Tag Archives: David Foster

Categories: England

The Tin Hat, Kettering: 1967-1969 gigs

February 17, 2021 Nick Warburton 10 Comments

Thanks to Dave Clemo for providing the contents of this entry, including the extensive gig list at the end

This is the story of The Tin Hat, Kettering’s legendary music venue. Between 1967 and 1969 many of the UK’s finest bands performed there.

This account is taken from Back Street Genius by Dave Clemo, with Roger Kinsey and Mavis Tompkins.

The book is the first of two books about legendary recording studio owner/engineer Derek Tompkins.

The roll call of musicians and producers who had their first studio experience at Derek’s Shield and Beck Studios include Queen bass player John Deacon; Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden; and world famous record producers of the calibre of Max Norman, Trevor Horn and David Foster.

Copies of Back Street Genius can be ordered from Waterstones and Rough Trade. It is also available as an eBook.

The Tin Hat was a corrugated iron clad steel framed building that had originally been opened in 1900 as the Athletic Club. It was nestled in the shadow of the town’s football ground. The facilities were almost non-existent and eventually the decision was taken to open a new club along the road.

The new building had a large car park and the rear doors opened onto the stage which made loading in very easy for the groups that performed there. It opened for business in April 1967 and the old hut was consigned to history.

A few weeks later Derek Tompkins’ brother Brian reopened The Tin Hat as a music venue. He removed the old central bar and built a stage at one end. It proved to be very popular from the outset, so much so that both Derek and his wife Mavis came in most Saturday nights to help behind the bar.

The opening night was June 10^th, 1967. The club opened on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with a live band (or two) on a Saturday night and discos on the other nights. This fitted in well with The Works, the other regular music venue in Wellington Street. Their live music nights were on Sunday and Monday nights.

Very few photos of the venue exist. The smell of the interior must have been a heady mixture of tobacco smoke and warm beer, and no doubt the floor would have been pretty sticky by the end of the evening.

The disco nights featured Brian (Tompkins Sound) and Mavis’ brother Alan (Allan D). They used Derek Tompkins’ hand built Shield disco gear and it wasn’t long before they were performing at other well-known venues like the Nag’s Head at Wollaston or the George at Wilby.

Mavis Tompkins wrote: “Brian used to book some of the most famous soul and Motown bands of the time. Most of the Tompkins family got involved, from Brian’s wife (another Mavis), on the door, to his older kids on the cloakroom and glass collecting duties.

Derek and I would help behind the bar with serving drinks and glass washing, which involved dunking empty beer glasses into an ice-cold sink full of murky water as fast as we were able.

Our tasks included sweeping the filthy debris and beer-soaked floors and toilets afterwards. Mavis, Brian’s wife, had to be a pretty tough cookie, dealing with clashes from mods and rockers etc., and was famous for knocking out one belligerent customer who ended up in hospital!”

Derek later wrote: “It was always full to capacity every Saturday night, supposedly with around 200-300 punters, but it was more like 600! Brian booked a host of big stars: including Fleetwood Mac and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.”

Fake bands

In the mid sixties the Roy Tempest Organisation was one of the UK’s biggest music promoters and agents. The Canadians (featuring a very young David Foster on keyboards) signed with them in late 1966 and went to work backing visiting US acts like Chuck Berry.

However, there was another side to the agency. They regularly brought in unknown US acts and passed them off as Motown groups. The groups were tribute acts, sometimes but not always containing an original band member.

Tempest got around the law by subtly changing their names, calling them ‘The Fabulous Temptations’ or the ‘Original Drifters’.

Bill Pinkney was an original member of The Drifters dating back to 1953 and sang bass on many of their hit records. He and the group toured the UK three times in 1966.

Pinkney was back in the UK in 1967, this time accompanied by three singers who had never been Drifters at all. They were the unknown US band The Invitations. This was the line-up that played the Tin Hat on Friday September 29th.

The music press was soon up in arms. A reporter from Disc took it up with Tempest who argued that the promoters knew only too well they are not getting the real group. He claimed it was OK because he knew of five sets of Drifters touring the US at that time.

Tempest supplied several more acts for the Tin Hat in 1967/8, including ‘The Fabulous Temptations’ on September 15^th, 1967 (actually the Fantastics who had recently changed their name from The Velours).

James & Bobby Purify appeared on February 3^rd, 1968. It’s quite possible that the February 17th appearance by Edwin Starr was yet another tribute act. Tempest also had a Mary Wells and a Fontella Bass act. They were the same singer.

My co-author Roger Kinsey remembers going to The Gaiety in Ramsey to see The Isley Brothers in February 1968. Were they the genuine article? Nobody knew what the genuine band looked like, and that was good enough for Tempest.

Motown eventually took legal action against him when they discovered that The Fantastics were being passed off as The Temptations and the resulting court case ended with Tempest’s bankruptcy.

Between 1967 and 1969 the Tin Hat was an important part of Kettering’s entertainment and night life. Every weekend the venue was packed to the rafters with people out to enjoy a good time. The acts that Brian booked covered almost every genre from Blues and Prog to Soul and Pop, and even jazz for a few weeks during the summer of 1967. The club was usually open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with live bands on Saturdays. Some of the descriptions of the groups make interesting reading half a century later.

People travelled to the venue from Rothwell, Desborough and Corby and from Christmas 1967 the club laid on late buses to get everyone home. The management of the club changed hands early in 1969 and an era was at an end. The venue continued for a few more years but mainly concentrated on Soul/Motown.

I looked through every back issue of the Kettering Evening Telegraph between 1962 and 1969 while researching Back Street Genius and photographed every advert for the Tin Hat.

Here is the complete list of shows

1967

Saturday, June 10^th Horatio Soul & the Square Deals Show plus, Yvonne the limbo dancer and the Q Men (opening night)

Sunday, June 11^th (Fontana recording artists) The Night People plus The Trax

Friday, June 16th (from Coventry) Inside Out

Saturday, June 17^th (from the USA) Winston G backed by The Set plus The Ironsides

Sunday, June 18^th(Top surfing performers) Deuce Coupe

Friday, June 23^rdDimples plus Updown Round Sound (from Oxford)

Saturday, June 24^th(Surfing harmony group) The Symbols plus, The Swamp

Sunday, June 25^thGravy Train (from Birmingham) plus Disco

Friday, July 1^stDisco

Saturday, July 2^ndSean Buckley Big Set plus Stumbling and Falling plus Rio Moody Dancers

Sunday, July 3^rd(Radio TV and Recording stars) The Peeps

Friday, July 7^thDisco

Saturday, July 8^th(Coloured Colourful CBS Recorders) The Gass

Sunday, July 9^thDisco

Fri day, July 14^thDisco

Saturday, July 15^thJoyce Bond (Do the Teasy) Band Show

Sunday, July 16^thJazz Disco

Saturday, July 22^nd(From London) Shell Shock Tamla Show

Friday, July 28^thDisco

Saturday, July 29^thWynder K Frog & his Frogmen plus, The Plastic Dreamboat light show

Saturday, August 5^thThe C.A.T. plus U.S.A. Flattop

Saturday, August 12^thThe Syn plus The Friction

Friday, August 18^thAllan D Disco (Alan Dobson is Mavis’ brother)

Saturday, August 19^thP P Arnold with her Nice. A few weeks later they had split from her. Organist Keith Emerson later became a global superstar with Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

Sunday, August 20^thDisco

Friday, August 25^thDisco

Saturday, August 26^thThe Reg James Explosion plus Crash Landing

Sunday, August 27^thDisco

Friday, September 1^stAllan D Disco

Saturday, September 2nd Ebony Keys with the Hip Hooray Band (Cat Stevens’ former backing group), plus The Unit Six

Saturday, September 9^thJohn Mayall’s Blues Breakers with support from Pesky Gee

Friday, September 15^thThe ‘Fabulous’ Temptations (this was The Fantastics) plus The Invaders

Saturday, September 16^thRoot & Jenny Jackson with the Hightimers, plus Purple Barrier

Friday, September Sep 22^ndDeuce Coupe

Saturday, September 23^rdDisco

Friday, September 29^thThe Original Drifters (one of Roy Tempest’s fakes)

Saturday, September 30^thFreddie Mac and the Mac Sound, plus The Survivors

Saturday, October 7^thNite People plus Stumblin ‘n Falling Blues Band

Sunday, October 8^thSpencers Washboard Kings

Saturday, October 14^thDisco

Sunday, October 15^thMax Collie’s Rhythm Aces

Saturday, October 21^stRiot Squad plus the Triads

Sunday, October 22^ndBill Nile’s Delta Jazzband

Friday, October 27^thImage (Kettering’s 1st and Only Light Show Scene)

Saturday, October 28^thThe Gass supported by The Traxx

Friday, November 3^rdDisco

Saturday, November 4^th(From Detroit) Max Baer and the Chicago Setback support by Friction

Friday, November 10^thAllan D Disco

Saturday, November 11^thMike Stuart Span supported by The Dream plus Rio Moody Style Dancers

Sunday, November 12^thAllan D Disco

Friday, November 17^thAllan D Disco

Saturday, November 18^thRob Storme and the Whispers

Saturday, November 25^thFamily with support from You Know Who

Saturday, December 2^ndSugar Simone and the Programme & Mo Brown and Hellions People

Sunday, December 3^rdAllan Dee Disco

Saturday, December 9^thPinkertons Assorted Colours plus The Heretics

Sunday, December 10^thAllan D Disco

Saturday, December 16^thP P Arnold with the TNT, plus The Crew

Sunday, December 17^thAllan D Disco

Saturday, December 23^rdShevelles plus the Kobalts

Sunday, December 24^thLaverne West and the Fabulous Rangers Showband

Tuesday, December 26^thSwinging Q Men & the Spectre Powerhouse

Saturday, December 30^thKing Ozzie, Earl Green, Honey Darling and the Coloured Raisings Show

Sunday, December 31^stSweethearts & the Adlib Group

1968

Saturday, January 6^thPeter Green and Fleetwood Mac plus John James and the Swamp Band (from Northampton)

Saturday, January 13^th Amboy Dukes plus Surrealist Adventure

Saturday, January 20^th Triads plus the Ironsides

Saturday, January 27^th Milton James and the Harlem Knock-out, plus Sweethearts

Saturday, February 3^rd James & Bobby Purify plus Surrealist Adventure plus Rio Moody Dancers (Another Tempest fake?)

