Guitarist Mick Abrahams formed Blodwyn Pig in his home town Luton, Bedfordshire in the first few weeks of January 1969 after leaving Jethro Tull in early December 1968.
Bass player Andy Pyle had previously been a member of Abrahams’ pre-Jethro Tull group, McGregor’s Engine while sax/flute player Jack Lancaster was from Manchester and was working with the group Sponge when he got the call.
The trio advertised for a drummer and Ron Berg who’d been working with White Rabbit (singer Linda Lewis fronted them at one point) answered and got the job.
In his autobiography, What is a Wommett?, Mick Abrahams says that Blodwyn Pig rehearsed for a week before making their debut at the Cooks Ferry Inn in Edmonton, north London.
Melody Maker lists this as 27 January and notes that the quartet was billed as The Mick Abrahams Blues Band. In fact, Abrahams’ new group was billed under his own name rather than Blodwyn Pig for its first few gigs.
The following is an incomplete gig list of Blodwyn Pig 1969 gigs which are all listed in Melody Maker unless otherwise noted.
I’d welcome any additions. The band is billed as Blodwyn Pig unless noted.
Notable gigs:
27 January 1969 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London (debut) Billed as Mick Abrahams Blues Band
Melody Maker’s 1 February issue, page 4, reports the new band and name under its news extra section
1 February 1969 – Van Dike, Plymouth, Devon (Jonathan Hill’s book, Van Dike – The Life & Times of a Plymouth Club 1968-1972). Billed as Mick Abrahams Band
7 February 1969 – Bedford College, Regent’s Park, central London with Chicken Shack. Billed as Mick Abrahams Band
13 February 1969 – Red Lion, Leytonstone, east London. Billed as Mick Abrahams
Image may be subject to copyright
21 February 1969 – Blues Loft, Nag’s Head, High Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)
Melody Maker’s 22 February issue, page 6, says the band made its Marquee debut last week but I have not found a listing elsewhere. Monday night (17 February) was audition night so this is the possible date
22 February 1969 – Mothers, Erdington, West Midlands with Keef Hartley
3 March 1969 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London. Billed as Mick Abrahams
Image may be subject to copyright
15 March 1969 – London College of Printing, Elephant & Castle, south London with Chicken Shack and Jellybread. Billed as Mick Abrahams Band
22 March 1969 – Mothers, Erdginton, West Midlands with Led Zeppelin
28 March 1969 – Hornsey Wood Tavern, Hornsey Wood, north London. Billed as Mick Abrahams Blodwyn Pigg
29 March 1969 – The Village, Dagenham, east London with Killing Floor and Yellow Dog. Billed as Mick Abrahams
2 April 1969 – Rambling Jack’s Blues Club, the Railway Hotel, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts (Steve Ingless’ book The Day Before Yesterday – Rock, Rhythm and Jazz in the Bishop’s Stortford area from 1957 to 1969)
15 April 1969 – Fishmonger’s Arms, Wood Green, north London. Billed as Mick Abrahams Blodwyn Pig
18 April 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Circus (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live/Melody Maker)
19 April 1969 – London College of Printing, Elephant & Castle, south London with Climax Chicago Blues Band and Smiley
20 April 1969 – Mothers, Erdington, West Midlands with Dr K’s Blues Band
22 April 1969 – Bluesville ’69 Club’s Cherry Tree, Welwyn Garden City, Herts
23 April 1969 – Blues Loft, Nag’s Head, High Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)
25 April 1969 – Northern Poly, Holloway Road, north London with Elmer Gantry
28 April 1969 – Wall City Jazz Club, Quaintways, Chester, Cheshire with Frankie & The Countdowns and Shady Lane (Liverpool Echo) Billed as Mick Abrahams Blues Band
29 April 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live/Melody Maker)
Image may be subject to copyright
9 May 1969 – Bedford College, Regent’s Park, central London with Free
10 May 1969 – Luton College of Technology Students’ Union, Luton, Beds with The Spirit of John Morgan and Mechanical Bird (Blodwyn Pig concert Wiki site)
20 May 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Grail (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live/Melody Maker)
Image may be subject to copyright
30 May 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Sam Apple Pie (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live/Melody Maker)
2 June 1969 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London
16 June 1969 – The Pavilion, Bath (Poster) Billed as Mick Abraham’s Blodwyn Pig
20 June 1969 – City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear with Led Zeppelin and Liverpool Scene (Blodwyn Pig concert Wiki site)
22 June 1969 – Mothers, Erdington, West Midlands with The Taste
25 June 1969 – Derwent College, York, North Yorkshire with Bonzo Dog Band, John Mayall, Ronnie Scott & His Band, Eclection and Alexis Korner & Invaders Steel Band (Blodwyn Pig concert Wiki site)
26 June 1969– Guildhall, Portsmouth, Hants with Led Zeppelin and The Liverpool Scene (Blodwyn Pig concert Wiki site)
27 June 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Groundhogs (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live/Melody Maker)
28 June 1969 – Bath Festival of Blues, Recreation Ground, Bath with Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, John Mayall, Chicken Shack, Nice, Ten Years After and many, many others. Billed as Mick Abraham’s Blodwyn Pig
29 June 1969 – Albert Hall, Knightsbridge, central London with Led Zeppelin and The Liverpool Scene. Billed as Mick Abraham’s Blodwyn Pig
30 June 1969 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London
6 July 1969 – Farx, the Northcote Arms, Southall, west London. Billed as Mick Abraham’s Blodwyn Pig
11 July 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Andromeda (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live/Melody Maker)
Image may be subject to copyright
11 July 1969 – Brunel University Students’ Union, Brunel University, London with The Soft Machine, Aaardvark and Good Earth. Billed as Mick Abraham’s Blodwyn Pig
14 July 1969 – Friars, Aylesbury, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)
25 July 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Circus (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live/Melody Maker)
2 August 1969 – Torquay Town Hall, Torquay, Devon (Torbay Express and South Devon Echo) Billed as Mick Abraham’s Blodwyn Pig
5 August 1969 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London with Wine
Melody Maker’s 9 August issue, p12, has a good write up entitled ‘Blodwyn Pig continue with the heavy sound’.
Photo: Possibly Gloucester Citizen. Image may be subject to copyright
9 August 1969 – Malvern Winter Gardens, Malvern, Worcestershire with Clouds (Poster)
10 August 1969 – 9th National Jazz, Pop, Ballads & Blues Festival, West Drayton, west London with The Nice, Family, Keef Hartley, Steamhammer and many others. Billed as Mick Abraham’s Blodwyn Pig
15 August 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Grail (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live/Melody Maker)
20 August 1969 – Rambling Jack’s Blues Club, the Railway Hotel, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts (Steve Ingless’ book The Day Before Yesterday – Rock, Rhythm and Jazz in the Bishop’s Stortford area from 1957 to 1969) Concert was cancelled due to summer recess
22 August 1969 – Blues Loft, Nag’s Head, High Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)
25 August 1969 – King’s Hall, Romford Market, Romford, east London
29 August 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Samson (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live/Melody Maker)
Melody Maker’s 30 August issue, page 24 notes that the band missed some dates because Ron Berg was ill
16 September 1969 – Mothers, Erdington, West Midlands with King Crimson
18 September 1969 – Social Club, Aylesbury, Bucks
21 September 1969 – Farx, the Northcote Arms, Southall, west London. Billed as Mick Abrahams Blodwyn Pig
22 September 1969 – The Village of the Damned Blues Club, Aurora Ballroom, Brompton, Gillingham, Kent with support (Poster)
26 September 1969 – King’s Hall, Romford, east London with Stone The Crows
Image may be subject to copyright
29 September 1969 – Dunstable Civic Hall, Dunstable, Beds with Jesse Harper
30 September 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Ground (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live/Melody Maker)
Welcome to another posting of a series of gig listings for 1960s bands. None of these lists is exhaustive and my idea is to add to them in the comments section below over time. They are here for future researchers to draw on. I have also added a few interesting bits of information and will add images in time.
I’d like to encourage band members to get in touch to share memories, or for anyone to send corrections/clarifications to my email: Warchive@aol.com
Equally important, if you attended any of the gigs below or played in the support band, please do leave your memories below in the comments section for future historians to use. If you know of any missing gigs, please add them too, if possible, with the sources.
