Brian Rossi – organ, piano and vocals
Rod Demick – rhythm guitar and vocals
Herbie Armstrong – lead guitar
Tito Tinsley – bass
Victor Catling – drumsUpdated September 2013
They began as the Golden Eagles, fronted by the charismatic singer Brian Rossi (Brendan Rosebotham, as noted on the songwriting credits to “Bad Little Woman”) and house band for the Plaza, one of the circuit of dance halls owned by the Mecca company. Van Morrison briefly played saxophone with the Eagles – previously he and Herbie Armstrong had been in the Manhattan Showband together. Some time after changing their name to the Wheels they were fired from the Plaza and in September 1964 began a club residency in Blackpool in northern England (just above Liverpool), where they built a strong following while sharing a house with the Rockin’ Vicars. In 1965 the Wheels’ rhythm guitarist Kit Carson quit the band, to be replaced by Rod Demick of Tony and the Telstars with Tony G. Ford, Robert Green, Ernie Graham and Chris Stewart.
EMI Columbia signed them to a singles deal in 1965. All three of their releases would be produced by Tommy Scott (Thomas Kilpatrick), a young Glaswegian who had been working with Them since producing “All For Myself”, the flip to Them’s third single “Here Comes the Night”.
At their first session at Regent Sound Studios they chose a good cover of Them’s “Gloria” for their first single, backed with Tommy Scott’s “Don’t You Know” (a song Them would also release, on the flip to their ’66 single “Richard Cory”). The single came out in September ’65. Also from this first session was a fine version of “Mona (I Need You Baby)” with Rod Demick on harmonica and Brian Rossi on lead vocals. It would show up in 1997 on Belfast Beat Maritime Blues along with several other unreleased gems by the Wheels.
The Wheels went back to Regent Sound Studios to record five songs, two of which would appear on their second 45, from February 1966, the originals “Bad Little Woman” b/w “Road Block”. Three other songs from that session had release on Belfast Beat Maritime Blues, “Send Me Your Pillow”, “You Got Me Dizzy”, and “I’m Leaving”.
What makes this single so fascinating is Columbia accidently sent Aurora a tape with a different take of “Bad Little Woman”. The Columbia version begins fast, with two guitars, organ and drums equal in intensity. The Aurora version starts at a much slower pace with room for intermittent guitar licks and harmonica bleats, and forgoes the organ.
With the line “and he don’t love you baby …” both versions accelerate for twenty seconds of rave-up, but the Aurora version achieves incredible velocity, with the guitars cranking out one of the best amp sounds I’ve ever heard recorded, while the vocals go completely into the red with distortion.
The band comes together for a last chord on the Columbia version, while the Aurora version ends quietly – a slow slide down a high guitar string to the final sound of a guitarist taking his fingers off the frets.
Judging by the audio quality and the assured pace of the band on the Columbia single, I’d say the Aurora version was recorded first, possibly meant to be a demo rather than a finished single. The timing of 2:20 on the Aurora label doesn’t make any sense, the song is 2:44.
The Wheels went back to Regent Sound for a third session, this time producing two covers of recent singles by other bands. “Call My Name” was another Tommy Scott composition, originally the A-side of Them’s seventh single, from March of 1966. “Tell Me (I’m Gonna Love Again)” had been A-side to the Graham Bond Organisation’s third 45, from April of ’65.
The Wheels version of “Call My Name” would show up as the b-side to their third single “Kicks” in August of 1966. It would also appear on the b-side of most UK promo copies of “Bad Little Woman”, though mislabeled as “Road Block”. A 1992 Record Collector article on the band erroneously listed the mislabelled promo b-side as “Kicks” – impossible as the Feb. ’66 release date would have been a month prior to the Raiders’ release of “Kicks”!
The Record Collector article and the notes to Belfast Beat Maritime Blues state that Brian Rossi left the band after the failure of the second single, and that Eric Wrixon from Them joined the group on keyboards. According to this chronology, Wrixon would be playing on the third Regent Sound session that produced “Call My Name”. However, since “Call My Name” was recorded in time to be on some promo copies of “Bad Little Woman”, then it’s likely Rossi was still with the band at the time of that session. If so, then it’s also probable that “Kicks” was the only session that included Eric Wrixon.