Saturday, February 10^th Bobby Johnson and the Atoms plus Vfranie

Saturday, February 17^th Edwin Starr plus Motiv (Another fake?)

Saturday, February 24^th Equals plus Magic Roundabout

Saturday, March 2^nd Guy Hamilton Sound plus Sweet Heart

Saturday, March 9^th Jimmy Cliff with Wynder K Frog, plus The Heretics

Saturday, March 16^th Pesky Gee! plus The Trade

Saturday, March 23^rd Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation

Saturday, March 30^th Chicken Shack with Christine Perfect

Saturday, April 6^th La Pelle Nero plus Howling Robin and his Cool Cats Girls a go go

Sunday, April 7^th The Symbols

Saturday, April 13^th Riot Squad plus Blue Magnum

Saturday, April 20^th Herbie Goins and the Nightimers, plus Howling Robin and his Cool Cats

Saturday, April 27^th Showstoppers plus Rupert’s Rick N Beckers (NO SHOW)

Saturday, May 4^th Nepenthe with backing group, plus The Trax

Saturday, May 11^th Hal C Blake plus Adlib plus Owlin Robin

Saturday, May 18^th Savoy Brown Blues Band plus The Friction

Saturday, May 25^th Skip Bifferty plus disco

Saturday, June 1^st Chantells plus Wild ‘n Silk Band, Sue Spencer, Kirk St James. Stage 2 Simon K and the Meantimes

Saturday, June 8^th Family

Saturday, June 15^th The Taste plus Soul Bucket Show

Saturday, June 22^nd Honeybus plus Art (from Leicester with John Deacon on bass)

Saturday, June 29^th Four Kents plus Submarines

Saturday, July 6^th Freddie Fingers Lee plus Bubblegum

Saturday, July 13^th Simon K & the Meantimers plus Trax

Saturday, July 20^th Dr K’s Big Blues Band, plus Rupert’s Rick ‘n Beckers

Saturday, July 27^th Pesky Gee! plus disco

Saturday, August 3^rd Jethro Tull

Saturday, August 10^th Vanity Fair plus disco

Saturday, August 17^th Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation

Saturday, August 24^th Freddie Mac & Mac Sound

Saturday, August 31^st Lloyd Alexander Real Estate plus Donnell Jackson & Broadway Crowd

Saturday, September 7^th The Taste plus the CAT Roadshow with US Flattop

Saturday, September 14^th Lucas and the Mike Cotton Sound

Saturday, September 21^st Billy Davis plus Bubblegum

Saturday, September 28^th Simon Dupree and the Big Sound, plus The Krisis

Saturday, October 5^th Cuby and The Blizzards (from Holland), plus Simon K and the Meantimers

Saturday, October 12^th Fearns Brass Foundry

Saturday, October 19^th Foundations plus The Market

Saturday, October 26^th Fantastics (USA) plus The Trax (They had previously played the Tin Hat as the Fabulous Temptations)

Saturday, November 2^nd Fleetwood Mac, Duster Bennett, plus Chris Shakespears Globe Show

Saturday, November 9^th Oscar Toney Junior plus Apex Big Roll Band

Saturday, November 16^th Flirtations plus Chris Bartley & group

Saturday, November 23^rd Black Cat Bones plus Bubblegum

Saturday, November 20^th The Taste plus Sonny Burke Show

Saturday, December 7^th JJ Jackson backed by Kippington Lodge

Saturday, December 14^th The CAT Roadshow feat US Flattop

Saturday, December 21^st Wynder K Frog

Tuesday, December 24^th New Formula

Saturday, December 28^th Ferris Wheel? (no separate advert)

Tuesday, December 31^st Bubblegum

1969

Saturday, January 4^th Simon K & The Meantimers

Saturday, January 11^th Radio1’s Mike Raven plus Hal C. Blake

Saturday, January 18^th Ray Williams and his Grenades

Saturday, January 25^th Sasparella

Saturday, February 1^st Plastic Penny

Saturday, February 8^th Paul Williams Set (Formerly the Alan Price Set)

Saturday, February 15^th 20th Century Show

From February 22^nd The adverts suggest that the venue had changed hands. The adverts have KAWMC printed on them. Had the club been taken over by the Kettering Athletic Working Mens Club? Within a few weeks the adverts had moved from the main entertainments page to the ‘Around the clubs’ page.

Saturday, February 22^nd(KAWMC) The Decoys & Disco

Saturday, March 1^st(KAWMC) Simon K & Meantimers

Saturday, March 8^thClosed for redecorating. Re-open April 5th

Saturday, April 5^th Soul Express plus The Ketas

Saturday, April 12^th Noel & The Fireballs plus Shelley Tane

Saturday, April 19^th Ruby James & Sound Trekkers

Saturday, April 26^th Freddie Noaks & The Rudies, plus Herbal Remedy

Wednesday, April 30^th Disco every Wednesday

Saturday, May 3^rd Status Quo

Saturday, May 10^th Killing Floor

Saturday, May 17^th The Ebonies

Friday, May 23^rd Sand

Saturday, May 24^th Jerome Arnold Band

Saturday, May 31^st Scorpions

June Mondays TTT Disco

Friday, June 6^th Disco

Saturday, June 7^th Mandrakes

Saturday, June 14^th Wellington Kitch

Saturday, June 21^st Moth

Friday, June 27^th Theodore Green

Saturday, June 28^th The Variations

July Fridays TTT Disco

Saturday, July 5^th Monday Morning Glory Band

Saturday, July 12^th Simon K & Meantimers

Saturday, July 19^th Ace Kefford Stand (former Move bass player)

Saturday, July 26^th The Axe with Rodger Bloom

Saturday, August 2^ndNo Advert in paper

Saturday, August 9^th Cherry Blossom Clinic

Saturday, August 16^th Sand

Saturday, August 23^rd Ptarmigen

Saturday, August 30^th Killing Floor

Saturday, September 6^thClouds

Saturday, September 13^th Lions of Juda (from Israel)

Saturday, September 20^th Herd (after Peter Frampton had left them)

Saturday, September 27^th Pink Cheeks

Saturday, October 4^th Epics

Saturday, October 11^th Moth

Saturday, October 18^th Max Romeo

Saturday, October 25^th Orange Bicycle

Saturday, November 1^stJ J Jackson

Saturday, November 8^th Solid State Stereo Disco

Saturday, November 15^th Shirelles

Saturday, November 22^nd Freddie Mac

Saturday, November 29^th No advert in paper

Saturday, December 6^th No advert in paper

Saturday, December 13^th Diary

Saturday, December 20^th Disco

Wednesday, December 24^th Moth

Friday, December 26^th Smoke

Wednesday, December 31^st Barabus & Sand

Categories: England

The Loose Ends

August 21, 2020 Nick Warburton 5 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Selected gigs:

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

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

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

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

8 August 1964 – The Northfields, Stamford, Lincolnshire

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

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

3 October 1964 – Corn Exchange, Cambridge with The Paramounts

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

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

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

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

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

24 December 1964 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London

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

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

22 January 1965 – Market Hall, St Albans, Herts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3 April 1965 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London

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

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

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

23 April 1965 – Waterfront, Southampton, Hants

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

25 April 1965 – Face Club, Grantham, Lincolnshire

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Selected gigs:

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

Photo: Bexley Heath & Welling Observer and Kentish Times

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

13 September 1965 – Welcome Inn, Eltham, southeast London

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

15 September 1965 – Cromwellian, south Kensington, west London

16 September 1965 – The Raven, Ladywell, southeast London

17 September 1965 – Beckenham Ballroom, Beckenham, south London

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

19 November 1965 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo: Hastings and St Leonards Observer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

11 March 1966 – Chislehurst Caves, Chislehurst, southeast London

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

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

17 March 1966 – Pontiac, Putney, southwest London

Photo: Either Aldershot News or Camberley News & Bagshot Observer

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

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

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

Photo: most likely Coulsdon & Purley Advertiser

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

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

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

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

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

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

30 April 1966 – Star Ballroom, Maidstone, Kent

1 May 1966 – Welcome Inn, Eltham, southeast London

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7 June 1966 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo: South East London Mercury, mid September 1966

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

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

Selected gigs:

6 July 1966 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley southeast London

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

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

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

16 July 1966 – Savoy, Catford, southeast London

17 July 1966 – Eltham Baths, Eltham, southeast London

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

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

22 July 1966 – Waterfront, Southampton, Hants

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

24 July 1966 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo: Mirabelle, 3 September 1966 issue

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

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

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

11 September 1966 – Dungeon Club, Nottingham

15 September 1966 – Ram Jam, Brixton, south London

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

Photo: South East London Mercury, 6 October 1966

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

Selected gigs:

2 October 1966 – Union Rowing Club, Nottingham

5 October 1966 – Dreamland, Margate, Kent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Selected gigs:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2 November 1966 – Elbow Room, Aston, West Midlands

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Selected gigs:

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

Photo: Most likely Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Selected gigs:

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

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

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

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

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

4 March 1967 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London

8 March 1967 – Bromel Club, Downham, southeast London

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Categories: England, London

Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, London 1967 gigs

March 30, 2020 Nick Warburton Leave a comment

Whisky listing March 1967. Photo: Melody Maker

Located at 33/37 Wardour Street, the Whisky A Go Go was a major rock music venue during the mid-late 1960s and was situated in the same building as the Flamingo.

It’s not clear when it first opened its doors to rock artists but according to London Life magazine, occasional live groups did perform at the venue during 1965. However, it appears that the club really took off in late 1966, with listings four times a week. I have started to compile a list of artists who were advertised from 1966 to 1970 and would welcome any additions/corrections.

Melody Maker advertised gigs for the Whisky A Go Go every week, although there were gaps in places, particularly in late 1968 and during 1970. All of the shows listed below are from Melody Maker unless otherwise noted. Disc & Music Echo also regularly advertised the venue.