HERBIE GOINS & THE NIGHT-TIMERS:
Herbie Goins – lead vocals
John McLaughlin – lead guitar
Mick Eve – tenor saxophone
Harry Beckett – trumpet
Nigel Stanger – Hammond organ/saxophone
Dave Price – bass
Bill Stevens – drums
1965
23 March 1965 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London (Geoff Williams’ research: Decca Studios and Klooks Kleek book) This might have been before the link-up with The Night-Timers who were working with Ronnie Jones
6 August 1965 – Birdcage, Kimbells Ballroom, Southsea, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
7 August 1965 – Pontiac, Zeeta House, Putney, southwest London with Group Survival (NME) Billed as The Night-timers with Herbie Goins
Photo may be subject to copyright
8 August 1965 – Galaxy Club, Woburn Park Hotel, Addlestone, Surrey (Woking Herald)
28 August 1965 – Pontiac, Zeeta House, Putney, southwest London (NME) Billed as The Night-timers with Herbie Goins
Sometime in late August/early September 1965, Nigel Stanger returned to Newcastle upon Tyne and worked with Alan Price. Former member Dave Morse returned on Hammond organ
Photo may be subject to copyright
4 September 1965 – Zambesi Club, Hounslow, west London (Middlesex Chronicle)
12 September 1965 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
Photo may be subject to copyright
16 September 1965 – Ritz Club, Skewen, Wales with The Kingpins and The Iveys (Port Talbot Guardian)
17 September 1965 – Archer Hall, Billericay, Essex (Southend Standard & Essex Weekly Advertiser)
18 September 1965 – Pontiac, Zeeta House, Putney, southwest London (Melody Maker)
22 January 1966 – Cue Club, Paddington, London (Melody Maker)
30 January 1966 – King Mojo, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (The Star)
4 February 1966 – Cue Club, Paddington, London (Melody Maker)
5 February 1966 – Winter Gardens, Banbury, Oxfordshire with Elkie Brooks, The Marionettes and Phase II (Brackley Advertiser) Is this possible with the gig below?
5 February 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
19 March 1966 – Mod Place, Victoria Rooms, Clifton, Bristol with Elkie Brooks, The Marionettes and The Reasons (Western Scene) Is this possible with Swiss dates above
Photo may be subject to copyright
1 April 1966 – New All-Star Club, 9a Artillery Passage, E1, London with Screamin’ Jay Hawkins (Melody Maker)
4 April 1966 – Penthouse, Birmingham, West Midlands with Screamin’ Jay Hawkins (Birmingham Evening Mail)
9 April 1966 – Jigsaw, Manchester with Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and Graham Bond Organisation (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle)
10 April 1966 – Plaza Ballroom, Handsworth West Midlands with Screamin’ Jay Hawkins (Birmingham Evening Mail)
16 April 1966 – Carousel Club, 1 Camp Road, Farnbrough, Hampshire with Screaming J Hawkins (Aldershot News/Camberley News)
18 April 1966 – Atlanta Ballroom, Woking, Surrey with support (Aldershot News/Camberley News)
Photo may be subject to copyright
23 April 1966 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, The Plain & Fancy and The Tykes (Lincolnshire Standard)
27 May 1966 – Carousel Club, 1 Camp Road, Farnbrough, Hampshire (Aldershot News/Camberley News) David Else also has the band playing at the Camberley Ricky Tick at the Cambridge Hotel on this date with The Blues Syndicate
Photo: John Treais
28 May 1966 – New All-Star Club, 9a Artillery Passage, E1, London (Melody Maker)
Photo may be subject to copyright
Around late May/early June John McLaughlin left and first Mick Barker and then John Smith came in on guitar (Ed: would welcome any insights from readers)
Photo may be subject to copyright
4 June 1966 – Zambesi, Hounslow, west London (Melody Maker)
Sometime in early October, Speedy Acquaye joined on congas from Georgie Fame’s Blue Flames, having appeared on the sessions for “Number One in Your Heart” earlier in the year
1 October 1966 – Beachcomber, Nottingham with Broodly-Hoo (Nottingham Evening Post)
2 October 1966 – Central R&B Club, Central Hotel, Gillingham, Kent (Chatham, Rochester & Gillingham News)
8 October 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
15 October 1966 – The New All-Star Club, 9a Artillery Passage, E1, London (Melody Maker)
16 October 1966 – Dereham Tavern Club, Dereham, Norfolk with The Sullivan James (North Norfolk News)
22 October 1966 – The Location, Woolwich, southeast London with The Images (Melody Maker)
23 October 1966 – Cue Club, Paddington, central London (Melody Maker)
Photo may be subject to copyright
26 October 1966 – Elbow Room, Aston, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
27 October 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
28 October 1966 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)
29 October 1966 – Plebians, Halifax, West Yorkshire (Halifax Evening Courier & Guardian)
31 October 1966 – The Village, Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire (Grimsby Evening Telegraph)
13 January 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with The Satin Dolls and The All Night Workers (website: www.california-ballroom.info/gigs/)
15 January 1967 – Central R&B Club, Central Hotel, Gillingham, Kent with Satin Dolls (Chatham, Rochester & Gillingham News)
Photo may be subject to copyright
20 January 1967 – Mod Ball, Pavilion Ballroom, Weymouth, Dorset with Teak and Smokey and The Nite People (Western Gazette)
Photo may be subject to copyright
21 January 1967 – Starlight Room, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with The Satin Dolls, Timebox with Richard Henry, Triads and Ray Bones (Spalding Standard)
26 January 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Jimmy Cliff & The Shakedown Sound (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
Photo may be subject to copyright
27 January 1967 – Top Spot Ballroom, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire with The Knak (Gloucester Citizen)
Photo may be subject to copyright
28 January 1967 – Clouds, Derby (Derby Evening Telegraph)
28 January 1967 – Nite Owl, Leicester (Leicester Mercury)
1 February 1967 – Elbow Room, Aston, West Midlands (Fabulous 208)
2 February 1967 – Bowes-Lyon-House, Stevenage, West Midlands (Fabulous 208)
4 February 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with The Avalons and The Mack Sound (Melody Maker)
Photo may be subject to copyright
5 February 1967 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)
6 February 1967 – Queen’s Ballroom, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (Express & Star)
7-8 February 1967 – Sibyllas, Swallow Street, central London (Fabulous 208)
9 February 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Satin Dolls and The In Crowd (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
10 February 1967 – Hereford College (presumably Hereford but could be Oxford college) (Fabulous 208) They may have played the Stage Club on this date too (Cherwell)
11 February 1967 – Durham University, Durham, County Durham (Fabulous 208)
14 February 1967 – Blaises, Imperial Hotel, Queen’s Gate, west London (Fabulous 208)
14 February 1967 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London (Geoff Williams’ research: Decca Studios and Klooks Kleek book)
16 February 1967 – Cadenas Club, Stoke Hotel, Guildford with The Jeremiah Thing (David Else’s research)
17 February 1967 – Ricky Tick, Hounslow, West London (David Else’s research)
19 February 1967 – Saville Theatre, Shaftsbury Avenue, London with Chuck Berry and The Canadians (Fabulous 208)
21 February 1967 – Pavilion, Bournemouth Colleges Student’s Union, Landsdowne, Dorset with The Palmer James Group (Bournemouth Evening Echo)
23 February 1967– Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with The In Crowd (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
24 February 1967 – Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Wales with The Yardbirds (Fabulous 208)
Photo may be subject to copyright
25 February 1967 – Matlock Bath Pavilion, Matlock, Derbyshire with John L Watson and The Web (Derby Evening Telegraph)
According to the Guardian Journal’s 18 March issue, page 5, Mike Carr departed in early March. His replacement was Jamaican musician Junior Kerr.
