White Rabbit in late 1967/early 1968. Left to right: Brian Henderson, Junior Kerr, Terry Stannard, Linda Lewis, Andy Rickell, Ralph Richardson. Photo courtesy of Rod Goodway.
A fascinating, yet short-lived band that included a number of notable musicians who went on to greater things.
The original White Rabbit line-up came together about November 1967 around singers Junior Kerr and Linda Lewis, who’d met earlier that year as members of Herbie Goins & The Night Timers.
Junior Kerr, incidentally, had started out with The Blue-Ace-Unit while Lewis had performed with John Lee Hooker in 1964 and sung with The Q-Set before they backed Maxine Brown and then Ronnie Jones.
White Rabbit was managed jointly by Ian Samwell (Lewis’ manager) and Laurie O’Leary, who managed the Speakeasy club in London.
Linda Lewis in Record Mirror. Thanks to David Else for the cutting
The band’s guitarist Andy Rickell and drummer Terry Stannard had both previously worked together in Calne, Wiltshire band, The Pack during 1966 with future White Rabbit singer Rod Goodway. The trio had also played with another, albeit short-lived, Wiltshire group, Flower of Wisdom between February-June 1967.
When Flower of Wisdom broke up, Terry Stannard moved to London where he joined Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound, which is probably how he ran into Junior Kerr, who’d formed his own band, The Junior ‘Pretty Boy’ Kerr Group around October 1967. In fact, Stannard may well have been a member of this band after working with Freddie Mack (and possibly may have been with Herbie Goins briefly).
Meanwhile, Rickell and Goodway began working with the studio project J P Sunshine, which they kept together after Rickell joined White Rabbit (possibly also after a short stint with Herbie Goins) and Goodway was invited to replace Art Wood in the post-Artwoods band, St Valentine’s Day Massacre between January-April 1968.
The original version of White Rabbit was completed with two additional musicians, rhythm guitarist/singer Brian Henderson, who’d recently been part of Nirvana’s backing band and was previously in The Soul Mates and Liza Strike & The Jet Set, and bass player Ralph Richardson, who’d worked with Henderson in The Jet Set.
According to the Redbridge & Ilford Recorder, White Rabbit played at El Grotto in Ilford, east London on 9-10 December 1967.
After a short Italian tour, which included playing in Turin (see poster above) and billed as Junior Kerr and Linda Lewis and White Rabbit, they performed at the “Big C” club in Farnborough on 24 February 1968.
On 10 March, White Rabbit returned to play at El Grotto in Ilford, east London, according to the Redbridge & Ilford Recorder.
The band also played at the Revolution Club in central London before travelling to France to perform, which included a few weeks in Biarritz (most likely the Canasta Club).
On their return in late March, Terry Stannard departed, later working with Mirrors (with Boz Burrell and Nick Judd), Alan Marshall’s band One and Kokomo among others. Kerr remembers a Jewish drummer called Mick, who briefly filled in.
However, Junior Kerr also departed in late March and formed his own band, Junior’s Conquest who debuted in early April. (Ed. He is seen on French TV playing with Herbie Goins in April 1968 but this must be a recording from 1967.) In later years, he would change his name to Junior Marvin and work alongside Bob Marley.
Brian Henderson, who later worked with J J Jackson, and Ralph Richardson also departed.
On 6 April, the group was advertised playing on the French TV show Bouton Rouge but it’s not clear if this definitely happened. If they did appear, this would have been the broadcast date and would have been recorded in March while they were working in France.
Thanks to Bruno Ceriotti for photo
Linda Lewis and Andy Rickell meanwhile pieced together a new version of White Rabbit in late March 1968. Rickell recruited his former Pack and J P Sunshine colleague, singer Rod Goodway, who’d left St Valentine’s Day Massacre, to replace Junior Kerr.
Rod Goodway shortly after joining White Rabbit
The pair also recruited drummer Ron Berg, who interestingly had also played with Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound (alongside Stannard) during mid-late 1967.
To complete the new version, they added Cyprus-born bass player Pete Pavli and organist Mick Aron.
Redbridge & Ilford Recorder has them playing at the El Grotto in Ilford on 4 April. It is possible this may have been just with Linda Lewis singing before Rod Goodway joined.
White Rabbit in St Tropez. Left to right: Ron Berg, Rod Goodway, Linda Lewis and Peter Pavli. Courtesy Rod Goodway
Almost immediately, the new White Rabbit left the UK for the south of France and performed at the Papagayo Club in St Tropez for three weeks, starting in the first week of May.
The musicians were back in London for a notable gig at the Middle Earth club in Covent Garden, opening for Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band on 25 May. The group also opened for The Crazy World of Arthur Brown around August.
Around August/September 1968, however, Rod Goodway and Linda Lewis both left, the latter to embark on a successful solo career after fronting Ferris Wheel where she played alongside future Foreigner drummer Dennis Elliott.
Pete Pavli also left to join High Tide while Mick Aron went on to work with Pete Brown.
Andy Rickell and Ron Berg kept the band going until around November/December of that year, bringing in a number of musicians, including Hammond organist Peter Jennings, who subsequently joined Cressida in September 1969.
Jennings says that he worked with Berg at Sidney Bron’s ‘Bron’s Orchestral Service’ in Oxford Street and then Newman Street, collecting music from publishers in the area and sending them to customers.
The Hammond organist recalls that they also had a singer, who he thinks came from Leicester and a trumpet player from Wales.
He remembers that Laurie O’Leary was still managing the group and that they rehearsed in a gym on Tottenham Court Road. Jennings recalls a gig in Ilford (most likely El Grotto; there is a guest group appearing there on 14 November 1968) one at Sybilla’s in Swallow Street, central London before splitting.
On the band’s demise, Ron Berg joined Mick Abrahams’ post-Jethro Tull group, Blodwyn Pig while Rickell later joined The Crazy World of Arthur Brown.
Jennings worked with several bands before joining Cressida, including one with guitarist Ged Peck called Storm. The others were Van Dyke and Luther Morgan.
This author would be interested to hear from anyone who can add any further information. Huge thanks to Rod Goodway for photos and background information.
Hamilton and The Hamilton Movement, 1965. Back row, left to right: Chris Palmer, Gary Laub and Peter Vernon-Kell. Front: Fedon Tilberis
In August 1965, an obscure R&B outfit named Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement signalled its arrival on the London scene with an impressive rendition of The Velvelettes’ Motown classic “Really Saying Something” (later a sizeable UK hit for Bananarama) and then seemingly vanished off the face of the earth.
Then, almost two years later, a band calling itself Hamilton & The Movement descended on the airwaves with the infectious soul-rocker, “I’m Not the Marrying Kind”, a Bill Wyman penned and produced number, infused with punchy horn lines, funky drums and some groovy Hammond organ fills. Could this really be the same band and, if so, why such a long radio silence?
The answer to that question is both a yes and a no. While both outfits were fronted by a singer called Gary Hamilton, they were in fact two entirely different groups, albeit each with fascinating histories. To understand how these two bands became entwined, it’s important to go back to the early Sixties and the man who kick-started ‘the movement’, so to speak – Gary Hamilton.
The son of an English mother and American father, Gary Hamilton was in fact a certain Gary Laub, who grew up in London’s Marble Arch and St John’s Wood areas.
In 1962, Laub formed his first (unnamed) group with a school friend and lead guitarist named Graham who lived opposite Lords cricket ground. Soon after, they were joined by bass player Chris Palmer, rhythm guitarist Ian Hunt and (finally) drummer Fedon Tilberis, who all attended Haverstock School.
“How Chris and Ian met Gary I don’t know,” says Tilberis. “I joined a little later but Graham was still in the band and left soon after. We enlisted a replacement lead guitarist named Mike Allen and emerged as a five-piece named The Moondogs. The name was [Gary’s father] Mr Laub’s idea before we auditioned at the famous Two Is coffee bar.”
Fast forward to spring 1965 and Laub, Palmer and Tilberis had to reshuffle the pack when Allen and Hunt moved on. Through a friend of Tilberis, they were introduced to two older guitarists – Costas and Bernie – and started gigging as Cell Block 5.
“Costas was an ex-pro who had played US bases in Germany; he was a men’s tailor by trade. Bernie was from Rochdale. They were then in their late Twenties,” remembers Tilberis.
“We practised in the cellar of a scrap shop in south London that they knew. They did a three-nighter with us in a Greek Street cellar club called Les Cousins that I hustled but Bernie, not feeling very happy, left on the last night after the gig. Costas stayed on for a London suburb gig. They were only with us for about seven or eight weeks.”
Coining a new name, The Reaction, Tilberis hit the jackpot when he stumbled across Rayrik Studio owners Rick Minas and Bruce Rea, who offered up their Chalk Farm studio as a practice room. In return, the outfit would play free on any demo recording sessions when required.
“As it turned out, this was a great deal for us as we never had to record anything there other than our audition to clinch the agreement and practised for free,” continues the drummer.
Abetted by guitar legend Mick Green, The Reaction duly auditioned and Minas was bowled over by the performance.
“Chris and I had auditioned Mick at Chris’ place in Kilburn shortly before the Rayrik audition and we were both very impressed,” remembers Tilberis.
“Although Mick didn’t commit himself, he was interested in doing the Rayrik session, maybe hoping for some recording session gigs. I can’t remember what the number was that we recorded or if Gary was even there, but do remember listening to the backing take after and Mick’s comment. He said that it was a good clean recording and that you could build on it. Rick and Bruce agreed.”
Peter Vernon-Kell (front) with The Macabre outside the Ealing Club. Photo: Peter Vernon-Kell
However, when Mick Green opted to return to The Dakotas, with whom he had been playing with after leaving Johnny Kidd & The Pirates the previous year, Peter Vernon-Kell, a member of Goldhawk Social Club and Ealing Club regulars, The Macabre assumed guitar duties. Incidentally, Vernon-Kell had also been a brief member of The Detours, a forerunner of The Who.
“Both Mick Green and Peter Vernon-Kell came to us via a [Melody Maker] ad in that order. We did see other guitarists but finally settled for Peter after Mick moved on to greener pastures [excuse the pun],” explains Tilberis.
“Peter shared our new musical orientation and attitude, and as far as we were concerned, he fitted the bill. I then arranged our first practice at Rayrik.”
Prior to Vernon-Kell’s addition to the group’s ranks, Minas and Rea had introduced impresario Robert Stigwood, and the Australian subsequently offered Gary Laub a recording deal and put the band on his agency books.
Stigwood insisted that “Really Saying Something” should be the ‘A’ side while Rick Minas and his song-writing partner Mike Banwell offered up “I Won’t See You Tonight” for the flipside.
Before cutting both tracks at a demo session at Regent Sound in Denmark Street, Vernon-Kell coined a new name; The Reaction sounding too similar to The Action, The Who’s regular Tuesday night opener at the Marquee.
“He came up with The Hamilton Movement [in honour of Macabre guitarist Ed Hamilton] in the pub before the session [and] we thought it was great,” remembers Tilberis, who adds that Gary Laub, although at first not so keen, adopted ‘Hamilton’ as a stage name.
Having booked Olympic Sound (then situated in Baker Street) for the final recordings (and unbeknownst to the musicians), Stigwood augmented the band with Graham Bond on piano.
“We were aware who Graham was and were pleased to have him on board for the session,” says Tilberis.
According to the drummer, the tracks required only a few takes per playback and for the lead/backing vocals. Released in August 1965, the single entered the Radio Caroline charts at number 65 on 23 October and peaked at number 53 the following week.
However, the musicians soon realised that any talk of ‘band democracy’ was just that. Not only did the single list the outfit as Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement but Stigwood started promoting them as such.
“Only Gary was allowed to perform on Ready Steady Go using our playback, though we were allowed to attend the show,” explains Tilberis.
Interestingly, as future Hamilton Movement member Mel Wayne recalls, Stigwood insisted on the same conditions with another of his charges, The All-Nite Workers, who were backing Indian singer Simon Scott around the same time.
“Simon mimed to our backing track [on Ready Steady Go] while we had to stand on the balcony with the audience,” says the sax player. “It must have been a Stigwood thing.”
Aired on 22 October 1965, Gary Hamilton appeared on the popular British TV show alongside The Animals, The Searchers, Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds and The Rolling Stones, which may have been where the singer linked up with Bill Wyman.
By then, the group had started to pick up consistent live work, kicking off with a memorable gig at Sophia Gardens Pavilion in Cardiff on 30 August with The Who, The Graham Bond Organisation, The Merseybeats and The Easybeats (not the Australian outfit), which had been arranged by the Stigwood/Lambert-Stamp team.
“It looked like a sports hall with an enormous stage at one end. We went up the day before and slept in the van and hung about till early next afternoon to unload our gear,” says Tilberis.
“Townsend was also there early and limbering up in The Who’s dressing room. As our Pete knew him, he went to say ‘allo’ and introduce his new mates… [Townsend] asked Pete if he could borrow his Fender amp for the gig. Pete was more than wary, after all he didn’t want his amp wrecked so Townsend promised to only demolish his Marshall gear.
“Keith Moon and Tony Banks, drummer of The Merseybeats, were looning around and generally getting on everybody’s nerves, especially Entwistle’s as Moon had donned his bass and was running up and down the stage strumming it like a maniac. I thought John was going to thump him.”
More provincial gigs followed, not to mention the obligatory Mod clubs in London, including the El Partido in Lewisham where the outfit played alongside The Duke Lee Sounds on 30 October 1965.
However, in mid-late January 1966, the Stigwood/Lambert & Stamp team secured a spot for the band on a three-day, two shows a day package tour, once again opening for Vernon-Kell’s former band mates, The Who, and also featuring Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages, The Graham Bond Organisation, The Merseybeats and The Fortunes.