It is important to stress that these are listings for artists who were advertised in the music press so it’s quite possible that changes in the final billing may have taken place. I’d be interested to hear from anyone who can add any memories of particular shows in the comments below.

Source: Melody Maker unless otherwise noted

During 1967, New Zealand band Me & The Others featuring future Keef Hartley Band and Uriah Heep bass player Gary Thain auditioned at the club.

1967

1 January – The Soul Set

3 January – Jimmy Cliff (with The Shakedown Sound?)

10 January – The Canadians (with David Foster on keyboards)

11 January – The Soul Sisters

12 January – Alvin Cash & The Crawlers

17 January – The Bunch

19 January – Alvin Cash & The Crawlers

22 January – Warren Davis Monday Band

24 January – Cool Combination

26 January – Cool Combination

29 January – Warren Davis Monday Band

31 January – The Soul Set

5 February – Warren Davis Monday Band

7 February – Edwin Starr

12 February – Warren Davis Monday Band

14 February – The Bunch

21 February – The Night Train

23 February – The Bunch

28 February – The Bunch

2 March – Edwin Starr

5 March – Warren Davis Monday Band

9 March – Duane Eddy

12 March – Warren Davis Monday Band

14 March – The Night Train

16 March – Lee Dorsey

19 March – Warren Davis Monday Band

21 March – The Bunch

23 March – The Original Drifters

24 March – The Trap

26 March – Warren Davis Monday Band

27 March – The Flashbakks

28 March – The Bunch

30 March – The Hunky Chunk Band

4 April – The Night Train

9 April – The Soul Set

11 April – The Bunch

12 April – Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry

13 April – The Trap

16 April – The Soul Set

17 April – The Dave Martin Group (audition)

The Dave Martin Group’s manager Geoff Chinnery confirms the audition date above

18 April – The Bunch

20 April – The Flashbakks

23 April – The Soul Set

25 April – The Bunch

27 April – Warren Davis Monday Band

30 April – The Shell (Shock Show)

2 May – Lunar 2

4 May – Warren Davis Monday Band

7 May – The Shell Shock Show

9 May – Garnet Mimms (most likely backed by The Senate)

11 May – The Bunch

14 May – The Ultimate

16 May – Warren Davis Monday Band

17 May – Jack Hammer & His Hammer Jammers

18 May – The Bunch

21 May – The Ultimate

23 May – Clyde McPhatter

25 May – Warren Davis Monday Band

28 May – The Ultimate

30 May – The Iveys

31 May – Jose Feliciano

1 June – The Bunch

4 June – The Ultimate

6 June – The Trap

8 June – Edwin Starr

11 June – The Pussyfoot

13 June – Craig King & The Midnight Train

14 June – The Skatalites

15 June – The Original Drifters (most likely backed by The Trend)

18 June – The Pussyfoot

19 June – The Shell Shock Show

20 June – The Impact Blues

22 June – Sonny Smiles & The Original Sonny Smiles Band

25 June – The Pussyfoot

27 June – The Impact Blues

28 June – Sugar Simone & The Programme

29 June – The Toys

2 July – The Pussyfoot

4 July – Craig King & The Midnight Train

6 July – The Iveys

7 or 8 July – The All Night Walkers (aka The All Night Workers) (needs confirmation)

9 July – The Bunch

11 July – The Original Drifters (most likely backed by The Trend)

13 July – The Shell Shock Show

14 July – The Maroons

16 July – The Bunch

18 July – Neat Change

20 July – Max Baer & The Chicago Setback

23 July – Warren Davis Monday Band

25 July – Mr Mo’s Messengers

27 July – The Skatalites

30 July – Blue Rivers & His Maroons

1 August – The Syrian Blues

3 August – Garnett Mimms (either backed by The Senate or The Clockwork Orange)

5 August – Katch 22

6 August – Warren Davis Monday Band

8 August – Wages of Sin

10 August – The Iveys

13 August – Blue Rivers & His Maroons

14 August – Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound

15 August – Wages of Sin

17 August – Mr Mo’s Messengers

20 August – The Trend

22 August – The Choice

24 August – The Clockwork Orange

This version of The Clockwork Orange is either the group that became The Doves later in the year or The Sovereigns (see 1966 entry) who backed The Fantastics from August 1967 (usually billed as The House of Orange) and also did two tours with Garnet Mimms

27 August – The Choice

28 August – Warren Davis Monday Band

29 August – Wages of Sin

31 August – The Skatalites

3 September – Blue Rivers & His Maroons

5 September – The Fabulous Temptations (aka The Fantastics) (backed by Clockwork Orange – see above)

7 September – Wages of Sin

10 September – Blue Rivers & His Maroons

12 September – Sean Buckley Set

14 September – Katch 22 and Wages of Sin

17 September – Warren Davis Monday Band

19 September – The Original Drifters (most likely with The Trend backing)

21 September – Reg James Explosion

24 September – John (this is Jon)

26 September – Garnet Mimms (either with The Senate or Clockwork Orange backing him)

28 September – Katch 22

1 October – Mr Mo’s Messengers

3 October – Garnet Mimms (either with The Senate or The Clockwork Orange backing him)

5 October – Cats Pyjamas

8 October – Mr Mo’s Messengers

10 October – Max Baer & The Chicago Setback

12 October – The Soul Sisters with The Trend

15 October – Mr Hip

17 October – Clyde McPhatter (most likely with The Trend backing)

19 October – Duane Eddy

22 October – The Quotations

23 October – The Cortinas (Paul Griggs’ gig diary)

24 October – The Original Drifters (most likely with The Trend backing)

26 October – Clyde McPhatter (most likely with The Trend backing)

28 October – Alison’s Dump

29 October – Blue Rivers & His Maroons

31 October – The Isley Brothers

2 November – Stacey’s Circle

5 November – Scots of St James

7 November – The Shiralee

9 November – Geranium Pond

11 November – Alison’s Dump

12 November – The Doves

14 November – The Fabulous Temptations (aka The Fantastics)

16 November – Nepenthe (most likely with The Trend backing)

19 November – The Unsuited Medium

21 November – Blue Rivers & His Maroons

23 November – Nepenthe (most likely with The Trend backing)

26 November – Dr Marigold’s Prescription

28 November – The Last Tic Band

30 November – James Brown Junior

3 December – Mr Hip

5 December – The Velours

7 December – Tuesday’s Children

10 December – The Cortinas (confirmed by Paul Griggs’ diary)

12 December – The Fabulous Marvelettes (most likely with The Trend backing)

14 December – Dr Marigold’s Prescription

17 December – Eddie Lewison Combo

19 December – Mr Mo’s Messengers

21 December – The Fabulous Marvelettes (most likely with The Trend backing)

23 December – Dr Marigold’s Prescription

24 December – The Shiralee

25 December – Alison’s Dump

26 December – The Cortinas (confirmed by Paul Griggs’ diary)

28 December – Alison’s Dump

30 December – The Trend

31 December – Virgin’s Sleep

Categories: British Columbia, Canada, Country

The Canadians

June 9, 2019 Nick Warburton Leave a comment

The Strangers shortly after arriving in the UK, late 1966. Photo credit: Barry Casson

Bobby Faulds (aka Bobby Hanna) – lead vocals

David Foster – keyboards/vocals

Mike Stymest – bass

Wes Chambers – saxophone

Rich England – saxophone

Billy Stewart – trumpet/valve

Barry Casson – drums

Having enjoyed success in their native Victoria, British Columbia as Bobby Faulds & The Strangers, the group makes plans to relocate to England in late 1966 after drummer Barry Casson, who has spent time in London, recommends moving there.

The band arrives in England in early October 1966, having travelled overland across Canada from Vancouver to Gander, Newfoundland where they pick up their flight.

On arrival, the group stay with Faulds’ relatives in Kettering, Northamptonshire. Renamed The Canadians, they start by playing some local gigs.

5 November 1966 – Corby Civic Centre, Corby, Northamptonshire (Northamptonshire Advertiser)

12 December 1966 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge with Bob Kidman & His Band, the Prowlers, The Few Four and The Breed (Cambridge News) Billed as The Canadian Strangers

15 December 1966 – Tiles, Oxford Street, London with Him & The Others (Melody Maker)

17 December 1966 – Refectory, Golders Green, London (Melody Maker)

17 December 1966 – Cue Club, Praed Street, Paddington, London (Melody Maker)

18 December 1966 – The Cavern, Liverpool with The Prowlers, The Mead, The Defenders and Times Five (Phil Thompson’s Story of the Cavern book)

Just before Christmas, the horn section returns home to Canada. Around the same time, the band signs to the Roy Tempest Agency and gains work backing visiting US acts.

23 December 1966 – Clouds, Derby with John Evan Soul Band (Derby Evening Telegraph)

24 December 1966 – Flamenco, Folkestone, Kent (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)

25 December 1966 – Dungeon, Nottingham with The In Crowd (The Canadians were backing The Drifters) (Nottingham Evening Post)

31 December 1966 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with The Equals, The Triads, Ray Bones at the Organ and Frank and Keith (The Canadians were backing The Spellbinders) (Lincolnshire Standard) The Canadians may have been back at this venue on 7 January backing The Soul Sisters

31 December 1966 – The Cavern, Liverpool (All-nighter) with The Prowlers, The Beechwoods, The Tatters, The States, The Klubs, The Kids, The Sign and The Times, The Hideways and The Shades (The Canadians were probably backing The Soul Sisters) (Phil Thompson’s Story of the Cavern book)

8 January 1967 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire (The Canadians were backing The Soul Sisters) (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)

10 January 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, London (Melody Maker) The Canadians probably also played on 11 January backing The Soul Sisters

14 January 1967 – Dungeon, Nottingham (The Canadians were backing The Spellbinders) (Nottingham Evening Post)

14 January 1967 – Rawmarsh Baths Hall, Rawmarsh, South Yorkshire with the Rumours (The Canadians were backing The Spellbinders)

23 January 1967 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire with Traction (The Canadians were backing Inez & Charlie Foxx) (Evening Sentinel)

30 January 1967 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire with The Amboy Dukes (The Canadians were backing Inez & Charlie Foxx)(Evening Sentinel)

