Category Archives: West Sussex

The Total

Many thanks to Steve Sheldon for providing the information below and all of the photos

Formed in Worthing, West Sussex in early 1965, the original line up comprised:

Ian Gander – lead vocals

Pete Wadeson – lead guitar

Steve Sheldon – rhythm guitar

Pete Cushion – bass

Paul Jordan – drums

With the exception of Jordan, who had previously played with Le Bambas and Peter & The Zodiacs, and former Thunderbolts, Sabres and Zabres member Pete Cushion, the core members came from local band Pythagoras and his Theorems.

In late 1965, former Guilty Party drummer Charlie Pert replaced Paul Jordan.

Then, around July 1966, Ian Gander departed and singer (and multi-instrumentalist) Raymond Thompson, briefly joined and shared lead vocals with Sheldon.

Summer 1966. Left to right: Charlie Pert, Steve Sheldon, Pete Cushion, Raymond Thompson and Pete Wadeson

Thompson had recently moved to the south coast after his former band, west London outfit Malcolm & The Countdowns split. The Countdowns, incidentally, featured future Sweet bass player Steve Priest.

The new singer, however, didn’t stay long and soon moved to Toronto, Canada with his parents, where he subsequently formed the duo Stillwater.

Summer 1966. Left to right: Charlie Pert, Raymond Thompson, Pete Cushion, Steve Sheldon and Pete Wadeson

With Thompson gone, Sheldon assumed lead vocals and the quartet continued to gig locally and along the south coast of England. During 1965 and 1966, The Total backed national acts like The Hollies, The Kinks, The Who, Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band, The Zombies and others at top Worthing venues like the Assembly Hall and Pier Pavilion.

In early 1967, the band expanded its line-up with keyboard player Jim Denyer.

With Cushion unable to get time off his work, the band – Steve Sheldon, Pete Wadeson, Charlie Pert and newcomer Jim Denyer – did an audition at Regent Sound Studios in Denmark Street in Soho, central London during 1969.

The band at Regent Sound, 1969 with new member Jim Denyer (bottom right)

Not long afterwards, The Total (with Pete Cushion joining the others) recorded three tracks at Regent Sound with producer Shel Talmy. The track “Think” appears on Ace Records’ compilation CD Planet Mod.

1969 line up

However, in 1971, The Total split up and the individual members briefly worked with local bands.

Cushion, Sheldon and Wadeson subsequently reformed The Total later that year with new drummer Quentin Allen.

The Total in 1972. Left to right: Quentin Allen, Pete Cushion, Steve Sheldon and Pete Wadeson

The band continued into the mid-1970s but underwent a number of significant changes.

The Total, 1972

Sheldon moved to South Africa in 1975 but returned to the UK in 2017. While in South Africa he formed the band Easy Street and made some recordings.

The final Total line up in the mid 1970s. Bass player is Robert Elliott (far left)

The posters below have all been supplied by Steve Sheldon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Mexican Hat, Worthing

The Mexican Hat in Worthing, West Sussex was a popular live venue during the early-to-mid 1960s. The venue wasn’t advertised regularly in the local press so I’d be interested to hear from anyone who can add any further details of groups that performed there.

The Worthing Gazette only advertised the venue intermittently throughout 1964, so please get in touch if you can provide confirmed concert dates for this year.

Photo: Worthing Gazette

However, it looks like gigs took place every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and a ‘New Junior Twist Club’ may have started on 8 February 1964.

26 March 1964 – Gene Vincent & His Shouts and Lee Tracy & The Tributes (Thursday) (Worthing Gazette)

Photo: Worthing Gazette

28 March 1964 – The Southern Sounds and The Jaguars (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

29 March 1964 – The Detours (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

30 March 1964 – Dave Storm, Jeff Spence & The Tremors (Bank Holiday Monday) (Worthing Gazette)

31 March 1964 – The Untamed 4 (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

There is a massive gap in the Worthing Gazette until the following dates

Photo: Worthing Gazette

25 September 1964 – The Beat Merchants (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

26 September 1964 – The Southern Sounds and Sherlock & The Saints (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

27 September 1964 – Unit Four (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

29 September 1964 – The Beat Merchants (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

30 September 1964 – The Southbeats (Wednesday) (Worthing Gazette)

There is a massive gap in the Worthing Gazette until the following dates

Photo: Worthing Gazette

24 December 1964 – The Beat Merchants and Force Four (Thursday) (Worthing Gazette)

26 December 1964 – Jimmy Marsh & The Del Mar Trio and The J Crow Combo (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

27 December 1964 – Dave Storme & The Tremors (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

29 December 1964 – The Beat Merchants with supporting group (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

31 December 1964 – The Detours and Jimmy Marsh & The Del Mar Trio (Thursday) (Worthing Gazette)

According to the Worthing Herald, the club was run by manager Chris Vallins. The newspaper only occasionally advertised gigs at the venue throughout 1965.

Photo: Worthing Gazette

However, the Worthing Gazette was better at advertising throughout 1965, although the list below isn’t complete. This newspaper notes that gigs took place every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

26 February 1965 – The Detours (Friday) (Worthing Gazette) This is interesting as The Detours had recently joined forces with Beau Brummell to become The Noblemen so perhaps a solo gig for the band?

Photo: Worthing Gazette

27 February 1965 – The Tony Grant Group and The J Crow Combo (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

28 February 1965 – The Beat Merchants and The Deltas (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

 

2 March 1965 – The Tremors (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

There’s a gap then until the following dates

Photo: Worthing Gazette

16 April 1965 – The Beat Merchants (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

17 April 1965 – The Tony Grant Group and The Deltas (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

18 April 1965 – Dave Storme & The Tremors (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

19 April 1965 – The J Crow Combo (Monday) (Worthing Gazette)

20 April 1965 – DJ Blues Show (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

There’s a gap then until the following dates

Photo: Worthing Herald

21 May 1965 – The Beat Merchants and The Scaffold (Friday) (Worthing Herald) Filmed live at the club for Southern television

22 May 1965 – The Force Four and The Deltas (Saturday) (Worthing Herald)

23 May 1965 – Dave Storm & The Tremors (Sunday) (Worthing Herald)

25 May 1965 – The Beat Merchants (Tuesday) (Worthing Herald)

29 May 1965 – Sons of Man and The Deltas (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

Photo: Worthing Gazette

30 May 1965 – Unit 4 Plus 2 (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

 

