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.
THE FOUNDATIONS
Clem Curtis – lead vocals
Alan Warner – lead guitar, vocals
Tony Gomez – keyboards
Mike Elliott – saxophone
Pat Burke – saxophone
Eric Allandale – trombone
Peter MacBeth – bass
Tim Harris – drums
Originally formed as The Ramong Sound (who briefly included singer Arthur Brown), the group changed name around late February/early March to The Foundations.
Harris had previously worked with The Oliver Bone Establishment while MacBeth had been with Ralph Denyer’s Rockhouse Band.
5 February 1967 – The New All-Star Club, 9a Artillery Passage, east London(Melody Maker) Billed as The Ramog Sound
14 May 1967 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London with The Herd (website: http://www.eelpiemuseum.co.uk/rollcall/rollcall/)
4 July 1967 – Dungeon Club, Nottingham with Toys (website: https://dungeonmods.wordpress.com/)
2 September 1967 – Floral Hall, Southport, Lancashire with Sam & Bill and Sound Five (Formby Times)
9 September 1967 – Disc I, Bletchley, Buckinghamshire (Bletchley District Gazette)
17 September 1967 – Regal Ballroom, Bonnyrigg, Scotland with Boy Friends, Catch 22 and Inside Looking Out (South Midlothian Advertiser)
21 September 1967 – Kinema Ballroom, Stranraer, Scotland with The Kleen Machine (Wigtownshire Free Press & Galloway Advertiser)
The Hillingdon Mirror ran an article and photo on the band in its 3 October 1967, page 20
27 October 1967 – White Lion, Edgware, north London (Disc & Music Echo)
29 October 1967 – Londoner Hotel, W1 (Disc & Music Echo)
30 October 1967 – Royal Performance, Billy Smart’s Circus, Clapham Common, south London (Disc & Music Echo)
30 October 1967 – Orchid Ballroom, Purley, Surrey (Chris Broom book: Rockin’ and Around Croydon)
2 November 1967 – Assembly Hall, Worthing, West Sussex (Disc & Music Echo)
3 November 1967 – Carisbrooke Hall, Paddington, central London (Disc & Music Echo)
4 November 1967 – Queen Mary’s College, Mile End, east London (Disc & Music Echo)
5 November 1967 – Saville Theatre, central London with The Alan Price Set and David McWilliams (Melody Maker)
6 November 1967 – Pavilion Ballroom, Bath (Disc & Music Echo)
7 November 1967 – Lotus Ballroom, Forest Gate, east London (Newham & Stratford Express)
10 November 1967 – Chislehurst Caves, Chislehurst, southeast London (Melody Maker)
11 November 1967 – Plaza Ballroom, Bearwood, West Midlands (Express & Star) This is more likely to be 12 November
11 November 1967 – Lord Mayor’s Show, central London with Simon Dupree & The Big Sound (Disc & Music Echo)
12 November 1967 – Plaza Ballroom, Handsworth, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
13 November 1967 – Queen’s Ballroom, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with Bronze (Express & Star)
According to Melody Maker The Foundations started a four-day tour of Scotland on 15 November 1967 followed by three days in Ireland
16 November 1967 – Caledonian Hotel, Inverness, Scotland (Fabulous 208)
17 November 1967 – Regal Ballroom, Bonnyrigg, Scotland (Fabulous 208)
18 November 1967 – Corn Exchange, Kelso, Scotland (Fabulous 208)
19 November 1967 – Angus Hotel, Dundee, Scotland (Fabulous 208)
19 November 1967 – Top Ten Club, Dundee, Scotland (Fabulous 208)
22 November 1967 – Romanos, Belfast, Northern Ireland with Circus (Stormsville Shakers), Interns and Taste (Cityweek)
24 November 1967 – Penelope, Salisbury, Wiltshire (Disc & Music Echo)
25 November 1967 – Purple Fez, Plymouth, Devon (Disc & Music Echo)
27 November 1967 – Kings Hall, Berkamsted, Hertfordshire (Hemel Hempstead Evening Echo)
28 November 1967 – Hereford Corn Exchange, Hereford, Herefordshire (Disc & Music Echo)
2 December 1967 – Civic Hall, Nantwich, Cheshire with The Beechwoods (Crewe Chronicle)
4 December 1967 – Silver Blades, Streatham, southwest London (Sutton & Cheam Advertiser)
8 December 1967 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Disc & Music Echo/Herald Express)
9 December 1967 – Town Hall, Tavistock, Devon (Disc & Music Echo)
10 December 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex (Crawley Advertiser)