30 January 1967 – Clouds, Derby with Peppers Machine (The Canadians were backing Inez & Charlie Foxx)(Derby Evening Telegraph)

11 February 1967 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

Tour with Chuck Berry (Record Mirror and Disc & Music Echo):

17 February 1967 – Princess Theatre, Chorlton, Greater Manchester and Domino Club, Openshaw, Greater Manchester

18 February 1967 – New Century Hall, Manchester

18 February 1967 – Manchester Tech College, Manchester

19 February 1967 – Saville Theatre, Shaftsbury Avenue, London with Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement and Del Shannon (riot at this show or the one on 26 February)

20 February 1967 – Queen’s Hall, Wolverhampton (unlikely given Cardiff which is confirmed below but not impossible)

20 February 1967 – Cardiff Top Rank, Cardiff, Wales

21 February 1967 – Olympia, Paris, France

22 February 1967 – Stevenage Locarno, Stevenage, Herts

22 February 1967 – Cedar Club, Birmingham (or is this the Rum Runner?)

23 February 1967 – Streatham Locarno, Streatham, London

23 February 1967 – Blaises, Queen’s Gate, London

24 February 1967 – Durham University, Durham

24 February 1967 – Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear

25 February 1967 – Sussex University, Brighton, West Sussex

25 February 1967 – Agincourt Ballroom, Camberley, Surrey

26 February 1967 – Saville Theatre, Shaftsbury Avenue, London with Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement and Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers (riot at this show or the one on 19 February)

27 February 1967 – The Cavern, Liverpool with The Multivation, The Klubs and The Tremas (Phil Thompson’s Story of the Cavern book)

18 March 1967 – Civic Hall, Nantwich, Cheshire with The Original Drifters, The Sound Society and The Solents (Evening Sentinel)

Tour with Bo Diddley:

14 April 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire

15 April 1967 – Imperial Ballroom, Nelson, Lancashire

16 April 1967 – Saville Theatre, Shaftsbury Avenue, London

17 April 1967 – Top Rank Cardiff Suite, south Wales with The Creation (South Wales Evening Post) Backing Bo Diddley

18 April 1967 – Cromwellian, South Kensington, London

19 April 1967 – Blaises, Queens Gate, London

19 April 1967 – Sybilla’s, Swallow Street, London

During late April/early May, English guitarist Mick Patel from The Loose Ends joins The Canadians who travel to Cologne in May to play gigs.

27 April 1967 – Golden Torch Tunstall, Staffordshire with The Soul Sisters and The Toggery (Evening Sentinel) Possibly with Mick Patel on guitar by now

On their return to the UK, Bobby Faulds signs a solo deal and records as Bobby Hanna.

David Foster and Mick Patel will subsequently join The Warren Davis Monday Band. Casson meanwhile joins Ruskin T Emery Revue with Australian guitarist Ray Danaher

The following resource was also really helpful:

https://dungeonmods.wordpress.com/

Thanks to Barry Casson for his help

Categories: England, London

The Warren Davis Monday Band

February 11, 2018 Nick Warburton 24 Comments

The original Warren Davis Monday Band from early 1967. Photo: Bruce Usherwood

Formed from the ashes of Croydon R&B outfit, The Boardwalkers, who’d recorded two tracks on a private pressing demo single – “A Miracle” and “Any Man’s Girl” (two versions), the original Warren Davis Monday Band came together in January 1967.

Warren Davis – (aka Max Spinks) – lead vocals

Rob Walker – lead guitar/vocals

Andy Wilson – Hammond organ

Bruce Usherwood – bass/vocals

Paul Houlton – tenor saxophone

Martin Grice – tenor saxophone

Peter Mole – drums

The Boardwalkers in Croydon, March 1966. Clockwise from top left: Bruce Usherwood, Jon White, Rob Walker, Peter Mole, Warren Davis (aka Max Spinks) and Martin Grice. Photo: Bruce Usherwood

This formation cuts the band’s debut single – Bill Wyman and Peter Gosling’s “Wait For Me” c/w Warren Davis’ “I Don’t Wanna Hurt You” (Columbia BD 8190). Usherwood knew Wyman and Gosling, who was working with Moon’s Train.

7 January 1967 – Southwark Pop Scene, Newington Public Hall, Walworth Road, south London with Manfred Mann and Dave Cash (South East London Mercury)

20 January 1967 – Beachcomber, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

22 January 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London

29 January 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London

4 February 1967 – Carlton Club, Erdington, West Midlands with The Bobcats

5 February 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London

10 February 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with The Rockin’ Berries

11 February 1967 – Manhole, Redhill, Surrey

12 February 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, central Soho, London

18 February 1967 – 2 ‘B’s Club, Ashford, Kent with support (Kentish Express)

23 February 1967 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hampshire with Ty-Burns (Aldershot News)

25 February 1967 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hampshire with The Shame (Aldershot News)

5 March 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London

11 March 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London

12 March 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London

19 March 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London

26 March 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London

1 April 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Dave Berries & The Cruisers

2 April 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London

8 April 1967 – Booker T & The MGs rave about them in Melody Maker

9 April 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London

15 April 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London

16 April 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London

17 April 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Herd

22-23 April 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London (Newham, West Ham & East Ham, Barking and Stratford Express)

27 April 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London

28 April 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Jeff Beck Group

29-30 April 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London

4 May 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London

6-7 May 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London

13 May 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Terry Reid with Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers

Around this time, the band was joined briefly by Welshman, guitarist Dave Edmunds, who took over from Rob Walker. Melody Maker‘s 13 May issue, page 14, includes an advert for the group looking for a new singer and guitarist.

Edmunds who would soon move on to join the band that became Love Sculpture later became a successful solo artist. Walker briefly returned to the group after Edmunds had played only a handful of gigs.

14 May 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London

16 May 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London

21 May 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London

25 May 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London

27 May 1967 – Roaring 20s, Carnaby Street, Soho, central London

28 May 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Sookie Dolls

4 June 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London

5 June 1967 – Club Cedar, Birmingham with Edwin Starr and Band of Joy

6 June 1967 – Dungeon, Nottingham with Edwin Starr

8 June 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Edwin Starr gig but most likely The Warren Davis Monday Band as backing group)

9 June 1967 – Britannia Rowing Club, Nottingham with Edwin Starr

9 June 1967 – Beachcomber Club, Nottingham with Edwin Starr

10 June 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with Manfred Mann, Edwin Starr, The Darlings and Ray Bones

11 June 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London

12 June 1967 – Atlanta Ballroom, Woking, Surrey with Edwin Starr

18 June 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London

25 June 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London

2 July 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Moons Train and The Trap

8 July 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with The Small Faces

9 July 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London

Rob Walker left permanently around now. Further changes took place soon after when Andy Wilson and Paul Houlton also departed, the latter to join Moon’s Train.

L-R: Bruce Usherwood, Mick Patel, David Foster, Del Paramor, Martin Grice, Peter Mole and Warren Davis (aka Max Spinks). Photo: Bruce Usherwood

A new line-up comprised:

Warren Davis – lead vocals

David Foster – keyboards (came over from Vancouver with The Canadian Strangers)

Mick Patel – lead guitar/saxophone/vocals (ex-Loose Ends)

Martin Grice – tenor saxophone

Bruce Usherwood – bass/vocals

Peter Mole – drums

While the band was rehearsing at Billy Walker’s Upper Cut, they auditioned tenor saxophone Derek “Del” Paramor, who joined from Vince Edwards’ group. Until May 1967, he’d worked with David Essex & The Mood Indigo.

15 July 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Wynder K Frog (new line up’s debut)

16 July 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London

22 July 1967 – Central R&B Club, Gillingham, Kent with Derrick Dee Soul Show

23 July 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London

23 July 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (late nighter)

29 July 1967 – Leeds International Club, Leeds, West Yorkshire

30 July 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London

2 August 1967 – The current formation cuts two tracks at Regent Sound studios with Jeff Collins producing. The recordings are featured on their second single – a cover of the Raleigh/Linden co-write (and recorded by Lou Rawls) “Love Is A Hurtin’ Thing” c/w Warren Davis and David Foster’s “Without Fear” (Columbia BD 8270).

4 August 1967 – Roaring ‘20s, Carnaby Street, Soho, central London

6 August 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Eric Burdon & The Animals

6 August 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London

Soon after, the band headed to Naples, Italy to play at the NATO base from 9-16 August. The trip was a disaster as the club on the base didn’t know anything about the booking and the group only played a few times so they could afford to return to London.

19 August 1967 – Roaring ‘20s, Carnaby Street, Soho, central London

26 August 1967 – Nautilus Club, Lowestoft, Suffolk

27 August 1967 – Cat-Balou, Grantham, Lincolnshire (Grantham Journal) This isn’t in Del Paramor’s gig list so was probably cancelled

28 August 1967 – Roaring ‘20s, Carnaby Street, Soho, central London

28 August 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, central London

Left to right: Martin Grice, Del Paramor, Warren Davis, Peter Mole, David Foster, Bruce Usherwood and Mick Patel. Photo: Bruce Usherwood

Following the double-nighter in Soho, David Foster, Mick Patel and Bruce Usherwood all departed. Usherwood subsequently joined Patrick Dane & The Front Line Band. Foster returned to Canada where he became a successful solo artist and producer.

The band regrouped, adding two former members of The Overlanders, lead guitarist Paul Brett and bass player Paul Petts. They also brought in keyboard player Keith Beck (real name: Burberry).