“Bob [Stigwood] arranged for us to practise at the Granada TV rehearsal studios at the Oval about a week beforehand,” remembers Tilberis. “He and Lambert came to oversee the rep and offer presentation tips for our opening spot on the show.”
The tour debut duly took place at the Astoria Cinema, Finsbury Park on 4 February and was followed by a gig at the Odeon Cinema, Southend-on-Sea the next day, culminating with a final engagement on 6 February at the Empire Theatre, Liverpool.
The following month, on 11-12 March, the musicians found themselves on the campus of Essex University in Colchester where a number of bands, including the up and coming Pink Floyd were entertaining the students.
Then in April, Stigwood linked up with Chris Blackwell to promote a second package tour headlined by The Who, this time with Hamilton and The Hamilton Movement joining the likes of The Spencer Davis Group, The Band of Angels and (most notably) Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System (aka New Generation) (who featured musicians that would form part of the soon-to-be Hamilton Movement).
The four-day tour, with two shows a day, kicked off at the Gaumont Theatre in Southampton on 14 April. After weaving its way on to Fairfield Halls in Croydon, then the Odeon in Watford, the tour wound up at the Regal Theatre in Edmonton.
“Gary’s mum called me on Saturday, 16 April in the afternoon asking if we would do the Watford gig that evening,” says the drummer. “Although we all had other plans I rounded up Pete and Chris and we did that gig.”
Stigwood then proposed a second single and once again engaged Graham Bond on piano. The sessions included a stab at The Who’s “A Legal Matter” as the ‘B’ side, which was cut as an instrumental track. However, the recording of the ‘A’ side did not go well, as Tilberis recalls.
“We weren’t raving about the number. Stigwood arranged a practice room and gave us a single to learn but I can’t remember what it was called. I had a trouble with the drum part on the session.
“Bob was well peeved but let us play one of our tunes that we were working on, but there was no melody line or title at that stage and he didn’t like it. The Olympic session was a blow out and Bob gave us the thumbs down, we were out and the gig flow stopped.”
As Tilberis points out, there was still no signed contract, and the singer was looking out for himself. “Gary’s dad [Harry] being a shrewd businessman and used to dealing with contracts and small print had deleted a hefty portion of the contract!”
Chris Palmer and Fedon Tilberis soon left for Jimmy & The Rackets, a British beat group with hit parade successes in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
Joining long-standing frontman, Jimmy Duncombe and guitarist Mike Bell, Tilberis remained with the Swiss-based outfit until spring 1968 while Palmer stayed on for another year.
The pair appeared on a cache of European-only released singles by The Rackets, kicking off with a cover of Eddie Cochran’s “C’mon Everybody” backed by a cover version of George Harrison’s “I Want To Tell You”.
The pair ended up setting up home in Switzerland where, in 1970, The Chris Palmer Band recorded the ultra-rare solo LP Fingertips, featuring originals from all the band members.
Palmer later hit pay day in 1980 when Surface Noise topped the UK dance music chart with a cover of his song, “The Scratch”. Tilberis re-joined The Rackets and played with local bands, including Swiss Sixties specialists, The Countdowns.
Vernon-Kell meanwhile subsequently moved into production. Setting up PVK Records, he managed Peter Green and produced a string of his late 1970s and early 1980s albums. More recently, he’s become an executive producer for films and currently runs Cabana Films Ltd.
But Gary Hamilton wasn’t finished with The Hamilton Movement. In late July/early August 1966, he linked up with Jimmy Cliff’s backing band, The New Generation, renaming them The Movement.
Bass player Ron Thomas, who years later struck fame with The Heavy Metal Kids, thinks the link-up came through The New Generation’s keyboard player Mick Fletcher.
“[Mick] was always going down all the clubs around Wardour Street,” says the bass player. “He was always ducking and diving and I thought he just met him [Gary Hamilton] out there one night.”
“Me and Mickie Fletcher were great mates and frequented The Ship in Wardour Street and drank with Gary there quite a bit,” confirms sax player Mel Wayne.
“We were all a bit frustrated the way things were going with Jimmy Cliff because he didn’t have a soul or pop voice, which was the sort of music Chris Blackwell wanted him to do and engaged us for.”
New Generation members Ron Thomas and Mel Wayne, together with fellow sax player Dave Mahoney, had first come together in West London R&B outfit Mike Dee & The Prophets.
Adding Thomas’s school friend Mick Stewart on guitar in mid-1965, they split from Mike Dee and worked as Anglo-Indian singer Simon Scott’s backing group, The All-Nite Workers. Their lone single together was produced by none other than Robert Stigwood!
By late 1965, former Paramounts drummer Phil Wainman had assumed leadership, and after cutting several singles with Errol Dixon and briefly backing Freddie Mack, Mick Stewart jumped ship to join Johnny Kidd & The ‘New’ Pirates.
Having previously introduced Mick Fletcher from The Epitaph Soul Band, guitarist Tony Sinclair (aka Tony St. Clair) completed the new formation, now gigging as The Sound System.
Through a chance meeting with Chris Blackwell, the sextet supported his roster of artists – Jackie Edwards, Millie, Owen Grey and most notably Jimmy Cliff. Trumpet player John Droy joined just before the Gary Hamilton pairing.
Clockwise from front: Ron Thomas, Mick Fletcher, Gary Laub, Tony Sinclair, Mel Wayne, Dave Mahoney and Phil Wainman
The expanded group began rehearsing at London’s Colony Club where Gary’s father was employed; US film star George Raft worked as its casino director and briefly financed the outfit. Mel Wayne adds that the group also rehearsed at Caesars Palace in Dunstable and Ken Collier’s London club.
When John Droy bailed after a short nationwide tour with The Walker Brothers in mid-August to join The Quotations, The Movement expanded its line-up, bringing in trumpet players – Mike Bailey, Alan Ellis and Patrick Higgs, the latter from Elton John’s group, Bluesology around December. (Ed: One of the unsuccessful musicians to audition was trumpet player Verdi Stewart, who would be instrumental in landing Mel Wayne future work with Carl Douglas.)
“We had a ten-piece band; a five-piece brass section; three trumpets. When I think of it now, we were all on a wage,” recalls Thomas.
That November, Gary Hamilton landed a recording deal with CBS and the musicians entered IBC Studios to work with Rolling Stone Bill Wyman in the producer’s chair.
“That was something that [Gary’s father] Mr Laub put together. He said, ‘We’ve got a song for you’,” remembers Phil Wainman, who adds that the group nailed both sides in a couple of takes.
“He [Bill Wyman] just let us get on with it. The band was so good. We’d rehearsed it prior to the studio and… in three hours I think we were done, recorded and mixed.”
“I’m Not The Marrying Kind” c/w “My Love Belongs To You” was duly released on 10 February 1967 and hit single written all over it.
However, despite having supported The Who at Leeds University on 21 January and then making a notable appearance at the Saville Theatre opening for Chuck Berry and Del Shannon on 19 February, the single’s commercial failure prompted the backers to drastically reduce the group’s bookings.
Phil Wainman was the first to abandon ship for The Overlanders and then Jack Hammer, author of “Great Balls of Fire”.
After co-penning The Yardbirds’ cover “Little Games” and working with The Quotations, Wainman became a top session player and then a successful producer with Sweet and Boomtown Rats, among his credits.
“As a producer I did so much better than as a musician,” says Wainman. “That’s where I did well. I probably sold about 300 million records.”
James Smith, fresh from an audition with The New Pirates, reforming after Johnny Kidd’s death, assumed the drum stool.
“I got a call from Ron Thomas,” remembers the newcomer. “He said Mick Stewart had given him my number and would I be interested in auditioning? I got the gig, though it was a hard act to follow. Phil was one of the best drummers around at the time.”
Smith remembers the band finding plenty of work on the university circuit that spring, including Keele, Nottingham, Leeds and Birmingham.
In the first week of April, Melody Maker reported that the group had whittled down from a 10 piece to a seven piece. Mel Wayne left to join Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede and two other horn players also departed, most likely including Pat Higgs.
On 27 May, Hamilton & The Movement joined Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, The Action, The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band and The Swinging Blue Jeans to entertain the students at Oxford’s Hertford Balls.
The drummer also says that The Hamilton Movement opened for US soul act Sam and Bill several times (most notably at the Boston Gliderdrome on 15 July) before further changes ensued during August and October 1967.
Sam and Bill, Record Mirror
“The brass section dropped out and this kind of triggered a fairly rapid exodus… There were no gigs for a while so Tony, Mick and Ron found other work,” says the drummer.
While Mick Fletcher failed to reunite with Mel Wayne in Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (the job went to Rod Mayall), he next appears to have played with The Rifle (with guitarist Del Grace from Carl Douglas’ band and singer Malcolm Magaron) and then The Amboy Dukes in late 1969 for a short tour into mid-1970.
Tony Sinclair briefly played with Lace before joining Freddie Mack’s band in early 1968. The soul outfit split from the former boxer in 1969 and worked with Dave Hadfield at his studio on the Old Kent Road, providing backing tracks for various artists on Hadfield’s Revolution label.
Ron Thomas meanwhile got a job with guitarist Pip Williams’s band, The House of Orange, backing US soul act, The Fantastics.
“They were right in the middle of a tour backing Garnet Mimms,” he recalls. “They were a house band working with Roy Tempest. They just phoned me up. Their bass player had got slung out in the middle of the tour and they had a gig that night.”
With ‘The Movement’ on hold, James Smith had also started to explore other avenues and even had an offer on the table when Gary Hamilton convinced him to hang on.
“Gary came up with Mick Stewart and Tony Savva and said he wanted to change the style and format going with a three-piece backing band, so I decided to stay,” says the drummer.
Bass player Tony Savva was best known for his work with A Wild Uncertainty, the group that featured Eddie Hardin, who had replaced Stevie Winwood in The Spencer Davis Group that spring.
Savva is uncertain how the link-up with Hamilton came about but has some photos with A Wild Uncertainty drummer Gordon Barton and lead guitarist Peter Tidmarsh in them, which offers a clue.
“Gary and I were behind the camera,” he explains. “How and why I don’t know but obviously we were backing Gary as vocalist. Maybe Gordon and Peter split and Mick [Stewart] and Jimmy [Smith] came in.”
Mick Stewart, however, can throw more light on this transition period. “I believe that I played with Tony Savva for a little while because of something to do with Don Arden’s son David being a would-be-singer at the time,” says the guitarist.
“The intro to that was in a way due to Johnny Kidd. Over the years, he was in fact booked quite a bit by Don Arden’s agency and after he died, I believe that someone at Arden’s company suggested I play guitar in this back-up band. Tony was already in the line-up. At the end of the day, however, David Arden although he was a really great guy to be in a rock ‘n’ roll band with, he was not really a singer at all.”
Gary Hamilton 25 November 1967 Record Mirror
With the new version finding its feet, Gary Hamilton returned to the studios with session musicians to cut a solo single. Produced by Tony Meehan and penned by Mike D’Abo, “Let the Music Play”, backed by the self-penned “Don’t Ask”, was released by Decca on 12 November 1967 but flopped. A dramatic, big band production, “Let the Music Play” appears on Colour Me Pop, Volume Three and Fading Yellow Volume 9: The Other Side of Life.
During early November 1967, Gary Hamilton expanded the line-up by bringing in organist Terry Goldberg, who had previously played with The Mark Leeman Five and would go onto Tintern Abbey.
Melody Maker, 11 November 1967
The five-piece gigged prolifically over the next four months, even opening for Ike & Tina Turner and others at the Boston Gliderdrome on 20 April 1968. Two days later, the musicians played possibly their final show at the 100 Club on Oxford Street before the inevitable split.
During 1968, Gary Hamilton recorded a one-track acetate “Carry The Can“, which was never released. The tracks were recorded with studio musicians and not the final version of The Hamilton Movement.
Mick Stewart immediately joined James Royal and participated in a prestigious concert tour alongside Johnny Cash, June Carter and Carl Perkins. During 1969-1970, he recorded three singles with Sweet before later moving to the United States in the late 1970s, where he works in Los Angeles and Nashville as a successful record producer and also owns a music publishing company and a recording studio.
Tony Savva meanwhile subsequently worked with Lionel Bart and Samuel Prody among others and currently lives in Cyprus. James Smith, who later recorded with Aquila, played with a revamped Nashville Teens before reuniting with Ron Thomas in The House of Orange.
“[Ron] said The Fantastics were coming back to the UK for a tour and he and Pip Williams were getting a backing band together and looking for a drummer and organist. I’d seen Ron and Pip previously so I didn’t need asking twice.”
As for Gary Hamilton, he joined the London production of Hair before resuming his solo career with a lone single for CBS and gigging briefly with Cozy Powell’s band, Big Bertha. Produced by Bernard Lee, the self-penned “Easy Rider” stalled when it was released on 5 December 1969.
Undeterred, he returned to Polydor for a cover of Ed Welch’s the “Monkey Song”, produced by Peter Knight Jr and arranged by John Fiddy. Released on 20 November 1970, the single flopped and Hamilton moved into movie acting; the eagle-eyed can catch him in the cult horror flick, Tower of Evil.
Thanks to Fedon Tilberis, Peter Vernon-Kell, Chris Palmer, Ron Thomas, Phil Wainman, Mel Wayne, James Smith, Mick Stewart and Tony Savva
To add information and make corrections, email: Warchive@aol.com
A version of this article appears in Ugly Things magazine.