12 December 1967 – Keele University, Stoke, Staffordshire with Flowepot Men (Melody Maker/Disc & Music Echo)
16 December 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with The Symbols, The Triads and Ray Bones (Spalding Guardian)
23 December 1967 – Plaza Ballroom, Bearwood, West Midlands (Express & Star)
23 December 1967 – Plaza Ballroom, Handsworth, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
26 December 1967 – Floral Hall, Southport, Lancashire (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle)
28 December 1967 – Central Hall, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire (The Star)
30 December 1967 – Lotus Club, Forest Gate, east London (Newham, West Ham & East Ham, Barking and Stratford Express)
1968
5 January 1968 – Ready Steady Go Club, Aylesbury, Bucks (website: http://aylesburymusictown.co.uk/)
14 January 1968 – Pavilion Ballroom, Bournemouth, Dorset with The Soundsmen (website: https://bournemouthbeatboom.wordpress.com/)
19 January 1968 – Central Pier, Morecambe, Lancashire (Fabulous 208)
19 January 1968 – Imperial Ballroom, Nelson, Lancashire (Steve Chapples research) Fabulous 208 says this was 20 January
21 January 1968 – Redcar Jazz Club, Redcar, North Yorkshire with The Silver Dollars (Dennis Weller, Chris Scott Wilson and Graham Lowe’s book)
3 February 1968 – St George’s Ballroom, Hinckley, Leicestershire with The Big Idea (Nuneaton Evening Tribune)
6 February 1968 – Cricketers Arms, Felton, Northumberland (Fabulous 208)
10 February 1968 – Sofia Gardens, Cardiff, Wales (Fabulous 208)
13 February 1968 – Tech College, Nottingham (Fabulous 208)
16 February 1968 – Regal Ballroom, Bonnyrigg, Scotland with Boy Friends and Reflection (South Midlothian Advertiser)
24 February 1968 – Adelphi Ballroom, West Bromwich, West Midlands (Express & Star)
24 February 1968 – Walsall Town Hall, Walsall, West Midlands with Traction (Express & Star)
25 February 1968 – Assembly Rooms, Aylesbury, Bucks (Fabulous 208)
1 March 1968 – Clockwork Orange, Chester, Cheshire with The Ways (Crewe Chronicle)
2 March 1968 – Drill Hall, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire with The Nemkons (Grantham Journal)
4 March 1968 – Orchid Ballroom, Purley, London (Coulsdon & Purley Advertiser)
The Wakefield Express, 9 March 1968 issue, page 22 has a good photo of the band (see above)
17 March 1968 – New Khyber Club, Taunton, Somerset with The Sabres, The Nick Hales Show and Fashion Parade (Somerset County Gazette)
20 March 1968 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)
23 March 1968 – Plaza Ballroom, Bearwood, West Midlands (Express & Star)
29 March 1968 – Roxy Cinema, Kelso, Scotland (Fabulous 208)
29 March 1968 – Regal Ballroom, Bonnyrigg, Scotland with Tony & The Traders, Reigning Monarchs and The Reflections (Fabulous 208/South Midlothian Advertiser)
30 March 1968 – Hub Club, Clydebank, Scotland (Fabulous 208)
31 March 1968 – Clouds, Derby (Fabulous 208)
1 April 1968 – Watford Round Table, Top Rank Suite, Watford, Herts with Still Life (Fabulous 208/Welwyn and Hatfield Advertiser)
2 April 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with The Beatstalkers (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
3 April 1968 – Top Rank Suite, Swansea, south Wales with The Herd, The Ronnie Keene Band and The Mumbles Carnival Queen (South Wales Evening Post)
5 April 1968 – Royal Hall, Harrogate, North Yorkshire (Fabulous 208)
6 April 1968 – Twisted Wheel, Manchester (Fabulous 208)
10 April 1968 – Top Rank Suite, Reading, Berkshire (Fabulous 208)
11 April 1968 – Locarno, Coventry, West Midlands (Fabulous 208)
13 April 1968 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with supporting groups (website: www.california-ballroom.info/gigs/) Possibly with The All Night Workers
15 April 1968 – St Matthew’s Bath, Ipswich, Suffolk (Fabulous 208)
20 April 1968 – Imperial Ballroom, Nelson, Lancashire (Steve Chapples research)
24 April 1968 – Salisbury Odeon, Salisbury, Wiltshire with The Bee Gees, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch and Grapefruit (Frogg Moody and Richard Nash’s book Hold Tight!)