Curious as to who sang on the singles, I asked Rod Demick and he stated in an email that he sang lead vocals on the singles released by The Wheels. In an interview with Shindig magazine Rod specified that Brian Rossi sang lead on “Mona” and “You Got Me Dizzy”. Victor Catling wrote to me “Rod was the lead singer with that [hard r&b] style of music. Rod used one of those harmonica racks when playing. Brian Rossy sang ballads and rock numbers when we were on stage. Herbie and Tito also sang but mostly as backup singers. I never heard what happened to Tito.”
From their first Regent Sound Studios session, “Mona” has lead vocals simultaneous with the harmonica, and I don’t think either is dubbed, so that confirms Rossi on lead vocals and Demick on harp. It’s a step from that level of singing to what Rod accomplishes on “Gloria” (from the same session), “Bad Little Woman”, “Road Block” & “I’m Leaving” (these three from their next Regent Sound session).
Rossi was probably not with the band by the time they recorded their version of “Kicks”, so Demick is likely singing on that song, which is very different in style from their other recordings.
An article from the Belfast newspaper Cityweek in September 1, 1966 depicts a six-member lineup including both Wrixon and Rossi. This show is described as a short-lived reunion with Rossi before the band broke up in early ’67, but the article doesn’t mention anything about it being a reunion, nor does it suggest the band is about to break up. In any case, they did fall apart.I know of only one version of the Wheels’ “Bad Little Woman” from that era, a great one by the Shadows of Knight. An obscure group called the Right of Way copied the Shadows of Knight version, unreleased until Norton’s Northwest Killers Vol. 3. This can only be a testament to how obscure this single was at the time.
After the Wheels, Rod Demick and Herbie Armstrong recorded two singles as the James Brothers for Page One Records in 1967, “Does It Have To Be Me” / “You Don’t Really Love Me” and “I Forgot To Give You Love” / “The Truth About It”. I haven’t heard either. Rod Demick switched to bass and with Herbie they backed Screaming Lord Sutch for a time, and then recorded two LPs together in the early ’70s. Demick has since played with many bands. Armstrong joined Fox and also Van Morrison’s band for a time, and then had his own groups.
Brian Rossi passed away in 1984. There are some photos of the Wheels within a tribute video created by his daughter Tamara Rossi; if anyone has access to better quality versions of any photos, please contact me at rchrisbishop@gmail.com.
Thanks to Bruce Welsh for pointing out the first James Brothers 45 to me.
Special thanks to Victor Catling for the news clips and photos seen here.
Wheels Sessionography
Regent Sound Studios, Summer 1965:
Don’t You Know (b-side to first single, Columbia DB 7682, September 1965)
Mona
Gloria (a-side to first single, Columbia DB 7682, September 1965)
Unknown studio and date:
Bad Little Woman (A-side to US release as the Wheel-a-Ways, Aurora 157, Feb. 1966)
Regent Sound Studios, late 1965:
Bad Little Woman (a-side to second single, Columbia DB 7827, February 1966)
Send Me Your Pillow
You Got Me Dizzy
I’m Leaving
Road Block (b-side to second single, Columbia DB 7827, February 1966)
Regent Sound Studios, late 1965 or January 1966:
Tell Me (I’m Gonna Love Again)
Call My Name (b-side to third single, Columbia DB 7981, also shows up on some promo copies of their second single mislabeled as “Road Block”)
unknown session, probably without Rossi, so assume Demick on lead vocal:
Kicks (a-side to third single, Columbia DB 7981)
I met an older gentleman in an Irish pub in Trenton, N.J. about 15 years ago when we’d put “Baby Please Don’t Go” on the juke. He turned to us and said “That’s the best *ookin’ band ever come outta Belfast”. I told him that they weren’t,that The Wheels were. After muttering “Jesus wept” half a dozen times he regaled us with stories about seeing The Wheels and Them at the Maritime (which he said was nothing more than a sailor’s flophouse with a back room where bands played) over numerous snakebites. He said most of the locals were quite disillusioned/offended when both bands relocated to London and the scene there was never quite the same. He also mentioned that for a time, to play it safe jobwise, “the bald fella” had both a show-band (a big crowd puller in Ireland till even the late 60’s) and The Wheels. I left him a cassette with the barman weeks later with all The Wheels cuts I’d had from an acquaintance who’d plundered EMI’s master archives and copied all their tracks (later to all appear on Big Beat’s “Belfast Beat Martime Blues”). I never saw him again but he did leave instructions that a pint was on him everytime we came in, I guess he liked the cassette. Sadly I’d moved out of the area and never got the chance to give him a copy of “Belfast Beat” with all of The Wheels tracks on it!