Clockwise top left: Keith Beck, Del Paramor, Paul Brett (hat), Peter Mole, Martin Grice, Warren Davis and Paul Petts. Photo: Paul Brett

The line-up now comprised:

Warren Davis – lead vocals

Paul Brett – lead guitar/vocals

Keith Beck – Hammond organ

Martin Grice – tenor saxophone

Del Paramor – tenor saxophone

Paul Petts – bass

Peter Mole – drums

8 September 1967 – Harrow Inn, Woolwich, southeast London

9 September 1967 – Starlite Ballroom, Greenford, northwest London

17 September 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street Soho, central London

22 September 1967 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London

22 September 1967 – Pink Flamingo, Soho, central London with Lloyd Alexander’s Blues Band

23 September 1967 – Luton Boys Club, Luton, Bedfordshire

29 September 1967 – Elm Hotel, Leigh on Sea, Essex

30 September 1967 – Ritz, Bournemouth, Dorset

1 October 1967 – Lyme Regis, Dorset (possibly Marine Theatre)

4 October 1967 – Flamingo, Soho, central London

6 October 1967 – Cesar’s Club, Bedford, Bedfordshire with The Locomotion

7 October 1967 – Croydon Tech, Croydon, south London

10 October 1967 – Staircase, Soho, central London (opening night of club with Cat Stevens as guest of honour, who wasn’t performing)

13 October 1967 – Beachcomber (Dunstable, Bedfordshire?)

14 October 1967 – Royal Lido, Prestatyn, Wales with The Raynes (Rhyl & Prestayn Gazette)

16 October 1967 – Birdcage, Harlow, Essex

20 October 1967 – Silver Blades, Streatham, southwest London

21 October 1967 – Starlite Ballroom, Greenford, northwest London

21 October 1967 – Roaring ‘20s, Carnaby Street, Soho, central London

28 October 1967 – Assembly Rooms, Oxford Town Hall, Oxford, Oxfordshire

31 October 1967 – Beachcomber, Dunstable, Bedfordshire

4 November 1967 – On this day, the Daily Sketch “Monkees” article appeared, only to be denied later in Variety

The band in late 1967. Photo: Paul Brett

4 November 1967 – Reading University, Reading, Berkshire

8 November 1967 – The band records Paul Petts’ “What’s It Like Down There?” at Tony Pike Music Ltd studios in Putney.

9 November 1967 – The musicians record Paul Brett and Paul Petts’ “Queen Victoria” at Tony Pike Music Ltd studios in Putney. Both tracks are shelved.

10 November 1967 – Staircase, Soho, central London

11 November 1967 – Corby Civic Centre, Corby, Northamptonshire with The Blue Magnum

14 November 1967 – Dollar Disco, Slough, Berkshire

15 November 1967 – Industrial Club, Norwich, Norfolk (Eastern Evening News) Missing from Del Paramor’s gigs so may have been cancelled

16 November 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, central London (with either The Syn or Love Affair)

17 November 1967 – Queen’s Hall, Leeds, West Yorkshire with Pink Floyd, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Ivan’s Jaguars, The JB’s, The Peighton Checks, Roger Bloom’s Hammer, The Roll Movement, The Screen and The Syndicate (Yorkshire Evening Post)

18 November 1967 – St Paul’s College, Shaftesbury Hall, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

22 November 1967 – Dundee University, Dundee, Scotland

23 November 1967 – String O’ Beads, Bradford, West Yorkshire (Yorkshire Evening Post)

25 November 1967 – Castle Ballroom, Ryde, Isle of Wight

28 November 1967 – Racing Drivers Ball, Savoy Hotel, Strand, London

1 December 1967 – North West Polytechnic, Royal Hotel, Woburn Place, London with Denny Laine’s Electric String Band and Fleetwood Mac

2 December 1967 – Witham (possibly Public Hall), Essex

3-4 December 1967 – String O’Beads, Bradford, West Yorkshire

5 December 1967 – Bradford University, Bradford, West Yorkshire with The Crazy World of Arthur Brown

8 December 1967 – Shooters Hill Grammar School, Shooters Hill, SE10, near Greenwich, London

9 December 1967 – Witchdoctor, Catford, southeast London

10 December 1967 – RAF Witton, Kidderminster, Worcestershire (held at Frank Freeman’s)

15 December 1967 – Winter Gardens, Penzance, Cornwall

Photo: Richard Goddard. Bearing in mind the Cornish gig below, this booking seems unlikely and is not in Del Paramor’s gig list

16 December 1967 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with The Future Impression (billed as Dave Warren Monday Band)

18-20 December 1967 – Horseshoe Club, Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester

22 December 1967 – Jason’s Club, Barnstaple, Devon

23 December 1967 – Gaiety Ballroom, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire with Friction

24 December 1967 – Corn Exchange, Maidstone, Kent

29 December 1967 – Pantiles, Bagshot, Surrey

30 December 1967 – Luton Boys Club, Luton, Bedfordshire

31 December 1967 – Blaises, Kensington, west London

Paul Brett left early in the new year. He joined Tintern Abbey and later led his own group, Paul Brett’s Sage after playing with Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera, Velvet Opera and Fire. Tony Ollard joined after working with The Creation (he’d replaced Eddie Phillips).

The new line up now comprised:

Warren Davis – lead vocals

Tony Ollard – lead guitar

Keith Beck – Hammond organ

Martin Grice – tenor saxophone

Del Paramor – tenor saxophone

Paul Petts – bass

Peter Mole – drums

4 January 1968 – Warwick Hall, Kimpton Road, southeast London

5 January 1968 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London

6 January 1968 – Shades, Sheffield, South Yorkshire

6 January 1968 – String of Beads, Bradford, West Yorkshire

7-8 January 1968 – Hatchetts, Piccadilly, central London

9 January 1968 – Carousel Club, Farnborough, Hampshire

9 January 1968 – Sybillas, Swallow Street, central London

11 January 1968 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London

13 January 1968 – College of Technology, Brighton, West Sussex

16 January 1968 – The new line up returns to Tony Pike’s Putney studio and record another Paul Petts song, “Thinkin’ About Tomorrow” and Warren Davis’ “Frances”. Both tracks are shelved.

17 January 1968 – Church Hall, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire

18 January 1968 – Liberal Hall, Yeovil, Somerset (Western Gazette)

19 January 1968 – Bristol, Avon (gig was cancelled)

20 January 1968 – YMCA, Gloucester, Gloucestershire with Here, There & Everywhere

25 January 1968 – Audition for BBC, central London

27 January 1968 – White Tiles, Swindon, Wiltshire

30 January 1968 – The Blue, Rotherhithe, southeast London

Clockwise from top left: Peter Mole, Martin Grice, Warren Davis, Paul Brett, Del Paramor, Paul Petts and Keith Beck. Photo: Paul Brett

1 February 1968 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London

3 February 1968 – RAF Waddington, Lincoln, Lincolnshire

4-5 February 1968 – Leofric Hotel, Coventry, West Midlands (also gig at Mercer’s Arms, Coventry on 5 February)

9 February 1968 – Big C, Farnborough, Hampshire (Aldershot News) Missing from Del Paramor’s gig list so may have been cancelled

10 February 1968 – Hastings Pier, Hastings, East Sussex with The Block

13-28 February 1968 – Hotel Pino, Turin, Italy

1-17 March 1968 – Blow Up Club, Munich, West Germany

With the German dates completed, Martin Grice and Keith Beck returned to Turin and joined The Patrick Sansom Set.

Back in the UK in March 1968, the remaining members rehearsed new baritone sax player Roger Davis and debuted at Klooks Kleek in West Hampstead on 21 March 1968.

18 March 1968 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts (billed as Warren Davis The Monday Band) This gig was billed but did not happen

21 March 1968 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London (new line-up’s debut)

28 March 1968 – Liberal Hall, Yeovil, Somerset with Emotion (Western Gazette) Del Paramor says that this gig was cancelled

However, there was a split in the band’s ranks at this point with Warren Davis, Del Paramor and Roger Davis linking up with the group Still Life to form a new version of The Warren Davis Monday Band. Tony Ollard, Paul Petts and Pete Mole split to work on other projects. Ollard (see comments) moved to Italy.

Davis, Paramor and Davis had seen Still Life at the Marquee on 25 March 1968 and were impressed.

The new formation comprised:

Warren Davis – lead vocals

Stuart Cowell – guitar/lead vocals

Tom Tierney – guitar

Con Byrne – bass

Ron Reynolds – Hammond organ

Del Paramor – tenor saxophone

Roger Davis – baritone saxophone

Jim Toomey – drums

The new line-up recorded the track “No 9 Putney Bus” for what they hoped would be a TV series.

30 March 1968 – Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

31 March 1968 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London

3 April 1968 – Blaises, Kensington, west London

5 April 1968 – Queen’s Hall, Barnstaple, Devon

6 April 1968 – Tardebigge, Redditch, Worcestershire (venue unknown)

19 April 1968 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Del Paramor says David Essex turned up to see him at the gig which was a disaster)

20 April 1968 – Hastings Pier, Hastings, East Sussex (billed as Still Life)

24 April 1968 – Blaises, Kensington, west London

26 April-2 May 1968 – Rose Club, Hannover, West Germany

4 May 1968 – Tofts, Folkestone, Kent

7 May 1968 – Concorde, Southampton, Hampshire (Del Paramor and Roger Davis told they were sacked)

9 May 1968 – Quay Club, Exeter, Devon

10 May 1968 – Scottish Club Discotheque, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)

11 May 1968 – Cirencester, Gloucestershire (possibly Stax Club)

14 May 1968 – Sybillas, Swallow Street, central London

15 May 1968 – Hampstead Country Club, north London

Del Paramor and Roger Davis left after this gig. Paramor joined Mr Mo’s Messengers, who morphed into Sonority, where he worked with Peter Mole.

20 May 1968 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with Fish-Hook (billed as Warren Davis Band)

21 May 1968 – New Pink Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London

23 May 1968 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London

26 May 1968 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)

28 May 1968 – New Pink Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London

29 May 1968 – Hampstead Country Club, north London

1 June 1968 – Starlight Room, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with C G Morris and The Reactions

3 June 1968 – Whisky A Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London

Guitarist Tom Tierney left around now. Warren Davis and Con Byrne wrote “The Painter”, which Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera record.

Two other tracks credited to Byrne-Davis: “Fire Fly” and “Deed I Do” were cut as acetates.

At some point, possibly with this final formation, the band cut two tracks at IBC Sound Recording Studios in Portland Place: “Nothing Is Sweeter Than Lovin’ You” and “Muddy Water”.

15 June 1968 – Hastings Pier, Hastings, East Sussex

29-30 June 1968 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with The Vigilantes (Saturday) and The Provokers (Sunday)

By mid-July 1968 the band’s line-up comprised:

Warren Davis – lead vocals

Stuart Cowell – lead guitar/vocals

Ron Reynolds – Hammond organ

Con Byrne – bass

Jim Toomey – drums

Judging by a gig in Switzerland in mid-September (see comments), the band may have played some European dates around this time.