26 April 1968 – Exeter Odeon, Exeter, Devon with The Bee Gees and Grapefruit (Herald Express)
According to Melody Maker, The Foundations are scheduled to play the Piper Club in Rome, Italy from 29 April to 5 May 1968. They then leave for an American tour followed by a tour of the Far East from 16 June to 17 July 1968.
24 June 1968 – Portpatrick Public Hall Management Committee, Portpatrick Scotland (Wigtownshire Free Press & Galloway Advertiser)
18 July 1968 – Locarno Ballroom, Portsmouth, Hampshire with Jack Hawkins and The Jacobites (Portsmouth News)
19 July 1968 – Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks with Rainbow Ffolly (website: http://aylesburymusictown.co.uk/)
According to Melody Maker, The Foundations were due to make their cabaret debut at the Latimo, South Shields and Dolce Vita, Newcastle upon Tyne for one week from 21 July 1968. This was followed by the Cavendish, Blackburn, Lancashire from 4 August, Dolce Vita, Birmingham from 11 August, Cavendish, Sheffield, South Yorkshire from 18 August and Tito’s, Darlington from 25 August
31 July 1968 – Locarno, Stevenage, Herts (Hertfordshire Express)
1 August 1968 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Mud (East Kent Times & Mail)
29 August 1968 – Sloopy’s Scoop, Middlesbrough with Stuart Gasston and Toby Twirl (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)
29 August 1968 – Tito’s, Stockton-on-Tees, Teesside (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)
Melody Maker from 31 August, page 4, reports that Clem Curtis announces he is leaving.
6 September 1968 – George Ballroom, Hinckley, Leicestershire with The Soul Express and The Magazine (Nuneaton Evening Tribune)
Melody Maker from 14 September 1968, page 4, reports that Clem Curtis is leaving at the end of September.
15 September 1968 – Kew Boat House, Kew, London (Thames Valley Times/Melody Maker)
15 September 1968 – Byron, Greenford, London (Thames Valley Times)
20 September 1968 – Victoria Ballroom, Dunbar, Scotland with The Haze (Haddingtonshire Courier)
28 September 1968 – Scene Two Discotheque, Scarborough, North Yorkshire (Scarborough Evening News)
After Clem Curtis leaves, former Joe E Young & The Toniks singer Colin Young joins. Mike Elliott departs at the same time as Curtis, who goes solo.
4 October 1968 – Aberdeen University, Aberdeen, Scotladn (Melody Maker) Colin Young makes his debut
5 October 1968 – Kilmarnock Grand Hall, Kilmarnock, Scotland with The Pitiful Souls (Kilmarnock Standard)
12 October 1968 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with Granny’s Intention (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
19 October 1968 – Tin Hat, Kettering, Northamptonshire with The Market (Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph)
2 November 1968 – Gaiety Ballroom, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire with Generous Earth (Cambridgeshire Times)
29 November 1968 – Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear with Love Affair, Marmalade and The Puncture Outfit (Newcastle Evening Chronicle)
14 December 1968 – Royal Links Pavilion, Cromer, Norfolk with The Precious Few and Bohemians (Julie Fielder book: What Flo Said Next)
15 December 1968 – Central R&B Club, Central Hotel, Gillingham, Kent (Chatham, Rochester & Gillingham Evening Post)
21 December 1968 – New Links, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire with support (Melody Maker/Welwyn and Hatfield Advertiser)
28 December 1968 – Imperial Ballroom, Nelson, Lancashire (Steve Chapples research)
30 December 1968 – Orchid Ballroom, Purley, London (Chris Broom book: Rockin’ and Around Croydon)
31 December 1968 – Adelphi Ballroom, West Bromwich, West Midlands with Ray King Soul Band and Lady Jayne & The Royaltee (Express & Star)
1969
10 January 1969 – New Revolution, Baths, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire (Nottingham Evening Post)
12 January 1969 – Imperial Ballroom, Nelson, Lancashire (Steve Chapples research)
25 January 1969 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Trampoline (Folkestone & Hythe District Herald)
28 January 1969 – Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks with Rod Welling and guest group (Bucks Free Press)
7 February 1969 – St Albans City Hall, St Albans, Herts with Sonny Roy & The Flares and Merlin Q (Berkhamsted Gazette)
15 February 1969 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with Soul Inclination (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
22 February 1969 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire (website: www.california-ballroom.info/gigs/)
