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, parts of 1969 and also 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
1969
2 January – The Explosive Watson T Browne
4 January – Spirit of John Morgan
Photo: Melody Maker
5 January – Rick ‘N’ Beckers
7 January – Jo Jo Gunne
No listing in Melody Maker for several weeks
23 January – Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound (Melody Maker also has The Skatalites)
25 January – Arcadium
26 January – Jason Crest
28 January – Toast
30 January – Explosive Watson T Browne
1 February – Bunkers Brain
2 February – Trifle
4 February – Love and Poetry
6 February – The Skatalites
8 February – Rainbow Ffolly
9 February – Bunkers Brain
11 February – My Dear Watson
13 February – The Flames
15 February – Giant
16 February – Rainbow Ffolly
18 February – Toast
20 February – Red Beans and Rice
22 February – Jason Cord (Bob Hodges’ diary has Tuesday’s Children playing on this date)
London Beats in Poland, 1965. Left to right: John Carroll, Jimmy Smith, Peter Carney and Mick Tucker
The London Beats were the first Western rock band to tour behind the Iron Curtain, releasing an ultra-rare LP in Poland and three Polish-only EPs.
Significantly, its members also went on to such notable bands as Geno Washington’s Ram Jam Band, Fortes Mentum, Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement, The Flower Pot Men, The Nashville Teens, Aquila, Cressida and Tranquility.
Moonriders, left to right: Mick Godfrey, Simon Coaffee, Tony Terry, Mick Tucker and Tony Jones
Lead guitarist/singer Mick Tucker, rhythm guitarist/singer Tony Terry and bass player Simon Coaffee (aka Sam Clifton) first came together in Horley, Surrey outfit, The Moonriders, in early 1963, alongside singer Tony Jones and drummer Mick Godfrey. Not long after, the band changed name to The Pete Chester Combo after Chester took over the drum stool.
“For a while [Pete] became the band leader, because to us he was nationally famous,” explains Tucker. “His dad was a big radio star. Charlie Chester was a household name in the 1960s.”
Tony Jones, however, didn’t stay long and Mick Tucker poached lead singer Frank Bennett from local rivals, The Rockatones. Paired with producer Mickie Most, who introduced South African singer Jackie Frisco (later Gene Vincent’s wife) and his brother Dave Hayes as guest singers, The Pete Chester Combo recorded “Love Comes Only Once”, which was subsequently shelved.
Pete Chester Combo, 1963. Left to right: Tony Jones, Mick Tucker, Simon Coaffee, Pete Chester and Tony Terry
When Pete Chester retired that autumn, original sticks man Mick Godfrey briefly re-joined, just in time for an aborted six-day tour of Israel.
Reverting to The Moonriders, the quintet cut a private demo disc comprising five songs – “Da Doo Ron Ron”, “Every Day”, “Love Potion No 9”, “Memphis Tennessee” and “Talk About You”, and this landed the band a contract with Johnnie Jones’s London City Agency. The agent suggested a new name.
“The London Beats was his [Johnnie Jones’s] idea, particularly in Europe because it said where we were from and what sort of music we played,” explains Tucker.
London Beats, early 1964, left to right: Mick Tucker, Tony Terry, Frank Bennett, Jimmy Smith, Simon Coaffee
Jones arranged a six-month deal with a promoter in West Germany, kicking off in January 1964, but Mick Godfrey bailed. Shuffling the pack, Frank Bennett recommended drummer Jimmy Smith from Lewes band, The Shades.
The London Beats shortly after James Smith joined. Photo: Mid Sussex Times
“Frank used to turn up to quite a few late ’63 gigs; he’d come up on stage and do a few numbers with us,” says Smith. “I remember being really impressed by his R&B voice.”
Departing for Frankfurt in March 1964, The London Beats worked the German club scene and American bases until mid-December, by which point Tony Terry had returned home (later forming The Pack).
In London, Mickie Most played the musicians a pre-release master tape of The Animals’ “House of The Rising Sun”. “We knew straight away that it would be a hit record,” remembers Coaffee.
That December, the quartet recorded a cover of Ian Tyson’s “Four Strong Winds” with producer Terry Kennedy, possibly credited as Bennett Tucker.
According to Tucker, Kennedy was putting the final touches to ‘Funny How Love Can Be’ by The Ivy League, and ‘Catch The Wind’ by Donovan,” around the same time. He hired Simon Coaffee to play bass on The Ivy League’s “Tossin’ and Turnin’”.
Then, in January 1965, it was back to Germany for two months to play at the Funny Crow and Top Ten in Hamburg, the latter alongside Howie Casey’s band, Beryl Marsden and Paddy, Klaus & Gibson.