One of the band’s final gigs on 19 September 1968

19 September 1968 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London

The musicians, however, went their separate ways by late September 1968. Cowell and Toomey would form a new band with Jerome Arnold from Paul Butterfield’s Blues Band and later put together Titus Groan.

Warren Davis (see comments) audition for The Foundations but was not successful. In 1971 he co-wrote both sides of a single with Byrne for the band Mighty Dodos, which was released on Spark.

Huge thanks to Del Paramor for the gigs listings from July 1967-May 1968. Thanks to Del, Bruce Usherwood, Paul Brett and Stuart Cowell for details. Melody Maker also provided gigs for the Upper Cut, Forest Gate, London. I also used a number of regional newspapers for gigs. I will be writing a more detailed article on the band and would welcome hearing from other former members.

Categories: England, London

Blaises, 121 Queen’s Gate, Kensington

December 2, 2014 Nick Warburton 24 Comments

Blaises was located in the basement of the Imperial Hotel at 121 Queen’s Gate in Kensington, west London, SW7 (now demolished) and was a magnet for musicians, agents, managers and writers.

Jim Carter-Fea, who later managed the Speakeasy and Revolution, was involved with the club.

The Byrds played here on their debut UK tour in 1965 and many top acts of the day performed on the stage in the mid-late 1960s, most notably Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and Yes, to name just a few.

Blaises wasn’t consistently advertised in the music papers throughout the 1960s so it’s been difficult to find gigs.

The list below is a start but I’d welcome any additions and corrections plus any photos of the venue and posters of advertised gigs as well as band photos (all credited accordingly).

Although it’s not been possible to find exact dates the following musicians confirmed their bands played at Blaises during 1965-1966:

James Nairn (aka James Royal) says that his groups James Royal & The Hawks and The James Royal Set played at Blaises; the former during 1965-1966 and the latter from 1966-1968.

Drummer/singer Tony Richard says that his band The Fetish Crowd performed at the club during the 1965-1966 period.

1965

6 August 1965 (Thursday) – The Byrds (Record Mirror)

3 October 1965 (Sunday) – The Stormsville Shakers (website: http://www.stormsvilleshakers.com/bandhistory.html)

20 October 1965 (Wednesday) – The Riot Squad (website: http://brunoceriotti.weebly.com/the-riot-squad.html)

London Life magazine’s 30 October to 5 November 1965 issue notes that there is a live group changing weekly.

1966

London Life magazine notes in its 8-14 January 1966 issue that there is a different live group every night at the club. This is the same for every issue until the final London Life magazine issue is published on 31 December 1966.

4 February 1966 (Friday) – John Lee Hooker (Melody Maker)

24 March 1966 (Thursday) – Wilson Pickett (backed by The Statesiders) (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

6 April 1966 (Wednesday) – Martha & The Vandellas (Melody Maker)

10 May 1966 (Tuesday) – John Lee Hooker (Record Mirror)

Julian Covey & The Machine were probably Hooker’s backing band as they provided support for the blues legends on a tour this month.

Keyboardist Stan Marut, who left just before the tour, says his place was taken by Dave Greenslade, who then joined Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds.

30 July 1966 (Saturday) – The Fleur De Lys (Keith Guster’s gig diary)

3 August 1966 (Wednesday) – The Creation (Fabulous 208 and London Life magazine)

22 August 1966 (Monday) – The Artwoods (needs confirmation)

8 September 1966 (Thursday) – The In Crowd (they became Tomorrow in early 1967) (Fabulous 208 and Marmalade Skies website).

9 September 1966 (Friday) – The Fleur De Lys (Keith Guster’s gig diary)

23 September 1966 (Friday) – The Knack (London Life magazine)

Paul Gurvitz went on to The Gun while Graham Clay joined The New York Public Library (see below). Brian Parrish went on to Badger.

27 September 1966 (Tuesday) – She Trinity (Fabulous 208 and London Life magazine)

29 September 1966 (Thursday) – The Brian Auger & The Trinity (Melody Maker)

This is the date that Jimi Hendrix sat in with The Brian Auger Trinity.

According to the Hendrix website (and Vic Briggs and Kathy Etchingham’s recollections), The Brian Auger Trinity had played at the Scotch of St James the previous night where the waiter told Trinity guitarist Vic Briggs about an amazing black guitarist who had sat in with The VIPs the night before (27 September).

Chas Chandler and Hendrix walked in shortly afterwards and were introduced to the band who were playing a warm-up gig without singer Julie Driscoll. Brian Auger let Hendrix jam with the group and, impressed, invited the American guitarist to sit in at Blaises the following night.

On 29 September, Chandler and Hendrix arrived at Blaises after drinking at the Kilt Club where they met French singer Johnny Halliday. Auger introduced Hendrix to the crowd for a jam after the interval.

London Life has Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers for this date but it is possible that this was actually Friday, 30 September after a show at the California Ballroom in Dunstable.

3 October 1966 (Monday) – Robert Parker (Melody Maker)

4 October 1966 (Tuesday) – The Artwoods (Fabulous 208)

Future Deep Purple keyboard player Jon Lord was a member of The Artwoods.

5 October 1966 (Wednesday) – Robert Parker and Wynder K Frog (Fabulous 208)

11 October 1966 (Tuesday) – Garnet Mimms (Fabulous 208)

12 October 1966 (Wednesday) – Ike & Tina Turner (London Life magazine)

29 October 1966 (Saturday) – The Hush (London Life magazine)

Keith Fairhurst, singer with The Chosen Few, says the band played this venue about six times after moving down from Manchester and changing their name to The Hush. They also frequented the club on other occasions and he was there on 29 September when Jimi Hendrix sat in with The Brian Auger Trinity (see above).

Fairhurst adds that Blaises was only a small club and was an exclusive venue, which meant that normal club goers that frequented many of the other London clubs would not have attended; it was too expensive and licensed. Management insisted that they set up by 9pm and they never started before 9.30pm.

8 November 1966 (Tuesday) – The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (Melody Maker)

9 November 1966 (Wednesday) – Jerry Lee Lewis (Melody Maker)

17 November 1966 (Thursday) – Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers (Tatler)

21 November 1966 (Monday) – Wynder K Frog (Fabulous 208)

22 November 1966 (Tuesday) – Ben E King (Tatler)

30 November 1966 (Wednesday) – The Young Rascals (Fabulous 208 and Melody Maker)

Melody Maker also has The Brian Auger Trinity on 30 November (see advert above). The two bands probably used the same equipment.

Guitarist Vic Briggs, who had moved on to join Eric Burdon’s New Animals by this point, says that all of the “in-clubs” were so small that you had to get your gear in before people arrived and wait until they left to move out. Also, they could not afford to pay more than one band per night. There may have been exceptions but that was the general rule.

1 December 1966 (Thursday) – The In Crowd (became Tomorrow) (London Life magazine) Nick Simper’s website has Bobby Hebb playing from 11.30pm

8 December 1966 (Thursday) – The In Crowd (became Tomorrow) (London Life magazine)

13 December 1966 (Tuesday) – The Farinas (became Family) (Record Mirror)

14 December 1966 (Wednesday) – Little Richard (John Warburg’s research)

20 December 1966 (Tuesday) – The Artwoods (needs confirmation)

21 December 1966 (Wednesday) – Jimi Hendrix Experience (Melody Maker)

23 December 1966 (Friday) – The Iveys (became Badfinger) (Tom Brennan’s research at: http://www.badfingerlibrary.com/)

30 December 1966 (Friday) – Deep Feeling (Melody Maker)

Deep Feeling featured future members of Traffic, Family and Spooky Tooth

1967

Jim Cregan, guitarist with Blossom Toes, says his band played at the club during 1967.

Chris Hunt, drummer with The Good Time Losers, says that his group performed at Blaises during 1967.

Mick Ketley, keyboard player with Bognor Regis version of The Motivation which became The Penny Peep Show in September 1967, says that his group played at Blaises which would have been after May 1967.

Pete Cole, bass player with The Trend, says that he played the venue. The most likely time frame is after September 1967 and may have been when the group backed visiting US soul acts.

Jim Carter-Fae, who managed the club, took over the management of Hull band, The Majority and the group played this venue during 1967.

7 January 1967 (Saturday) – The Knack (Melody Maker)

Paul Gurvitz went on to The Gun while Graham Clay joined The New York Public Library (see below). Brian Parrish went on to Badger.

13 January 1967 (Friday) – The Savoy Brown Blues Band (Melody Maker)

17 January 1967 (Tuesday) – Family (Melody Maker)

18 January 1967 (Wednesday) – Wynder K Frog (Fabulous 208 – needs confirmation)

Still from the film The Sorcerers showing a band playing live (in January 1967 or earlier). Poster on the wall lists Inez & Charlie Foxx. Thanks to Christopher Matheson for providing

25 January 1967 (Wednesday) – Inez & Charlie Foxx (Poster on wall in film the Sorcerers)

26 January 1967 (Thursday) – Jimmy McGriff (Disc & Music Echo)

According to Flashback magazine, Keith West and Steve Howe’s band The In Crowd were residents at Blaises around late January/early February and soon changed name to Tomorrow.

8 February 1967 (Wednesday) – Maxine Brown & The Q-Set (Disc & Music Echo)

The Q-Set will link up with Ronnie Jones after its tour with Maxine Brown.

Disc & Music Echo’s 11 February issue notes that Ike & Tina Turner had played at the club recently.

14 February 1967 (Tuesday) – Herbie Goins & The Nightimers (Fabulous 208)

According to Melody Maker in April 1967, Herbie Goins had a regular Tuesday night residency at Blaises so there may be more Tuesday dates between this one and the one below that they played. Future Bob Marley guitarist Junior Marvin was the keyboard player with the band at this time when he used the stage name Junior Kerr.

23 February 1967 (Thursday) – Chuck Berry (backed by The Canadians) (Melody Maker)

The Canadians’ keyboard player was future record producer and music executive David Foster.

28 February 1967 (Tuesday) – Pink Floyd and The Majority (Melody Maker)

If both bands indeed played on this evening, it would have been one of the rare occasions when more than one group played.