1 June 1965 – The Beat Merchants (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

5 June 1965 – The Giants and The Deltas (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

Photo: Worthing Gazette

6 June 1965 – Johnny Kidd & The Pirates (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

7 June 1965 – The Deltas (Monday) (Worthing Gazette)

8 June 1965 – The Beat Merchants (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

12 June 1965 – The Giants and The Heads and Tails (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

Photo: Worthing Gazette

13 June 1965 – Lulu & The Luvvers (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

15 June 1965 – The Beat Merchants (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

18 June 1965 – The Force Four (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

19 June 1965 – The Deltas and The Giants (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

Photo: Worthing Gazette

20 June 1965 – Tony Jackson & The Vibrations (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

22 June 1965 – The Beat Merchants (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

25 June 1965 – Sons of Man (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

26 June 1965 – The Klimacks and The Deltas (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

Photo: Worthing Gazette

27 June 1965 – Long John Baldry & The Hoochie Coochie Men (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

29 June 1965 – The Beat Merchants (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

 

2 July 1965 – The Warren J Show and The Diamonds (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

3 July 1965 – The Klimacks and The Deltas (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

Photo: Worthing Gazette

4 July 1965 – Heinz and The Wild Boys (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

6 July 1965 – The Beat Merchants (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

9 July 1965 – The Klimacks (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

10 July 1965 – The Deltas (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

11 July 1965 – The Four Pennies (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

13 July 1965 – Surprise group (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

16 July 1965 – Force Four (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

17 July 1965 – The Diamonds and The Deltas (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

Photo: Worthing Gazette

18 July 1965 – The Applejacks (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

20 July 1965 – The Beat Merchants (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

27 July 1965 – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

30 July 1965 – The Web (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

31 July 1965 – The Sons of Man and The Deltas (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

Photo: Worthing Gazette

3 August 1965 – Them (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

6 August 1965 – Just Five (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

7 August 1965 – Dave & The Diamonds and Heads & Tails (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

8 August 1965 – Two groups (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

Photo: Worthing Gazette

10 August 1965 – Unit Four Plus Two (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

13 August 1965 – The Just Five (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

14 August 1965 – The Deltas and The Sons of Man (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

15 August 1965 – Two groups (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

Photo: Worthing Gazette

17 August 1965 – The In Crowd (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

20 August 1965 – The Just Five (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

21 August 1965 – The Deltas and Heads & Tails (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

22 August 1965 – The Noblemen and The Beat Merchants (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

Photo: Worthing Gazette

24 August 1965 – The Herd and The Beat Merchants (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

25 August 1965 – The Deltas (Wednesday) (Worthing Gazette)

27 August 1965 – The Klimacks (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

28 August 1965 – The Deltas and The Heads & Tails (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

29 August 1965 – Dave & The Diamonds and The Beat Merchants (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

31 August 1965 – The Nashville Teens and The Beat Merchants (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

Photo: Worthing Gazette

1 September 1965 – The Deltas (Wednesday) (Worthing Gazette)

3 September 1965 – Force Four (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

4 September 1965 – Heads & Tails and The Deltas (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

5 September 1965 – The Beat Merchants and The Just Five (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

Photo: Worthing Gazette

7 September 1965 – Cops ‘N’ Robbers (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

8 September 1965 – The Deltas (Wednesday) (Worthing Gazette)

10 September 1965 – The Sons of Man (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

11 September 1965 – Heads & Tails and The Deltas (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

12 September 1965 – The Beat Merchants and surprise group (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

14 September 1965 – ‘Another Top of the Pops attraction’ (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

15 September 1965 – The Deltas (Wednesday) (Worthing Gazette)

17 September 1965 – ‘One of the South’s top groups’ (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

18 September 1965 – Surprise groups (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

19 September 1965 – The Beat Merchants and The Cyan Three (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

21 September 1965 – The Beat Merchants (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

22 September 1965 – The Deltas (Wednesday) (Worthing Gazette)

24 September 1965 – Force Four (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

25 September 1965 – Surprise groups (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

Photo: Worthing Gazette

26 September 1965 – The Beat Merchants and The Noblemen (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette) The Noblemen are just back from Norway and this is their last British appearance for six weeks

28 September 1965 – The Beat Merchants (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

 

1 October 1965 – The Klimaks (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

2 October 1965 – The Diplomats (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

3 October 1965 – The Beat Merchants and The Deltas (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

5 October 1965 – The Beat Merchants (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

Photo: Worthing Gazette

8 October 1965 – The Brian Hugg Fraternity (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

9 October 1965 – Surprise attraction (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

10 October 1965 – The Beat Merchants and The Cherokees (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

12 October 1965 – The New Beat Merchants (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

15 October 1965 – The Sons of Man (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

16 October 1965 – The Alex Laine Group (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

17 October 1965 – The Beat Merchants and The Orioles (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

19 October 1965 – The New Beat Merchants (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

22 October 1965 – Force Four (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

23 October 1965 – The Alex Laine Group (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

24 October 1965 – The Beat Merchants and The Orioles (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

26 October 1965 – The Beat Merchants (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

Photo: Worthing Gazette

29 October 1965 – The Five of One (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

30 October 1965 – The Alex Laine Group (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

31 October 1965 – The Beat Merchants and The Alex Laine Group (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

 

2 November 1965 – The Beat Merchants (Tuesday) (Worthing Gazette)

5 November 1965 – The Deltas (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

6 November 1965 – The Five of One (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

7 November 1965 – The Profile with support (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

12 November 1965 – The Deltas (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

13 November 1965 – The Five of One (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

14 November 1965 – Force Four and The Profile (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

Photo: Worthing Gazette

19 November 1965 – Mair Davis & The Rockets (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

20 November 1965 – The Palmer James Group (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

21 November 1965 – The Cherokees and The Beat Merchants (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

26 November 1965 – The Sons of Man (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

27 November 1965 – Top local group (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

28 November 1965 – Two top groups (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

The newspaper says The Profile and top group plays this week

3 December 1965 – The Deltas (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

4 December 1965 – Alex Lane (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

5 December 1965 – The Beat Merchants and The Look (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

10 December 1965 – Force Four (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

11 December 1965 – The Sons of Man (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

Photo: Worthing Gazette

12 December 1965 – The Noblemen and The Look (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

17 December 1965 – The Look (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

18 December 1965 – The Palmer James Group (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

19 December 1965 – The Profile and The Look (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

 

24 December 1965 – The Look and The Diplomats (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

26 December 1965 – The Beat Merchants and The Mike Stuart Span (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

Photo: Worthing Gazette

27 December 1965 – The Don Williams Combo (Monday) (Worthing Gazette)

31 December 1965 – Chris Boyle & The Look and Sack of Woe (Friday) (Worthing Gazette)

Photo: Worthing Gazette

1 January 1966 – The Deltas (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

2 January 1966 – The Cherokees and The Look (Sunday) (Worthing Gazette)

According to the Worthing Gazette, the Mexican Hat was closed for a short period for alterations. However, the newspaper did not advertise the venue again in 1966

We’d welcome any additions below in the comments section with dates if possible

The Pilgrim, Haywards Heath, West Sussex

Eddie’s Crowd, The Motion and Mike Stuart Span perform in February 1968

The Pilgrim in Haywards Heath, West Sussex was a popular live music venue during the 1960s, which was advertised in the Mid Sussex Times with the Downs Hotel, Hassocks, another important club.