Kerr came in via backing singers and dancers Cassie and Candy (aka The Satin Dolls) who were part of the Ready Steady Go dancing troupe. They joined around in late 1966 (Ed: would welcome any reader insights)
Photo may be subject to copyright
4 March 1967 – Royal Lido, Prestatyn, Clwyd, Wales with The Raynes (Rhyl & Prestayn Gazette)
16 March 1967 – Locarno, Derby (Fabulous 208)
17 March 1967 – Queen’s Rink, West Hartlepool, County Durham (Fabulous 208)
18 March 1967 – Sheffield University, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Fabulous 208)
Photo may be subject to copyright
19 March 1967 – Cosmo Ballroom, Carlisle, Cumbria with 22nd Street People (Cumberland News/Fabulous 208)
22 March 1967 – College of Tech, Nottingham with Unit 4 Plus 2 (Fabulous 208)
23 March 1967 – Palace Hotel, Southport, Lancashire (Fabulous 208)
24 March 1967 – Top Ten, Manchester with Candy Choir (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle)
24 March 1967 – Bluesville, Manor House, London (Melody Maker)
25 March 1967 – Gaiety Ballroom, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire with The Legay (Cambridgeshire Times)
26 March 1967 – Belle Vue, Greater Manchester (Fabulous 208)
9 April 1967 – Ram Jam, Brixton, south London (Melody Maker)
14 April 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London (Melody Maker)
16 April 1967 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)
18 April 1967 – Ritz, Bournemouth, Dorset with The Bossmen (Bournemouth Evening Echo)
23 April 1967 – Nottingham Boat Club, Nottingham (Down at the Boat book)
26 April 1967 – Bromel Club, Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, Kent (Melody Maker)
28 April 1967 – Steering Wheel Club, Dorchester, Dorset with Adge Cutler & The Wurzels and The Gordon Riots (Western Gazette)
29 April 1967 – Nite Owl, Leicester with The Executive (Melody Maker)
30 April 1967 – Central R&B Club, Central Hotel, Gillingham, Kent with Satin Dolls (Chatham, Rochester & Gillingham News)
Sometime around this period, Linda Lewis also sang with the group briefly having worked with The Q-Set in late 1966. She didn’t stay long and cut a solo single for Polydor that summer. She would reunite though with Kerr soon after in White Rabbit
Photo may be subject to copyright
6 May 1967 – Shoreline Club, Bognor Regis, West Sussex with The In Crowd (Dave Allen research)
9 May 1967 – Blaises, Imperial Hotel, Queen’s Gate, London with The Satin Dolls (Melody Maker)
12 May 1967 – Drokiweeny, Manchester with The Satin Dolls (Manchester Evening News and Chronicle)
12 May 1967 – Tabernacle, Stockport, Greater Manchester with The Satin Dolls (Manchester Evening News and Chronicle)
12 May 1967 – Mr Smith’s, Manchester with The Satin Dolls (Manchester Evening News and Chronicle)
16 May 1967 – Blaises, Imperial Hotel, Queen’s Gate, London with The Web (Melody Maker)
23 May 1967 – Blaises, Imperial Hotel, Queen’s Gate, London (Melody Maker)
Photo may be subject to copyright
27 May 1967 – St George’s Ballroom, Hinckley, Leicestershire (Nuneaton Evening Tribune)
27 May 1967 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, London (Geoff Williams’ research: Decca Studios and Klooks Kleek book)
29 May 1967 – Beachcomber, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post) Is this possible with the gig below?
29 May 1967 – Supreme Eastern Esplanade, Ramsgate, Kent with The Satin Dolls and Len Marshall Sound (Melody Maker/East Kent Times & Mail)
30 May 1967 – Blaises, Imperial Hotel, Queen’s Gate, London (Melody Maker/Record Mirror)
2 June 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with The Satin Dolls (Melody Maker)
This large gap in June suggests they may have been overseas
Photo may be subject to copyright
30 June 1967 – Koo Koo Byrd, Cardiff, Wales (Glamorgan County Times)
1 July 1967 – Supreme Eastern Esplanade, Ramsgate, Kent (East Kent Times & Mail)
8 July 1967 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
10 July 1967 – Queen’s Ballroom, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (Express & Star)
29 July 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, London with The Fraternity and The Army (Melody Maker)
I would welcome any further insights from readers but I believe that in late July/early August, the group headed to Italy for a short tour. John Smith and Bill Stevens left on the eve of the tour and former Pack/Flowers of Wisdom members Andy Rickell and Terry Stannard joined. Stannard had recently worked with Freddie Mack.
The tour was a disaster and all of the equipment was stolen. Most of the group returned home and Junior Kerr, Andy Rickell and Terry Stannard formed White Rabbit with former member Linda Lewis
A new formation was formed on Goins’ return:
Herbie Goins – lead vocals
Alan Roskams – guitar (ex-Gass)
Mick Eve – tenor saxophone
Harry Beckett – trumpet
Speedy Acquaye – congas
John Carroll – Hammond organ
Dave Price – bass
Ian Hague – drums (ex-Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds/The Nice)
+ Satin Dolls backing singers/dancers Cassie and Candy
Photo may be subject to copyright
19 August 1967 – Wellington Club, Dereham, Norfolk with The Midnight Times (North Norfolk News)
20 August 1967 – Beachcomber, Nottingham with Satin Dolls (Nottingham Evening Post)
Photo may be subject to copyright
25 August 1967 – Steering Wheel, Dorchester, Dorset with The Cellar Rats (Dorset Evening Echo)
26 August 1967 – Floral Hall, Southport, Lancashire with The Maraccas (Manchester Evening News and Chronicle/Formby Times)
27 August 1967 – Redcar Jazz Club, Redcar, North Yorkshire with The Bluecaps (Dennis Weller, Chris Scott Wilson and Graham Lowe’s book)
30 August 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, London (Melody Maker)
Photo may be subject to copyright
2 September 1967 – St George’s Ballroom, Hinckley, Leicestershire with Mike Stuart’s Span (Nuneaton Evening Tribune)
3 September 1967 – Starlite, Greenford, northwest London (Melody Maker)
6 September 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London (Melody Maker)
8 September 1967 – 5D, Leicester with The Worrying Kynde (Leicester Mercury)
Photo may be subject to copyright
9 September 1967 – Pink Flamingo, Soho, central London with The Paper Blitz Tissue and Geranium Pond (Melody Maker)
10 September 1967 – Central R&B Club, Central Hotel, Gillingham, Kent (Chatham, Rochester & Gillingham News)
11 September 1967 – Ritz, Bournemouth, Dorset (Bournemouth Evening Echo)
12 September 1967 – Blaises, Imperial Hotel, Queen’s Gate, west London (Melody Maker)
13 September 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London (Melody Maker)
20 September 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London (Melody Maker)
22 September 1967 – 5D, Leicester with The Wild Flowers (Leicester Mercury)
27 September 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London (Melody Maker)
30 September 1967 – Glastonbury Town Hall, Glastonbury, Somerset with The Safety Catch (Somerset County Gazette)
3 October 1967 – Bournemouth Pavilion, Bournemouth, Dorset with Granny’s Intentions and The Palmer James Group (Bournemouth Evening Echo)
Photo may be subject to copyright
9 October 1967 – Top Rank, Cardiff, Wales with The Searchers, Lucas with The Mike Cotton Sound and The Zombies (South Wales Echo)
Photo may be subject to copyright
15 October 1967 – Cosmopolitan, Carlisle, Cumbria with Tamla Express (Cumberland News)
20 October 1967 – Cue Club, Paddington, central London (Melody Maker)
21 October 1967 – Northwich Memorial Hall, Northwich, Cheshire (Crewe Chronicle)
Photo may be subject to copyright
22 October 1967 – Carlton Club, Warrington, Cheshire (Warrington Guardian)
29 October 1967 – South Bank Jazz Club, Grimsby, Humberside (Grimsby Evening Telegraph)
This large gap in November suggests they may have been overseas
2 December 1967 – Pearce Hall, Maidenhead, Berkshire with Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch and The Echoes (Bucks Free Press)
3 December 1967 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)
8 December 1967 – Students’ Union, University of East Anglia, Norwich, Norfolk with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds and Precious Few (Eastern Evening News)
Photo may be subject to copyright
9 December 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Ferris Wheel and Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Melody Maker)
12 December 1967 – New Century Hall, Manchester with Kibbus (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle)
14 December 1967 – Student’s Union, University of East Anglia, Norwich with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds and The Reasons (Eastern Evening News)
25 December 1967 – Cue Club, Paddington, central London (Melody Maker) Guest with The Tonicks, Ronnie Jones, Owen Grey and The Youth
26 December 1967 – Locarno Ballroom, Portsmouth, Hampshire (Portsmouth News)
1968
This large gap in January suggests they may have been overseas
4 February 1968 – Wooden Bridge Hotel, Guildford, Surrey with The Strange Brew (Surrey Advertiser)
18 February 1968 – New Regis Club, Bognor Regis, West Sussex (Brighton Evening Argus)
23 February 1968 – Shades, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Sheffield Star)
1 March 1968 – Hotel Leofric, Coventry, West Midlands with Scarlet Religion (Coventry Evening Telegraph)
Photo may be subject to copyright
2 March 1968 – Sheffield University Student’s Union, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Sheffield Star)
10 March 1968 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)
18 March 1968 – Park Hall Hotel, Goldthorn Park, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with Time and Mr Showbiz (Express & Star)
25 March 1968 – Cosmopolitan, Carlisle, Cumbria (Cumberland News)
29 March 1968 – Poole College Rag, Poole College Main Hall, Poole, Dorset with The Nite People (Bournemouth Evening Echo)
Photo may be subject to copyright
30 March 1968 – Ewell College, Ewell, Surrey with Robert Plant & The Band of Joy (Melody Maker)
1 April 1968 – Staffordshire Yeoman, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)
John Carroll left about this time to join The Flowerpot Men’s backing band. Former member Junior Kerr may have briefly returned as footage from French TV show Bouton Rouge dated 4 April reveals; however, this may have been a recording from the previous year. In the first week of April 1968, Kerr played with his new band Junior’s Conquests
Eddie Thornton, who’d worked with Georgie Fame (and more recently The Amboy Dukes) also joined in time for the French tour on trumpet, taking over from Harry Beckett
Photo may be subject to copyright
10 April 1968 – Cellar Discotheque, Hartlepool (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)
13 April 1968 – St George’s Ballroom, Hinckley, Leicestershire (Nuneaton Evening Tribune)
Photo may be subject to copyright
15 April 1968 – The Shrubbery Hotel, Ilminister, Somerset (Somerset County Gazette)
Photo may be subject to copyright
19 April 1968 – Scene, Cambridge YMCA, Cambridge (Cambridge News)
Photo may be subject to copyright
20 April 1968 – Tin Hat, Kettering, Northamptonshire with Howling Robin (Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph)
21 April 1968 – Le Metro, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail)
26 April 1968 – Cue Club, Paddington (Melody Maker)
Photo may be subject to copyright
27 April 1968 – Ettington Park Hotel, Alderminster, near Stratford, Warwickshire (Birmingham Evening Mail) Could this have been the date below or did they play again a few weeks later?