“We did some recordings at the Top Ten, which became a studio during the day,” remembers Tucker.
“Frank Bennett and I did some backing vocals for Isabelle Bond, the resident singer at the Top Ten club – German versions of ‘Bread and Butter’ and also ‘Downtown’. Klaus [Voorman] was also one of the backing singers.”
Back home, Jones offered them a three-month contract in Poland as part of a musician union exchange with the Polish Modern Jazz Quartet. However, Frank Bennett and Simon Coaffee weren’t interested.
“The Polish national agency wanted us because they’d heard through a third party at some trade fair in Poznan in Poland that we were making shed loads of money for our manager in Germany and so the Poles thought we’d like to get in on this,” explains Tucker. “They asked specifically for us even though they’d never heard of us.”
“My father wouldn’t let me go,” explains Bennett on his decision to bail out. “You couldn’t bring the money out, which was a problem. That was the reason. Also, I went back to Germany and joined The Statesmen, an American five-piece harmony band.”
In 1967, Bennett joined Fortes Mentum. The band later released three singles for Parlophone and enough material for an album, which has recently been issued on a CD with Pussy.
Keen to see behind the Iron Curtain, Tucker and Smith recruited an organist and bass player who would join them alongside a female vocalist, a specification in the Polish contract.
Through Melody Maker, they hired Hammond organist John Carroll, who recommended his band mate from Ealing group, The Flexmen – bass player Peter Carney.
Later on, Johnny Jones also recruited a female vocalist – Birmingham-based club singer Linda Crabtree (Linda Fortune) as a solo artist with her own contract.
The musicians headed to Poland in March 1965 and soon after recorded an ultra-rare LP for the Polskie Nagrania Muza label in a church hall in Wroclaw.
“The record company had trucked in a twin-track mobile studio from Warsaw because our itinerary was full and they didn’t want to wait,” says Smith.
“The equipment was pretty old and they didn’t seem to have any experience of recording rock/pop music, resulting in the sound quality and balance leaving a lot to be desired.”
Something of a collector’s item, the album features a fascinating choice of covers, including Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home To Me”, Buddy Holly’s “Maybe Baby” and Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “Walk On By”.
The London Beats in Poland, 1965. Left to right: John Carroll, Jimmy Smith, Peter Carney and Mick Tucker
With the initial contract nearing its end, Pagart (the Polish agency) offered to extend the group’s stay.
“We negotiated our own contract with the Polish authorities because we were fed up with the London City Agency, which had done nothing really to help us,” confesses Tucker.
“In the whole three months we were there [initially] we didn’t hear from them once. We were a bit pissed off with that, so we negotiated the next thing, which is why the name slightly changed to The Original London Beat. That was just for legal reasons.”
Left to right: John Carroll, Peter Carney and Mick Tucker
The quartet returned to Poland in late June but after about two months, John Carroll and Pete Carney returned to home, both joining Tony Knight’s Chessmen.
Carney would subsequently become a long-standing member of Geno Washington’s Ram Jam Band while Carroll would hook up with Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers and later join The Flowerpot Men.
Also back in the UK, Mick Tucker recruited bass player Kevin McCarthy from Tolworth, Surrey outfits The Trends (later The 4 Degrees) and The Peasants, and Australian rhythm guitarist Tony Stanton.
“Mick Tucker contacted me, came over and told me about The London Beats,” remembers McCarthy. “I played him a recording of the 4 Degrees, which must have been good enough for him to consider me for the job. We got together at his house in Horley to rehearse, where I met the new singer Sterry Moore.”
New line up. Left to right: Mick Tucker, Tony Stanton, Kevin McCarthy and Jimmy Smith
The female singer (no relation to actor Roger Moore) was brought in to take over from Linda Crabtree on both the recording and touring front. However, as McCarthy points out, Tucker’s decision to bring in another guitarist was a last minute decision.
“He found [a keyboardist] in Melody Maker and we went to meet him. He had a brand new Vox Continental organ and he could really play it. This was Eddie Hardin, who later joined Spencer Davis. Alas, he did not want to go to Poland with The London Beats for six months.”
On 25 October 1965, the musicians flew to Warsaw where they were reunited with Jimmy Smith.
“We began rehearsals and the agency organised photos and posters,” continues McCarthy. “They took our names straight off our passports and printed them on the posters…
“Mick was a tall guy, well-built with very long hair. I’m 5 ‘2” and was still suffering from a butchered haircut I’d gotten for The Peasants so we must have looked very strange together. However, we were treated like VIPs.”
That winter, the reconfigured line up recorded 12 tracks on four-track at Polskie Nagrania Muza’s studio in Warsaw Old Town, which were released over the next six months over three EPs. In recording terms and quality they were far superior to the earlier recordings.