I’ve made a start on listing some of the artists that played and would welcome any additions in the comments section below.

2 January 1964 – The Shades (The Mid Sussex Times)

9 January 1964 – Johnny Fine & The Ramblers (The Mid Sussex Times)

16 January 1964 – Group X (replaced by Larry Carlo & The Vincents) (The Mid Sussex Times)

23 January 1964 – The Daltons (The Mid Sussex Times)

30 January 1964 – The Shades (The Mid Sussex Times)

 

8 February 1964 – Unit 6 and Al Monte & The Boys (The Mid Sussex Times)

13 February 1964 – The London Beats (The Mid Sussex Times)

20 February 1964 – Mike Fallon & The Flames (The Mid Sussex Times)

27 February 1964 – The Shades (The Mid Sussex Times)

29 February 1964 – The Untamed Four with Wayne Crawford’s Rockin’ Jades (The Mid Sussex Times)

 

5 March 1964 – Larry Carlo & The Vincents (The Mid Sussex Times)

12 March 1964 – Johnny Fine & The Ramblers (The Mid Sussex Times)

19 March 1964 – The Blackbeats with Cuthbert The Cavemen (The Mid Sussex Times)

26 March 1964 – The Four Aces (The Mid Sussex Times)

30 March 1964 – The Shades (The Mid Sussex Times)

 

2 April 1964 – The Daltons (The Mid Sussex Times)

9 April 1964 – The Sabres (The Mid Sussex Times)

11 April 1964 – Unit 6 and The Deltas (The Mid Sussex Times)

16 April 1964 – The Untamed Four (The Mid Sussex Times)

23 April 1964 – Johnny Fine & The Ramblers (The Mid Sussex Times)

30 April 1964 – Wayne Crawford’s Jades (The Mid Sussex Times)

 

7 May 1964 – The Four Aces (The Mid Sussex Times)

9 May 1964 – The Jaguars and The Unit Four (The Mid Sussex Times)

14 May 1964 – The New Vincents Blue Sounds (The Mid Sussex Times)

18 May 1964 – The Shades (The Mid Sussex Times)

21 May 1964 – The Untamed Four (The Mid Sussex Times)

28 May 1964 – Count Downe & The Zeros (The Mid Sussex Times)

 

4 June 1964 – The Sidewinders (The Mid Sussex Times)

11 June 1964 – The Shades (The Mid Sussex Times)

13 June 1964 – Johnny Jay & The Zabres and The Smoke-stacks (The Mid Sussex Times)

18 June 1964 – The Four Aces (The Mid Sussex Times)

25 June 1964 – Johnny Fine & The Ramblers (The Mid Sussex Times)

2 July 1964 – The Untamed Four (The Mid Sussex Times)

9 July 1964 – The Debutantes (The Mid Sussex Times)

16 July 1964 – The Shades (The Mid Sussex Times)

23 July 1964 – The Jaguars (The Mid Sussex Times)

30 July 1964 – Johnny Fine & The Ramblers (The Mid Sussex Times)

 

3 August 1964 – The Continentals (The Mid Sussex Times)

6 August 1964 – Vincents Big Blues (The Mid Sussex Times)

13 August 1964 – The Four Aces (The Mid Sussex Times)

20 August 1964 – The Banana Bunch (The Mid Sussex Times)

27 August 1964 – Johnny Fine & The Ramblers (The Mid Sussex Times)

 

3 September 1964 – Tony & The Defiants (The Mid Sussex Times)

10 September 1964 – The Shades (The Mid Sussex Times)

17 September 1964 – The Kreaks (The Mid Sussex Times)

24 September 1964 – Johnny Fine & The Ramblers (The Mid Sussex Times)

26 September 1964 – The Debutantes and The Blues Creatures (The Mid Sussex Times)

 

1 October 1964 – The Four Aces (The Mid Sussex Times)

8 October 1964 – The Credits (The Mid Sussex Times)

15 October 1964 – The Trekkas (The Mid Sussex Times)

22 October 1964 – The Kreaks (The Mid Sussex Times)

24 October 1964 – The Frisco Boys and Ivy with The Features (The Mid Sussex Times)

29 October 1964 – Johnny Fine & The Ramblers (The Mid Sussex Times)

5 November 1964 – The Wild Ones (The Mid Sussex Times)

7 November 1964 – The Del-Vikings and The People (The Mid Sussex Times)

12 November 1964 – Mo’ Henry (The Mid Sussex Times)

19 November 1964 – The Four Aces (The Mid Sussex Times)

26 November 1964 – The Shades (The Mid Sussex Times)

28 November 1964 – The Alexanders with surprise group (The Mid Sussex Times)

 

3 December 1964 – Johnny Fine & The Ramblers (The Mid Sussex Times)

10 December 1964 – The Kreaks (The Mid Sussex Times)

17 December 1964 – The Banana Bunch (The Mid Sussex Times)

23 December 1964 – The Four Aces (The Mid Sussex Times)

31 December 1964 – The Kreaks and The Robusts (The Mid Sussex Times)

 

7 January 1965 – Johnny Fine & The Ramblers (The Mid Sussex Times)

14 January 1965 – The G-Men (formerly The Giants) (The Mid Sussex Times)

21 January 1965 – The Five Aces (The Mid Sussex Times)

23 January 1965 – Mo Henry R&B & The Otis Men (The Mid Sussex Times)

28 January 1965 – The Shades (The Mid Sussex Times)

4 February 1965 – Johnny Fine & The Ramblers (The Mid Sussex Times)

11 February 1965 – The Kreaks (The Mid Sussex Times)

18 February 1965 – The Shufflers (The Mid Sussex Times)

25 February 1965 – The Five Aces (The Mid Sussex Times)

27 February 1965 – Johnny Fine & The Ramblers and Ivy & The League (the latter may have been replaced by The Buccaneers) (The Mid Sussex Times)

 

4 March 1965 – D-J Blues Band (The Mid Sussex Times)

11 March 1965 – The G-Men (The Mid Sussex Times)

18 March 1965 – Johnny Fine & The Ramblers (The Mid Sussex Times)

25 March 1965 – The Daltons (The Mid Sussex Times)

1 April 1965 – The Five Aces (The Mid Sussex Times)

8 April 1965 – The Shades (The Mid Sussex Times)

15 April 1965 – Johnny Fine & The Ramblers (The Mid Sussex Times)

19 April 1965 – The Five Aces (The Mid Sussex Times)

22 April 1965 – Jimmy Marsh & The Del-Mar Trio (The Mid Sussex Times)

29 April 1965 – The Kreaks (The Mid Sussex Times)

 

