Joe Higgins – lead vocals (replaced by Sketto Richardson in February 1967)
Douglas West – vocals
John Wright – lead guitar
Nicholas Lait – bass
Steig Neilson – alto sax
Dudley Brown – tenor sax
Neil Willis – tenor sax
Jeffrey Brooksmith – drums
A Woolwich, southeast London band that was formed sometime in 1965, The Little Joe Set were profiled on page 2 of the South East London Mercury on 1 December 1966 and again on 2 March 1967.
Don Sheppard, who also played saxophone, managed the group and helped Joe Higgins form the outfit. The group apparently worked extensively on the club scene in London and had also played in the US and Denmark.
The Little Joe Set played at Tiles on Oxford Street on 24 November 1966 with The Quiet Five. They also played at the Location in Woolwich and the El Partido in Lewisham, southeast London as well as the London Cavern.
Of the musicians listed above, Jeffrey Brooksmith had previously worked with The Just Blues (and is rumoured to have also played briefly with The Pretty Things).
In February 1967, manager Don Sheppard replaced Joe Higgins with singer Sketto Richardson and the group continued to play the club scene.
The group went through further changes and evolved into Sketto Rich & Sonority, who included the singer plus Don Sheppard and John Wright alongside new members.
We’d be interested to hear from anyone who can add more information about the group in the comments below
The Little Joe Set were originally called Little Joe and the Monarchs, when I played bass with them in 1965.
Under that name, while I was with them, we played regularly at the St Moritz Club in Wardour Street (including one gig backing Vince Taylor), various USAF bases and support for the Small Faces at the Cavern In The Town near Leicester Square in June 1965.
Hi John
Did you go on to other bands?
Unfortunately, I sold all my gear after we parted company and didn’t start gigging again until 1985. Did you have any connection with this band ?
Little Joe and The Monarchs were a 5 piece band based in Woolwich . Joe Higgins was the vocalist, with Doug on drums, Dougie West rhythm guitar, John Wright lead guitar, and I was the bass player. Don Sheppard managed the band and drove us to gigs and rehearsals in his van.
The St. Moritz Club was below the St. Moritz Restaurant in Wardour Street and a lot of the audience were Swiss au-pair girls working in London.
I was drummer for the band for a short while.