29 April 1968 – Carlton Club, Warrington, Cheshire (Warrington Guardian)
4 May 1968 – Wolverhampton College of Technology, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with Soul Seekers (Express & Star)
11 May 1968 – Ettington Park Hotel, Alderminster, Warwickshire (Stratford upon Avon Herald)
12 May 1968 – Excel Blue Angel, Middlesbrough (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)
19 May 1968 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, London (Poster)
23 May 1968 – Liberal Hall, Yeovil, Somerset with The Klick (Western Gazette)
31 May 1968 – Pantiles, Bagshot, Surrey (Melody Maker)
6 June 1968 – James Finegan Hall, Eston, Middlesbrough with Rivers Invitation and The Tramline (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)
8 June 1968 – Mistrale Club, Beckenham Junction, London with The Shiralee (Coulson & Purley Advertiser)
16 June 1968 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, London with The Satin Dolls (Poster)
23 June 1968 – Cosmopolitan, Carlisle, Cumbria with Junco Partners (Cumberland News)
31 August 1968 – Civic Hall, Guildford, Surrey with The Strange Brew (Surrey Advertiser)
Photo may be subject to copyright
2 September 1968 – Top Spot, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire with Lot 39 with Mel Taylor (Gloucester Citizen)
Around September 1968, Dave Price and Alan Roskams left.
Would welcome insights from readers but I think a new formation featured the following:
Herbie Goins – lead vocals
Kelvin Bullen – lead guitar (ex-Joe E Young & The Tonicks)
Hugh Bullen – bass (ex-Joe E Young & The Tonicks)
Mick Eve – tenor saxophone
Eddie Thornton – trumpet
Speedy Acquaye – congas
Ian Hague – drums
+ Satin Dolls backing singers/dancers Cassie and Candy
Photo from Paul Kane
5 September 1968 – Speakeasy at Blaises, London (Poster from Paul Kane)
7 September 1968 – Alex Disco, Salisbury, Wiltshire (Salisbury Journal/Western Gazette)
20 September 1968 – CLCE Scraptoft, Leicester with The Shevelles and The Decoys (Leicester Mercury)
Photo may be subject to copyright
21 September 1968 – Stage Club, Oxford (Oxford Mail)
7 October 1968 – Quaintways, Chester, Cheshire with Perfumed Garden, The Hands and Wall City Jazzmen (website: www.45worlds.com/live)
13 October 1968 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)
19 October 1968 – Students Union UEA, Norwich, Norfolk with Bumbly Hum (Eastern Evening News)
Photo may be subject to copyright
3 November 1968 – Carlton Club, Warrington, Cheshire (Warrington Guardian)
Photo may be subject to copyright
7 December 1968 – Stage Club, Oxford (Oxford Mail)
Photo may be subject to copyright
10 December 1968 – King’s College, Strand, London with The Nice and The Circus (Melody Maker)
14 December 1968 – Mid-Herts College, Welwyn Garden City, Herts with The Herbal Remedy (Welwyn and Hatfield Advertiser)
Photo may be subject to copyright
18 December 1968 – Candlelight, Scarborough, North Yorkshire with The Satin Dolls and Free (Scarborough Evening News)
Photo may be subject to copyright
21 December 1968 – The Catacombs, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (Express & Star)
1969
Sometime in early 1969, Ian Hague left to join J J Jackson’s backing band
21 February 1969 – Cue Club, Paddington, London (Melody Maker)
23 February 1969 – Pantiles, Bagshot, Surrey (Melody Maker)
1 March 1969 – Cue Club, Paddington, London (Melody Maker)
30 March 1969 – Carlton Club, Warrington, Cheshire (Warrington Guardian)
13 April 1969 – Blaises, London (Hounslow Post)
27 April 1969 – Le Metro, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail)
2 May 1969 – Lyceum Ballroom, Strand, London with Alan Bown, Spooky Tooth, Jon Hiseman’s Colosseum and Portrait (Melody Maker)
3 May 1969 – New Union Rowing Club, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)
24 May 1969 – Farnborough Technical College Students’ Union, Farnborough, Hampshire (Aldershot News)
14 June 1969 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)
28 July 1969 – Soul Club, Plaza Ballroom, Newsbury, Berkshire with Simon K & The Meantimers (Reading Evening Post)
Photo may be subject to copyright
28 September 1969 – Rebecca’s, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail)
Soon after the above gig, the band landed a part-time residency in Rome, Italy
I would welcome any insights from readers on what happened next with the band’s formation
I’d like to thank David Else for generously sharing his own history on the band and helping to cross check timelines and facts. Also, thanks to Mick Eve for his insights.
One 1969. Left to right: Alan Marshall, Bobby Sass, Kevin Fogerty, Conrad Isidore, Brent Forbes and Norman Leppard
Alan Marshall – lead vocals/guitar
Bobby Sass – keyboards
Kevin Fogerty – lead guitar
Brent Forbes – bass
Norman Leppard – horns
Conrad Isadore – drums
In late 1969/early 1970, a motley crew of London-based musicians entered Trident Studios in the heart of Soho to record a lone, rare album for Fontana Records. Helmed by Indian-born musicians and childhood friends, singer Alan Marshall and keyboard player Bobby Sass, One had initially formed in early 1969 after a series of jam sessions at Marshall’s studio flat, located at 6 Denmark Street which he shared with manager Roger Burrow, a friend of Graham Nash’s.
Born in Lahore, Alan Marshall had quite the musical pedigree. Starting out with Bexley Heath, Kent R&B outfit The Loose Ends in the early 1960s, Marshall had cut two excellent singles on Decca before the original formation splintered in October 1966. Forming a new version with members of Croydon band The Subjects and another Bexley Heath area aggregation, Bob ‘N’ All, the new-look Loose Ends landed a short residency at the Bang Bang Club in Milan during January-February 1967.
When the musicians returned to London that March, they were spotted by Otis Redding at the Scotch of St James (or Speakeasy depending on who you speak to) and, ‘blown away’ by Marshall and co-vocalist Bob Saker’s duets, the soul legend took both singers back to the States to record two tracks at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals – “Johnny B Goode” and “Keep Pushing”. The plan was to couple the two recordings for a single on Atlantic but internal politics led to the tracks being shelved. Tragically, Redding died later that year.
Back in the UK, Alan Marshall reunited with guitarist Peter Kirtley who’d been playing with Alan Price’s band after leaving The Loose Ends the previous October. The pair decided to form a new group, Happy Magazine, and Marshall recommended his childhood friend Bobby Sass (not Bobby Tench under an alias which has often been misreported) to play keyboards. Unfortunately, after some tentative rehearsals, it was decided that Sass didn’t fit the band concept and he was dropped.
“He was a tremendous piano player and he loved Errol Garner. He and I grew up together in Karachi,” says Marshall. “Bobby didn’t make it in Happy Magazine. They didn’t like his style; he was too jazzy.”
Happy Magazine, 1968. Alan Marshall (back left). Peter Kirtley (second right). Thanks to Peter for the image
Signed to Polydor, Happy Magazine cut three singles with Alan Price in the producer’s chair before splitting in early 1969. By this point, Marshall had moved into a studio flat on Denmark Street (aka as Tin Pan Alley) with his friend and manager Roger Burrow; Bobby Sass was a regular visitor. As the singer recalls, the doors were always open and musicians used to wander in.
This is the most likely explanation for how Dominica-born drummer and percussionist Conrad Isidore entered the picture that spring. An incredibly gifted musician, Isidore had first come to prominence working with noted R&B outfit Joe E Young & The Tonics during 1967 after playing with The Links and The Grendades. It was with The Toniks that Isidore worked with bass player Calvin ‘Fuzzy’ Samuels, a former member of The Blue-Act-Unit, who also featured future Bob Marley sideman, Junior Kerr (aka Junior Marvin).