“Real Real Gone” the new CD by Herbie Armstrong will be released on October 24th on the Floating World Record label.
Featuring brand new recordings of ‘Have I Told You Lately’ and ‘Mandy’ as seen on BGT and the Van Morrison produced ‘Real Real Gone’ plus more classic Herbie material.
The cd will be available from Amazon and all good record stores throughout the UK.
To celebrate the release of Real Real Gone Herbie will be performing as special showcase at Upstairs at the Garage in London on October 27th.
I am a personal friend of Brian Rossi’s daughter and Brian’s wife Pat. I have listened to the Wheels, with Brian Rossi, and @58 I still feel their music was fantastic, better than the screeching and Rap ( for those who can’t sing so they “rap” it). They should rap it in old tissue and drop it in the waste bucket! Anyway, if you go to Tamara’s Facebook page you will see an article done about Brian, and the song written for Tamara to memorialize her father, who she was not able have him in her life but four short years. Ms. Pat Rossi is Tamara’s manager, plus she does alot of the videos of Tamara, most, if not all can be found on YT. Listen to Tamara sing “WHERE EVER YOU ARE NOW” and be prepared to be blown away! I was lucky enough to get one of the very first CD’s of this song. It is an autographed copy from Tamara to me. She is a lovely lady, that, I might add is also a Lawyer. Yes she has a law degree, and sings with the voice unmatched by anyone! Thank you for all the Bio research. You are truely a musical marvel! MONA PACK from Calif.
Hey C, just a note to mention that the question of who sings what with the Wheels may still be unanswered. I have seen claims that Brian Rossi sings on the first two 45s, and I think it sounds like different vocalists between “Bad Little Woman” on the one hand, and “Kicks” on the other. I can’t prove it but Demick’s memory may not be entirely right, and it could well be Rossi on “Road Block” and “…Woman”. The recent Wheels CD indicates that Demick sings it all, but gives no exact credits for vocalists.
rod sang bad little woman
Hi, Does anyone know where The Wheels lodged when they stayed in Blackpool ?
Yes
at a rented farmhouse out side clevlies with a band called the rocking vickers
Presumably the same Rockin’ Vicars that Rossi mentions in one of the press clippings above, and the same band that included Lemmy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rockin%27_Vickers
It was Garstang Farm.
ps i am and was the drummer of the wheels Victor Catling.
I am writing a book on the drumbeat club in bolton and have the wheels on a DVD from 1964 if you reply to this I will tell you more cheers Ray
Hi there
I have found some Wheels gigs which I will post tomorrow in this comments section
Sorry for the delay in adding gigs. This is only a start and a fraction of the gigs the band performed on the British mainland. I went to the British Library yesterday and found tonnes more which I will add over time.
In particular, I was looking at the Bolton Evening News and found gigs for the band in January 1967.