6 May 1965 – The Shufflers (The Mid Sussex Times)

13 May 1965 – The Five Aces (The Mid Sussex Times)

15 May 1965 – Mo’ Henry R&B Combo and The Black and Tans (The Mid Sussex Times)

20 May 1965 – The Shades (The Mid Sussex Times)

27 May 1965 – The Untamed (The Mid Sussex Times)

 

3 June 1965 – Robb Storme & The Whispers (The Mid Sussex Times)

7 June 1965 – Johnny Fine & The Ramblers (The Mid Sussex Times)

10 June 1965 – The Jeydes (The Mid Sussex Times)

17 June 1965 – The Bo Street Runners (The Mid Sussex Times)

24 June 1965 – The Five Aces (The Mid Sussex Times)

 

1 July 1965 – The Shades (The Mid Sussex Times)

8 July 1965 – Johnny Fine & The Ramblers (The Mid Sussex Times)

15 July 1965 – The Herd (The Mid Sussex Times)

22 July 1965 – The Kreaks (The Mid Sussex Times)

29 July 1965 – Robb Storme & The Whispers (The Mid Sussex Times)

5 August 1965 – The Five Aces (The Mid Sussex Times)

12 August 1965 – The Beat Merchants (The Mid Sussex Times)

19 August 1965 – Johnny Fine & The Ramblers (The Mid Sussex Times)

26 August 1965 – The Herd (The Mid Sussex Times)

30 August 1965 – Johnny Fine & The Ramblers (The Mid Sussex Times)

2 September 1965 – The Five Aces (The Mid Sussex Times)

9 September 1965 – The Fenmen and The Dolphins (The Mid Sussex Times)

11 September 1965 – The In-Sect (The Mid Sussex Times)

16 September 1965 – The Shades (The Mid Sussex Times)

23 September 1965 – The Herd (The Mid Sussex Times)

30 September 1965 – Johnny Fine & The Ramblers (The Mid Sussex Times)

 

7 October 1965 – The In-Sect (The Mid Sussex Times)

9 October 1965 – Shelley and Johnny Fine & The Ramblers (The Mid Sussex Times)

14 October 1965 – Dave Storm & The Diamonds (The Mid Sussex Times)

21 October 1965 – The Shades (The Mid Sussex Times)

28 October 1965 – Robb Storme & The Whispers (The Mid Sussex Times)

30 October 1965 – The Deltas and The Short-Cuts (The Mid Sussex Times)

 

4 November 1965 – The Five Aces (The Mid Sussex Times)

11 November 1965 – Sons of Fred (The Mid Sussex Times)

18 November 1965 – Johnny Fine & The Ramblers (The Mid Sussex Times)

20 November 1965 – The Shindigs and The Five Aces (The Mid Sussex Times)

25 November 1965 – The Herd (The Mid Sussex Times)

 

2 December 1965 – The Shades (The Mid Sussex Times)

9 December 1965 – Plain & Fancy (The Mid Sussex Times)

11 December 1965 – Pinky & The Fell’as (The Mid Sussex Times)

16 December 1965 – Johnny Fine & The Ramblers (The Mid Sussex Times)

23 December 1965 – The Alexanders (The Mid Sussex Times)

27 December 1965 – Johnny Fine & The Ramblers (The Mid Sussex Times)

31 December 1965 – The Five Aces and The Bootleggers (The Mid Sussex Times)

6 January 1966 – The Shades (Mid Sussex Times)

13 January 1966 – Robb Storme & The Whispers (Mid Sussex Times)

 

10 March 1966 – Eddie’s Crowd (Mid Sussex Times)

17 March 1966 – John Brown’s Bodies (Mid Sussex Times)

This is the Brighton version that featured Keith Emmerson not the Hammersmith version

24 March 1966 – The Webb (Mid Sussex Times)

26 March 1966 – The Defiants and The F-P, N&C Band (Mid Sussex Times)

21 April 1966 – The Alex Lane Group (Mid Sussex Times)

28 April 1966 – The Mojos with The Motion (Mid Sussex Times)

30 April 1966 – The Hi-Tower Society (Mid Sussex Times) From London’s Flamingo club

12 May 1966 – Johnny Fine & The Ramblers (Mid Sussex Times)

17 May 1966 – The Artwoods and The Mike Stuart Span (Mid Sussex Times)

19 May 1966 – The Mike Stuart Span (Mid Sussex Times)

21 May 1966 – Graham Bonney & The Night Society (Mid Sussex Times)

26 May 1966 – Eddie’s Crowd (Mid Sussex Times)

16 June 1966 – The Alex Lane Group (Mid Sussex Times)

23 June 1966 – The Mike Stuart Span (Mid Sussex Times)

25 June 1966 – The King Pins and The Change (Mid Sussex Times)

21 July 1966 – The Webb (Mid Sussex Times)

28 July 1966 – The Mike Stuart Span (Mid Sussex Times)

4 August 1966 – Johnny Fine & The Ramblers (Mid Sussex Times)

11 August 1966 – Four of Us with Sterry Moore (Mid Sussex Times)

18 August 1966 – The Laymen (Mid Sussex Times)

20 October 1966 – For Ov Us  with Sterry Moore (Mid Sussex Times)

22 October 1966 – The Laymen (Mid Sussex Times)

27 October 1966 – The King Pins (Mid Sussex Times)

5 January 1967 – Omega Plus (formerly The Untamed) (Mid Sussex Times)

12 January 1967 – The Shindigs (Mid Sussex Times)

14 January 1967 – The Johnny Fine Group (with their new line-up) (Mid Sussex Times)

19 January 1967 – The Robb Storme Group (Mid Sussex Times)

26 January 1967 – Eddie’s Crowd (new line up) (Mid Sussex Times)

28 January 1967 – Omega Plus (Mid Sussex Times)

2 February 1967 – The Urchins (featuring Gene Coben and Alex Lane) (Mid Sussex Times)

4 February 1967 – The King Pins (Mid Sussex Times)

9 February 1967 – The Motion (Mid Sussex Times)

16 February 1967 – The Johnny Fine Group (Mid Sussex Times)

18 February 1967 – The Urchins (Mid Sussex Times)

23 February 1967 – The Robb Storme Group (Mid Sussex Times)

 

2 March 1967 – Omega Plus (Mid Sussex Times)

4 March 1967 – The Shindigs (Mid Sussex Times)

9 March 1967 – Eddie’s Crowd (Mid Sussex Times)

16 March 1967 – The Johnny Fine Group (Mid Sussex Times)

23 March 1967 – The Urchins with support (Mid Sussex Times)

27 March 1967 – Eddie’s Crowd and The Mr Howard Group (Mid Sussex Times)

30 March 1967 – The Motion (Mid Sussex Times)

6 April 1967 – The Total (Mid Sussex Times)

8 April 1967 – Omega Plus (Mid Sussex Times)

13 April 1967 – The Robb Storme Group with Eddie Singh & The West Indian Tornados (Mid Sussex Times)

20 April 1967 – The Johnny Fine Group (Mid Sussex Times)

22 April 1967 – The Mr Howard Group and The Retros (Mid Sussex Times)

27 April 1967 – The Total (Mid Sussex Times)

 