30 August 1965 – Sophia Gardens Pavilion, Cardiff, Wales with The Who, The Graham Bond Organisation, The Merseybeats and The Easybeats
18 September 1965 – Il Rondo, Leicester
16 October 1965 – Woodhall Community Centre, Welwyn Garden City
30 October 1965 – El Partido, Lewisham, south east London with The Duke Lee Sounds and The Loose Ends
13 November 1965 – Co-Op Hall, Chesham, Bucks
27 November 1965 – Dungeon, Nottingham
4 December 1965 – Gala Ballroom, Norwich, Norfolk with Profile
24 December 1965 – Clacton Town Hall, Clacton, Essex with Unit 4+2 and The Nite-Sect
4 January 1966 – Pavilion Ballroom, Bournemouth, Dorset
1 February 1966 – Carousel Club, Farnborough, Hants
4 February 1966 – Astoria Cinema, Finsbury Park, north London with The Who, The Merseybeats, The Fortunes, The Graham Bond Organisation and Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages
5 February 1966 – Odeon Cinema, Southend-on-Sea, Essex with The Who, The Merseybeats, The Fortunes, The Graham Bond Organisation and Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages
6 February 1966 – Empire Theatre, Liverpool with The Who, The Merseybeats, The Fortunes, The Graham Bond Organisation and Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages
11 February 1966 – Wimbledon Palais, Wimbledon, London with The Who and The Mike Rabin Group
18 February 1966 – Tower Ballroom, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk with Circuit Five
19 February 1966 – Royal Links Pavilion, Cromer, Norfolk with The Ultimate
11-12 March 1966 – Essex University, Colchester, Essex with Pink Floyd and others
18 March 1966 – Dancing Slipper, Nottingham with Carl Pagan & The Heathens
19 March 1966 – Gala Ballroom, Norwich, Norfolk with The Spectrum
11 April 1966 – Clacton Town Hall, Clacton, Essex with The Moody Blues and Dave & The Strollers
14 April 1966 – Gaumont Theatre, Southampton, Hants with The Who, The Spencer Davis Group, The Band of Angels and Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System
15 April 1966 – Fairfield Hall, Croydon, south London with The Who, The Spencer Davis Group, The Band of Angels and Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System
16 April 1966 – Odeon, Watford, Herts with The Who, The Spencer Davis Group, The Band of Angels and Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System
17 April 1966 – Regal Theatre, Edmonton, north London with The Who, The Spencer Davis Group, The Band of Angels and Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System
21 May 1966 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hants with The Nuetrons
The original band split around June 1966 and Gary Hamilton put together a new version in late July
Gary Hamilton (vocals)
Tony Sinclair (aka St Clair) (guitar)
Ron Thomas (bass)
Mick Fletcher (keyboards)
Mel Wayne (sax)
Dave Mahoney (sax)
John Droy (trumpet)
Phil Wainman (drums)
11-13 August 1966 – Gaumont Cinema, Bournemouth, Dorset with The Kinks, The Walker Brothers, The Quotations, The Creation, The Wishful Thinking, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Titch and The Moody Blues
14 August 1966 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with The Anzacs
John Droy left soon after the tour to join The Quotations
26 August 1966 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire
3 September 1966 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with The Mystery Men
9 September 1966 – Benn Memorial Hall, Rugby, Warwickshire with The Roaring 60s and The Imagination (Rugby Advertiser)
18 September 1966 – Cromer Olympia, Cromer, Norfolk with The Barry Lee Show
24 September 1966 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire with Dave Berry & The Cruisers
29 September 1966 – Thorngate Ballroom, Gosport, Hampshire
1 October 1966 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire with The Thoughts
16 October 1966 – Khyber Club, Taunton, Somerset with The Sabres (the band replaced MI5)
Three trumpets players joined around December – Mike Bailey, Alan Ellis and Pat Higgs
21 January 1967 – Leeds University, Leeds, West Yorkshire with The Who
19 February 1967 – Saville Theatre, Shaftsbury Avenue, central London with Chuck Berry, The Canadians and Del Shannon
26 February 1967 – Saville Theatre, Shaftsbury Avenue, central London with Chuck Berry, The Candians and Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers
11 March 1967 – Birdcage, Portsmouth, Hants (cancelled)
Phil Wainman left around now and Jim Smith joined on drums
18 March 1967
18 March 1967 – Ewell Technical College, Ewell, Surrey with The Easybeats
Around early April, Mel Wayne and two trumpet players left, most likely including Pat Higgs. The band carried on as a seven-piece with two horn players.
6 May 1967 – Royal Lido Ballroom, Prestatyn, Wales with The Quotations and The Raynes (billed as Hamilton)
27 May 1967 – Hereford Balls, Oxford with Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, The Action, The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band and The Swinging Blue Jeans
10 June 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with The Collection and The Gas Company
11 June 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with Craig King & The Midnight Train
17 June 1967 – Bal Tabarin, Downham, south east London with supporting groups
2 July 1967 – Cosmo, Carlisle, Cumbria with Four Degrees West
6 July 1967 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall (billed as Hamilton & The Quotations but assuming it is the same band)
The group backed US soul singers Sam & Bill on a UK tour. The pair arrived on 12 July so it’s safe to assume the gigs listed below featured Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement
12 July 1967 – Locarno, Stevenage, Herts with Sam & Bill (most likely debut)
13 July 1967 – Sybilla’s, Swallow Street, Mayfair, central London (billed as Sam & Bill)
15 July 1967 – Starlight Room, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with Sam & Bill, The Skatalites and The Reasons
16 July 1967 – Speakeasy, central London (billed as Sam & Bill)
21 July 1967 – Big ‘C’, Farnborough, Hants with Sam & Bill
21 July 1967 – Cue Club, Paddington, central London (billed as Sam & Bill)
22 July 1967 – New All-Star Club, Liverpool Street, central London (billed as Sam & Bill)
23 July 1967 – Dungeon, Nottingham with Sam and Bill
23 July 1967 – Saville Theatre, Shaftsbury Avenue, London (billed as Sam & Bill)
28 July 1967 – Skyline Ballroom, Hull with Sam & Bill plus One In A Million and That Feeling
29 July 1967 – Northwich Memorial Hall, Northwich, Cheshire with Sam & Bill and The Trap
30 July 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with Sam & Bill and The Gas Company
13 August 1967 – Dungeon, Nottingham (says they were Sam and Bill’s backing group)
23 August 1967 – Locarno, Stevenage, Herts
25 August 1967 – Steering Wheel, Weymouth, Dorset
Dave Mahoney and the last trumpet player departed around now
2 September 1967 – Kirklevington Country Club, North Yorkshire
Sam & Bill played Floral Hall in Southport on 9 September 1967, but it’s unlikely they were support band this time.
15 September 1967 – Fiesta Hall, Andover, Hampshire
16 September 1967 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London
23 September 1967 – Cesar’s Club, Bedford with The Scotch of St James
30 September 1967 – City Hall, Salisbury, Wiltshire with Jigsaw and Dave Jay
Ron Thomas, Mick Fletcher and Tony Sinclair all left during October and the band was put on hold as Gary Hamilton recruited new players
Gary Hamilton (vocals)
Mick Stewart (guitar)
Tony Savva (bass)
Jim Smith (drums)
21 October 1967 – Maple Ballroom, Northampton
Terry Goldberg joined on keyboards
11 November 1967 – Brackley Town Hall, Brackley, Northamptonshire (possibly Goldberg’s debut)
8 December 1967 – City University, central London with The Soft Machine and Robert Hirst & The Big Taste
6 January 1968 – Lion Hotel, Warrington, Cheshire with Styx and Just Us
3 February 1968 – Sheridan Rooms, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
9 February 1968 – Tiger’s Head, Catford, south east London (billed as Hamilton’s Movements)
25 February 1968 – Barnsley Civic Hall, Barnsley, West Yorkshire with Jay Jones (billed as The Gary Hamilton Movement)
26 February 1968 – Primrose Hill Working Men’s Club, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire (billed as The Gary Hamilton Movement)
9 March 1968 – Clouds, Derby (says it’s an eight-piece soul band)
15 April 1968 – Barnsley Civic Hall, Barnsley, West Yorkshire with The Koobas and Detroit Soul Sound
20 April 1968 – Starlight Room, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincs with the Ike & Tina Turner Show, The Ikettes, The Artists and The Train Set
22 April 1968 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London (possibly the final gig)
Del Paramor – tenor sax (ex-Warren Davis Monday Band)
Jack Drew – trumpet
Roy Peen – drums
This soul R&B outfit was formed in early 1968 and played until early 1971 when Sketto Rich and Roy Peen left. Johnny Wright was succeeded by Dennis Brown during this period as well.
Bobby Morris joined around April 1968 and rehearsed with the band throughout May and June at the Railway Tavern, Plumstead.
Morris’s first gig with the band took place on 3 August 1968 at the Aurora Hotel in Gillingham, opening for Unit 4+2. The musicians also played regularly at the Harrow Inn in Abbey Wood.
Jack Drew very kindly provided this 1969 list which does miss out quite a few from the period
Sketto Rich & Sonority also began to play further afield. Morris recalls playing at the Locarno Ballroom in Swindon on two occasions – 9 August 1969 with The Red Squares and 27 December 1969 with Spectrum. He also remembers playing at Queen Mary’s College in Mile End Road with Clarence “Frogman” Henry on 18 October 1969.
Del Coverley joined briefly in 1971 as new lead singer alongside incoming drummer Pete Mole (also ex-Warren Davis Monday Band) and they became Brass Lungs, performing jazz rock similar in style to Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears in Soho clubs.
When Coverley departed, the musicians linked with Freddie Mack and played their debut show at the Thomas A Beckett Pub on the Old Kent Road in London.
However, as the band started picking up more regular work, the line-up became increasingly fluid with only Brian Morris and Don Shepherd staying the course.
Musicians that joined throughout 1971-1973 included:
Johnny Orlando – lead vocals
Dave Newman – drums (ex-Sounds Incorporated and The Fenmen)
Ray Lewis – bass (ex-Barbette and Memphis Mail)
Dave Roffey – lead guitar (ex-Barbette and Lee Hawkins)
Mel Day – lead vocals (ex-Orange Rainbow)
Roy Edwards – trumpet (ex-Johnny Jackson & The Band Wagon, J J Jackson, Del Vikings, Otis Redding, The Temptations)
Mick Eve – tenor sax (ex-Georgie Fame, Alan Price, Zoot Money)
Eddie Thornton – trumpet (ex-Georgie Fame)
Buddy Bownes – trumpet (ex-Roy Orbison)
Carl Douglas – lead vocals
Huge thanks to Brian Morris for providing the band information.
Please email me at Warchive@aol.com if you can add or correct any information.
Photo: Mid Sussex Times. Gig on 22 not 23 May 1969
Hatchetts Playground, located at 67 Piccadilly, was one of the happening clubs in central London during the late 1960s and played host to rock bands every night.
According to an article in the Kensington Post (see comments below), Hatchetts was one of London’s oldest restaurants but was closed in April 1966 for a £200,000 face-lift.
Re-opened on Tuesday, 6 June 1967, the venue was transformed into a three-level entertainment centre. One of its partners was Tony Vinnicombe who also ran Sands in Bond Street.
According to an article in The Stage, dated 29 June 1967, the opening weeks line up included: The Symbols, Errol Daniels & The JJ Band, Sands (named after Vinnicombe’s Bond Street club), The Shevelles, 1-2-3, The Frugal Sound, The New Formula and The Bystanders.
The Stage‘s 14 September 1967 edition ran an advert, which showed that The Peddlers held a residency at the club from 8 September through to 6 October (excluding Sundays).