9 March 1969 – Fairfield Hall, Croydon, south London with Stevie Wonder, The Flirtations, The Coloured Raisins and The Big Movement (Beckenham & Penge Advertiser)
11 March 1969 – Granada, East Ham, London with Stevie Wonder and The Flirtations (Southend Standard)
25 March 1969 – Adelphi, Slough, Berkshire with Stevie Wonder, The Flirtations, The Coloured Raisins and The Big Movement (Staines & Egham News/Windsor, Slough and Eton Express)
27 March 1969 – Odeon Theatre, Lewisham, southeast London with Stevie Wonder, The Flirtations, The Coloured Raisins and The Big Movement (Beckenham & Penge Advertiser/South East London Mercury)
11 April 1969 – Regal Ballroom, Bonnyrigg, Scotland with Tandem and Cage (Midlothian Advertiser)
23-25 May 1969 – Electric Circus, Toronto, Canada with Leigh Ashford Group (Toronto Telegram)
21 June 1969 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Archimedas Principal (Folkestone & Hythe District Herald)
25 August 1969 – Ritz, Bournemouth, Dorset (website: https://bournemouthbeatboom.wordpress.com/)
28 November 1969 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire (Windsor, Slough & Eton Express)
1970
28 February 1970 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with Cardboard Orchestra (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
21 August 1970 – Pavilion Ballroom, Bournemouth, Dorset with Tension (website: https://bournemouthbeatboom.wordpress.com/)
5 September 1970 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with The Carl Edwards Roadshow (website: www.california-ballroom.info/gigs/)
Copyright © Nick Warburton. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any from or by any means, without prior permission from the author
According to Melody Maker, 14 September 1968 issue, page 4, when Clem Curtis left and the group auditioned singers, Warren Davis, leader of The Warren Davis Monday Band, was one of the potential replacements lined up
Hi Nick, I read that too. I wonder if Warren Davis recorded any demo with them.
Way back, possibly around 2005, a US seller on eBay had an acetate for sale called “Gonna Work On You” by The Foundations. I assume it was the same group as this. I can’t remember if there was anything on the flip side. I didn’t get it. Wish I had though. Well, from what I heard, it never sold and the seller put it back for sale in his shop. I just hope that it went to someone who would appreciate it and maybe one day share the recording. I remember seeing the completed auction myself. I did get a scan and it may still be in a buried box on floppy disc.
After reading what you wrote, I had a listen to some Warren Davis Monday Band on Youtube. All recorded in the 1960s. Some recordings had horns but then I thought that his voice wouldn’t be right for the group’s sound. Also the group’s Warren Davis was really Max Spinks who was a former actor and model. So OK I thought that it wouldn’t be him. Maybe a different Warren Davis.
But possibly you are right because in 1971, the Foundations released the “Stony Ground” single on MCA. The credited composers were Conan Byrne and Warren Davis. Well, Conan Byrne must be Con Byrne who was a member of The Warren Davis Monday Band. And there’s no guessing who the credited Warren Davis is then lol. Well, this increases the likelihood of Warren Davis (Spinks) being the same guy that auditioned.
Just a note about The Foundations back then. I have a feeling that the group was really called Development and Colin Young (Clem Curtis’ replacement) was the leader. On the Colin Young solo single “Any Time at All”, it also says “Introducing Development”. This was released before the credited to The Foundations single, “Stoney Ground”.
From what I heard: Not long after The Foundations officially broke up, former manager Barry Class wanted to revive the group. The line-up now had Colin Young on lead vocals, Steve Bingham on Bass, Graham Preskett on Electric Violin and Guitar, Jean Roussel on Keyboards. Roger Cawkwell was on Sax and Flute. The Drummer was a guy called Chris. Posssibly his last name was Smith. Graham Preskett was also the group’s MD.
BTW: Steve Bingham was an actual member of The Foundations and he replaced MacBeth. He played bass on “I’m Gonna Be a Rich Man”.
Great stuff Vic. Keep the information coming.
Great info on a very underrated, misquoted and maybe deliberately overlooked group. I hope you do a full article on them. I am bored to death seeing magazines and sites raving on about how great The Beatles or Rolling Stones were etc.. Groups like The Animals, Foundations, Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band, Jimmy James & The Vagabonds and Garage bands are much more interesting!
