Arthur Brown (lead vocals)
Martin Kenny (lead guitar)
Robin Short (keyboards)
Barry Dean (bass)
???? (drums)
The future Crazy World of Arthur Brown front man formed this group around December 1965 after leaving The Arthur Brown Union.
The line-up above headed to Paris around early 1966 and played at the Ange Rouge Club in Montmartre until about May/June. The group’s performance on French TV can be seen on You Tube. At one point French drummer Christian Deveaux took over from the original sticks man.
During this time, the group recorded two tracks for the Roger Vadim/Jane Fonda film La Curee (aka The Game is Over) – “Don’t Tell Me” and “Baby You Know What You’re Doing”.
However, around June 1966, Brown returned to England briefly and convinced former Arthur Brown Union guitarist Paul Brett to join his band. It’s not clear, however, if it was the same formation as above with Brett succeeding Martin Kenny.
Brett recalls that the group played at the James Palladium for several months before landing some work in Spain and working there for several months at a club in Marbella. Arthur Brown’s band also worked at the Bus Palladium, taking over from The Ingoes according to that band’s guitarist Jim Cregan.
Around October 1966, Brown returned to London and formed the original Crazy World of Arthur Brown with Drachen Theaker. Barry Dean joins the remnants of The Bo Street Runners in Patto’s People.
Singer Dave Terry (aka Elmer Gantry) who’d replaced Arthur Brown in The Arthur Brown Union remembers that he later shared a house in Putney with Brown, Theaker and Vincent Crane alongside former Arthur Brown Union sax player Tony Priestland.
Thanks to Arthur Brown, Paul Brett, Elmer Gantry (aka Dave Terry), Jim Cregan and David Else for helping with the story
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