1967
9 June 1967 (Friday) – Errol Daniels & JJ Band (Evening Standard) Says opening night for live music
Gigs are missing for Saturday, 10 June, Sunday 11 June and Monday, 12 June 1967
13 June 1967 (Tuesday) – Timebox (Evening Standard)
14 June 1967 (Wednesday) – The 1-2-3 (Evening Standard)
Gigs are missing for Thursday, 15 June and Friday, 16 June 1967
17 June 1967 (Saturday) – The 1-2-3 (Evening Standard)
Gig is missing for Sunday, 18 June 1967
19 June 1967 (Monday) – The Frugal Sound (Evening Standard)
Gig is missing for Tuesday, 20 June 1967
21 June 1967 (Wednesday) – Ferris Wheel (Evening Standard)
22 June 1967 (Thursday) – The 1-2-3 (Evening Standard)
Gig is missing for Friday, 23 June 1967
24 June 1967 (Saturday) – Sands (Evening Standard)
Gig is missing for Sunday, 25 June 1967
26 June 1967 (Monday) – The Frugal Sound (Evening Standard)
27 June 1967 (Tuesday) – Errol Daniels & The JJ Band (Evening Standard)
Gigs are missing from Wednesday, 28 June through to Sunday, 2 July 1967
3 July 1967 (Monday) – Sands (Evening Standard)
4 July 1967 (Tuesday) – The Chanters (Evening Standard)
5 July 1967 (Wednesday) – Granny’s Intentions (Evening Standard)
6 July 1967 (Thursday) – Ferris Wheel (Evening Standard/Fabulous 208)
7 July 1967 (Friday) – The Summer Set (Evening Standard)
8 July 1967 (Saturday) – Robb Storme Group (Evening Standard)
Gig is missing for Sunday, 9 July 1967
10 July 1967 (Monday) – The Chanters (Evening Standard)
11 July 1967 (Tuesday) – The Bystanders (Evening Sentinel)
12 July 1967 (Wednesday) – Errol Daniels & The JJ Band (Evening Standard)
13 July 1967 (Thursday) – The Bystanders (Evening Standard)
Gigs are missing from Friday, 14 July 1967
15 July 1967 (Saturday) – The Chanters (Evening Standard)
Gig is missing for Sunday, 16 July 1967
17 July 1967 (Monday) – The Powerhouse (Evening Standard)
18 July 1967 (Tuesday) – Wynder K Frog (Evening Standard/Fabulous 208)
Gig is missing for Wednesday, 19 July 1967
20 July 1967 (Thursday) – New Formula (Evening Standard)
21 July 1967 (Friday) – The Web (Evening Standard)
22 July 1967 (Saturday) – The Chanters (Evening Standard)
Gig is missing for Sunday, 23 July 1967
24 July 1967 (Monday) – Marmalade (Evening Standard)
Gigs are missing from Tuesday, 25 July through to Wednesday, 23 August 1967
24 August 1967 (Thursday) – Timebox (Evening Standard)
Gigs are missing from Friday, 25 August through to Tuesday, 29 August 1967
30 August 1967 (Wednesday) – Geranium Pond (Evening Standard)
31 August 1967 (Thursday) – Timebox (Evening Standard)
Gigs are missing from Friday, 1 September through to Thursday, 7 September 1967
8 September 1967 (Friday) – The Peddlers (The Stage)
9 September 1967 (Saturday) – The Peddlers (The Stage)
10 September 1967 (Sunday) – The Manchester Playboys (Graham Sclater’s diary)
11 September 1967 (Monday) – The Peddlers (The Stage) Graham Sclater’s diary also has The Manchester Playboys on this date
12 September 1967 (Tuesday) – The Peddlers (The Stage)
13 September 1967 (Wednesday) – The Peddlers (The Stage)
14 September 1967 (Thursday) – The Peddlers (The Stage)
15 September 1967 (Friday) – The Peddlers (The Stage)
16 September 1967 (Saturday) – The Peddlers (The Stage)
Possibly missing gig for Sunday, 17 September 1967
18 September 1967 (Monday) – The Peddlers (The Stage)
19 September 1967 (Tuesday) – The Peddlers (The Stage)
20 September 1967 (Wednesday) – The Peddlers (The Stage)
21 September 1967 (Thursday) – The Peddlers (The Stage)
22 September 1967 (Friday) – The Peddlers (The Stage)
23 September 1967 (Saturday) – The Peddlers (The Stage)
Possibly missing gig for Sunday, 24 September 1967
25 September 1967 (Monday) – The Peddlers (The Stage)
26 September 1967 (Tuesday) – The Peddlers (The Stage)
27 September 1967 (Wednesday) – The Peddlers (The Stage)
28 September 1967 (Thursday) – The Peddlers (The Stage)
29 September 1967 (Friday) – The Peddlers (The Stage)
30 September 1967 (Saturday) – The Peddlers (The Stage)
Possibly missing gig for Sunday, 1 October 1967
2 October 1967 (Monday) – The Peddlers (The Stage)
3 October 1967 (Tuesday) – The Peddlers (The Stage)
4 October 1967 (Wednesday) – The Peddlers (The Stage)
5 October 1967 (Thursday) – The Peddlers (The Stage)
6 October 1967 (Friday) – The Peddlers (The Stage)
Gig is missing from Saturday, 7 October and possibly Sunday, 8 October 1967
9 October 1967 (Monday) – The Manchester Playboys (Graham Sclater’s diary) Graham says this needs confirmation
10 October 1967 (Tuesday) – The Manchester Playboys (Graham Sclater’s diary) Graham says this needs confirmation
11 October 1967 (Wednesday) – The Manchester Playboys (Graham Sclater’s diary) Graham says this needs confirmation
12 October 1967 (Thursday) – The Manchester Playboys (Graham Sclater’s diary) Graham says this needs confirmation
13 October 1967 (Friday) – The Manchester Playboys (Graham Sclater’s diary) Graham says this needs confirmation
14 October 1967 (Saturday) – The Manchester Playboys (Graham Sclater’s diary) Graham says this needs confirmation
Gigs are missing from possibly Sunday, 15 October through to Wednesday, 1 November 1967
2 November 1967 (Thursday) – The Web (Evening Standard)
Gigs are missing from Friday, 3 November through to Tuesday, 7 November 1967
8 November 1967 (Wednesday) – Timebox (Evening Standard)
Gig is missing for Thursday, 9 November 1967
10 November 1967 (Friday) – Timebox (Evening Standard)
11 November 1967 (Saturday) – Timebox (Evening Standard)
Gigs are missing from Sunday, 12 November through to Tuesday, 14 November 1967
15 November 1967 (Wednesday) – Coopers Climax (Evening Standard)
Gig is missing for Thursday, 16 November 1967
17 November 1967 (Friday) – Coopers Climax (Evening Standard)
Gigs are missing from Saturday, 18 November through to Tuesday, 21 November 1967
22 November 1967 (Wednesday) – Remo Four (Evening Standard)
23 November 1967 (Thursday) – Ebony Keyes and Chris Shakespeare Movement (Evening Standard)
Gig is missing for Friday, 24 November 1967
25 November 1967 (Saturday) – Ebony Keyes and Chris Shakespeare Movement (Evening Standard)
Gigs are missing from Sunday, 26 November through to Wednesday, 29 November 1967
30 November 1967 (Thursday) – New Nadir (Evening Standard)
Gigs are missing from Friday, 1 December through to Wednesday, 6 December 1967
7 December 1967 (Thursday) – New York Public Library (Evening Standard)
8 December 1967 (Friday) – New York Public Library (Evening Standard)
9 December 1967 (Saturday) – New York Public Library (Evening Standard)
Gigs are missing from Sunday, 10 December through to Tuesday, 12 December 1967
13 December 1967 (Wednesday) – The Anglians (Evening Standard)
14 December 1967 (Thursday) – The Anglians (Evening Standard)
Gig is missing for Friday, 15 December 1967
16 December 1967 (Saturday) – The Anglians (Evening Standard)
Gigs are missing from Sunday, 17 December through to Tuesday, 19 December 1967
20 December 1967 (Wednesday) – Mud (Evening Standard)
Gig is missing for Thursday, 21 December 1967
22 December 1967 (Friday) – Mud (Evening Standard)
23 December 1967 (Saturday) – Mud (Evening Standard)
Gigs are missing from Sunday, 24 December and from Tuesday, 26 December through to Thursday, 28 December 1967
29 December 1967 (Friday) – Big Pete Lancaster and The Upsetters (Evening Standard)
Gig is missing for Saturday, 30 December 1967
31 December 1967 (Sunday) – Big Pete Lancaster and The Upsetters (Evening Standard)
1968
For the 1968 dates listed below, I have found multiple sources that have confirmed the same date for when an artist appeared. However, I have tended to list only one source, usually from the music press such as Melody Maker or NME (New Musical Express).
Jonathan Marks’ gigs have been invaluable as they are the official gigs that were advertised by the club itself. As his flyers don’t cover all of the 1968 months, I’ve only listed them where there are gaps in the music press entries. I haven’t listed them if they concur with the music press entries.
Where there are conflicting entries, I have listed the artists and the sources that list them in italics after the main entry.
12 January 1968 (Friday) – Ray King Soul Band (Melody Maker)
13 January 1968 (Saturday) – The Quotations (Melody Maker) Evening Standard suggests that Ray King Soul Band, Timebox and Ferris Wheel play on this date
Possibly a gig on Sunday, 14 January 1968 missing
15 January 1968 (Monday) – The New Formula (Melody Maker) Jonathan Marks lists The Quotations on this date
16 January 1968 (Tuesday) – The New Formula (Melody Maker)
17 January 1968 (Wednesday) – Timebox (Melody Maker)
18 January 1968 (Thursday) – The New Formula (Melody Maker)
19 January 1968 (Friday) – The Three Sounds (Melody Maker)
20 January 1968 (Saturday) – Timebox (Melody Maker)
Possibly a gig on Sunday, 21 January 1968 missing
22 January 1968 (Monday) – The New Formula (Melody Maker)
23 January 1968 (Tuesday) – The Web (Melody Maker)
24 January 1968 (Wednesday) – The New Formula (Melody Maker)
25 January 1968 (Thursday) – The Web (Melody Maker)
26 January 1968 (Friday) – The Three Sounds (Melody Maker)
27 January 1968 (Saturday) – The Three Sounds (Melody Maker)
Possibly a gig on Sunday, 28 January 1968 missing
29 January 1968 (Monday) – The New Formula (Melody Maker)
30 January 1968 (Tuesday) – The New Formula (Melody Maker)
31 January 1968 (Wednesday) – Timebox (Melody Maker)
Gigs from Thursday, 1 February to Monday, 5 February 1968 missing
6 February 1968 (Tuesday) – James & Bobby Purify (Melody Maker)
Gigs from Wednesday, 7 February to Wednesday, 14 February 1968 missing
Melody Maker
15 February 1968 (Thursday) – Timebox (Melody Maker)
16 February 1968 (Friday) – The Copycats (Melody Maker)
17 February 1968 (Saturday) – Pussyfoot (Melody Maker)
Possibly a gig on Sunday, 18 February 1968 missing
19 February 1968 (Monday) – Timebox (Melody Maker)
20 February 1968 (Tuesday) – Jo Jo Cooke & The Racket (Melody Maker)
21 February 1968 (Wednesday) – Little John & The Shadocks (Melody Maker)
22 February 1968 (Thursday) – Timebox (Melody Maker)
23 February 1968 (Friday) – Jo Jo Cooke & The Racket (Melody Maker)
24 February 1968 (Saturday) – Jo Jo Cooke & The Racket (Melody Maker)
Possibly a gig on Sunday, 25 February 1968 missing
26 February 1968 (Monday) – The New Formula (Melody Maker)
27 February 1968 (Tuesday) – Rainy Day Women (Swedish band) (Melody Maker)
28 February 1968 (Wednesday) – Rainy Day Women (Swedish band) (Melody Maker)
29 February 1968 (Thursday) – Rainy Day Women (Swedish band) (Melody Maker)
5 June 1968 (Wednesday) – Sonny Burke’s Outfit and The Flowerpot Men (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing) The Flowerpot Men were ‘Top of the Pops Party’ – Invitation only)
28 June 1968 (Friday) – Jo Jo Gunne (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
29 June 1968 (Saturday) – Lemon Tree (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
30 June 1968 (Sunday) – Strawberry Jam (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
Jonathan Marks’ gig cards for the club have Junior Walker & The All Stars and Patti La Belle & The Bluebells as forthcoming attractions for July.