Conrad Isidore (bottom right) with Joe E Young & The Toniks, 1968
Isidore and Samuels soon moved on to form The Sundae Times with singer/guitarist Wendell Richardson. Produced by The Equals’ Eddy Grant, the trio recorded three singles and an LP, Us Coloured Kids, during 1968-1969 before the musicians went their separate ways. Somehow Isidore’s path crossed with Marshall and Sass and the drummer threw in his lot with the two Indian musicians.
Not long after, bass player Brent Forbes also joined the loose-knit set up. Originally from Salford, Greater Manchester, Forbes had previously played with The Rogues, who cut a lone single for Decca in December 1967. After changing their name to Sunshine in February 1968, the musicians turned pro and landed a residency in Turkey of all places. This was followed by a six-month stint playing clubs in Crete before the musicians returned to the drizzle of Greater Manchester.
At this point, Forbes joined a short-lived group called Zac, who moved down to London and cut an album’s worth of material at IBC Studios near Marble Arch. When this project failed to materialise, Forbes’s former band mate from Sunshine, guitarist Rod Alexander, who was managing Sound City on Shaftsbury Avenue, directed him to Marshall’s nearby studio flat.
The next musician to join was guitarist Kevin Fogerty, who had first come to prominence with Southport R&B group, Timebox. Fogerty appeared on the band’s early recordings but around October 1967, he jumped ship and signed up with The Dave Davani Four, which is where he later met tenor saxophonist and flutist Norman Leppard.
Originally from Handscross in West Sussex, Leppard was 23 years old when he turned professional. “I was mainly a freelance musician, working with different bands, touring all over the place,” he says. “I was always busy. I did a fortnight tour with The Temptations”.
Sometime in 1968, Leppard auditioned for The Dave Davani Four and landed the gig, despite being up against about 20 sax players. “Kevin was with them before I joined them,” he adds. “I ended up sharing a flat with Kevin and his then girlfriend Jenny in Kennington.”
According to Forbes, the loose-knit group of musicians spent ages rehearsing material before album sessions commenced at Trident Studios in St Anne’s Court, Soho, encompassing the latest in 16-track technology.
“We spent weeks, months, it felt like forever, in this studio [in Denmark Street] and the band would go in and play,” recalls the bass player. “We’d do an arrangement one day and go in the next day and it would be totally different as music should be. Depending on the mood of everybody it would be totally different.”
Production was split between the band’s manager Roger Burrow and Alan Marshall and Bobby Sass, working with sound engineers Robin Cable and Roy Baker. Production supervision meanwhile was handled by Lee Hallyday, who’d recently recorded his brother Johnny’s self-titled LP in France. According to several band members, the sessions at Trident’s studios also featured Alan Marshall’s former band mate from The Loose Ends and Happy Magazine, Peter Kirtley, who provided lead guitar on several cuts.
“Kevin was on some of the tracks,” explains Leppard. “He was mainly on rhythm guitar I think. I am not sure he’s on all the tracks, but he’s definitely on most of them.”
Brent Forbes is quick to credit Isidore and Marshall as the key inspirations during the recording process.
“Whether he’s playing guitar, percussion, drums or singing, [Marshall’s] just a warm spirit,” he says. “Conrad was [also] a fantastic influence for me. Great feel. He sat down one day and said: ‘Brent the notes are all right but the feel’. He made me think about that and I managed to maintain it and got a reputation for it over the years.”
Judging by the track listing, Richie Havens was a huge influence on the singer, but Marshall is not entirely happy with how some tracks turned out. “There are a couple that I am not too keen on,” says Marshall. “It was marijuana fuelled and they went on and on like ‘Run, Shaker Run’ but we didn’t know any better. We were young guys.”
That may well be, but One’s storming cover of Havens’ “Don’t Listen To Me”, which opens the LP and third track, “Stop Pulling and Pushing Me” are inspired, extended workouts full of inventive playing and powerful instrumental passages. The musicians also do justice to “Cautiously”, an atmospheric reading of the ballad written by Maurey Hayden, singer, stand-up comedian and wife of Lenny Bruce. Alan Marshall and Bobby Sass’s “Near The Bone”, the band’s lone contribution to the song-writing stakes is also noteworthy.
According to Forbes, there were no left-overs from the album sessions, which is perhaps surprising considering how long the musicians spent rehearsing material.
With the sessions complete, Norman Leppard was invited to become a fully-fledged member of One. “After the album was done, they asked me to join the band, which I then did for quite a long time,” remembers the session player.
Fontana duly released the LP in the UK in late 1969, followed by continental releases in France, Germany and Spain. The label also issued several singles but like the LP, none of the releases charted, which is perhaps not surprising considering that One undertook very little live work to promote the records. One notable gig took place on 7 October 1969 when the musicians made a rare appearance on stage at Hatchettes Playground in Piccadilly.
During March-April 1970, the musicians got to meet Stephen Stills, who was in London to record sessions for his first solo LP. It’s not clear who in the band made the initial contact. Marshall says that he used to leave the flat door open and musicians used to wander in. One strong possibility is Roger Burrow, who of course was a friend of Graham Nash’s. Alan Marshall, however, is pretty certain that it was Bobby Sass who ran into Stills.
“I don’t know how he met Stephen [but] we used to go over to the house [in Elstead],” says Marshall. “[Stills] had Peter Sellers’ old house and we used to go out there and hang out.”
Impressed by Conrad Isidore and his friend Calvin Samuels, Stills recruited both for his solo LP sessions. In May 1970, no doubt concerned about the shortage of live work, the drummer jumped ship to join Manfred Mann Chapter 3.
“We didn’t do as many gigs as we should have,” admits Forbes. “We did a hop or two to [West] Germany and we probably did the Marquee. We never did enough work really. How on earth we existed [I don’t know] – I think Roger [Burrow] the manager helped support everybody.”
The German club in question was the Happy Cat in Eschollbrucken near Darmstadt, which is close to Frankfurt. However, the shortage of live work soon led to cracks in the group and by the summer of 1970 both Kevin Fogerty and Norman Leppard had also moved on.
Interestingly, while One’s revolving door of personnel changes continued at pace, Fontana issued a French-only ‘45, ‘How Much Do You Know” (adapted from Adagio Royal by F de Boivallee), which was credited solely to Alan Marshall backed by One’s ‘Don’t Listen To Me”.
By the time the single appeared, Alan Marshall, Bobby Sass and Brent Forbes had pieced together a new formation which included guitarist Jack Lancaster and drummer Terry Stannard.
“There was a guitar player called Jack Lancaster, [who had] the same name as the famous one in Blodwyn Pig and he came from Swindon. He came in and took [Kevin Fogerty’s place],” says Forbes.
“God knows what we did after that. I can’t remember doing many gigs. It was a time when Fat Mattress got £200,000 advance and just sat rehearsing. It was a time when groups could afford to do that.”
Stannard, meanwhile, also originated from Wiltshire where he’d worked with Calne group, The Pack during late 1966. In the summer of 1967, the drummer moved up to London where he briefly landed a gig with Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound (and may have spent a short stint with Herbie Goins). He then moved on to join Junior Kerr (aka Junior Marvin) and Linda Lewis in the short-lived White Rabbit. By mid-1968, however, Stannard had moved on. While it’s not clear who he played with in the interim, one of the bands was Mirrors featuring Boz Burrell and Nick Judd.
Forbes remembers the new formation cutting an LP for Johnny Hallyday at a studio near Marble Arch, which could well have been IBC, towards the end of the year. “I remember getting session money for it because I went home to my uncle’s and had a very nice Christmas,” says the bass player.
Not long after, in early 1971, One underwent yet another reshuffle. On this occasion, Alan Marshall and Bobby Sass put together a short-lived version featuring former Them/Trader Horne guitarist/singer Jackie McAuley, future Traffic bass player Roscoe Gee and drummer Glenn LeFleur, who like his predecessor Terry Stannard, went on to play with Kokomo.
“I don’t know how I met Roscoe and Jackie,” says Marshall. “I used to meet so many musicians because I used to leave the door open in summer and musicians would drift in. We had a PA and Hammond organ and drums all set up.”
The new formation played at the Speakeasy and also Strawberry Fields where according to Marshall, “Paul McCartney and those guys used to love hearing us.”
During 1972/1973, Marshall’s old friend Ron Bryer, the original guitarist with The Loose Ends, joined after returning from Switzerland and playing with Brainticket.
Unfortunately, the group wound down in 1973/1974 after with the musicians scattering to work in a diverse range of projects.
