Parrett were members of the band.
Spring Records was part of O’Brien’s Recording Service in Springfield, Ohio, 24 miles north east of Dayton. There were at least a few releases on the Spring label, but this may be the only one in a rock style. The 45s were pressed at Queen City Albums in Cincinnati.
O’Brien’s Recording Service did register copyrights for a few of song-poem composer Irene Dollar Heffner’s songs, including one, “Vietnam Sweetheart” that was sung by Rodd Keith (under the alias of John Dough). The flip of that was arranged by Jeanne O’Brien.
The New Generations came from St Marys, a rural town in NW Pennsylvania. They had one single on the amazingly-named Bomb Records, “It’s Alright” written by Victor St. John b/w “I Told You Once” by Blake Haberberger. Both songs were produced by Larry Fairchild and published by Magnetic Reproductions, BMI
I’m partial to the b-side, “I Told You Once” which has a perfectly moody, low-key atmosphere.
The RCA custom pressing code SK4M 3110/1 indicates the second half of 1965, the labels also have other codes: 885-2, YZ 2154/5 whose meaning I don’t know.
I’ve read two members were with the St. Marys band the Cyclones, who had their own excellent single, “She’s No Good” / “Time for Me to Leave” both written by Hampton for Lee Music BMI in December 1965.
If anyone knows the names of other members of either band, or has a photo of either group, please contact me.
Denny Murphy – lead vocals Terry Murphy – lead guitar, lead vocals Kenneth Sigler – bass John Sebring – rhythm guitar Ronnie Cooper – drums
The great majority of the information in this post is from Andrew Brown’s Brown Paper Sack.
Terry Murphy started playing with school friends when he was in 7th grade in 1964 in Tyler, Texas. The group was dubbed Murphy and the Mob by an adult as a joke but it stuck. A year later Terry found a more serious group of musicians, kept the band name and started practicing regularly in the Murphy family living room.
The group played live at a local teen club called The Plum, at the Bergfeld Park ampitheatre, at the YMCA and at their Catholic high school. At the Bergfeld Park battle of the bands produced by Rodney Kamel, Murphy & the Mob would compete with The Marauders (from Troup, TX), the Hobos from Jacksonville, and the Indifferents from Tyler, featuing Terry’s friend Sam Blanchard. (The Indifferents had a 45 on Valor, “Cindy” / “She’ll Be Back”).
In October 1966, the band went to Steve Wright Studios in Tyler to cut their only single, hoping for some success with “Because You Love Me” an original by Terry and featuring his lead vocal. Funds for the recording came from the father of Terry’s girlfriend, Diane Whitten. For a B-side, the band tried “Born Loser”, a song co-written by Terry, Denny and the group’s manager, Steve Brewerton, who was attending Tyler Junior College that year.
Dennis and Terry Murphy and Steve Brewerton (and their moms!) signed publishing contracts with Steve Wright’s Thunderball Music Co. for “Born Loser” in October 1966. Interestingly the three also signed a contract on July 14, 1966 for an unrecorded song called “Don’t Let It Blow Your Mind”.
The band pressed 500 copies to be sold at Anton’s Records in the Weingarten Shopping Center, and reached #11 on KDOK’s charts in November 1966. The band continued until the summer of 1967. Terry Murphy stayed in music while Denny Murphy and Ronnie Cooper left music. Sadly, Kenneth Sigler and John Sebring passed away many years ago.
Stephen Brewerton, in the 1966 Tyler Junior College yearbook
I was a nerd going to junior college trying to avoid the draft. I began making fur vest out of old fur coats discarded behind a local high end department store. I began selling these fur vests to rock bands. Some were sold to bands that recorded at Robinhood Bryan’s recording studio and Steve Wright’s recording studio. I met Terry and Dennis Murphy and somehow became their manager. I wrote the lyrics to “Born Loser.” I managed them for two months. After I quit managing them, Terry and Dennis put music to my lyrics and recorded the songs at Steve Wright’s recording studio. The “A” side made it to the top 10 on KDOK radio station, the local rock station. “Born Loser” made it into the top 40 on KZEY, the local R & B station. After that I joined the Navy and went to war and became an alcoholic. I am a hell of a lot more proud of my small volume of poetry, “Ramblings Of An Alcoholic Mind” than I am the lyrics of “Born Loser.”