1 July 1968 (Monday) – Tuesday’s Children (Bob Hodges’ diary) Jonathan Marks has Indiana Magnum and Julian Kersh
2 July 1968 (Tuesday) – The Greatest Show on Earth (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
3 July 1968 (Wednesday) – The Greatest Show on Earth (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
4 July 1968 (Thursday) – The Coloured Raisins (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
5 July 1968 (Friday) – Two of Each (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
6 July 1968 (Saturday) – Two of Each (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
7 July 1968 (Sunday) – The Cedars (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
8 July 1968 (Monday) – July plus guest artists (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing) Members party
9 July 1968 (Tuesday) – The Coloured Raisins (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
10 July 1968 (Wednesday) – The Coloured Raisins (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
11 July 1968 (Thursday) – The Chanters (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
12 July 1968 (Friday) – The Chain Gang (NME)
13 July 1968 (Saturday) – Gala night with Dominic Grant, Vanity Fair, The Flirtations and Strawberry Jam (NME) Jonathan Marks has Strawberry Jam on 13 July
14 July 1968 (Sunday) – Cherry Smash (NME) Jonathan Marks has The Cedars on 14 July
15 July 1968 (Monday) – Impulse (NME)
16 July 1968 (Tuesday) – The Groop (Australian band) (NME) Melody Maker has Tim Rose also playing this date with The Groop
17 July 1968 (Wednesday) – Two of Each (Melody Maker)
18 July 1968 (Thursday) – The Groop (Australian band) (Melody Maker)
19 July 1968 (Friday) – The Groop (Australian band) (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
20 July 1968 (Saturday) – Tim Rose and Impulse (NME) Fabulous 208 also has Tim Rose
23 July 1968 (Tuesday) – Moon’s Train (Melody Maker)
24 July 1968 (Wednesday) – The Groop (Australian band) (Melody Maker)
25 July 1968 (Thursday) – The Penny Peep Show (Melody Maker) Jonathan Marks has The Penny Pieces but this is The Penny Peeps aka The Penny Peep Show with future Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre
26 July 1968 (Friday) – Birds and Fellas and Two of Each (NME) Jonathan Marks only lists Two of Each
27 July 1968 (Saturday) – Two of Each (NME)
28 July 1968 (Sunday) – Fourth Floor (NME) Jonathan Marks lists The Cedars on 28 July
29 July 1968 (Monday) – Strawberry Jam (NME)
30 July 1968 (Tuesday) – Unit 4 Plus 2 (Melody Maker)
31 July 1968 (Wednesday) – Moon’s Train (Melody Maker)
1 August 1968 (Thursday) – The Greatest Show on Earth (Melody Maker)
2 August 1968 (Friday) – The Sweet Sops (NME)
3 August 1968 (Saturday) – The Sweet Sops (NME)
4 August 1968 (Sunday) – Bruce Channel and Strawberry Jam (Melody Maker) Jonathan Marks only lists Strawberry Jam on this date
5 August 1968 (Monday) – The Greatest Show on Earth and Bruce Channel (Melody Maker)
6 August 1968 (Tuesday) – Simon K & The Meantimers (Melody Maker)
7 August 1968 (Wednesday) – Simon K & The Meantimers (Melody Maker)
8 August 1968 (Thursday) – Coloured Raisins (NME)
9 August 1968 (Friday) – The Jackie Edwards Show (NME)
10 August 1968 (Saturday) – Circus (Melody Maker) Jonathan Marks has Zion de Gallier & The Unicorn on this date
11 August 1968 (Sunday) – The Flirtations (NME) Jonathan Marks has Impulse on this date
12 August 1968 (Monday) – Pepper (NME) Jonathan Marks has Julian Kersh on this date
13 August 1968 (Tuesday) – Katch 22 (NME)
14 August 1968 (Wednesday) – Katch 22 (NME)
15 August 1968 (Thursday) – The Ike & Tina Turner Show (Melody Maker) VIP members and members only
16 August 1968 (Friday) – Memphis Express (NME)
17 August 1968 (Saturday) – Memphis Express (NME)
18 August 1968 (Sunday) – The Motion (NME)
19 August 1968 (Monday) – Skip Bifferty (Melody Maker) Jonathan Marks also lists special gala party night guests
20 August 1968 (Tuesday) – Sweet Sops (Melody Maker)
21 August 1968 (Wednesday) – Zion de Gallier & The Unicorns (Melody Maker)
22 August 1968 (Thursday) – Julian Kersh (Melody Maker)
23 August 1968 (Friday) – Memphis Express (NME)
24 August 1968 (Saturday) – Toast (Melody Maker)
25 August 1968 (Sunday) – Motion (NME)
26 August 1968 (Monday) – The Greatest Show on Earth (Melody Maker)
27 August 1968 (Tuesday) – The Greatest Show on Earth (Melody Maker)
28 August 1968 (Wednesday) – The Greatest Show on Earth (Melody Maker)
29 August 1968 (Thursday) – The Greatest Show on Earth (Melody Maker)
30 August 1968 (Friday) – Mud (Melody Maker) Jonathan Marks has The Mooch
31 August 1968 (Saturday) – Jasper Stubbs Gloryland Band (Melody Maker) Jonathan Marks has The Mooch
1 September 1968 (Sunday) – Cherry Smash (Melody Maker)
2 September 1968 (Monday) – Cherry Smash (Melody Maker)
3 September 1968 (Tuesday) – Soul Committee (NME)
4 September 1968 (Wednesday) – Orange Seaweed (Melody Maker)
5 September 1968 (Thursday) – Strawberry Jam and Johnny Nash (NME) Jonathan Marks has only Strawberry Jam on this date
6 September 1968 (Friday) – Wild Uncertainty (Melody Maker) Jonathan Marks has The Chants on this date who could have been backed by The Wild Uncertainty
7 September 1968 (Saturday) – Strawberry Jam (NME)
8 September 1968 (Sunday) – Pepper (Melody Maker)
9 September 1968 (Monday) – Dr Marigold’s Prescription (NME) Jonathan Marks has The Stacks on this date. The gig card also notes special guest artistes for the member party, featuring a group managed by The Move
10 September 1968 (Tuesday) – The Flirtations (Melody Maker) Jonathan Marks has Tuesday’s Children on this date. This is confirmed by Bob Hodges’ diary
11 September 1968 (Wednesday) – The Flirtations (Melody Maker) Jonathan Marks has Tuesday’s Children on this date. This is confirmed by Bob Hodges’ diary
12 September 1968 (Thursday) – Dr Marigold’s Prescription (NME) Jonathan Marks has The Groop on this date
13 September 1968 (Friday) – Horace Faith (Melody Maker) Jonathan Marks has The Soul Committee on this date
14 September 1968 (Saturday) – Marble Arch Movement (NME) Jonathan Marks has The Soul Committee on this date
15 September 1968 (Sunday) – Strawberry Jam (NME)
16 September 1968 (Monday) – Circus (Melody Maker) Jonathan Marks has Zion de Gallier & The Unicorn on this date
17 September 1968 (Tuesday) – The Fantastics (with The House of Orange) (NME)
18 September 1968 (Wednesday) – Dr Marigold’s Prescription (NME) Jonathan Marks has The Stacks on this date, who are managed by The Move
19 September 1968 (Thursday) – The Groop (Australian band) (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
20 September 1968 (Friday) – Horace Faith & The Wild Uncertainty (NME) Jonathan Marks has The Groop on this date
21 September 1968 (Saturday) – Tuesday’s Children (Melody Maker and Bob Hodges’ diary)
3 November 1968 (Sunday) – The Lions of Judea (Israeli band) (Melody Maker)
4 November 1968 (Monday) – Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound (Melody Maker)
5 November 1968 (Tuesday) – Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound (NME)
6 November 1968 (Wednesday) – Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound (NME)
Melody Maker
7 November 1968 (Thursday) – The Lions of Judea (Melody Maker)
8 November 1968 (Friday) – The Lions of Judea (Melody Maker)
9 November 1968 (Saturday) – The Lions of Judea (Melody Maker)
10 November 1968 (Sunday) – The Lions of Judea (Melody Maker)
11 November 1968 (Monday) – The Lions of Judea (Melody Maker) Members party night
12 November 1968 (Tuesday) – The Lions of Judea (Melody Maker)
13 November 1968 (Wednesday) – Youngblood (NME)
14 November 1968 (Thursday) – Charlie & Inez Foxx (NME)
15 November 1968 (Friday) – The Lions of Judea and Gilded Cage (Melody Maker) Jonathan Marks has The Sea on this date
16 November 1968 (Saturday) – The Lions of Judea and Gilded Cage (Melody Maker) Jonathan Marks has The Sea on this date
17 November 1968 (Sunday) – The Lions of Judea (Melody Maker)
18 November 1968 (Monday) – The Shadrocks with Little John, Watson T Brown & The Explosives (NME)
19 November 1968 (Tuesday) – The Lions of Judea (Melody Maker) Jonathan Marks has The Ray King Soul Band on this date
20 November 1968 (Wednesday) – The Lions of Judea (Melody Maker) Jonathan Marks has The Ray King Soul Band on this date
21 November 1968 (Thursday) – Garnett Mimms (with The Village Green Band) (NME)
22 November 1968 (Friday) – Julian’s Conquests and Lions of Judea (NME) Julian’s Conquests was Junior’s Conquest (Junior Marvin’s band). Jonathan Marks has only Julian’s Conquests on this date
23 November 1968 (Saturday) – Julian’s Conquests (NME)
24 November 1968 (Sunday) – The Lions of Judea (Melody Maker)
25 November 1968 (Monday) – Sonny Bushe (NME) This is Sonny Burke
26 November 1968 (Tuesday) – Ray King Soul Band (NME) Jonathan Marks has The Sea on this date
27 November 1968 (Wednesday) – The Iveys and The Greatest Show on Earth (Melody Maker) Jonathan Marks has only The Iveys on this date
28 November 1968 (Thursday) – The Mojos and The Greatest Show on Earth (Melody Maker) Jonathan Marks on only The Mojos on this date
29 November 1968 (Friday) – The Lions of Judea (Melody Maker) Jonathan Marks has Sleepy on this date
30 November 1968 (Saturday) – The Lions of Judea (Melody Maker) Jonathan Marks has Sleepy on this date
1 December 1968 (Sunday) – Toast (Melody Maker)
2 December 1968 (Monday) – Katch 22 (NME)
3 December 1968 (Tuesday) – Katch 22 (NME)
4 December 1968 (Wednesday) – The Flirtations (Melody Maker and Fabulous 208)
5 December 1968 (Thursday) – Mint Tulip (Melody Maker)
6 December 1968 (Friday) – Moving Finger (NME)
7 December 1968 (Saturday) – Mint Tulip (NME)
8 December 1968 (Sunday) – Mint Tulip (NME)
9 December 1968 (Monday) – Moving Finger (Melody Maker)
10 December 1968 (Tuesday) – Moving Finger (Melody Maker) Says final London appearance before US tour
11 December 1968 (Wednesday) – Circus (NME and Time Out)
12 December 1968 (Thursday) – The Drifters (NME)
13 December 1968 (Friday) – The Boston Crabs (NME)
14 December 1968 (Saturday) – The Boston Crabs (NME)
15 December 1968 (Sunday) – The Boston Crabs (NME)
16 December 1968 (Monday) – Jo Jo Gunne (Melody Maker) Members party night
17 December 1968 (Tuesday) – The Peddlers and Soul Package (NME)
18 December 1968 (Wednesday) – Toast and The Peddlers (Melody Maker)
19 December 1968 (Thursday) – Electric Gramophone (NME) Jonathan Marks has The Shirelles on this date
20 December 1968 (Friday) – Julian Kersh (NME) Jonathan Marks has Modes Mode on this date
21 December 1968 (Saturday) – Julian Kersh (NME) Jonathan Marks and Time Out both have Circus on this date
22 December 1968 (Sunday) – Zion de Gallier & The Unicorn (NME) Jonathan Marks and Time Out both have Circus on this date
23 December 1968 (Monday) – The Dream Police (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
24 December 1968 (Tuesday) – Unit 4 Plus 2 (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing) Xmas party
No artists on Christmas Day
26 December 1968 (Thursday) – Unit 4 Plus 2 (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
27 December 1968 (Friday) – Unit 4 Plus 2 (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
28 December 1968 (Saturday) – Unit 4 Plus 2 (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
29 December 1968 (Sunday) – Unit 4 Plus 2 (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
30 December 1968 (Monday) – Unit 4 Plus 2 (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
31 December 1968 (Tuesday) – Unit 4 Plus 2 plus special guests (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
26 May 1969 (Monday) – Jo Jo Gunne (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing) This definitely did not happen as the band had a residency at the House of Lords club in the Bahamas at this time
14 October 1969 (Tuesday) – March Hare (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
Missing gig for Wednesday, 15 October 1969
16 October 1969 (Thursday) – Joyce Bond Revue (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
Missing gigs for Friday, 17 October to Sunday, 19 October 1969
20 October 1969 (Monday) – Bitter Suite (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
Missing gigs for Tuesday, 21 October to Wednesday, 22 October 1969
23 October 1969 (Thursday) – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
Missing gigs for Friday, 24 October to Sunday, 26 October 1969
27 October 1969 (Monday) – Billy J Kramer (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
Missing gigs for Tuesday, 28 October to Wednesday, 29 October 1969
30 October 1969 (Thursday) – Marv Johnson (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing)
Missing gig for Friday, 31 October 1969
Missing gigs for Saturday, 1 November to Sunday, 2 November 1969
3 November 1969 (Monday) – Dave Amboy (Jonathan Marks’ Hatchetts monthly gig listing) This is credited as Dave Amboy but most likely this is The Amboy Dukes
Missing gigs for Tuesday, 4 November to Wednesday, 5 November 1969
The Black Prince Hotel in Bexley, southeast London was a popular live music venue during the 1960s. I’ve started to compile a list of artists that performed there and would welcome any additions and corrections as well as any memories of the pub. This is an incomplete listing
1964
12 April – The Graham Bond Organisation (Bruno Ceriotti’s research)
17 May – The Graham Bond Organisation (Bruno Ceriotti’s research)
31 May – The Pretty Things (Record Mirror and Beat Monthly)
21 June – The Graham Bond Organisation (Bruno Ceriotti’s research)
5 July – The Pretty Things (Record Mirror and Beat Monthly)
23 August – The Downliners Sect (Beat Monthly)
12 September – The Graham Bond Organisation (Bruno Ceriotti’s research)
18 October – The Graham Bond Organisation (Bruno Ceriotti’s research)
29 October – The Graham Bond Organisation (Bruno Ceriotti’s research)
6 December – The Downliners Sect (Beat Monthly)
1965
All of the listings below for 1965 are from Melody Maker unless otherwise stated. Judging by the gigs below, rock bands performed on Sundays.
I have not included the other artists, including jazz players, who performed on Monday evenings.
Peter Hicks, who was a member of The Down & Outs, has a newspaper clipping of his band in the scrapbook section of his website which notes that the band opened for The Animals, The Mark Leeman Five and The Moody Blues at this venue (most likely 1965).
3 January – The Graham Bond Organisation
10 January – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
17 January – Tony Knight’s Chessmen
24 January – The Downliners Sect
31 January – The Spencer Davis Group
7 February – The Moody Blues
14 February – The Animals
21 February – The Graham Bond Organisation with The Epitaph Soul Band (confirmed by article in Bexley Heath & Welling Observer and Kentish Times)
28 February – Buddy Guy with Rod Stewart and The Soul Agents (with Rod Stewart)
7 March – The Mark Leeman Five
14 March – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds
21 March – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band
28 March – The Downliners Sect
4 April – The Moody Blues
The Just Blues appeared on one occasion when The Moody Blues played here (see John Farrier’s comment below)
Photo: Jeff Brook-Smith’s family
11 April – Long John Baldry
18 April – Alex Harvey Soul Band
25 April – The Graham Bond Organisation
2 May – The Five Dimensions and The Loose Ends
9 May – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band
16 May – (Jimmy James &) The Vagabonds
23 May – Memphis Slim and Alex Harvey Soul Band
30 May – The Mark Leeman Five
6 June – Jack Dupree with The Mike Cotton Sound
13 June – The Graham Bond Organisation
20 June – The Artwoods
19 June – Jazz & Blues Festival with Dutch Swing College, Solomon Burke, Zoot Money, Unit 4 Plus 2, The Spencer Davis Group, The Downliners Sect, Alan Elsdon Jazzband, Brian Green New-O-Stompers, Epitaph Soul Band and The Loose Ends (Bexley Heath & Welling Observer and Kentish Times)
Bexley Heath & Welling Observer and Kentish Times, 25 June 1965, page 12Bexley Heath & Welling Observer and Kentish Times, 25 June 1965, page 12
27 June – The Five Dimensions
4 July – Long John Baldry and Rod Stewart
11 July – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays
18 July – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band
25 July – The Spencer Davis Group and The Epitaphs Soul Band
The Epitaphs Soul Band featured Mick Fletcher on keyboards who went on to The New Generation (briefly Jimmy Cliff’s backing band), The Hamilton Movement (1966-1967) and The Amboy Dukes (1969-1970).