9 July 1965 – Queen’s Ballroom, Cleveleys, Lancashire with Carol Kay & The Dynacords and The Myaks (Lancashire Evening Post)
16 July 1965 – Queen’s Ballroom, Cleveleys, Lancashire with Mr Smith & Sum People and Them Grimbles (Lancashire Evening Post)
17 July 1965 – Queen’s Ballroom, Cleveleys, Lancashire with The Hawaiian Hifis and The Taggs (Lancashire Evening Post)
23 July 1965 – Queen’s Ballroom, Cleveleys, Lancashire with Dr Pill & His Purple Hearts and Ten Feet (Lancashire Evening Post)
24 July 1965 – Queen’s Ballroom, Cleveleys, Lancashire with The Ladykillers plus 2 top supporting groups (Lancashire Evening Post)
30 July 1965 – Westhoughton Casino, Westhougton, Lancashire (Lancashire Evening Post)
19 August 1965 – Casino Club, Bolton, Lancashire with The Lemmings (Lancashire Evening Post)
25 August 1965 – Queen’s Ballroom, Cleveleys, Lancashire with Rev Black & The Rockin’ Vickers (Lancashire Evening Post)
29 August 1965 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Lancashire (Lancashire Evening Post)
31 August 1965 – Queen’s Ballroom, Cleveleys, Lancashire with The Gonks (Lancashire Evening Post)
8 September 1965 – Queen’s Ballroom, Cleveleys, Lancashire with The Rockin’ Vickers and The Silhouttes (Lancashire Evening Post)
11 September 1965 – Queen’s Ballroom, Cleveleys, Lancashire with Denny & The Witchdoctors and Some Other Guys (Lancashire Evening Post)
15 September 1965 – Queen’s Ballroom, Cleveleys, Lancashire with Rockin’ Vickers and The Silhouttes (Lancashire Evening Post)
18 September 1965 – Bury Palais de Danse, Bury, Greater Manchester with Tom’s Rigg and Curts Creatures (Lancashire Evening Post)
1 October 1965 – Queen’s Ballroom, Cleveleys, Lancashire with The Rockin’ Vickers and Denny & The Witchdoctors (Lancashire Evening Post)
2 October 1965 – Parr Hall, Warrington, Cheshire with The Blue Chips and The Tabs (Warrington Guardian)
31 October 1965 – Room at the Top, Beat Club, Wigan, Greater Manchester with full supporting groups (Lancashire Evening Post)
13 November 1965 – Queen’s Ballroom, Cleveleys, Lancashire with International Show Group (Lancashire Evening Post)
21 November 1965 – Golden Penny, Chorley, Lancashire (Lancashire Evening Post)
26 November 1965 – Queen’s Ballroom, Cleveleys, Lancashire with Neil Landon & The Burnetts and Jackie King & The Thundermen (Lancashire Evening Post)
28 November 1965 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Lancashire (Lancashire Evening Post)
3 December 1965 – Room at the Top, Beat Club, Wigan, Greater Manchester (Lancashire Evening Post)
12 December 1965 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Lancashire (Lancashire Evening Post)
20 December 1965 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Lancashire (Lancashire Evening Post)
24 December 1965 – Queen’s Ballroom, Cleveleys, Lancashire with Moods (Lancashire Evening Post)
26 December 1965 – Queen’s Ballroom, Cleveleys, Lancashire Dr Pill & Purple Hearts (Lancashire Evening Post)
26 December 1965 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Lancashire (Lancashire Evening Post)
31 December 1965 – Queen’s Ballroom, Cleveleys, Lancashire with 2 top groups (Lancashire Evening Post)
1 January 1966 – Queen’s Ballroom, Cleveleys, Lancashire with Roy & The Rest and supporting group (Lancashire Evening Post)
3 February 1966 – Beachcomber, Preston, Lancashire (Lancashire Evening Post)
7 May 1966 – Imperial, Nelson, Lancashire with Roadrunners and Mutineers (Nelson Leader)
22 May 1966 – Disc Club, 229 Lancaster Road, Preston, Lancashire (Lancashire Evening Post)
4 July 1966 – The Palais, Bolton (Bolton Evening News)
7 August 1966 – The Palais, Bolton (Bolton Evening News)
18 August 1966 – The Palais, Bolton (Bolton Evening News)
22 August 1966 – The Palais, Bolton (Bolton Evening News)
1 September 1966 – The Palais, Bolton (Bolton Evening News)
3 September 1966 – Oasis, Manchester with Manchester Playboys and Frankenstein (Manchester Evening News and Chronicle)
8 October 1966 – Floral Hall, Southport, Lancashire with Koobas (Manchester Evening News and Chronicle)
16 October 1966 – Oasis, Manchester with Lee Dorsey (Manchester Evening News and Chronicle)
5 November1966 – Oasis, Manchester with Haydock’s Rockhouse (Manchester Evening News and Chronicle)
12 November 1966 – Legion Hall, Amersham, Bucks (Buckinghamshire Advertiser)
3 December 1966 – 7 Club, Shrewsbury, Shropshire (Express & Star)
18 December 1966 – Disc Club, Lancaster (Lancashire Evening Post)
I also found these but I am wondering if this could be right as I thought the band split in early 1967.