Interesting too that the 5 February 1967 gig at The New All-Star Club, this group were still known as The Ramong Sound. As the story goes, their founder, “Ramong” (Raymond Morrison) was detained at Her Majesty’s pleasure for 6 months and that’s how Clem Curtis (already a member for a while) got to be lead singer. Of course Arthur Brown joined the group for 6 to 8 weeks. I think this was just before or during the transition from Ramong to Foundations name. From what I have heard, the group had a sound described as a rambunctious blend of ska and r&b. Wow! I would have loved to have heard them. Trumpeter Mike Falana who played with Graham Bond I believe is the same Mike (Sometimes spelt Felano) was a member.
Interestingly in a Hawk promo folder from late 70s for the “Maybe” bw “Here I am” single, Morrison is said to have worked with Bond. It also says he worked with Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce. It says he was a vocalist since 64.
Morrison had a single out in early 1970 on the Decca sub-label Sugar with “Girl I Want to Hold You” bw “Money Can’t Buy Life”. Nice track. Then later in the 70s, he with Tamara Edwards as Ram & Tam had singles out on his Hawk and Hyfan labels. It can be seen at the below 45Cat link. I think Tamara Edwards was his wife.
http://www.45cat.com/artist/raymond-morrison
Morrison died in 2013.
I think the group wanted Rod Stewart to pair with Clem Curtis on vocals. What is confirmed is that he hung out with them for one night and may have sung with them. However, he had other plans.
Eric Allandale (aka Eric Allendale) was a very intriguing fellow. He led a trad jazz group in the early 1960s called The New Orleans Knights. They put out a couple of singles. He had something to do with an outfit called Romeo Z. He co-wrote 2 songs, “Come Back Baby Come Back” bw “Since My Baby Said Goodbye” that came out on CBS in ’67. The earlier single-sided demo single, “Kaleidoscope ” (cmpl. Stanley Myers, Barry Fanton) that was released in ’66 sounds like him on lead. It was from a film of the same name. He sang lead on the New Orleans Knights single “Enjoy Yourself (It’s Later than You Think)” (rel. 1963). Listening to both, I’m sure it’s the same singer.
What interests me is the early recordings by the band and their sound. I have heard at least 4 songs that were from the BBC “Top of the Pops” radio show. They feature Clem Curtis on vocals. The songs are different recordings to what was released on vinyl. They did a great version of “Help Me”. Sadly the announcer talks over some of that. Also done were “A Whole New Thing”, “It’s All Right” and either “Jerkin’ the Dog” or another song. They also did a re-recording of “Baby, Now that I’ve Found You” with Curtis singing. In one of the broadcasts, Curtis is interviewed. He said that Pete MacBeth was with the original Ram Jam band.
The French EP of “Baby, Now that I’ve Found You” features 2 live versions of “96 Tears” and “Things Get Better”. In spite of the audience noise, it sounds great. From memory, I read that there was a session for a Top Gear show where they recorded “Help Me”, “Back On My Feet Again” and “96 Tears”. I’m wondering if this is the recording that Pye used for the EP or did they record 2 versions?
Having listened to the “Foundations” LP on Marble Arch which features Colin Young on all tracks, incl. “Baby Now that I’ve Found You” etc.. Also on a couple I can hear faint vocals here and tere that appear to be by Clem Curtis. The 2 tracks where this is evident are “Harlem Shuffle” and “Tomorrow”. Someone else wrote about this or posted something some time back. What a criminal waste it would be to record over another singer without archiving the original! The version of Eric Allandale’s composition “We Are Happy People” has Young’s vocals put on it. It sounds like Curtis singing in chorus with the group.
There’s a nice clip on YT with the group appearing on French TV in ’68. They do “It’s All Right”, “Help Me” and “Jerkin’ the Dog”.
Great info mate. Thank you for putting this info up. You’ve done well with the list of gigs by this overlooked group. Amazing stuff!
Cheers
I was at the 9th March 1969 event at the Fairfield Halls in Croydon, one of my first ever concerts. By then their chart career was almost over, so at least got to hear their big singles as well as ‘Back on my feet again’ and ‘Any old time…’ which I thought deserved to have been much bigger hits. Their music was like no other British act that I can remember, and they were certainly unique on many levels. Of course I also remember Stevie Wonder who needed a bit of encouragement to leave the stage, he was so enthusiastic, and I also remember the Flirtations, another under-rated female vocal group who deserved more, though competition with the Supremes and the Vandellas may have played a part as Motown was becoming extremely popular by then. I have no recollection of the other acts I’m afraid.