Earlier in their career, guitarist Del Grace was a member. He went on to The Big Wheel before joining Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede.
Andy Clark also played sax with them in late 1965 before switching to organ and joining The Big Wheel in spring 1966. He later played with The Fenmen (aka Kindness), Sam Gopal, VAMP and Clark-Hutchinson among others.
1 August – (Gary Farr &) The T-Bones
8 August – Alex Harvey Soul Band
15 August – The Graham Bond Organisation
22 August – The Blond Bombshell (from the US)
29 August – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
5 September – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays
12 September – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band
19 September – Steampacket
26 September – The Graham Bond Organisation
3 October – (Jimmy James &) The Vagabonds
10 October – Alex Harvey Soul Band
17 October – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames
24 October – The Spencer Davis Group
31 October – T-Bone Walker
7 November – Steampacket
14 November – The Graham Bond Organisation
21 November – The Shevelles
28 November – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays
5 December – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band
12 December – missing
19 December – missing
26 December – missing
1966
All of the listings below for 1966 are from South East London Mercury unless otherwise stated. Judging by the gigs below, rock bands performed on Sundays.
I have not included the other artists, including jazz players, who performed on Monday evenings.
2 January – missing
9 January – The Alan Price Set (Beat Instrumental)
16 January – missing
23 January – missing
30 January – The Spencer Davis Group
6 February – Alex Harvey’s Soul Band
13 February – The Graham Bond Organisation
The Big Wheel Soul Band opened for Graham Bond’s group at some point
20 February – missing
27 February – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band
6 March – The Action
13 March – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds
20 March – Melody Maker notes “Great blues singer from the US” (could this be John Lee Hooker?)
27 March – Steampacket
3 April – missing
10 April – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band
17 April – Geno Washington’s Ram Jam Band
24 April – The Moody Blues
1 May – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds
8 May – Lucas & The Mike Cotton Sound
15 May – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames
22 May – missing
29 May – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band
5 June – The Downliners Sect
12 June – Steampacket
19 June – The Shotgun Express
26 June – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (Record Mirror)
3 July – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band and Eric Silk’s Stompers
10 July – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band
17 July – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
24 July – The Alan Price Set (Fabulous 208 and Record Mirror)
30 July – The Graham Bond Organisation
7 August – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Fabulous 208)
14 August – Lucas & The Mike Cotton Sound
21 August – The Shotgun Express
28 August – missing
4 September – The Moody Blues
11 September – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers
18 September – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band
25 September – Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers
2 October – The Shevelles
9 October – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
16 October – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
23 October – The Mike Cotton Sound
30 October – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers
6 November – missing
13 November – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays
20 November – The Downliners Sect
27 November – Guy Darrell
4 December – missing
11 December – Brian Auger Trinity (Fabulous 208)
18 December – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
Fabulous 208 has Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band on 18 December
24 December – Mike Cotton Sound with support
1967
Phil Mackie, who very kindly provided gigs for 1967 and 1968, recalls that Sunday was R&B night and Monday was mainstream jazz.
I have listed the sources next to the entries. There are indications from some of the dates below that rock gigs occasionally happened on Tuesdays and Thursdays as well.
1 January – The Shevelles (Fabulous 208)
8 January – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Fabulous 208 and Melody Maker)
15 January – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays (Melody Maker)
22 January – The Graham Bond Organisation (Melody Maker)
29 January – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Melody Maker)
5 February – Brian Auger Trinity with Julie Driscoll (Melody Maker)
12 February – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)
19 February – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Melody Maker)
26 February – Long John Baldry with Bluesology (Melody Maker)
5 March – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band (Melody Maker)
12 March – The Shevelles (Melody Maker)
14 March – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s diary – this was a Tuesday)
19 March – Cliff Bennett’s Rebel Rousers (Melody Maker)
26 March – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays (Melody Maker)
2 April – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Melody Maker)
9 April – Brian Auger Trinity with Julie Driscoll (Melody Maker)
16 April – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)
23 April – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band (Fabulous 208 and Melody Maker)
25 April – Jimmy Cliff & The Shakedown Sound (Melody Maker – this was a Tuesday)
30 April – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Melody Maker)
7 May – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (Melody Maker)
14 May – Ronnie Jones & The Q-Set (Melody Maker)
21 May – The Shevelles (Melody Maker)
28 May – Brian Auger Trinity with Julie Driscoll (Melody Maker)
30 May – The Nite People (Barry Curtis’s diary – this was a Tuesday)
4 June – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Fabulous 208 and Phil Mackie’s diary) South East London Mercury has The Coloured Raisins
11 June – The Amboy Dukes (Fabulous 208 and Phil Mackie’s diary)
18 June – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band (Phil Mackie’s diary)
25 June – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Phil Mackie’s diary)
2 July – The Coloured Raisins with Honey Darling and Earl Green (Phil Mackie’s diary)
9 July – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Phil Mackie’s diary)
16 July – The Gass (Phil Mackie’s diary)
23 July – Mike Cotton with Lucas (Phil Mackie’s diary)
30 July – Brian Auger Trinity with Julie Driscoll (Phil Mackie’s diary)
6 August – Long John Baldry Show (aka Bluesology) (Phil Mackie’s diary)
13 August – The Shevelles (Phil Mackie’s diary)
20 August – The Peddlers (Phil Mackie’s diary)
27 August – The Gass (Phil Mackie’s diary)
3 September – The Amboy Dukes (Phil Mackie’s diary)
10 September – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Phil Mackie’s diary)
17 September – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (Phil Mackie’s diary)
24 September – Freddie Mack Show (Phil Mackie’s diary)
1 October – The Shevelles (Phil Mackie’s diary)
8 October – The Amboy Dukes (Phil Mackie’s diary)
15 October – Ronnie Jones & The Q-Set (Phil Mackie’s diary)
22 October – Ben E King (Phil Mackie’s diary)
29 October – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Phil Mackie’s diary)
4 November – The Peddlers (Phil Mackie’s diary)
7 November – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s diary – this was a Tuesday)
12 November – Dantalion’s Chariot (Phil Mackie’s diary)
19 November – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Phil Mackie’s diary)
26 November – Brian Auger Trinity with Julie Driscoll (Phil Mackie’s diary)
3 December – The Amboy Dukes (Phil Mackie’s diary)
10 December – The Gass (Phil Mackie’s diary)
17 December – Peter’s Green Fleetwood Mac (Phil Mackie’s diary)
24 December – The Shevelles and Terry Lightfoot Band (Phil Mackie’s diary)
31 December – Ronnie Jones & The Q-Set and Alan Elsdon’s Band (Phil Mackie’s diary)
1968
Phil Mackie, who very kindly provided gigs for 1967 and 1968, recalls that Sunday was R&B night and Monday was mainstream jazz. I have listed the sources next to the entries.
7 January – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Phil Mackie’s diary)
14 January – Ronnie Jones & The Q-Set (Phil Mackie’s diary)
21 January – The Freddie Mack Sound (Phil Mackie’s diary)
28 January – Jimmy McGriff Quartet (Phil Mackie’s diary)
4 February – The Cliff Bennett Show (Phil Mackie’s diary)
11 February – The Savoy Brown Blues Band (Phil Mackie’s diary)
18 February – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Phil Mackie’s diary)
25 February – Lucas & The Mike Cotton Sound (Phil Mackie’s diary)
3 March – The Peddlers (Phil Mackie’s diary)
10 March – The Amboy Dukes (Phil Mackie’s diary)
17 March – Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac (Phil Mackie’s diary)
24 March – The Shevelles (Phil Mackie’s diary)
31 March – The Impressions (Phil Mackie’s diary)
7 April – The Jeff Beck Group featuring Rod Stewart (Phil Mackie’s diary)
14 April – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Phil Mackie’s diary)
15 April – The Piccadilly Six (Swiss band) (Melody Maker – this was a Monday)
21 April – The Showstoppers (Phil Mackie’s diary)
28 April – The Cliff Bennett Band
5 May – Spooky Tooth (Phil Mackie’s diary)
9 May – The Counts (Melody Maker – this was a Thursday)
12 May – The Shevelles (Phil Mackie’s diary)
16 May – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Phil Mackie’s diary – this was a Thursday)
19 May – Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers (Phil Mackie’s diary)
23 May – The Rebel Rousers (Phil Mackie’s diary – this was a Thursday)
26 May – The Peddlers (Phil Mackie’s diary)
30 May – The Shevelles (Phil Mackie’s diary – this was a Thursday)
2 June – Lucas with The Mike Cotton Sound (Phil Mackie’s diary)
9 June – Brian Auger Trinity with Julie Driscoll (Phil Mackie’s diary)
16 June – Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers with The Satin Dolls (Phil Mackie’s diary)
23 June – Spooky Tooth (Melody Maker)
30 June – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Melody Maker)
7 July – Diane Ferraz & The Ferris Wheel (Melody Maker)
14 July – Joe Cocker (Melody Maker)
21 July – Tony Gregory & The Counts (Melody Maker)
28 July – Traffic (Melody Maker)
4 August – Spooky Tooth (Melody Maker)
11 August – The Fantastics (Melody Maker)
18 August – The Rebel Rousers (Melody Maker)
25 August – The Shevelles (Melody Maker)
1 September – Ferris Wheel (Melody Maker)
8 September – The Joyce Bond Revue (Melody Maker)
15 September – Ten Years After (Melody Maker)
22 September – Timebox (Melody Maker)
29 September – The Drifters (Melody Maker)
6 October – The Fantastics (Melody Maker)
12 October – Spooky Tooth (Melody Maker – this is a Saturday)
20 October – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)
27 October – Joe Cocker (Melody Maker and New Musical Express)
3 November – The Shevelles (Melody Maker)
10 November – Inez and Charlie Foxx (Melody Maker)
17 November – Paul Williams Set (Melody Maker)
24 November – Ferris Wheel and Nepenthe (Melody Maker)
1 December – Garnet Mimms with Village Green (Melody Maker)
2 December – Jimmy Witherspoon (Melody Maker – this was a Monday)
8 December – Bandwagon (Melody Maker and New Musical Express)
10 December – Simon K & The Meantimers and Olaf Grumps Kneed (Melody Maker/South East London Mercury – this was a Tuesday)
15 December – Timebox (Melody Maker)
22 December – The Fantastics (Melody Maker)
28 December – The Shevelles (Melody Maker)
1969
Judging by the gigs below, rock bands continued to play on Sundays with occasional gigs on other days of the week.
5 January – Paul Williams Set (Melody Maker)
12 January – Root and Jenny Jackson (Melody Maker)
19 January – The Peddlers (Melody Maker)
26 January – The Amboy Dukes (Fabulous 208 and Melody Maker)
2 February – Spooky Tooth (Melody Maker)
South East London Mercury has The Nice not Spooky Tooth
Photo: South East London Mercury
9 February – Happy Magazine (Melody Maker)
16 February – The Fantastics (Fabulous 208)
Melody Maker has Timebox for the 16 February gig as does South East London Mercury
23 February – Freddie King and Steamhammer (Melody Maker)
Martin Coller got in touch and noted that The Nice were billed to play on 23 February according to Martyn Hanson’s book “Hang on To Dream: The Story of The Nice”.
2 March – The Amboy Dukes (Melody Maker)
9 March – Interstate Road Show (Melody Maker)
16 March – The Symbols (Melody Maker)
23 March – The Fantastics (Melody Maker)
30 March – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)
2 April – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker – this was a Wednesday)
6 April – Ferris Wheel (Melody Maker)
13 April – The Greatest Show on Earth (Melody Maker)
20 April – Timebox (Melody Maker)
27 April – The Amboy Dukes (Melody Maker)
4 May – The Symbols (Melody Maker)
11 May – Toast (Melody Maker)
18 May – Howlin’ Wolf (Melody Maker)
25 May – The Riot Squad (Melody Maker)
1 June – No listing in Melody Maker
8 June – The Peddlers (Melody Maker)
15 June – John Lee Hooker with The John Dummer Blues Band (Melody Maker)
22 June – Consortium (Melody Maker)
29 June – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)
6 July – Timebox (Melody Maker)
13 July – The Platters (Melody Maker)
20 July – The Joyce Bond Show (Melody Maker)
27 July – The Symbols (Melody Maker)
3 August – The Brian Auger Trinity (Time Out)
10 August – Trapeze (Melody Maker)
17 August – The Globe Show (Melody Maker)
24 August – The Coloured Raisins (Melody Maker)
31 August – Timebox (Melody Maker)
7 September – The Amboy Dukes (Melody Maker)
14 September – The Cliff Bennett Show (Melody Maker)
21 September – Linda Lewis and Ferris Wheel (Melody Maker)
28 September – The Dave Amboy Big Band (Melody Maker)
5 October – Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers (Melody Maker)
12 October – Zoot Money (Melody Maker)
19 October – The Greatest Show on Earth (Melody Maker)
25 October – The Brian Auger Trinity (Melody Maker)
2 November – Marv Johnson (Melody Maker)
9 November – Timebox (Melody Maker)
16 November – Freddie King (Melody Maker)
23 November – No entry in Melody Maker
30 November – The Coloured Raisins (Melody Maker)
7 December – The Dave Amboy Band (aka The Amboy Dukes) (Melody Maker and Keith Guster’s diary)
According to Keith Guster, this was the reformed version featuring Keith Guster and Tago Byers from The Fleur De Lys and former Hamilton Movement keyboard player Mick Fletcher.