I may have got the year wrong but will be able to confirm when I look at the Bolton Evening News for 1967 in due course.
8 May 1967 – Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
12 May 1967 – Casino Club, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
18 May 1967 – Casino Club, Bolton, Greater Manchester with Newton’s Theory (Bolton Evening News)
28 May 1967 – Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
20 July 1967 – Pheonix City Discotheque, Blackpool, Lancashire (Burnley Evening Star)
Some more to add to the list here
23 January 1966 – Beachcomber, Leigh, Greater Manchester with The Soul Assembly (Bolton Evening News)
4 February 1966 – Westhoughton Casino, Westhoughton, Greater Manchester with The Heebie Jeebies and The Cortinas (Bolton Evening News)
5 February 1966 – Beachcomber, Leigh, Greater Manchester with The Soul Assembly (Bolton Evening News)
11 February 1966 – Westhoughton Casino, Westhoughton, Greater Manchester with The Approaches and The Casino Orchestra (Bolton Evening News)
14 February 1966 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
24 February 1966 – Rivington Hall Barn, Rivington, Lancashire with Mike Hurst & The Trekkers and Blues by Five (Bolton Evening News)
28 February 1966 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
14 March 1966 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
27 March 1966 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
2 April 1966 – Imperial, Nelson, Lancashire with The Roadrunners and The Mutineers (Burnley Express & News)
4 April 1966 – Casino Club, Bolton, Greater Manchester with The Heebie Jeebies (Bolton Evening News)
11 April 1966 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
23 April 1966 – Navada, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
25 April 1966 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
9 May 1966 – Casino Club, Bolton, Greater Manchester with The Heebie Jeebies (Bolton Evening News)
29 May 1966 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
9 June 1966 – Casino Club, Bolton, Greater Manchester with The Mustangs (Bolton Evening News)
13 June 1966 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
18 June 1966 – Pink Elephant Club, Wigan, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
4 July 1966 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
24 July 1966 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
7 August 1966 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
18 August 1966 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
22 August 1966 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
10 September 1966 – Navada, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
2 October 1966 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
7 October 1966 – Westhoughton Casino, Westhoughton, Greater Manchester with The Cortinas (Bolton Evening News)
17 October 1966 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
7 November 1966 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
21 November 1966 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
25 November 1966 – Westhoughton Casino, Westhoughton, Greater Manchester with Johnny Breeze & The Atlantics (Bolton Evening News)
11 December 1966 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
26 December 1966 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
1 January 1967 – Casino Club, Bolton, Greater Manchester with Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas and The Good Times (Bolton Evening News)
2 January 1967 – Westhoughton Casino, Westhoughton, Greater Manchester with The Sympton (Bolton Evening News)
Some additional ones
30 April 1965 – Queen’s Ballroom, Cleveleys, Lancashire with two Liverpool groups (Lancashire Evening Post)
1 May 1965 – Queen’s Ballroom, Cleveleys, Lancashire with Dr Pill & His Purple Hearts (Lancashire Evening Post)
7 May 1965 – Queen’s Ballroom, Cleveleys, Lancashire with The Powerhouse Six and Dean Ford & The Gaylords (Lancashire Evening Post)
8 May 1965 – Queen’s Ballroom, Cleveleys, Lancashire with Lee Wade & The Wild Ones and two Mersey groups (Lancashire Evening Post)
16 May 1965 – Mecca Dancing, Bolton Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
10 June 1965 – Mecca Dancing, Bolton Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
21 June 1965 – Mecca Dancing, Bolton Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)