Marshall ended up joining Strabismus, which subsequently changed its name to Riff Raff when the singer’s former band mate from The Loose Ends/Happy Magazine, Peter Kirtley joined and also featured bass player Roger Sutton and keyboard player Tommy Eyre. However, Marshall quit before Riff Raff’s debut album was recorded and pursued a solo career before recording with Zzebra. He then joined Gonzalez in the late Seventies in time for their 1979 release, Move It To The Music. Based in Thames Mead, he has become a pastor but continues to busk in Stratford, East London.
His school friend Bobby Sass later moved to Australia but died in the 2000s. Kevin Fogerty also passed away, in December 2010. During the early 1970s, he worked for a while in The Tommy Hunt Band.
As for Norman Leppard, he joined Eric Delaney’s band after leaving One and also appeared on Jack McDuff’s Blue Note LP, issued in late 1970. He continues to work as a session player.
Conrad Isidore meanwhile became a noted session player, working with the likes of Joe Cocker, Linda Lewis, Terry Reid, Vinegar Joe and Eddy Grant to name a few. He also later played with Junior Marvin in his band Hanson and with Hummingbird. Isidore later moved to Porvoo near Helsinki in Finland but died in 2019.
Brent Forbes also landed on his feet and, immediately on leaving One, joined the West End show, Catch My Soul. Like Isidore, he later moved into session work, playing with Doris Troy, Jimmy Helms, Lulu, Locus, Jim Capaldi and Hudson Ford among others. From 1975-1980, he also landed regular work on West End shows like Rocky Horror Picture Show and Les Miserables. During this period, he also briefly performed with Herbie Goins and Zzebra. Later, he moved into TV session work, providing music for Young Ones, the Lenny Henry Show, Victoria Wood among others.
As for One, the group remains something of an obscurity. While the LP has been issued on CD by two different labels, neither appear to be official releases. Given the collectability of the record and the fact that a mint copy will probably fetch you close to £100, perhaps it’s time that the band was given a proper re-issue treatment, complete with detailed liner notes.
Many thanks to the following for their help with the story: Alan Marshall, Brent Forbes, Norman Leppard and Jackie McAuley.
Junior Kerr (second left) with White Rabbit in early 1968. Photo courtesy of Rod Goodway
Born in Kingston, Jamaica on 3 May 1947, Donald Hanson Marvin Kerr Richards Jr, started to learn the piano at the age of two. When he was nine years old, he moved to London to live with his mother in Stoke Newington. In mid-1965, he starred in The Beatles’ movie, Help! Kerr only appeared briefly, playing one of the policemen who chase Ringo Starr in a beach scene.
Growing up on Kyverdale Road in Stoke Newington, Kerr learnt to play guitar and also further developed his keyboard skills, inspired by Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff and Booker T, among others.
During late 1964, he formed his first group, The Blue-Ace-Unit, with keyboard player Reo Dayes, a school friend from Tyssen community primary school in Cazenove. With Kerr on lead guitar and vocals, the group also included Ian McLaughlin (rhythm guitar), Errol Pennant (bass) and Alvin Campbell (drums).
The following year, Ken Cumberbatch replaced Dayes on Hammond organ. Kerr also met Calvin Samuel, who he allegedly nicknamed “Fuzzy” because the musician played his bass through a “fuzz box”. Blown away by his bass playing, Kerr invited Samuel to take over from Pennant on bass. The Blue-Ace-Unit auditioned for a gig at the Flamingo in Soho but lost out to The Gass who secured the residency. Around June 1966, the group, which had changed name to The Blue Aces, split up and Kerr began to hang out at Soho clubs, the Roaring ‘20s and later the Bag O’Nails.
Around October 1966 (some sources say as late as March 1967), he joined Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers (where he later met guest singer Linda Lewis) and it was during this early period that Kerr saw Jimi Hendrix playing at the Bag O’Nails in Soho. Inspired by his incendiary guitar work, Kerr started to practise guitar in his free time.
Around September 1967, Kerr left Herbie Goins to form The Junior (Pretty Boy Kerr) Group. The Aldershot News lists the band playing at the “Big C”, a popular club on 1 Camp Road, Farnborough in Hampshire on 4 November. It’s not clear who else was involved in this band and whether it was the same line-up of musicians that became White Rabbit but Linda Lewis was featured as singer.
In July 1967, Polydor Records had issued Linda Lewis’ debut solo single, “You Turned My Bitter Into Sweet” but it had not been a chart success.
Towards the end of the year, Kerr and Lewis put together White Rabbit, which comprised lead guitarist Andy Rickell from Calne, Wiltshire groups, The Pack and J P Sunshine, and his friend (and former Pack member) drummer Terry Stannard, who’d recently been working with Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound. The remaining members were rhythm guitarist/singer Brian Henderson and bass player Ralph Richardson from Lisa Strike & The Jet Set. Henderson had also worked with Nirvana.
Managed by Ian Samwell (Lewis’ manager) and Laurie O’Leary who managed the Speakeasy, the group played a month’s residency in Biarritz, the south of France, at the Canasta Club. Then, in the early months of 1968, White Rabbit toured Italy and France, but after their return (around late March), Kerr decided to leave.
Although he is rumoured to have re-joined Herbie Goins briefly (Ed. he appears on French TV on 4 April; this is more likely to have been a recording from the previous year), he in fact formed a new band that debuted in early April. 1968.
At some point in early 1968, Kerr ran into guitarist Mike Piggott in London, who had just left The System Soul Band, led by singer Ivan Sinclair.
The pair formed a new outfit, Junior’s Conquest, who landed a regular gig at the Pheasantry on the King’s Road in Chelsea.
According to the Redbridge & Ilford Recorder, the band also performed at the El Grotto in Ilford, east London on 7 April 1968, which may have been the group’s debut show.
Junior’s Conquest, late 1968. Courtesy of Mike Piggott. Pete Dobson is far left, Mike Piggott (top) and Junior Kerr. The person on the right might be John Best
It’s possible that while at the Pheasantry the group was invited to perform at a club in Stockholm, Sweden that summer called Alexandra’s, kicking off with a show on 17 May billed as Don Kerr & The Conquests.
Thanks to Mats Jarl for the clippingsAdvertised in paper on 31 May. Billed as The Conquest. Thanks to Mats Jarl for the clipping
With drummer Pete Dobson and a bass player, who was replaced by John Best, Junior’s Conquest played together for about six months, including a show at the Victoriana in Liverpool with Sinbad on 11 September 1968.
Returning to London, they played the Speakeasy at Blaises the following night (12 September), according to a club poster.
They also appeared at the Broken Wheel in Retford, Nottinghamshire on 5 October 1968 and the popular West End club, Hatchettes in Piccadilly on 22-23 November 1968.
Sometime in early 1969, however, the band split up. While he was fronting Junior’s Conquest, Kerr had also participated in the London production of Hair on Shaftsbury Avenue, which debuted on 27 September. It was here that he met singer Marsha Hunt whose band he briefly worked with in 1969.
During the early 1970s, Kerr would work with Keef Hartley and then move to the US before subsequently changing his name to Junior Marvin and finding fame with Bob Marley during the late 1970s.
I would be interested to hear from anyone who can add any further details to Kerr’s 1960s career.
June 1969 listing at Revolution. Image from Don Powell’s website (see link below).
The Revolution Club was a popular rock venue in Bruton Place, Mayfair, central London that opened around January 1968. Yes were regulars and other notable outfits like Deep Purple also played there.
Jim Carter-Fea who managed Blaises and the Speakeasy also managed the Revolution.
I have started to compile a list of artists that performed there but would welcome any additions/corrections and photos.
1968
Melody Maker’s 27 January issue notes that Blues Train, The Downliners Sect, Monopoly and The Web were set to appear at the Revolution.
I think also Linda Lewis and Junior Kerr’s band White Rabbit may have played in February 1968.
Bass player Mo Umansky says his band Mr Mo’s Messengers played here too, most likely in 1968.
18 January (Thursday) – Moon’s Train (Malcolm Penn’s gig diary – thanks to Peter Gosling for sharing)
19 January (Friday) – Moon’s Train (Malcolm Penn’s gig diary – thanks to Peter Gosling for sharing)
20 January (Saturday) – The Fleur De Lys (Keith Guster’s gig diary)
22 January (Monday) – The Fleur De Lys (Keith Guster’s gig diary)
25 January (Thursday) – Moon’s Train (Malcolm Penn’s gig diary – thanks to Peter Gosling for sharing)
26 January (Friday) – Moon’s Train (Malcolm Penn’s gig diary – thanks to Peter Gosling for sharing)
17 April (Wednesday) – Delroy Williams (with The Sugar Band) (Melody Maker)
23 April (Tuesday) – Ray King Soul Band (Melody Maker)
24 April (Wednesday) – The Fleur De Lys (rehearsal) (Keith Guster’s gig diary)
Drummer Keith Guster says that the group rehearsed at the venue over three days ahead of its performance at the Montreux Festival in Switzerland on 27 April.