14 December – Ferris Wheel (Melody Maker)
16 December – The Amboy Dukes (Keith Guster’s diary)
21 December – The Peddlers (Melody Maker)
28 December – Simon K & The Meantimers (Melody Maker)
1970
8 February – The Amboy Dukes (Keith Guster’s diary)
27 September – Black Widow and Amazing Grace (Poster from Roy Saxby)
Photo: Roy Saxby
4 October – Steamhammer (Poster from Roy Saxby)
11 October – Caravan (Poster from Roy Saxby)
18 October – Chicken Shack (Poster from Roy Saxby)
25 October – The Greatest Show on Earth (Poster from Roy Saxby)
1 November – Blodwyn Pig (Poster from Roy Saxby)
Photo: Roy Saxby
6 December – The Faces featuring Rod Stewart with Daniels Band (Poster from Roy Saxby)
13 December – Steamhammer (Poster from Roy Saxby)
20 December – Toe Fat with Albuquerque-Riccoti (Poster from Roy Saxby)
24 December – The Greatest Show on Earth with Tony Simon’s Progressive Show (Poster from Roy Saxby)
Burton’s in Uxbridge was an important music venue in West London throughout the 1960s.
I have started to compile a list below and would welcome any additions, particularly where there are gaps. Also, artists didn’t always appear despite being advertised so it would be great to hear from anyone who has any corrections.
Judging by the entries, bands played every Saturday with occasional gigs on other nights of the week.
1961
8 July – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Uxbridge Post)
The band was billed as The Rebel Rousers for early gigs in 1961
15 July – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Uxbridge Post)
22 July – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Uxbridge Post)
12 August – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Uxbridge Post)
26 August – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Uxbridge Post)
9 September – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Uxbridge Post)
23 September – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Uxbridge Post)
30 September – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Uxbridge Post)
11 November – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Uxbridge Post)
2 December – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Uxbridge Post)
24 December – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Uxbridge Post – this was a Sunday)
31 December – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Uxbridge Post –this was a Sunday)
1962
24 March – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Uxbridge Post)
1963
25 May – Brian Poole & The Tremeloes (Beat Monthly) Needs confirmation
8 June – Brian Poole & The Tremeloes (Beat Monthly) Needs confirmation
22 June – Brian Poole & The Tremeloes (Beat Monthly) Needs confirmation
13 July – Brian Poole & The Tremeloes (Beat Monthly) Needs confirmation
10 August – Brian Poole & The Tremeloes (Beat Monthly/Harrow Weekly Post)
7 September – Brian Poole & The Tremeloes (Beat Monthly)
19 October – The Federals (Beat Monthly)
14 December – Brian Poole & The Tremeloes (Beat Monthly)
1964
11 January – The Federals (Beat Monthly)
7 March – Robb Storme & The Whispers (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)
31 December – Robb Storme & The Whispers (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)
1965
9 January – Robb Storme & The Whispers (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)
30 January – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Beat Instrumental)
9 February – The Birds (Ronnie Wood’s book, How Can It Be? A Rock & Roll Diary)
23 March – The Yardbirds (Alan Clayson’s book, The Yardbirds – the band that launched Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page)
6 April – The Birds (Ronnie Wood’s book, How Can It Be? A Rock & Roll Diary)
8 June – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Beat Instrumental)
29 June – The Who (Andy Neill’s research)
6 July – The Birds (Ronnie Wood’s book, How Can It Be? A Rock & Roll Diary)
31 July – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Beat Instrumental)
28 August – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Beat Instrumental)
14 December – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band (Record Mirror)
24 December – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Boyfriend magazine)
31 December – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Boyfriend magazine)
1966
8 January – Robb Storme & The Whispers (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)
15 January – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band (Record Mirror)
18 January – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (Record Mirror – this was a Tuesday)
5 February – Robb Storme & The Whispers (Jim St Pier’s gig diary)
15 February – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band (Beat Instrumental)
12 March – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Record Mirror)
19 March – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (Beat Instrumental)
8-9 April – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Beat Instrumental)
7 May – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Beat Instrumental)
10 May – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Beat Instrumental)
14 May – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Record Mirror)
11 June – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band (Beat Instrumental)
2 July – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Fabulous 208)
9 July – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Melody Maker)
12 July – The Birds (Fabulous 208 – this was a Tuesday)
30 July – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Fabulous 208)
6 August – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band (Fabulous 208)
I have Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band also playing on 6 August
20 August – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Fabulous 208)
26 August – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Fabulous 208 – this was a Friday)
27 August – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Fabulous 208)
30 August – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Melody Maker – this was a Tuesday)
17 September – The Alan Bown Set (Fabulous 208)
1 October – The Fenmen (Fabulous 208)
22 October – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Fabulous 208)
26 November – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Fabulous 208)
20 December – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Fabulous 208 – this was a Tuesday)
24 December – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and The Army (Fabulous 208 and Tony Tacon’s memories)
Fabulous 208 also has The Amboy Dukes on 24 December
31 December – The Amboy Dukes (Fabulous 208)
1967
7 January – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Melody Maker)
3 March – The Alan Bown Set (Fabulous 208 – this was a Friday so wondering if it was 4 March)
11 March – The Amboy Dukes (Fabulous 208)
14 March – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Melody Maker – this was a Tuesday)
17 March – Marmalade (Fabulous 208 – this was a Friday)
18 March – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s diary)
21 March – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Melody Maker – this was a Tuesday)
24 March – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Fabulous 208 – this was a Friday, so wondering if was 25 March)
22 April – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Fabulous 208)
12 May – The Coloured Raisins, King Ossie and Honey Darling (Melody Maker – this was a Friday so wondering if it was 13 May)
20 May – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Fabulous 208)
3 June – Jeff Beck Group (Melody Maker)
9 June – The Gnomes of Zurich and Guy Darrell (Melody Maker – this is a Friday)
Tom Brennan’s Iveys’ gigs website (Badfinger) has The Iveys and Guy Darrell on the same date as The Gnomes of Zurich
10 June – Marmalade (Melody Maker)
16 June – The Alan Bown Set (Melody Maker – this is a Friday)
17 June – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Melody Maker)
24 June – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s diary)
1 July – The Freddie Mack Sound (Melody Maker)
5 August – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Fabulous 208)
12 August – The Washington DCs (Melody Maker)
19 August – The Freddie Mack Show (Melody Maker)
26 August – The Amboy Dukes (Melody Maker/Hillingdon Mirror)
2 September – The Alan Bown Set (Melody Maker/Hillingdon Mirror)
9 September – The Coloured Raisins (Melody Maker/Hillingdon Mirror)
16 September – The Amboy Dukes (Fabulous 208, Melody Maker and Hillingdon Mirror)
23 September – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s diary)
30 September – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Fabulous 208/Hillingdon Mirror)
7 October – Marmalade (Melody Maker/Hillingdon Mirror)
14 October – The Gass (Melody Maker)
21 October – The Amboy Dukes (Melody Maker)
28 October – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Melody Maker/Hillingdon Mirror)
4 November – The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Melody Maker)
11 November – Ronnie Jones & The Q-Set (Melody Maker)
18 November – The Shell Shock Show (Melody Maker/Hillingdon Mirror)
25 November – The Cat Show (Melody Maker)
2 December – The Alan Price Set and The Army (Melody Maker)
9 December – The Ebony Keys (Melody Maker)
16 December – The Alan Bown Set (Melody Maker)
23 December – The Amboy Dukes (Melody Maker)
24 December – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Melody Maker)
30 December – Jimmy Cliff & The Shakedown Sound (Melody Maker)
31 December – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Fabulous 208 and Melody Maker)
It is possible that Steve Priest’s group The Army may have supported Cliff Bennett on new year’s eve but it needs confirmation
1968
All the entries for this year are from Melody Maker unless otherwise noted.
6 January – The Shell Shock Show with Owen Grey
13 January – Marmalade
20 January – The Amboy Dukes
27 January – Ronnie Jones & The Q-Set
3 February – Cat Soul Band with US Flat Top
10 February – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers
17 February – The Jimmy James Show
24 February – The Freddie Mack Show
2 March – Joe E Young & The Toniks
9 March – The Joyce Bond Revue
16 March – The Coloured Raisins
23 March – The Amboy Dukes
30 March – Jimmy Cliff and Wynder K Frog
6 April – The Skatalites
12 April – The Amboy Dukes (this was a Friday)
13 April – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers
20 April – The Alan Bown
27 April – Jimmy Cliff and Wynder K Frog
4 May – The Shell Shock Show
11 May – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds
18 May – The Joyce Bond Revue
25 May – The Amboy Dukes
1 June – The Skatalites
8 June – The Coloured Raisins
15 June – The Amboy Dukes
22 June – The Joyce Bond Revue
29 June – The Counts
6 July – The Skatalites
13 July – The Coloured Raisins
20 July – Jimmy Cliff and Wynder K Frog
27 July – Cliff Bennett & His Band
3 August – The Amboy Dukes
10 August – The Coloured Raisins
17 August – The Joyce Bond Revue
24 August – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds
31 August – The Counts
7 September – The Coloured Raisins
14 September – Simon K & The Meantimers
21 September – Jimmy Cliff and Wynder K Frog
28 September – Root and Jenny Jackson
5 October – The Joyce Bond Revue
12 October – The Counts
19 October – The Coloured Raisins
26 October – Little John & The Shadrocks
2 November – The Sharrons
9 November – The Amboy Dukes
16 November – The Alan Bown
23 November – The Counts and The Coloured Raisins (Melody Maker and Uxbridge Weekly Post)
30 November – Simon K & The Meantimers (Melody Maker and Uxbridge Weekly Post)
7 December – The Skatalites (Melody Maker and Uxbridge Weekly Post)
14 December – The Spectrum (Melody Maker and Uxbridge Weekly Post)
21 December – The Joyce Bond Revue (Melody Maker and Uxbridge Weekly Post)
24 December – The Amboy Dukes (Melody Maker and Uxbridge Weekly Post – this was a Tuesday)
28 December – Simon K & The Meantimers (Melody Maker and Uxbridge Weekly Post)
31 December – The Amboy Dukes (Melody Maker and Uxbridge Weekly Post – this was a Tuesday)
1969
4 January – Marmalade (Uxbridge Weekly Post)
Melody Maker has The Coloured Raisins on 4 January and considering Marmalade also played on 18 January, it’s possible Melody Maker is correct
11 January – The Rebel Rousers (Melody Maker)
18 January – Marmalade (Melody Maker and Uxbridge Weekly Post)
25 January – Little John & The Shadrocks (Uxbridge Weekly Post)
Melody Maker has Jimmy James & The Vagabonds on 25 January
1 February – Simon K & The Meantimers (Melody Maker and Uxbridge Weekly Post)
8 February – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Melody Maker and Uxbridge Weekly Post)
15 February – The Joyce Bond Revue (Melody Maker and Uxbridge Weekly Post)
22 February – The Coloured Raisins (Melody Maker and Uxbridge Weekly Post)
1 March – The Amboy Dukes (Melody Maker and Uxbridge Weekly Post)
8 March – The Rebel Rousers (Melody Maker and Uxbridge Weekly Post)
15 March – US Flat Top and the Cat Road Show (Melody Maker and Uxbridge Weekly Post)
22 March – Simon K & The Meantimers (Melody Maker andUxbridge Weekly Post)
Melody Maker has Desmond Dekker on 22 March as well
29 March – The Joyce Bond Revue (Melody Maker and Uxbridge Weekly Post)
5 April – Timebox (Melody Maker and Uxbridge Weekly Post)
12 April – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Melody Maker and Uxbridge Weekly Post)
19 April – The Coloured Raisins (Melody Maker and Uxbridge Weekly Post)
26 April – The Amboy Dukes (Melody Maker and Uxbridge Weekly Post)
3 May – Springfield Park (Melody Maker and Uxbridge Weekly Post)
Melody Maker appears to stop advertising Burton’s after this date
10 May – US Flat Top and The Cat Road Show (Uxbridge Weekly Post)
17 May – The Joyce Bond Revue (Uxbridge Weekly Post)
24 May – Chris Shakespeare & The Globe Show (Uxbridge Weekly Post)
31 May – The Amboy Dukes (Uxbridge Weekly Post)
7 June – Simon K & The Meantimers (Uxbridge Weekly Post)
14 June – The Coloured Raisins (Uxbridge Weekly Post)
I am missing entries for the rest of the year and would welcome any additions
1970
31 October – Czar (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)
I am missing entries for 1970 and would welcome any additions
Many thanks to Rolf Hannet for providing gigs from Beat Monthly and Beat Instrumental
Opened by brothers Rik and John Gunnell in mid-February 1966, the Ram Jam Club (named after Geno Washington’s Ram Jam Band) was situated on the Brixton High Road.
The famous venue hosted most of the top UK acts of the 1960s as well as visiting US blues and soul artists. I have started to compile a gig list and would welcome any additions in the comment below.
