Neil Lillie (Vocals, Bass) line up A-D

Bill Ross (Guitar) line up A-B

Brian Hughes (Bass) line up A-B

Ed Roth (Keyboards) line up A-D

Bob Ablack (Drums) line up A, C-D

Al Morrison (Drums) line up B

Wayne Davis (Bass) line up C

Jimmy Livingston (Vocals) line up C-D

Stan Endersby (Guitar, Vocals) line up C-D

Ed Roth (b. February 16, 1947, Toronto, Canada), Bob Ablack, Bill Ross (b. Bel Air, California, US) and Brian Hughes started out playing rock instrumentals in a suburban Toronto band known as The XLs, which became Gary & The Reflections with the addition of singer Gary Muir in 1964.

In early 1965, singer Bobby Neilson (b. Robert Neilson Lillie, December 27, 1945, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) joined and the group parted with Muir. The new line up changed name to The Ookpiks (after a native-designed stuffed toy owl called Ookpik that was being promoted by the Canadian government). As another group was already using the name, the band briefly worked as The Sikusis, after another stuffed toy, but were unable to get permission from the Canadian government to use the name without compensation and settled on The Just Us.

Amid all of this confusion, the group recorded a lone single on Quality, which was issued under the names The Ookpiks, The Just Us and The Sikusis. Soon afterwards, Al Morrison replaced Bob Ablack on drums but the new line up was short-lived. In early 1966, Hughes left to dedicate his full time to school, and Ross and Morrison joined The Bossmen, who subsequently backed singer David-Clayton-Thomas.

Neilson, who now went by the name Neil Lillie, befriended ex-Mynah Birds singer Jimmy Livingston (b. February 28, 1938, Toronto, Canada) in Long and McQuade’s music store where he worked in the backroom as an amp and guitar repairman. At the time, Livingston was singing with a group called The Muddy Yorks but he left when Lillie asked him to join a new line up of The Just Us. To complete the new line up, the band picked up former C. J. Feeney & The Spellbinders members Stan Endersby (b. July 17, 1947, Lachine, Quebec) and Wayne Davis (b. April 28, 1946, Toronto) and convinced Ablack to rejoin.

An album’s worth of material was recorded at Arc Sound during in early 1966, but disappeared with the band’s manager. The Just Us were one of the few bands that could play the clubs on Yonge Street, Toronto high schools and the Yorkville village scene.

In June 1966, Davis left to play with Bobby Kris & The Imperials and Lillie learnt bass in two weeks to fill the spot. Around this time, an American duo with the same name appeared on the charts and the group was forced to adopt a new name, The Group Therapy for one show (opening for The Byrds on June 22). Another local group laid claim to the name, so the band took on a new moniker, The Tripp, in September.

Recordings

45 I Don’t Love You/I Can Tell (Quality 1738) 1965

Advertised gigs

September 6 1965 – Devil’s Den, Toronto
September 10 1965 – Mimacombo’s, Mimacombo, Ontario

November 12 1965 – Club 888, Toronto

December 3 1965 – Gogue Inn, Toronto with Little Caesar & The Consult and Jeff & The Continentals

January 1 1966 – Gogue Inn, Toronto with The Lively Set and Ronnie Lane & The Disciples

February 11 1966 – Gogue Inn, Toronto with Shawne Jackson and The Majestics and The Lively Set
February 12 1966 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
February 25 1966 – Gogue Inn, Toronto with Jack Hardin and The Secrets

March 3 1966 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto

April 8-9 1966 – Avenue Road Club, Toronto
April 22 1966 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
April 30 1966 – The Avenue Road Club (billed as The Just Us Group)

May 21 1966 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto

June 4 1966 – Avenue Road Club, Toronto
June 22 1966 – Varsity Arena, Toronto with The Byrds (as Group Therapy)

July 8 1966 – Boris’, Toronto
July 16 1966 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
July 20 1966 – North York Veterans Hall, Toronto
July 28 1966 – Don Mills Curling Club, Don Mills, Ontario with The Ugly Ducklings, The London Set and The Del Tones

August 6 1966 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
August 19 1966 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
August 20-21 1966 – El Patio, Toronto
August 28 1966 – Broom and Stone, Scarborough, Ontario with Jon and Lee & The Checkmates and The All Five
August 31 1966 – Don Mills Curling Club, Don Mills, Ontario with The Twilights, A Passing Fancy and Little Diane & The Jades

September 3 1966 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
September 10 1966 – El Patio, Toronto (may be last show before becoming The Tripp)

Many thanks to Stan Endersby, Neil Lillie (aka Neil Merryweather), Ed Roth, Bill Munson, Carny Corbett and Craig Webb.

Thank you Stan for the great photos. The live dates are taken from the “After Four” section in the Toronto Telegram. Label scans courtesy of Ivan Amirault and Wyld Canada.

© Nick Warburton

Later lineup, l-r: Stan Endersby, Bob Ablack, Ed Roth, Jimmy Livingston, Neil Lillie and Wayne Davis