25 April (Thursday) – Ray King Soul Band (Melody Maker)
According to Keith Guster this was the second day that The Fleur De Lys rehearsed at the Revolution before the Swiss festival.
26 April (Friday) – The Fleur De Lys (rehearsal) (Keith Guster’s gig diary)
According to Keith Guster this was the third day that The Fleur De Lys rehearsed at the Revolution before heading to Switzerland for the Montreux festival on 27 April.
27 April (Saturday) – Ike & Tina Turner (Melody Maker)
22 May (Wednesday) – Eric Burdon & The New Animals (Melody Maker and New Musical Express)
18 June (Tuesday) – The Fleur De Lys (rehearsal) (Keith Guster’s gig diary)
19 June (Wednesday) – The Fleur De Lys (rehearsal) (Keith Guster’s gig diary)
24 June (Monday) – The Fleur De Lys (rehearsal) (Keith Guster’s gig diary)
25 June (Tuesday) – The Fleur De Lys (rehearsal) (Keith Guster’s gig diary)
26 June (Wednesday) – The Fleur De Lys (rehearsal) (Keith Guster’s gig diary)
Keith Guster says that The Web played this night after his group had rehearsed at the Revolution.
27 June (Thursday) – The Fleur De Lys (rehearsal) (Keith Guster’s gig diary)
28 June (Friday) – Circus (Melody Maker)
11 July (Thursday) – The Fleur De Lys (rehearsal) (Keith Guster’s gig diary)
12 July (Friday) – The Fleur De Lys (rehearsal) (Keith Guster’s gig diary)
17 July (Wednesday) – Tuesday’s Children (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)
New Musical Express’ 3 August issue has a large spread on the club and notes that Ike & Tina Turner, Tim Rose and Eric Burdon & The New Animals had appeared recently. The music magazine says that Ben E King and O C Smith will appear soon.
New Musical Express adds that the club is open from Monday to Saturday every week. It notes that John L Watson & The Web, Terry Reid Fantasia and John Drevars’ Expression play regularly at the Revolution. When its reporters attended (presumably in late July), Pattie LaBelle & The Bluebells were performing.
8 August (Thursday) – The Fleur De Lys (rehearsal) (Keith Guster’s gig diary)
14 August (Wednesday) – Tuesday’s Children (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)
16 August (Friday) – Ben E King (Melody Maker and New Musical Express)
5 September (Thursday) – Tuesday’s Children (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)
New Musical Express has Canned Heat performing on 5 September.
9 September (Monday) – The Fleur De Lys (Keith Guster’s gig diary)
24 September (Tuesday) – Glass Menagerie (Melody Maker, Time Out and Fabulous 208)
New Musical Express lists Sly & The Family Stone for 24 September but it is doubtful this happened.
25 September (Wednesday) – The Fleur De Lys (rehearsal) (Keith Guster’s gig diary)
30 September (Monday) – The Greatest Show on Earth (Melody Maker)
14 October (Monday) – Yes (Melody Maker)
15 October (Tuesday) – Julie Driscoll & The Brian Auger Trinity (New Musical Express)
17 October (Thursday) – The Grateful Dead (New Musical Express)
22 October (Tuesday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)
23 October (Wednesday) – The Greatest Show on Earth (Melody Maker)
29 October (Tuesday) – Tuesday’s Children (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)
According to guitarist Peter Mizen, in an interview with Stefan Grandos, The Majority played at the Revolution shortly after he joined in October 1968.
Please note: this listing is not definitely November 1968 but a few of the dates e.g. Shy Limbs and Muddy Waters tally with below
1 November (Friday) – The Shy Limbs (Melody Maker)
12 November (Tuesday) – The Greatest Show on Earth (Melody Maker)
13 November (Wednesday) – Yes (Melody Maker)
19 November (Tuesday) – The Fleur De Lys (Keith Guster’s gig diary)
25 November (Monday) – Yes (Melody Maker)
27 November (Wednesday) – Muddy Waters (Time Out)
30 November (Saturday) – The Idle Race (Time Out)
10 December (Tuesday) – The Isley Brothers with Art Regis & Brass Cannon (New Musical Express)
The Isley Brothers’ gig was cancelled at the last minute. It sounds like the entire tour may have been cancelled.
3 June (Tuesday) – The Marbles and The Majority (Gig poster for Revolution from Don Powell’s website)
4 June (Wednesday) – Root and Jenny Jackson (Gig poster for Revolution from Don Powell’s website)
5 June (Thursday) – Interstate Road Show (Melody Maker and gig poster for Revolution from Don Powell’s website)
6 June (Friday) – The Flames (Gig poster for Revolution from Don Powell’s website)
7 June (Saturday) – Arcadium (Gig poster for Revolution from Don Powell’s website)
9 June (Monday) – King Crimson (Gig poster for Revolution from Don Powell’s website)
10 June (Tuesday) – Three Dog Night and The Spirit of John Morgan (Time Out)
11 June (Wednesday) – Jo Jo Gunn (Gig poster for Revolution from Don Powell’s website)
This was the original, UK Jo Jo Gunne, formed in Feltham in late 1965. Although advertised, the band didn’t appear as they were part through a three-month residency at the House of Lords club in the Bahamas.
12 June (Thursday) – The Ohio Express (Melody Maker)
The Majority may also have played on 12 June.
13 June (Friday) – Circus (Gig poster for Revolution from Don Powell’s website)
16 June (Monday) – Samson (Gig poster for Revolution from Don Powell’s website)
17 June (Tuesday) – Chris Barber (Gig poster for Revolution from Don Powell’s website)
18 June (Wednesday) – Terry Reid (Gig poster for Revolution from Don Powell’s website)
19 June (Thursday) – The Wallace Collection (Gig poster for Revolution from Don Powell’s website and Time Out)
20 June (Friday) – Sk’boo (Gig poster for Revolution from Don Powell’s website)
21 June (Saturday) – Heaven (Gig poster for Revolution from Don Powell’s website)
23 June (Monday) – The Springfield Park (Gig poster for Revolution from Don Powell’s website)
24 June (Tuesday) – The Web (Gig poster for Revolution from Don Powell’s website)
25 June (Wednesday) – Spirit of John Morgan (Gig poster for Revolution from Don Powell’s website)
26 June (Thursday) – Sarolta (Gig poster for Revolution from Don Powell’s website)
27 June (Friday) – The Flames (Gig poster for Revolution from Don Powell’s website)
This is the South African band that recorded as The Flame (see below).
28 June (Saturday) – Deep Purple (Gig poster for Revolution from Don Powell’s website and Time Out)
30 June (Monday) – The Majority (Gig poster for Revolution from Don Powell’s website)
2 July (Wednesday) – The Majority (possibly Melody Maker)
3 July (Thursday) – Jo Jo Gunne (possibly Melody Maker)
Although advertised, the band didn’t appear as they were part through a three-month residency at the House of Lords club in the Bahamas.
4 July (Friday) – Arrival (possibly Melody Maker)
5 July (Saturday) – Cressida (possibly Melody Maker)
7 July (Monday) – Babylon (possibly Melody Maker)
8 July (Tuesday) – Samson (possibly Melody Maker)
9 July (Wednesday) – The Majority (possibly Melody Maker)
10 July (Thursday) – The New York Public Library (possibly Melody Maker)
14 July (Monday) – Spirit of John Morgan (possibly Melody Maker)
16 July (Wednesday) – The Majority (possibly Melody Maker)
17 July (Thursday) – The Web (possibly Melody Maker)
19 July (Saturday) – Phase of Reality (possibly Melody Maker)
21 July (Monday) – Velvet Opera (possibly Melody Maker)
23 July (Wednesday) – The Majority (possibly Melody Maker)
24 July (Thursday) – The Brian Auger Trinity (needs source)
25 July (Friday) – Circus (Time Out)
28 July (Monday) – Entire Sioux Nation (possibly Melody Maker)
30 July (Wednesday) – The Majority (possibly Melody Maker)
31 July (Thursday) – Audience (possibly Melody Maker)
13 August (Wednesday) – Deep Purple (Melody Maker)
18 August (Monday) – Ashton, Gardner & Dyke (Melody Maker and Time Out)
20 August (Wednesday) – Deep Purple (Time Out)
Melody Maker lists Marsha Hunt & White Trash on 20 August so perhaps Deep Purple didn’t play as billed for the previous Wednesday.