4 May 1967 – Eddie’s Crowd (Mid Sussex Times)

6 May 1967 – The Urchins and The Collection (Mid Sussex Times)

11 May 1967 – Omega Plus (Mid Sussex Times)

18 May 1967 – The Johnny Fine Group (Mid Sussex Times)

20 May 1967 – Sound Around and The Individuals (Mid Sussex Times)

25 May 1967 – The Robb Storme Group (Mid Sussex Times) Replaced by The Camp

29 May 1967 – Eddie’s Crowd and The Soul Machine (Mid Sussex Times)

 

1 June 1967 – The Robb Storme Group with support (Mid Sussex Times)

8 June 1967 – The Henry (Mid Sussex Times)

10 June 1967 – The Urchins with support (Mid Sussex Times)

15 June 1967 – The Johnny Fine Group (Mid Sussex Times)

22 June 1967 – The Collection (Mid Sussex Times)

24 June 1967 – The Total with support (Mid Sussex Times)

29 June 1967 – Eddie’s Crowd (Mid Sussex Times)

6 July 1967 – The Pathfinders (Mid Sussex Times)

13 July 1967 – The Motion (Mid Sussex Times)

20 July 1967 – The Robb Storme Group (Mid Sussex Times)

27 July 1967 – Eddie’s Crowd (Mid Sussex Times)

 

3 August 1967 –The Johnny Fine Group (Mid Sussex Times)

10 August 1967 – The Collection (Mid Sussex Times)

17 August 1967 – Omega Plus (Mid Sussex Times) Says direct from Tiles, Oxford Street but replaced by The Target. They appeared on 14 September

24 August 1967 – The Robb Storme Group and Precisely This (Mid Sussex Times)

28 August 1967 – The Johnny Fine Group (Mid Sussex Times)

31 August 1967 – The Henry (Mid Sussex Times)

 

7 September 1967 – Eddie’s Crowd (Mid Sussex Times)

14 September 1967 – Omega Plus with support (Mid Sussex Times)

21 September 1967 – Plain & Fancy (Mid Sussex Times)

28 September 1967 – The Total (Mid Sussex Times) Replaced by The Collection

30 September 1967 – Robb Storme & The Orange Bicycle plus support (Mid Sussex Times)

 

5 October 1967 – The Total (Mid Sussex Times)

12 October 1967 – Johnny Fine (Mid Sussex Times)

14 October 1967 – Omega Plus (Mid Sussex Times)

17 October 1967 – Eddie’s Crowd (Mid Sussex Times)

26 October 1967 – The Collection (Mid Sussex Times)

28 October 1967 – The Henry (Mid Sussex Times)

2 November 1967 – The Motion (Mid Sussex Times)

9 November 1967 – Robb Storme & Orange Bicycle and The Switch (Mid Sussex Times)

11 November 1967 – The Total (Mid Sussex Times)

16 November 1967 – Eddie’s Crowd (Mid Sussex Times)

18 November 1967 – Omega Plus (Mid Sussex Times)

23 November 1967 – The Urchins (Mid Sussex Times)

25 November 1967 – Omega Plus (Mid Sussex Times) Replaced by The Talismen

30 November 1967 – The Henry (Mid Sussex Times)

7 December 1967 – The Total (Mid Sussex Times)

9 December 1967 – The Mode and Heinz (Mid Sussex Times)

14 December 1967 – Johnny Fine (Mid Sussex Times)

21 December 1967 – Robb Storme & Orange Bicycle (Mid Sussex Times)

26 December 1967 – The Kindred (Mid Sussex Times)

31 December 1967 – The Johnny Fine Group (Mid Sussex Times)

 

4 January 1968 – Eddie’s Crowd (Mid Sussex Times)

8 February 1968 – Eddie’s Crowd (Mid Sussex Times)

10 February 1968 – The Motion (Mid Sussex Times)

15 February 1968 – The Mike Stuart Span (Mid Sussex Times)

30 January 1969 – Orange Bicycle with Robb Storme (Mid Sussex Times) Opens as The Red Balloon Club

 

6 February 1969 – The Mud (Mid Sussex Times)

13 February 1969 – The Suspect (Mid Sussex Times)

20 February 1969 – The Fishhook (Mid Sussex Times)

27 February 1969 – Mud (Mid Sussex Times)

6 March 1969 – Orange Bicycle (Mid Sussex Times)

13 March 1969 – Hopscotch (Mid Sussex Times)

 

3 April 1969 – Harper Foundation (Mid Sussex Times) Billed as The Pilgrim again

10 April 1969 – Orange Bicycle with Robb Storme (Mid Sussex Times)

17 April 1969 – High Tension (Mid Sussex Times) Billed as Pilgrim Cellar (under new management)

24 April 1969 – Kippington Lodge (Mid Sussex Times)

1 May 1969 – Wellington Kitch with The Double Sounds (Mid Sussex Times)

8 May 1969 – Jigsaw (Mid Sussex Times) Replaced by The Image and The Double Sounds

15 May 1969 – Mr Mo’s Messengers and The Double Sounds (Mid Sussex Times)

22 May 1969 – Senority (aka Sonority) with The Double Sounds (Mid Sussex Times)

29 May 1969 – Bumbly Hums and The Double Sounds(Mid Sussex Times) New Zealand band

 

5 June 1969 – The Raizins and The Double Sounds (Mid Sussex Times)

12 June 1969 – The Globe Show (Mid Sussex Times)

19 June 1969 – High Tension and The Double Sounds (Mid Sussex Times)

26 June 1969 – Space (Mid Sussex Times)

 

3 July 1969 – John McFlair Band with The Double Sounds (Mid Sussex Times)

10 July 1969 – Child and The Double Sounds (Mid Sussex Times)

17 July 1969 – Mustang Stampede and The Double Sounds (Mid Sussex Times)

24 July 1969 – Dawn and The Double Sounds (Mid Sussex Times)

31 July 1969 – Just Us and The Double Sounds (Mid Sussex Times)

 

7 August 1969 – The Fox and The Double Sounds (Mid Sussex Times)

14 August 1969 – Road and The Double Sounds (Mid Sussex Times)

21 August 1969 – Procession with The Double Sounds (Mid Sussex Times) Unlikely Procession played this date

28 August 1969 – The Globe Show with The Double Sounds (Mid Sussex Times)

4 September 1969 – Sonority with The Double Sounds (Mid Sussex Times)

11 September 1969 – Image and The Double Sounds (Mid Sussex Times)

18 September 1969 – Mustang Stampede with The Double Sounds (Mid Sussex Times)

25 September 1969 – Fishhook (Mid Sussex Times)

 

2 October 1969 – Mustang Stampede and The Double Sounds (Mid Sussex Times)

9 October 1969 – Amalgamation with The Double Sounds (Mid Sussex Times)

16 October 1969 – The Switch (Mid Sussex Times)

23 October 1969 – Gun Boat Conspiracy and Starsound (Mid Sussex Times)

30 October 1969 – The Road (Mid Sussex Times)

The newspaper appears to have stopped advertising the venue after this date

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.