Stephen added to Oktay Gürbüz:
I have lost touch with all persons involved in [the] Mob and don’t know where to find them. As I stated before, I am not interested in an MOB projects. I cant remember even one word of “Born Loser”. Terry and Dennis probably consider this infatuation with Murphy and the Mob as I do as a mere childhood juvenile frivolity.
Thank you to Andrew Brown, Morgan Young, Terry Murphy and Stephen Brewerton, and to Oktay Gürbüz who prodded me to do this article for a long time!
I am a loner baby, I swing alone I’ve got my own pad and an unlisted phone A steady job, that’s all I need One pocket to fill, baby, just one mouth to feed
I got no pals, but look who’s got the gals They come to my pad because they want me so bad I sleep all day and I swing all night I’m so cool, baby, I’m just out of sight
(spoken) All these people. I mean, people they just don’t understand. They see me coming, they shake their head and say, “Look at him. He’s the born loser. Well, look at him. Born loser.” All right.
– Born Loser by Murphy, Murphy and Brewerton
Murphy and the Mob and Thunderball Music contract for “Born Loser”, courtesy of Stephen Brewerton
Murphy and the Mob and Thunderball Music contract for “Don’t Let It Blow Your Mind”, courtesy of Stephen Brewerton
Stark Records in Mount Airy, North Carolina is famous for the single by the Nomads, “Not For Me” / “How Many Times” as well as a good rockabilly 45 by David Southerland and the Southerns. I don’t have the Nomads, but I’ve picked up this oddity, a soulful and very crude single by the Happy Hoss, which seems to be a pseudonym for song writer Alan Westmoreland.
The top side is “Call Me Baby”, the vocalist shouting out the repetitive lyrics in a hoarse voice (ha ha) answered by high-pitched backing vocals. The flip “You’re The One (I Love)” is a ballad with saxophone.
Years later I found a copy that had white labels pasted over what appear to be maroon Stark labels. Most of the info was identical, except a 1972 date and “Prod. by Paul E. Johnson” have been added, and the release number changed to PBR-100. Whatever the second label name was, it has been pasted over again, so it reads “HELLO RECORDS”! This may be a second pressing, as the shape of the vinyl under the labels is different.
White labels are pasted over what look to be maroon Stark labels, then “HELLO” pasted over the label name!Mount Airy is a small town very close to the Virginia border, 37 miles northwest of Winston-Salem. Stark Records had at least fourteen singles and a couple albums. The label seems to have been run by Thomas Paul Stark, as every release has Tom Paul Music Co. BMI in the publishing.
The Nomads single is their first, and they recalled the studio being in a basement when they cut their 45 and demos. Their next 45 “Thoughts of a Madman” / “From Zero Down” was released on the Tornado Records label (Tornado 159 in April of 1967), which also featured a release by Joe Stone and Bobby Atkins (Tornado T-136, “Mister Bluegrass”) who have a 45 on Stark. Tornado Records was similarly dominated by country releases.