With singer Sterry Moore
The first EP, entitled The Original London Beat, and featuring Mick Tucker on all lead vocals, came out in late 1965 and comprised the tracks, “Walking The Dog”, “Wanna Walk In The Sunshine”, “Hang on Sloopy” and Scarlet Ribbons”.
This was followed in early 1966 by I’ll Go Crazy, which featured Mick Tucker on lead vocals on two tracks – “I’ll Go Crazy” and “If You Gotta Go, Go Now” and Polish singer Mira Kubansinka on the remaining tracks, “Walking In The Sand” and “You’re No Good”.
The final EP, Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, also released in 1966, featured Sterry Moore on lead vocals on all four tracks – “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”, “I Had a Talk With My Man”, “The Biggest Players” and “Won’t Be Long”.
Joined by Mira Kubansinka (third left)
Joined by Mira Kubansinka for a nationwide tour, the musicians traversed the country in a bus, right in the dead of winter.
“Snow was often piled high on the side of the road,” remembers McCarthy. “In the country, there were horse-drawn carts everywhere and people working very hard to survive. Cities were stark, cold and old-fashioned with foreboding-looking statues and shrapnel damage still visible on the walls of buildings leftover from the war.”
McCarthy adds that while The London Beats were touring in Poland, other UK groups like The Hollies and Lulu & The Luvvers started arriving.
However, with the extended contract coming to an end in late January 1966, and the opportunities to work in Poland exhausted, the musicians lost interest.
On 15 March 1966, most of the band flew to London. No longer celebrities the musicians had to start from scratch.
“I was fed up with living out of a suitcase by then and we had no feeling of going forward,” admits Tucker.
“We’d been for want of a better word, big stars in Poland and wherever else we’d play from there on, we’d have to work from the bottom up again. After five or six years at it, I thought I’d quit and have some happy memories.”
Tony Terry and Mick Tucker
Tucker reunited with former member Tony Terry and worked the folk club circuit from 1967-1968.
The pair then set up a travel business driving mini buses all over Europe and North Africa. Tucker was offered the opportunity to return to Poland but declined.
Four Ovus, August 1966. Photo: Mid Sussex Times
Jimmy Smith, Sterry Moore and Kevin McCarthy formed Forovus with guitarist Ken Ali. Having started calling herself Mary McCarthy, Moore then recorded the single “People Like You” with singer Mickey Clarke, which was released on CBS in January 1967. She recorded two solo singles – “The Folk I Love” and “Happy Days and Lonely Nights”– that same year.
Jimmy Smith, who nearly joined The New Pirates (alongside John Carroll), replaced Phil Wainman in Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement. After a brief reunion with Carroll in Germany, a short spell with The Nashville Teens and The Fantastics, he recorded an album with Aquila in 1970.
Kevin McCarthy hooked up with R&B outfit, Ivan St Clair & System Soul Band, before landing on his feet: “Sometime in 1968 I answered an ad in Melody Maker and met John Heyworth and Angus Cullen; we would eventually become Cressida and record two albums for Vertigo with producer/manager Ossie Byrne.”
When Cressida split in November 1970, McCarthy joined Tranquility and appeared on two albums and some unreleased tracks before moving to Los Angeles in 1976. He has participated in several Cressida reunions and continues to play guitar and write songs.
“Interestingly, one of my songs recorded by another artist was ‘One Way Ticket’, which appeared on The Hollies’ Then, Now, Always, album released in 2010.”
The first reunion on 21 March 2015. Left to right: Mick Tucker, Simon Coaffee, Jimmy Smith and Tony Terry. Photo credit: Pam Terry
As for the original London Beats, Mick Tucker, Jimmy Smith, Simon Coaffee and Tony Terry reunited on 21 March this year with plans for a second reunion with Frank Bennett on 11 July.
Huge thanks to Mick Tucker, Jimmy Smith, Frank Bennett, Peter Carney, Simon Coaffee, John Carroll and Kevin McCarthy.
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)
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)
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)
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 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)
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
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)
10 July 1969 (Thursday) – Jo Jo Gunne (Hounslow Post)
Although advertised, Jo Jo Gunne may not have appeared as they returned from a three-month residency at the House of Lords club in the Bahamas in early-to-mid July.
11 July 1969 (Friday) – Spirit of John Morgan (Hounslow Post)
This site is a work in progress on 1960s garage rock bands. All entries can be updated, corrected and expanded. If you have information on a band featured here, please let me know and I will update the site and credit you accordingly.
I am dedicated to making this site a center for research about '60s music scenes. Please consider donating archival materials such as photos, records, news clippings, scrapbooks or other material from the '60s. Please contact me at rchrisbishop@gmail.com if you can loan or donate original materials