The Penny Peeps

The Penny Peeps 1968. Clockwise from front: Martin Barre, Denny Alexander, Malcolm Tomlinson, Mick Ketley and Bryan Stevens

Aficionados of UK freakbeat will be familiar with The Penny Peeps’ Who-inspired rocker “Model Village”, which graced the ‘B’ side of the band’s debut single “Little Man with a Stick” for Liberty Records in February 1968.

With its swirling organ, driving guitar and powerful lead vocal, the track is justifiably revered as a minor ’60s classic and has turned up over the years on a number of compilations, most notably the Rubble series and the box set Acid Drops, Spacedust & Flying Saucers.

Little is known about the Penny Peeps, aside from the fact that they recorded two hopelessly obscure, yet highly collectable singles for Liberty Records, which today can fetch astronomical sums of money.

Collectors may be surprised to learn, however, that The Penny Peeps’ guitarist was none other than future Jethro Tull axe man Martin Barre (b. 17 November 1946, King’s Heath, Birmingham).

Perhaps more surprising is news that The Penny Peeps recorded around 15 demos for the label in early 1968, including the marvellous “Meet Me at the Fair”, the band’s preferred choice as ‘B’ side for “Model Village”. The infectious soul-tinged rocker was subsequently dropped in favour of the more commercial “Little Man with a Stick”.

Photo may be subject to copyright

As fate would have it both “Little Man with a Stick” and its follow up single, “I See the Morning” sank without a trace and the group’s lead singer and song-writer, Denny Alexander, departed during August 1968. The group briefly continued as a quartet under the name Gethsemane before the musicians went their separate ways that December.

While Barre subsequently “landed on his feet” joining highly respected blues band, Jethro Tull, the music he recorded with his pre-Tull bands has often been overlooked.

Martin Barre, who’d previously played with Midlands bands The Dwellers and The Moonrakers, had joined the group that would become The Penny Peeps in July 1966.

Known as The Noblemen at the time, the group also comprised singer Jimmy Marsh; guitarist Chuck Fryers; bass player Bryan Stevens (b. 13 November 1941, Lha Datu, North Borneo); keyboard player Mike Ketley (b. 1 October 1947, Balham, London); sax player Chris Rodger; and drummer Malcolm Tomlinson (b. 16 June 1946, Isleworth, Middlesex; d. 2 April 2016).

However, Fryers dropped out soon afterwards (later to join The Sorrows) and after a few months, the band changed name to Motivation (sometimes billed as The Motivation – see earlier entry).

Motivation, spring 1967

During a trip to Italy in March-May 1967 singer Jimmy Marsh departed followed soon after by sax player Chris Rodger when the group returned home. With Ketley handling lead vocals in the short-term, the band started to look for a new front man.

Former Clayton Squares and Thoughts singer Denny Thomas Alexander (b. 10 March 1946, Liverpool, Lancashire, d. 6 December 2018) answered the call and joined in early June 1967.

With a Cheshire version of The Motivation increasingly active (they opened for The Jeff Beck Group at Nantwich Civic Hall on 24 June 1967) and yet another group billed as The Motivation signing and later recording with Direction Records, the musicians decided to become The Penny Peep Show in August 1967.

One of the first advertised shows under this name was at the Gala Ballroom in Norwich on 15 and 16 September (Friday and Saturday). On the Sunday, they travelled over to Birmingham to appear at the Swan in Yardley.

Other dates that month included a return to the Royal Ballrooms in Boscombe on Saturday, 23 September and an appearance at the Belfry in Wishaw,  near Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands two days later, with The Sight & Sound.

The Penny Peep Show were back in the Birmingham area early the next month for a show at the Penthouse in the city centre with New Zealand group The Human Instinct on Saturday, 7 October (they would return here on Friday, 3 November).

It was possibly this same weekend that Stevens met his future wife Beth.

“We played at Birmingham University for the Fresher’s Dance, which is where I met Beth. I definitely remember that gig. Beth lived in Hersham, near Walton-on-Thames and she used to go to Walton Hop where we played some months later [in May 1968]”.

The following weekend, the musicians headed down to the southwest for a show at the Flamingo Ballroom in Penzance on Saturday, 14 October and headed home via Dorset to appear the Weymouth’s Steering Wheel on the following Saturday evening (21 October).

Throughout the next month, the band continued to crisscross the country, playing at venues like Birmingham’s Ringway Club on Saturday, 4 November; the Carnival Hall in Basingstoke, Hampshire on Thursday, 9 November; Coventry’s Tudor Club at the Mercers Arms on Sunday, 19 November; and the 76 Club in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire on 24 November.

Newspaper adverts reveal that during December, The Penny Peep Show returned to play shows at Weymouth’s Steering Wheel, the Royal Ballrooms in Boscombe (returning in early January) and the Swan in Yardley, closing the year with a show at the Wellington Club in Dereham, Norfolk on Saturday, 30 December.

Through Pete Hockham, formerly one of Bob Gaitley’s agents at the Beat Ballad and Blues agency and now working for Brian Epstein’s NEMS agency, the band signed up with NEMS around January 1968 and gained regular work in the London area.

One of the group’s first London dates took place on Thursday, 8 February, opening for Brighton band The Mike Stuart Span (who shared the same agency) at the famous 100 Club in Oxford Street.

The next day, the group played at the Nottingham Boat Club. Over the next year, the musicians would regularly perform in the city and its surrounding area.

That same month, the group signed a deal with Liberty Records and got to work recording over an album’s worth of material, most of which comprised demos.

Photo may be subject to copyright

Interested listeners can hear early demos of the four tracks that made up The Penny Peeps’ two singles plus unreleased tracks online. Acetates of “Model Village”, “I See the Morning”, “Curly, The Knight of The Road” and “Meet Me at the Fair” reveal just how powerful these demo versions were.

Photo may be subject to copyright

“When The Penny Peeps got the Liberty contract, I also got a song writing contract with them from Metric Music, which was on Albermarle Street at the time,” says Alexander.

“When I went to sign my contract there was also a duo who were part of band called the Idle Race. One turned out to be Jeff Lynne later of ELO fame and fortune. A third person sitting in the corner very quietly and looking very shy and school boyish turned out be Mike Batt!”

“The contract required a certain amount of songs in a certain period,” continues Alexander “and the band used to act as session men – and therefore got paid which helped when gigs were scarce. Most songs were recorded at the Marquee studio at the back of the old Marquee club in Wardour Street. I probably wrote about 15 or 16 songs.”