7 March 1967 (Tuesday) – Keith (Disc & Music Echo and Melody Maker)

18 March 1967 (Saturday) – The Hush (Melody Maker)

Singer Keith Fairhurst says that on one occasion when The Hush played Blaises on a Saturday night, a Canadian television crew filmed them but he’s never seen the footage.

Still from the film The Sorcerers. Thanks to Christopher Matheson for supplying. Judging by the gig poster on the wall, this performance was January 1967 or earlier.

Fairhurst adds that the inside of Blaises appears in the 1967 film The Sorcerers.

17 April 1967 (Monday) – Marmalade (Fabulous 208)

19 April 1967 (Wednesday) – Bo Diddley (backed by The Canadians) (Melody Maker)

David Foster was the keyboard player in The Canadians (see above).

1 May 1967 (Monday) – The Web (Melody Maker)

9 May 1967 (Tuesday) – Herbie Goins & The Nightimers with The Satin Dolls (Melody Maker)

Future Bob Marley guitarist Junior Marvin was the group’s keyboard player at this time (see above).

11 May 1967 (Thursday) – The Coloured Raisins and Jack Hammer & His Hammer Jammers (Melody Maker)

Future Sweet producer Phil Wainman was the drummer with The Hammer Jammers. If both bands played, this would have been one of the rare occasions when two groups performed.

16 May 1967 (Tuesday) – Herbie Goins & The Nightimers and The Web (Melody Maker)

If both bands played, this would have been one of the rare occasions when two groups performed.

23 May 1967 (Tuesday) – Herbie Goins & The Nightimers (Melody Maker)

30 May 1967 (Tuesday) – The Web (Melody Maker)

Record Mirror says Herbie Goins’ band has a Tuesday residency so may have shared the bill. They may also have continued to play more Tuesday nights as they appear again below on 12 September.

5 June 1967 (Monday) – Amen Corner (Melody Maker)

8 June 1967 (Thursday) – The Turtles (Disc & Music Echo, Fabulous 208 and Melody Maker)

14 June 1967 (Wednesday) – The Cliffons (needs source)

20 June 1967 (Tuesday) – The Coloured Raisins, King Ossie, Honey Darling and Earl Green (Melody Maker)

25 June 1967 (Sunday) – Jose Feliciano (Melody Maker)

6 July 1967 (Thursday) – Jefferson Airplane (cancelled) (needs source)

7 July 1967 (Friday) – Denny Laine’s Electric String Band (Disc & Music Echo and Fabulous 208)

14 July 1967 (Friday) – The Graham Bond Organisation (Fabulous 208)

25 July 1967 (Tuesday) – Amen Corner (Fabulous 208 and Melody Maker)

1 August 1967 (Tuesday) – Donnie Elbert (Melody Maker)

16 August 1967 (Wednesday) – Ten Years After (Fabulous 208)

18 August 1967 (Friday) – Granny’s Intentions (needs source)

26 August 1967 (Saturday) – Chicken Shack (Melody Maker)

6 September 1967 (Wednesday) – Max Collier’s Rhythm Aces (Melody Maker)

12 September 1967 (Tuesday) – Herbie Goins & The Nightimers (Melody Maker)

14 September 1967 (Thursday) – Big Maybelle & The Majority (Melody Maker)

20 September 1967 (Wednesday) – Max Collier’s Rhythm Aces (Melody Maker)

26 September 1967 (Tuesday) – Ten Years After (Fabulous 208)

4 October 1967 (Wednesday) – Max Collier’s Rhythm Aces (Melody Maker)

5 October 1967 (Thursday) – Vanilla Fudge (Melody Maker)

Disc & Music Echo has this gig down for 8 October, not 5 October.

18 October 1967 (Wednesday) – Max Collier’s Rhythm Aces (Melody Maker)

19 October 1967 (Thursday) – Freddie King (Melody Maker)

23 October 1967 (Monday) – Vanilla Fudge (Disc & Music Echo)

24 October 1967 (Tuesday) – Brian Auger Trinity with Julie Driscoll (Melody Maker)

2 November 1967 (Thursday) – The Coloured Raisins (Melody Maker)

3 November 1967 (Friday) – Deuce Coup (Melody Maker)

4 November 1967 (Saturday) – The Mike Stuart Span (Melody Maker)

6 November 1967 (Monday) – The Majority (Melody Maker)

7 November 1967 (Tuesday) – Ferris Wheel (Melody Maker)

8 November 1967 (Wednesday) – Ten Years After (Melody Maker)

9 November 1967 (Thursday) – Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation (Melody Maker)

10 November 1967 (Friday) – The Maze (Melody Maker)

11 November 1967 (Saturday) – Dr K’s Blues Band (Melody Maker)

14 November 1967 (Tuesday) – The Downliners Sect (Melody Maker)

25 November 1967 (Saturday) – Moon’s Train (Malcolm Penn’s diary – thanks to Peter Gosling for sharing)

28 November 1967 (Tuesday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas and Chris Clark (Melody Maker)

1 December 1967 (Friday) – Gladys Knight & The Pips (Melody Maker)

12 December 1967 (Tuesday) – The Vibrations (Melody Maker)

14 December 1967 (Thursday) – Eddie Floyd (Melody Maker)

31 December 1967 (Sunday) – The Warren Davis Monday Band (Del Paramor’s gig diary)

1968

Guitarist Paul Brett says that he played this venue during 1968, which would have been with Tintern Abbey.

4 January 1968 (Thursday) – Moon’s Train (Malcolm Penn’s diary – thanks to Peter Gosling for sharing)

17 January 1968 (Wednesday) – Moon’s Train (Malcolm Penn’s diary – thanks to Peter Gosling for sharing)

20 January 1968 (Tuesday) – Tuesday’s Children (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)

9 February 1968 (Friday) – Taste (Rory Gallagher’s Fandom site: https://concerts.fandom.com/wiki/Rory_Gallagher)

30 March 1968 (Saturday) – Dr K’s (Blues Band) (Melody Maker)

3 April 1968 (Wednesday) – The Warren Davis Monday Band (Del Paramor’s gig diary)

5 April 1968 (Friday) – Dr K’s (Blues Band) (Melody Maker)

24 April 1968 (Wednesday) – The Warren Davis Monday Band (Del Paramor’s gig diary)

30 April 1968 (Tuesday) – Ray King Soul Band (Melody Maker)

Melody Maker’s 4 May issue notes that a fire gutted the Speakeasy on Saturday night (27 April), causing £20,000 worth of damage. Roy Flynn, co-owner, said that the club couldn’t reopen for about three months (it ended up being mid-December) and that gigs would be transferred to Blaises and billed as ‘Speakeasy at Blaises’. These are noted below.

Ike & Tina Turner were billed to play on Sunday, 28 April and Bill Haley & The Comets on 30 April. These may have been cancelled or transferred to Blaises. I’d be interested to hear from anyone who can add any further details.

1 May 1968 (Wednesday) – Bobby Goldsboro (Melody Maker)

This was billed to take place at the Speakeasy and may have been transferred to Blaises or alternatively cancelled.

5 May 1968 (Sunday) – Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band (Melody Maker)

Captain Beefheart was originally billed for the Speakeasy so most likely it was transferred to Blaises as the dates match.

8 May 1968 (Wednesday) – Ray King Soul Band (Melody Maker)

13 May 1968 (Monday) – The Byrds (Melody Maker)

This was originally billed for the Speakeasy so most likely it was transferred to Blaises.

23 May 1968 (Thursday) – Spooky Tooth (Marmalade Skies website)

29 May 1968 (Wednesday) – Tuesday’s Children (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)

9 June 1968 (Sunday) – Fairport Convention (Melody Maker)

12 June 1968 (Wednesday) – Reparta & The Delrons (New Musical Express)

15 June 1968 (Saturday) – The Amboy Dukes (Fabulous 208)

16 June 1968 (Sunday) – PP Arnold (Melody Maker)

This was billed as ‘Speakeasy at Blaises’.

23 June 1968 (Sunday) – Reparta & The Delrons (Melody Maker – needs confirmation)

30 June 1968 (Sunday) – Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation (Melody Maker)

The Retaliation gig is another ‘Speakeasy at Blaises’ gig

3 July 1968 (Wednesday) – Ray King Soul Band (Melody Maker)

14 July 1968 (Sunday) – Tim Rose (see comments section below regarding this gig)

18 July 1968 (Thursday) – Tuesday’s Children (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)

This was originally booked for the Speakeasy so if it wasn’t cancelled, it was most likely moved to Blaises.

20 July 1968 (Saturday) – The Sweet (the Sweet website: https://sweet.thesweetweb.com/gigs-1968-1981/)

23 July 1968 – The Cortinas (Paul Griggs’ gig diary)

Paul Griggs notes in his diary that Jimi Hendrix and Eric Burdon were in attendance that night. This was a 1 am show so probably early hours of 24 July.