Stark Records Discography(any help with this would be appreciated):
Stark S-001 – Cara Stewart with Lee Hudson Orchestra – “My Darling” / “Be Sure That You Mean It” (both by Jerry Thomas, W-300/W-301) Stark SR-002 – Joe Stone and Bobby Atkins & the Dixie Mountaineers – “Love Is A Lot To Understand” / “Bob’s Special” Stark SR-003 – Bobby Atkins & the Farm Hands – “Lonesome Banjo” / “My Darling And Me” Stark SR-004 – The Country Cousins – “Wrong Side Of Town” / “Bought Me A Farm” Stark SR-005 – David Sutherland and the Southerns – “You Better Leave My Baby Alone” (Sutherland) / “Whispering Bill” (“A Product of Pilot Record Co.”) Stark SR-006 – Randy Scott – “If Seeing Is Believing” (David Sutherland) / “You’ve Lost Too Much” Stark SR-006 EP – Siney Ann Wooten – “Darling You Don’t Love Me Anymore” (Paul Johnson, Johnny Long) / “Crazy Mixed Up Town” (David Sutherland) I believe the A-side of the EP repeats the two songs from the Randy Scott SR-006 single, but I need confirmation of that. Stark SR-007 – Randy Scott – “So Welcome to the Club” / “Back Up Troubles” Stark SR-008 – Bob Hastings – “Crazy Mixed Up Town” (David Sutherland) / “Two Kings and One Kingdom” (Johnny Long) Stark SR-009 – The Nomads – “How Many Times” / “Not For Me” (Bruce Evans, Larry Deatherage, Tom Paul Music Co. BMI, July 1966) Stark SR-0010 – Intellectuals Combo – “Our True Love” / “That Ain’t Nice” (instrumental, written by Mike Dee Love) Stark SR-0011 – Siney Ann – “I’m So Lonesome (I Could Cry)” / “I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still In Love With You)” Stark SR-0012 – Jimmy and Wesley and the Twin County Pardners – “Make Me A Pallet On The Floor” / “The World Is Still Waiting For The Sunrise” (Jimmy Arnold and Wesley Golden) Stark SR-0013 – Hank Riley – “Record Of Heartbreak” / “Consolated Egotated Love” Stark SR-0014 – Deep Valley Boys – “Please Don’t Honey, Please” / “Some Dark Hollow” Stark SR-0015 – The Happy Hoss – “Call Me Baby” / “You’re The One (I Love)” both by Alan Westmoreland, Tompaul Music Co. Stark SR-0016 – Four Souls – “Freedom Bound” / “Louise” (both by Paul Cain, Dennis Inman) Stark SR-0017 – Tony Zito – “Hide Away Moments in Prayer” / ? Stark SR-0018 – Bobby Atkins – “Memories Of President John F. Kennedy” (Paul Johnson) / “Love Valley” (1968, recorded by Lookabill’s Studio, Greensboro) Stark SR-0019 – Don Sawyers and the Grangers – “My Favorite Way to Cry” (Larry D. Alderman – Don Sawyers, vocal by Larry D. Alderman and Don Sawyers) / “Imagination Trapped Within My Mind” (Don Sawyers, vocal by Don Sawyers) 1970 Stark SR-0020 – Carl P. Tolbert – “Liquor By the Drink” / “Changing of the Time” (1974) Stark 100 – Pete Holden & the Baux Mountain Boys – “Truck Driver’s Vow” / “Legend Of Charlie Monroe”
LPs:
Stark SR-200-1 – Easter Brothers & the Green Valley Quartet – Bluegrass & Country Hymns (1967) Stark SR-0001 – The Carolina Gospel Singers (1969)
Most of Stark’s output was country music, but as Bob pointed out in a comment below, the first release on Stark seems to be a lush arrangement of song-poems: see The Wonderful and the Obscure for more info. This single has light blue labels and a 1301 Park Drive address.
Other early singles have deep red labels and give the address as 1312 Summit Drive, Mt. Airy, North Carolina. Later ones read 628 South Street, Mount Airy, N.C. Later singles were produced by Paul Johnson.
Max Waller writes: “The Intellectuals had at least one further 45, “I Don’t Want To Cry” (as Mike Watson & the Intellectuals) / Danny Boy (as Glenn Wall & the Intellectuals) on M.K.B. 120 from Jan 1968 (SO 4898)”. MKB Recording was located in Tobaccoville, NC, just northwest of Winston-Salem.
Thank you to Max Waller, Lightnin’ Wells and Franz Kunst for help with this discography.
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
Mike Hutson – lead vocals