Photo may be subject to copyright

Some of these songs, such as “Helen Doesn’t Care” and “Into My Life She Came”, which features Martin Barre on flute, are gems. So is “Meet Me at The Fair”, which the group had envisaged would be coupled with Alexander’s organ and guitar driven rocker “Model Village” for the band’s debut single. Instead, Liberty chose to go with the poppy Les Reed-Barry Mason collaboration, “Little Man with a Stick”.

“I remember how pissed off we all were when Liberty insisted that ‘Little Man with a Stick’ should be the ‘A’ side as it was not us and none of us liked it,” says Stevens. “I suppose it was the usual case of the record company wanting to use their in-house song writers.”

Photo may be subject to copyright

Released on 16 February, under the new name, The Penny Peeps, “Little Man with a Stick” c/w “Model Village” failed to chart, although it did gain some radio exposure. (Ed – mint copies of this single will set you back a hefty price.)

11 February 1968 gig

“Little Man with a Stick” received a lukewarm welcome in the music press, with NME reporting: “A new British number by Les Reed and Barry Mason. It’s good fun with a strong novelty content, but not one of the duo’s most memorable compositions. Competent performance.”

The single’s release coincided with a memorable show at the Brighton Dome Theatre on Thursday, 22 February where The Penny Peeps backed The Scaffold on a bill that also included The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band and also played their own set. Back in London, the group appeared at London’s Speakeasy six days later.

Throughout this period, the group toured extensively, and even made a brief trip to Belgium to play some dates.

“We played in Belgium for an Embassy party on-board a ship tied up at the docks,” says Stevens.

Sean Connery and Bridget Bardot were in the audience that night and Ketley thinks they may have been celebrating after wrapping up filming on the movie they were in together called Shalako.

Penny Peeps, spring 1968. Clockwise from bottom left: Martin Barre, Denny Alexander, Malcolm Tomlinson, Bryan Stevens and Mick Ketley

On Friday, 8 March, The Penny Peeps returned to play a show at the Nottingham Boat Club.

A few weeks later, on Saturday, 23 March, they were back in the city to appear at the Beachcomber Club. The previous evening (billed as The Penny Peep Show), the musicians performed at the Fiesta Hall in Andover, Hampshire.

Closing the month, The Penny Peeps returned to Bournemouth for a show at the Linden Sports Club, a venue they would perform at regularly throughout the year.

31 March 1968 gig

Newspaper adverts for April reveal that The Penny Peeps performed regularly along the south coast.

Besides the usual trek to Weymouth to play the Steering Wheel (Wednesday, 3 April), the band also played at the Cobweb, situated at the Marine Court in St Leonards, East Sussex. The show (on Saturday, 20 April) found the band playing on the same bill as Tony Rivers & The Castaways, soon to morph into Harmony Grass.

On Thursday, 25 April (again billed as The Penny Peep Show), the musicians played at Hatchetts Playground, a flash club on Piccadilly Circus.

With the band’s original material going down a storm on the road, the group returned to Nottingham on Friday, 3 May for another show at the Nottingham Boat Club.

Later that month (Saturday, 18 May), The Penny Peeps played at the Walton Hop, situated in the Playhouse at Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, the UK’s first discotheque.

On Saturday, 15 June, The Penny Peeps returned to Nottingham for a show at the Beachcomber Club, returning home to Bognor Regis that evening to perform at the Linden Sports Club in Bournemouth the next day.

Six days later, the band’s second release Alexander’s “I See the Morning” c/w “Curly, The Knight of The Road” also failed to chart despite Tony Blackburn using the song to open his Radio 1 Breakfast show every morning for a week.

Beachcomber gig July 1968

Despite plenty of work, including a return to Nottingham’s Beachcomber Club on Saturday, 13 July; Leicester Rowing Club, two Saturday’s later; and the Swan in Yardley, the West Midlands on Saturday, 3 August, the emerging blues explosion headed up by Fleetwood Mac was starting to make psychedelic rock bands redundant.

25 July 1968 gig

That July, Canadian group The Band’s Music from Big Pink had been given a UK release and had turned musicians’ heads, The Penny Peeps included.

During a gig that month, possibly at the Walgrave in Coventry on Sunday, 4 August (see above) The Penny Peep Show/Penny Peeps’ current repertoire was met with an icy response and Alexander realised that drastic measures were needed.

In the interval, he suggested that the band play some blues numbers in the second set and with Ketley and Tomlinson also helping out with lead vocals, the fresh approach went down a storm.

Taking on a new name, In the Garden of Gethsemane, which was soon shortened to Gethsemane, the group began to plough a more blues-based direction.

The Penny Peeps before Denny Alexander left. Left to right: Martin Barre, Mick Ketley, Denny Alexander, Malcolm Tomlinson and Bryan Stevens

The decision to adopt a new style may also have been prompted by the Eighth National Jazz and Blues Festival held at Kempton Park racecourse in Sunbury-on-Thames on Sunday, 11 August.

Malcolm Tomlinson had attended and was blown away by Jethro Tull and its enigmatic front-man Ian Anderson whose mastery of the flute made an impression on the drummer. Both he and Martin Barre had recently started to play flute and Tomlinson came back raving about the group to Barre, urging the guitarist to check out Anderson’s inspirational group.

Around this time Denny Alexander dropped out to pursue a non-musical career.

Retiring from professional playing, he tried his hand as a trainee publican for a while but the venture didn’t last long. Back in Liverpool, he gathered together some friends who had a musical cabaret act and the sax player from The Undertakers and recorded six tracks in late 1972.

The songs: “Don’t Let It Rain (Wedding Day)”, “Crossroads of Life”, “My Last Goodbye to You”, “I’d Like to Get to Know You Girl”, “Your Alive” and “Babe I Love You” remain unreleased to this day.

The songs vary in style although some show touches of a country-rock influence. Like all of Alexander’s songs, the tracks are extremely melodic and a couple could have been huge hits in the hands of a more established artist.

With the recordings complete, Alexander turned his back on music and went into the financial services industry, retiring in the early 2000s. However, he did reunite with Bryan Stevens and Mick Ketley in the late 2000s.

Reduced to a quartet, the new musical direction that Gethsemane took gave the band an opportunity to be more creative and to stretch out during live performances.

To be continued:

Thanks to Bryan Stevens, Mike Ketley, Martin Barre, Denny Alexander, Malcolm Tomlinson, Mike Paxman, Vernon Joynson and Hugh MacLean. Thank you to Bryan Stevens and Mike Ketley for the band photos.

Copyright © Nick Warburton. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior permission from the author.