22 August (Friday) – Audience (Melody Maker)
26 August (Tuesday) – The Spirit of John Morgan (Time Out)
27 August (Wednesday) – The Wallace Collection (Melody Maker)
28 August (Thursday) – Barclay James Harvest (Time Out)
30 August (Saturday) – Freedom (Time Out)
2 September (Tuesday) – Tuesday’s Children (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)
4 September (Tuesday) – Steamhammer (Time Out)
7 October (Tuesday) – Ruby James (Time Out)
14 October (Tuesday) – Terry Reid (Time Out)
16 October (Thursday) – Members of Hair cast (Time Out)
17 October (Friday) – Lee Dorsey (Time Out)
23 October (Thursday) – Renaissance (Time Out)
24 October (Friday) – Skin Alley (Time Out)
25 October (Saturday) – Pink Cheeks (Time Out)
27 October (Monday) – Poet & The One Man Band (Time Out)
28 October (Tuesday) – Spirit of John Morgan (Time Out)
30 October (Thursday) – Rada Krishna Temple (Time Out)
31 October (Friday) – Audience (Time Out)
4 November (Tuesday) – Delaney & Bonnie (Time Out)
12 November (Wednesday) – Fat Mattress (John Warburg’s research)
13 November (Thursday) – Skin Alley (possibly Melody Maker)
20 November (Thursday) – Gene Vincent (John Warburg’s research)
22 November (Saturday) – Black Apple (Time Out)
27 November (Thursday) – The Graham Bond Organisation (Melody Maker and Time Out)
2 December (Tuesday) – Chicago Transit Authority (Time Out)
4 December (Thursday) – Billy Preston and Timebox (Time Out)
5 December (Friday) – Black Apple (Time Out)
8 December (Monday) – Gary Hamilton (Time Out)
Former lead singer with Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement and part of the Hair cast.
9 December (Tuesday) – The Liverpool Scene (Time Out)
16 December (Tuesday) – Hawkwind (Melody Maker)
Time Out has Skin Alley on 16 December.
18 December (Thursday) – The Box Tops (Time Out)
The Box Tops’ UK tour may have been cancelled.
20 December (Saturday) – Black Apple (Time Out)
22 December (Monday) – Linda Kendricks (Time Out)
23 December (Tuesday) – Pavement (Time Out)
26 December (Friday) – Murray Head and Salt & Pepper (Time Out)
29 December (Monday) – Ray King Soul Band (Time Out)
1970
15 January (Thursday) – Kenny Rogers & The First Edition (Melody Maker)
22 January (Thursday) – The Web (Time Out)
24 January (Saturday) – Cressida (Time Out)
27 January (Tuesday) – Lucas & The Soul Sounds (Melody Maker)
28 January (Wednesday) – Marsha Hunt (Time Out)
10 February (Tuesday) – The Rainbow People (Time Out)
17 February (Tuesday) – Cressida (Time Out)
19 February (Thursday) – Freddy King (Melody Maker)
20 February (Friday) – Skin Alley (Melody Maker)
25 February (Wednesday) – Genesis (Melody Maker and Time Out)
5 March (Thursday) – The Graham Bond Initiation (Melody Maker)
24 March (Tuesday) – The Wild Angels (Time Out)
25 March (Wednesday) – The Shy Limbs (Time Out)
26 March (Thursday) – Heavy Jelly (Time Out)
27 March (Friday) – Freedom (Time Out)
28 March (Saturday) – The New Arrivals (Time Out)
30 March (Monday) – Rada Krishna Temple (Time Out)
14 May (Thursday) – Lord Sutch (Time Out)
18 June (Thursday) – Terry Reid (Time Out)
24 June (Wednesday) – Mirrors (Melody Maker)
26 June (Friday) – Black Velvet (Time Out)
29 July (Wednesday) – Crazy Mabel (Time Out)
8 August (Saturday) – Flare (Time Out)
10 August (Monday) – Kingdom (Time Out)
12 August (Wednesday) – Paladin (Time Out)
14 August (Friday) – Osibisa (Time Out)
15 August (Saturday) – Cressida (Time Out)
17 August (Monday) – Deep Joy (Time Out)
18 August (Tuesday) – Crazy Mabel (Time Out)
19 August (Wednesday) – Mirrors (Time Out)
20 August (Thursday) – Terry Reid (Time Out)
21 August (Friday) – Anno Domini (Time Out)
25 August (Tuesday) – Elton John (Time Out)
27 August (Thursday) – Anno Domini (Time Out)
29 August (Saturday) – Mirrors (Time Out)
4 September (Friday) – Cressida (Melody Maker)
5 September (Saturday) – Deep Joy (Time Out)
19 September (Saturday) – Osibisa (Time Out)
13 October (Tuesday) – Kiss (Melody Maker)
28 November (Saturday) – The Flame (Melody Maker)
This was the South African band, The Flames (see above)
Sibylla’s nightclub was situated at 9 Swallow Street in Mayfair, W1 and was opened on 23 June 1966 after a pre-opening celebration party the night before.
Beatle George Harrison was one of the investors in the nightclub, which featured up and coming bands like Family, Amen Corner and Robert Plant & The Band of Joy.
Sibylla’s was rarely advertised in the music papers so it’s been difficult to find gigs. The list below is a start but I’d welcome any additions and corrections plus any photos of the venue and posters of advertised gigs as well as band photos (all credited accordingly).
Mickey Finn circa July 1966. Photo: London Life magazine
1966
London Life magazine ran an in-depth article on Sibylla’s in its 30 July to 5 August issue (pages 26-30). At the time, The Mickey Finn were photographed playing at the club.
Future Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour’s Cambridge band Jokers Wild were another group to perform at the club shortly after it opened. South coast band The Bunch also played the venue (possible in late 1966 and/or during 1967).
London Life magazine’s 6-12 August 1966 issue (and subsequent issues until the magazine closed that December) notes that there is a live group performing every night.
22 August 1966 (Monday) – The Carl Douglas Set (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)
23 August 1966 (Tuesday) – The Carl Douglas Set (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)
24 August 1966 (Wednesday) – The Carl Douglas Set (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)
25 August 1966 (Thursday) – The Carl Douglas Set (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)
26 August 1966 (Friday) – The Carl Douglas Set (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)
According to the South East London Mercury, The Coffee Set played at Sibylla’s before 16 September and The Rolling Stones were in the audience.
20 September 1966 (Tuesday) – The Fleur De Lys (Keith Guster’s gig diary)
Future Cressida guitarist Peter Jennings remembers playing at the club with White Rabbit (after Linda Lewis had left), which would have been September or October.
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
Production was split between the band’s manager Roger Burrow and Alan Marshall and Bobby Sass, working with sound engineers Robin Cable and Roy Baker. Production supervision meanwhile was handled by Lee Hallyday, who’d recently recorded his brother Johnny’s self-titled LP in France. According to several band members, the sessions at Trident’s studios also featured Alan Marshall’s former band mate from The Loose Ends and Happy Magazine, Peter Kirtley, who provided lead guitar on several cuts.
That may well be, but One’s storming cover of Havens’ “Don’t Listen To Me”, which opens the LP and third track, “Stop Pulling and Pushing Me” are inspired, extended workouts full of inventive playing and powerful instrumental passages. The musicians also do justice to “Cautiously”, an atmospheric reading of the ballad written by Maurey Hayden, singer, stand-up comedian and wife of Lenny Bruce. Alan Marshall and Bobby Sass’s “Near The Bone”, the band’s lone contribution to the song-writing stakes is also noteworthy.
During March-April 1970, the musicians got to meet Stephen Stills, who was in London to record sessions for his first solo LP. It’s not clear who in the band made the initial contact. Marshall says that he used to leave the flat door open and musicians used to wander in. One strong possibility is Roger Burrow, who of course was a friend of Graham Nash’s. Alan Marshall, however, is pretty certain that it was Bobby Sass who ran into Stills.
Interestingly, while One’s revolving door of personnel changes continued at pace, Fontana issued a French-only ‘45, ‘How Much Do You Know” (adapted from Adagio Royal by F de Boivallee), which was credited solely to Alan Marshall backed by One’s ‘Don’t Listen To Me”.
As for One, the group remains something of an obscurity. While the LP has been issued on CD by two different labels, neither appear to be official releases. Given the collectability of the record and the fact that a mint copy will probably fetch you close to £100, perhaps it’s time that the band was given a proper re-issue treatment, complete with detailed liner notes.
In July 1967, Polydor Records had issued Linda Lewis’ debut solo single, “You Turned My Bitter Into Sweet” but it had not been a chart success.
Managed by Ian Samwell (Lewis’ manager) and Laurie O’Leary who managed the Speakeasy, the group played a month’s residency in Biarritz, the south of France, at the Canasta Club. Then, in the early months of 1968, White Rabbit toured Italy and France, but after their return (around late March), Kerr decided to leave.