1966
Photo: Melody Maker
17 February – The Animals (open the club)
19 February – Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band
Photo: Melody Maker
24 February – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames
25 February – The Gass
26 February – The Shevelles
27 February – The Gass
Photo: Melody Maker
3 March – The Spencer Davis Group and Paul Fenton & The Crowd
4 March – The Graham Bond Organisation
5 March – Tony Knight’s Chessmen and The Loose Ends
6 March – The Gass
Photo: Melody Maker
10 March – The Who and The Train
11 March – The Gass
12 March – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band and The Peter B’s
13 March – The Gass
18 March – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
24 March – The Peter B’s and Wilson Pickett
31 March – The Peter B’s, Don Covay and The League of Gentlemen
1 April – Screaming Jay Hawkins
2 April – The Peter B’s, Arthur Alexander, The Jimmy Brown Sound, The Shevelles
7 April – Martha & The Vandellas and The Gass
8 April – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
9 April – The Peter B’s and Gary Farr & The T-Bones
Photo: Melody Maker
14 April – The Vibrations and The Peter B’s
15 April – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames and The Amboy Dukes
16 April – The Gass and The Peter B’s
17 April – The Gass
Photo: Melody Maker
21 April – Lee Dorsey and The Peter B’s and The League of Gentlemen
22 April – Freddie Mack’s This and That Show
23 April – Jimmy Witherspoon and The Shevells
24 April – The Gass
29 April – The Action
30 April – Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band
5 May – Patti La Belle & Her Belles (with Bluesology?)
7 May – The Shotgun Express and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
12 May – The Drifters and The Chessmen
13 May – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds
21 May – The Shotgun Express
26 May – Ben E King and The Chessmen
27 May – Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band
28 May – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds and The Stormsville Shakers
2 June – The Steampacket
3 June – The Gass
4 June – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and The Amboy Dukes
9 June – The Yardbirds (cancelled)
10 June – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
18 June – The Shotgun Express
24 June – The Moody Blues
25 June – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
30 June – The Graham Bond Organisation
Thanks to Colin Forster
1 July – The Five Proud Walkers
2 July – The Yardbirds and Tawny Reed Heatwave
3 July – The Rick ‘N’ Beckers
Photo: Melody Maker
7 July – The Alan Price Set
8 July – The Shevells
9 July – Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band
10 July – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
14 July – The Amboy Dukes
Photo: Melody Maker
15 July – Dave Anthony’s Moods
16 July – The Shevells
17 July – Solomon Burke
21 July – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames
22 July – The Stormsville Shakers
23 July – The Nightimers with Herbie Goins
24 July – The Gass
28 July – The Graham Bond Organisation
30 July – The Amboy Dukes and The Objects
4 August – Solomon Burke
5 August – O’Hara’s Playboys and The Eyes of Blue
6 August – The Gass and Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
7 August – The Rick ‘N’ Breckers
9 August – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds
Photo: Melody Maker
11 August – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds
12 August – The Gass
13 August – Dave Anthony’s Moods and Rik ‘N’ Beckers
14 August – The Amboy Dukes
18 August – The Alan Price Set
19 August – Mark Barry
20 August – The Shotgun Express
21 August – The Amboy Dukes
Photo: Melody Maker
25 August – The Blues Healers (with Malcolm Magaron)
26 August – Mark Barry and Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
27 August – Cream
28 August – The Amboy Dukes
29 August – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
Photo: Melody Maker
1 September – The Spencer Davis Group
2 September – Mark Barry
3 September – The VIPs
4 September – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames
Photo: Melody Maker
8 September – Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band
9 September – The Carl Douglas Set
10 September – The Amboy Dukes
11 September – The Blues Healers (with Malcolm Magaron)
Photo: Melody Maker
15 September – The Loose Ends
16 September – The Five Proud Walkers
17 September – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
18 September – Otis Redding
Photo: Melody Maker
22 September – The Eyes of Blue
23 September – The Shevelles
24 September – The Gass
25 September – The Gass
Photo: Melody Maker
29 September – The Knack
30 September – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
Photo: Andrew Czezowksi collection
1 October – The Shevelles
2 October – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
Photo: Melody Maker
6 October – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds
7 October – The Shevelles
8 October – The Playboys (not clear if this is The Manchester Playboys)
9 October – The Rick ‘N’ Beckers
13 October – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers
14 October – The Knack
15 October – The Amboy Dukes
16 October – The Rick ‘N’ Beckers (Poster above lists Garnet Mimms)
20 October – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
Photo: Melody Maker
21 October – Diane Ferraz & Nicky Scott and Simons Triangle
22 October – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band
Photo: Andrew Czezowksi collection
23 October – Ike & Tina Turner Revue (with Ike – Ettes, Bobby John, Jimmy Thomas, Kings of Rhythm Orchestra)
27 October – The Drifters
28 October – The Shevelles
29 October – The Shogun Express
30 October – The Gass
Photo: Melody Maker
3 November – Cream
4 November – The Shevelles and The Anzacs
6 November – The Gass
8 November – The Rick ‘N’ Beckers
Photo: Melody Maker
10 November – Gary Farr & The T-Bones
12 November – The Amboy Dukes
13 November – Paul Butterfield’s Blues Band and Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
17 November – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
24 November – The Action
25 November – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
26 November – The Shotgun Express
27 November – The Amboy Dukes
29 November – Julian Covey & The Machine
6 December – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
9 December – The Action
10 December – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and The Jimi Hendrix Experience
11 December – Bobby Hebb and Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band
13 December – Rupert’s Rick ‘N’ Beckers Show
23 December – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
24 December – The Blue Healers (with Malcolm Magaron) and Dave Anthony’s Moods
25 December – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (afternoon and evening)
Photo: Andrew Czezowksi collection
26 December – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays
27 December – Rupert’s Rick ‘N’ Beckers
1967
1 January – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
6 January – The Alan Price Set
7 January – The Eyes of Blue
8 January – Felder’s Orioles
10 January – Rupert’s Rick ‘N’ Beckers
Photo: Melody Maker
13 January – The Shotgun Express
14 January – The Amboy Dukes
15 January – The Gass
17 January – Rupert’s Rick ‘N’ Beckers
20 January – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band
21 January – The Shevelles
22 January – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays
24 January – Rupert’s Rick ‘N’ Beckers
27 January – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
28 January – Cream
29 January – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
31 January – The Fireballs
3 February – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
4 February – Jimi Hendrix Experience and The All Night Workers
5 February – The Amboy Dukes
9 February – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds
11 February – The Shotgun Express
12 February – Maxine Brown & The Q-Set
17 February – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays and The All Night Workers
18 February – Georgie Fame
19 February – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds
24 February – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
25 February – The Amboy Dukes and The Main Line
26 February – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
3 March – The Shevelles
4 March – The Fenmen with Felders Orioles
5 March – The Q-Set
Photo: Melody Maker
10 March – The Real McCoy
11 March – Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band
12 March – The Gass
Photo: Melody Maker
17 March – Ronnie Jones & The Q Set
18 March – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds
19 March – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
Photo: Melody Maker
24 March – Julian Covey & The Machine
25 March – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
26 March – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
27 March – The All Night Workers
31 March – The Urchins
Photo: Ken Baxter
1 April – The Artwoods and Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
2 April – Ronnie Jones & The Q Set
7 April – The Main Line
8 April – The Eyes of Blue and Rick ‘N’ Beckers
9 April – Herbie Goins & The Nightimers
Photo: Melody Maker
13 April – Mary Wells & The Playboys
14 April – The Shevelles
15 April – The Pretty Things and The All Night Workers
16 April – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds
Photo: Melody Maker
21 April – Julian Covey & The Machine
22 April – Felder’s Orioles and The Main Line
23 April – Nina Simone and The Peddlers
28 April – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
29 April – The Shevelles and The Gass
30 April – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (may not have happened)
4 May – The Len Marshall Show
5 May – The Duke Lee Sound
Photo: Melody Maker
6 May – Julian Covey & The Machine and The All Night Workers
7 May – Ronnie Jones & The Q-Set
12 May – The Duke Lee Sound
13 May – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band and Ferris Wheel
14 May – Prince Buster & The Bees and Rupert’s Rick ‘N’ Beckers
Photo: Melody Maker
19 May – The Duke Lee Sound
20 May – The Shevelles and The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
21 May – The Gass
27 May – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames and Felders Orioles
28 May – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band and The Hunky Chunk Band
Photo: Ken Baxter
2 June – Nat Cole Show
3 June – Cream and Impact Blues
4 June – Lucas and The Mike Cotton Sound
5 June – The Duke Lee Sound
9 June – Nat Cole Show
10 June – John Lee Hooker, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, The Savoy Blues Band and Mad Movies
11 June – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds
12 June – The Duke Lee Sound
16 June – Nat Cole Show
17 June – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede, The Soul Meeting Band, Duke Lee Sound and Mad Movies
18 June – The Gass
19 June – The Duke Lee Sound
23 June – Nat Cole Show
24 June – Felder’s Orioles, The Chiffons & Rhythm and Blues Inc, Duke Lee Sound and Mad Movies
25 June – Ronnie Jones & The Q Set
26 June – The Duke Lee Sound
Photo: Melody Maker
1 July – The All Night Workers (evening), then John Lee Hooker, The Savoy Brown Blues Band and The Duke Lee Sound (late night session)
2 July – PP Arnold (& The Nice)
3 July – The Duke Lee Sound
8 July – Ferris Wheel
9 July – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
Photo: Melody Maker
15 July – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede with Mad Movies
16 July – Joyce Bond Show
22 July – Georgie Fame
23 July – The Coloured Raisins
29 July – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
30 July – Jackie Edwards
4 August – The Wages of Sin
Photo: Melody Maker
5 August – O’Hara’ Playboys
6 August – The Gass
Photo: Melody Maker
12 August – Ferris Wheel
13 August – Rick ‘N’ Beckers
19 August – The Skatalites
20 August – The Shell Shock Show
25 August – The New Jump Band
27 August – The Human Instinct and The Triads
Photo: Melody Maker
2 September – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
3 September – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
9 September – Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac
10 September – The Coloured Raisins with Honey Darling and Earl Green
16 September – The Bees
17 September – Ferris Wheel
23 September – The Shevelles
24 September – Jimmy Cliff & The Shakedown Sound
25 September – Maxine Brown & The Q-Set
28 September – The Soul Vendors starring Roland Alphonso, Alton Ellis, Ken Boothe, Johnnie Moore and Jackie Mitto
30 September – The Amboy Dukes
1 October – Jackie Edwards
Photo: Melody Maker
5 October – Vanilla Fudge
7 October – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
8 October – The Soul Vendors (starring Roland Alphonso, Alton Ellis and Ken Boothe)
14 October – The Skatalites
15 October – Horatio Soul & The Square Deals
19 October – Freddie King
21 October – Joey Young & The Tonics
22 October – The Bees
23 October – Junior Walker & The All Stars
Photo: Melody Maker
28 October – The Delroy Williams Show
29 October – PP Arnold & The TNT
4 November – Johnson’s Dynamo Set
5 November – Junior Smith
6 November – Ben E King
11 November – The Sound Casters
12 November – The Soul Vendors
19 November – Little John & The Shadrocks
25 November – Eddie Floyd and his American Group, Sounds Incorporated and The Peppermint Men
26 November – Ferris Wheel
Photo: Melody Maker
2 December – The Official Receivers
3 December – Desmond Dekker & The Aces
9 December – Watson T Brown and The Lastic Band
10 December – Joey Young and The Tonics (Joe Tex was originally advertised)
16 December – Dr Marigold’s Prescription
17 December – Jackie Edwards
23 December – The Vibrations and The Kingston By-Pass
24 December – The Delroy Williams Show
Photo: Melody Maker
30 December – The Peppermint Men and The Duke Reid Sound
31 December – The Pyramids
1968
5 January – Desmond Dekker & The Aces
Photo: Melody Maker
6 January – Owen Gray and Youth and Rudy and The Shell Shock Show Band
7 January – PP Arnold & The TNT
13 January – Joyce Bond and The Duke Reid Sound
14 January – John L Watson & The Web
20 January – Jimmy McGriff and Nepenthe
21 January – Dandy
27 January – The Skatalites and Sir Coxon Sound
28 January – Ronnie Jones & The Q-Set
3 February – James and Bobby Purify and The Duke Reid Sound
4 February – Jimmy McGriff
10 February – Robert Parker & The Quotations and The Sir Coxon Sound
11 February – Rupert’s Rik ‘N’ Beckers
17 February – Dandy & The Missions and The Duke Reid Sound
18 February – Nepenthe and The New Nadir
24 February – Little John & The Shadrocks and The Sir Coxon Sound
25 February – Joey Young & The Tonics
2 March – The Coloured Raisins and The Duke Reid Sound
3 March – The Fantastics (& The House of Orange)
9 March – Sir Coxon Sound
10 March – The Dave Davani Four
16 March – Jackie Edwards and The Duke Reid Sound
17 March – Horatio Soul & The Jokers
23 March – The Duke Reid Sound
24 March – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
30 March – Joyce Bond and The Sir Coxon Sound
31 March – The Chico-Bailey Show and The Night Hawks Band
6 April – The Original Impressions and Joey Young & The Tonics
7 April – The Sonny Burke Show
12 April – The Ethiopians with The Healers
14 April – The Original Drifters
20 April – Rupert’s Rick ‘N’ Beckers and The Sir Coxon Sound
21 April – Garnet Mimms
27 April – The Fantastics (& The House of Orange) and The Duke Reid Sound
28 April – Sugar Simone & The Programe
5 May – J J Jackson
Melody Maker stopped advertising from this point on
Most of the gigs were sourced from Melody Maker and gig posters. Thanks to Tony Webb for use of the club posters and to Ken Baxter for some Carl Douglas gigs from his contracts. Thanks also to Bruno Ceriotti and Mick Capewell for providing dates.
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
The original version of White Rabbit was completed with two additional musicians, rhythm guitarist/singer Brian Henderson, who’d recently been part of Nirvana’s backing band and was previously in The Soul Mates and Liza Strike & The Jet Set, and bass player Ralph Richardson, who’d worked with Henderson in The Jet Set.
Around August/September 1968, however, Rod Goodway and Linda Lewis both left, the latter to embark on a successful solo career after fronting Ferris Wheel where she played alongside future Foreigner drummer Dennis Elliott.
The following month, on 11-12 March, the musicians found themselves on the campus of Essex University in Colchester where a number of bands, including the up and coming Pink Floyd were entertaining the students.
However, despite having supported The Who at Leeds University on 21 January and then making a notable appearance at the Saville Theatre opening for Chuck Berry and Del Shannon on 19 February, the single’s commercial failure prompted the backers to drastically reduce the group’s bookings.