28 July 1968 (Sunday) – Terry Reid & The Fantasy (Melody Maker)

17 August 1968 (Saturday) – Juniors Eyes (Melody Maker)

20 August 1968 (Tuesday) – Ben E King (Melody Maker and New Musical Express)

21 August 1968 (Wednesday) – Free (Alessandro Borri research – see comments section below)

27 August 1968 (Tuesday) – Jethro Tull (Greg Russo’s research)

Huge thanks to Paul Kane for supplying this

1 September 1968 (Sunday) – Mickey Finn (Poster from Paul Kane)

2 September 1968 (Monday) –July (Poster from Paul Kane)

3 September 1968 (Tuesday) – The Village (Poster from Paul Kane)

4 September 1968 (Wednesday) – East of Eden (Poster from Paul Kane)

5 September 1968 (Thursday) – Herbie Goins & The Nightimers (Poster from Paul Kane)

6 September 1968 (Friday) – Juniors Eyes (Poster from Paul Kane)

7 September 1968 (Saturday) – London (Poster from Paul Kane)

8 September 1968 (Sunday) – East of Eden (East of Eden website: www.eastofedentheband.co.uk/GIGS.html)

The website says that Jefferson Airplane sat in with the band at the show. Poster above suggests Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels played instead

9 September 1968 (Monday) – Keef Hartley (Poster from Paul Kane)

10 September 1968 (Tuesday) – Eyes of Blue (Poster from Paul Kane)

11 September 1968 (Wednesday) – Majority (Poster from Paul Kane)

12 September 1968 (Thursday) – Junior’s Conquest (Poster from Paul Kane)

13 September 1968 (Friday) – Kippington Lodge (Poster from Paul Kane)

14 September 1968 (Saturday) – Bruno Blues Band (Poster from Paul Kane)

15 September 1968 (Sunday) – Yes (Peter Banks’ website: http://www.peterbanks.net/archive/bands/yes/)

According to Melody Maker and New Musical Express, Sly & The Family Stone were billed to play Blaises on 15 September. Apparently, they didn’t show and Roy Flynn asked The Nice’s manager Tony Stratton-Smith for help and he recommended Yes. Poster confirms Sly & The Family Stone were originally due to play

16 September 1968 (Monday) – Yes (Peter Banks’ website: http://www.peterbanks.net/archive/bands/yes/)

This performance is unconfirmed and also poster says Bubble Gum

17 September 1968 (Tuesday) – Free (Poster from Paul Kane)

18 September 1968 (Wednesday) – Yes (Peter Banks’ website: http://www.peterbanks.net/archive/bands/yes/)

Poster above lists The Majority instead

19 September 1968 (Thursday) – The Gods (Poster from Paul Kane)

20 September 1968 (Friday) – The Gun (Poster from Paul Kane)

21 September 1968 (Saturday) – Blonde on Blonde (Poster from Paul Kane)

22 September 1968 (Sunday) – Fairport Convention (Poster from Paul Kane)

23 September 1968 (Monday) – The Village (Poster from Paul Kane)

24 September 1968 (Tuesday) – The Web (Poster from Paul Kane)

25 September 1968 (Wednesday) – Glass Menagerie (Fabulous 208, Poster from Paul Kane and Time Out)

26 September 1968 (Thursday) – Eyes of Blue (Poster from Paul Kane)

27 September 1968 (Friday) – Dr K’s Blues Band (Poster from Paul Kane)

28 September 1968 (Saturday) – To be confirmed (Poster from Paul Kane)

29 September 1968 (Sunday) – Terry Reid (Poster from Paul Kane)

This was billed as Reid’s final gig before USA tour

30 September 1968 (Monday) – To be confirmed (Poster from Paul Kane)

13 October 1968 (Sunday) – Yes (Peter Banks’ website: http://www.peterbanks.net/archive/bands/yes/)

15 October 1968 (Tuesday) – Blue Cheer (Bruno Ceriotti’s research and New Musical Express)

19 October 1968 (Saturday) – Mint Tulip (Melody Maker)

22 October 1968 (Tuesday) – Yes (Peter Banks’ website: http://www.peterbanks.net/archive/bands/yes/)

23 October 1968 (Wednesday) – July (Time Out)

30 October 1968 (Wednesday) – Yes with Dream Police (Peter Banks’ website: http://www.peterbanks.net/archive/bands/yes/)

5 November 1968 (Tuesday) – Yes (Peter Banks’ website: http://www.peterbanks.net/archive/bands/yes/)

11 November 1968 (Monday) – Blonde on Blonde (Time Out)

17 November 1968 (Sunday) – The Show Stoppers (New Musical Express)

24 November 1968 (Sunday) – Yes (Peter Banks’ website: http://www.peterbanks.net/archive/bands/yes/)

Yes’ gig on 24 November is unconfirmed

26 November 1968 (Tuesday) – Tuesday’s Children (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)

1 December 1968 (Sunday) – Bandwagon (New Musical Express)

7 December 1968 – Yes (Peter Banks’ website: http://www.peterbanks.net/archive/bands/yes/)

Yes’ 7 December gig is not listed on the Yes tours wiki site above.

15 December 1968 (Sunday) – The Flame (the South African band plays one week) (Melody Maker)

16 December 1968 (Monday) – The Flame and Mint Tulip (Melody Maker)

17 December 1968 (Tuesday) – The Flame (Melody Maker)

18 December 1968 (Wednesday) – The Flame (Melody Maker)

19 December 1968 (Thursday) – The Flame (Melody Maker)

20 December 1968 (Friday) – The Flame (Melody Maker)

21 December 1968 (Saturday) – The Flame (Melody Maker)

22 December 1968 (Sunday) – The Flame (Melody Maker)

26 December 1968 (Thursday) – Yes (Peter Banks’ website: http://www.peterbanks.net/archive/bands/yes/)

1969

23 January 1969 (Thursday) – Yes (Time Out)

24 January 1969 (Friday) – The N’ Betweens (the band became Slade) (Don Powell’s website: http://www.donpowellofficial.com/)

25 January 1969 (Saturday) – Clouds (Time Out)

20 February 1969 (Thursday) – Majority Sun (Hounslow Post)

23 February 1969 (Sunday) – Affinity (Hounslow Post)

24 February 1969 (Monday) – Pendulum (Hounslow Post)

25 February 1969 (Tuesday) – Cymbaline (Hounslow Post)

26 February 1969 (Wednesday) – The New York Public Library (Hounslow Post)

2 March 1969 (Sunday) – Affinity (Kensington Post)

4 March 1969 (Tuesday) – Sarolta (Kensington Post)

5 March 1969 (Wednesday) – Ben E King (Kensington Post)

9 March 1969 (Sunday) – Terry Reid (Melody Maker)

11 March 1969 (Tuesday) – The Committee (Melody Maker)

12 March 1969 (Wednesday) – The Web (Marylebone Mercury)

16 March 1969 (Sunday) – The Pretty Things (Hounslow Post)

17 March 1969 (Monday) – The Majority (Hounslow Post)

In an interview with Stefan Granados for Shindig magazine, guitarist Pete Mizen says that The Majority were playing here when they were approached to move to France and record with the Pink Elephant label.

18 March 1969 (Tuesday) – The New York Public Library (Hounslow Post)

19 March 1969 (Wednesday) – The Spirit of John Morgan (Hounslow Post)

23 March 1969 (Sunday) – Marv Johnson (Hounslow Post)

24 March 1969 (Monday) – Affinity (Hounslow Post)

25 March 1969 (Tuesday) – Ray King Soul Band (Hounslow Post)

28 March 1969 (Friday) – The Majority (Hounslow Post)

29 March 1969 (Saturday) – Trifle (Hounslow Post)

30 March 1969 (Sunday) – Joynt (Kensington Post)

31 March 1969 (Monday) – The Flames (Hounslow Post)

4 April 1969 (Friday) – Affinity (Hounslow Post)

6 April 1969 (Sunday) – Explosive (Watson T Browne?) (Hounslow Post)

7 April 1969 (Monday) – Circus (Hounslow Post)

9 April 1969 (Wednesday) – Steamhammer (Time Out)

10 April 1969 (Thursday) – Spirit of John Morgan (Time Out)

12 April 1969 (Saturday) – Black Velvet (Hounslow Post)

13 April 1969 (Sunday) – Herbie Goins & The Nightimers (Hounslow Post)

14 April 1969 (Monday) – The Majority (Hounslow Post)

18 April 1969 (Friday) – Springfield Park (Hounslow Post)

19 April 1969 (Saturday) – Pure Gold (Hounslow Post)

20 April 1969 (Sunday) – The Flames (Hounslow Post)

21 April 1969 (Monday) – Jerome Arnold (Hounslow Post)

22 April 1969 (Tuesday) – The Web (Hounslow Post)

26 April 1969 (Saturday) – Village (Time Out)

28 April 1969 (Monday) – Village (Time Out)

4 May 1969 (Sunday) – King Crimson (Hounslow Post)

5 May 1969 (Monday) – Affinity (Hounslow Post)

6 May 1969 (Tuesday) – Spirit of John Morgan (Hounslow Post)

8 May 1969 (Thursday) – The Committee (Melody Maker)

9 May 1969 (Friday) – The Shades (Melody Maker)

10 May 1969 (Sunday) – Bob & Earl (Marylebone Mercury)

11 May 1969 (Sunday) – Black Velvet (Marylebone Mercury)

19 May 1969 (Monday) – Jerome Arnold (Time Out)

20 May 1969 (Tuesday) – The Majority (Time Out)

21 May 1969 (Wednesday) – The Milwaukee Coasters (Time Out)

22 May 1969 (Thursday) – The Committee (Melody Maker)

24 May 1969 (Saturday) – Belle Sebastian (Hounslow Post)

25 May 1969 (Sunday) – The Gods (Hounslow Post and Time Out)

26 May 1969 (Monday) – The Majority (Hounslow Post and Time Out)

27 May 1969 (Tuesday) – The Web (Hounslow Post)

28 May 1969 (Wednesday) – Affinity (Time Out)

1 June 1969 (Sunday) – Sarolta (Blaises gig poster at Don Powell’s website: http://www.donpowellofficial.com/)

2 June 1969 (Monday) – Methuselah (Blaises gig poster at Don Powell’s website: http://www.donpowellofficial.com/)

3 June 1969 (Tuesday) – Ambrose Slade (Blaises gig poster at Don Powell’s website: http://www.donpowellofficial.com/)

4 June 1969 (Wednesday) – The Majority (Blaises gig poster at Don Powell’s website: http://www.donpowellofficial.com/)

5 June 1969 (Thursday) – Jo Jo Gunne (Blaises gig poster at Don Powell’s website: http://www.donpowellofficial.com/)

Although advertised, Jo Jo Gunne didn’t appear as they were part through a three-month residency at the House of Lords club in the Bahamas.

6 June 1969 (Friday) – Blonde on Blonde (Blaises gig poster at Don Powell’s website: http://www.donpowellofficial.com/)

Hounslow Post confirms the Blonde on Blonde gig.

7 June 1969 (Saturday) – Exception (Blaises gig poster at Don Powell’s website: http://www.donpowellofficial.com/)

Time Out has Black Velvet billed for 7 June. Hounslow Post confirms Exception.

8 June 1969 (Sunday) – Root and Jenny Jackson (Blaises gig poster at Don Powell’s website: http://www.donpowellofficial.com/)