The Noblemen

The Noblemen, early 1966. Clockwise from bottom centre: Bryan Stevens, Bernie Smith, Keith Gemmell, Jem Field, Chuck Fryers and Mick Ketley

South coast R&B band The Noblemen are notable for containing musicians who went on to success with a number of mid-late 1960s rock bands, notably Audience, The Manchester Playboys and The Sorrows.

Helmed by longstanding bass player Bryan Stevens (b. 13 November 1941, Lha Datu, North Borneo) and keyboard player/singer Mick Ketley (b. 1 October 1947, Balham, south London), The Noblemen changed name to Motivation in November 1966.

Then, in August 1967, the musicians reinvented themselves as The Penny Peep Show (aka Penny Peeps) and recorded two rare 45s for Liberty Records during 1968.

Later that year, they changed name and style again to Gethsemane before splitting in December 1968 whereupon their guitarist Martin Barre (b. 17 November 1946, King’s Heath, Birmingham) joined Jethro Tull.

The Noblemen’s roots can be traced back to Bognor Regis group Johnny Devlin & The Detours, who also featured longstanding guitarist Alan Paul “Chuck” Fryers (b. 24 May 1945, Bognor Regis, West Sussex) and drummer Bernie Smith.

Stevens’ first recording was with a skiffle group The Shootin’ Stars that he’d formed while at King’s School in Chester during 1956/1957.

“We took part in a Skiffle contest at the Gaumont Cinema in Chester – it was my first taste of playing to an audience,” remembers the bass player.

“The Shootin’ Stars also recorded an EP at a small terraced house in Liverpool, same place as The Beatles recorded their first record – the sleeve shows PF Philips, 38 Kensington, Liverpool 7.

“We recorded in the front room, the windows had heavy drapes against them to deaden sounds. We recorded around a central mic, ran through the four numbers we were to record once, then Mr Philips peered through a small serving hatch from where he was in the rear room with his recording machine. He said: ‘OK boys are you ready to record?’ Once we recorded the numbers he played them back to us and asked if that was OK, and asked how many copies we wanted. Within half an hour we were out clutching our very first record!”

Moving south to Bognor Regis, Stevens formed The Detours in February 1960, who were joined by singer Johnny Devlin in early 1962, prompting a name change to Johnny Devlin & The Detours.

Shortly afterwards, Stevens recruited Ketley from another local group, The Soundtracks. Before the year was out Fryers had been added from The Cruisers plus sax player Bob Pettit. Finally Smith, who’d worked in The Soundtracks alongside Ketley, came on-board in early 1963.

From the Chichester Observer

With the line-up settled, Johnny Devlin & The Detours recorded a one-off single, “Sometimes” c/w “If You Want Someone”, for Pye Records, which was released in January 1964.

To promote the single, the band appeared as newcomers on Granada TV’s Thank Your Lucky Stars alongside Adam Faith, Manfred Man, Dickie Valentine and Jackie Trent that February. However, when “Sometimes” flopped, Johnny Devlin departed and John Read briefly took over the lead vocals.

Around this time, a west London group called The Detours spotted them performing on TV and decided to change their name to The High Numbers (and subsequently The Who!).

The Detours meanwhile soon went through their own transformation after Bob Gaitley, who ran Littlehampton’s Top Hat and Worthing’s Mexican Hat where they regularly played, invited the musicians to link up with South African singer Mike Bush (aka Beau Brummell).

Brummell, who went on to own a naturist valley in Northern Transvaal, had arrived in England in 1961 and worked under various pseudonyms before adopting the title, “Beau Brummell”, named after the British dandy of the 19th century, in late 1963.

Photo: Littlehampton Post, 9 January 1965

Recruiting The Detours (now renamed The Noblemen) as his support group, Brummell and the musicians got the opportunity to record two tracks at Abbey Road in December 1964 with EMI producer Bob Barratt – “I Know, Know, Know” and “Shopping Around”.

Left to right: Mike Turnill, Bernie Smith, Bryan Stevens, Mick Ketley and Chuck Fryers

By the time the pairing was released as a single on Columbia Records in January 1965, Mike Turnill had briefly taken over from Pettit.

Photo: Worthing Herald, 1 January 1965
Photo: Worthing Gazette, 6 January 1965

However, the new sax player was only passing through. Within a matter of weeks, the band had placed an advert in Melody Maker’s 13 February issue, looking for a replacement. Bob Lomas answered and took the job but the changes didn’t end there.

In the last week of February the group expanded the horn section by bringing in tenor sax player – Malcolm Randall, who had placed an advert in Melody Maker’s 27 February issue looking for a group.

Hailing from west London, Randall had joined his first group, Twickenham R&B band Jeff Curtis & The Flames, in spring 1963.

Regulars at the Ealing Jazz Club, the sax player would remain with Jeff Curtis & The Flames until early February 1965. Interestingly, he would not be the only ex-Flame to join The Noblemen.

Jeff Curtis & The Flames late 1964 with Malcolm Randall top left with saxophone

Although Randall missed out on Jeff Curtis & The Flames’ first recording session at Lansdowne Road Studios in Holland Park in October 1963 (see later), he did participate in their second visit, around the same time the following year, to record two tracks – Solomon Burke and Bert Berns’ “Down in the Valley” and a cover of The Showman’s “Rock ‘N’ Roll Will Stand”, both of which remained in the can.

Just before Randall’s arrival, the Evening Standard reports that the group appears on ITV’s Ollie & Fred’s Five O’ clock Club TV show with The Barron Knights and The Dougie Squires Three on 26 February.

 

The Noblemen in Brighton, spring 1965

A photo session to capture the revamped Noblemen decked out in its regency clothes was held in Brighton in early March before the band set off for some gigs in West Germany.

Photo: Dumfries and Galloway Standard

Back in England, the band embarked on a nationwide tour which took them as far north as Carlisle in Cumbria and a gig at the Market Assembly Hall on Thursday, 15 April.

Photo: Worthing Gazette, 7 April 1965

A few weeks later Beau Brummell & The Noblemen appeared at the California Ballroom in Dunstable on Saturday, 1 May.

Just over a week later, on Sunday, 9 May, the group shared the bill with Randall’s former group Jeff Curtis & The Flames at the Majestic Ballroom in Luton.

The following week (14 May), Beau Brummell was listed appearing at the Carlton Ballroom in Erdington, West Midlands with The Chucks. Two days later, and billed as the Exclusive Noblemen Orchestra, the group plays at the Cubiklub in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

The group continued to gig around England in May, playing frequently at the Top Hat in Littlehampton and the Mexican Hat in Worthing. They also played at Malborough Hall, Halifax, West Yorkshire on 22 May.

Photo: Dumfries and Galloway Standard

Later that month, the band headed up to Scotland for a short tour, which included Dumfries Drill Hall on Saturday, 5 June.

Photo: Mid Sussex Times

On Sunday, 13 June 1965, the band performed at the Downs, Hassocks, West Sussex

Left to right: Chuck Fryers, Mick Ketley, Bernie Smith, Bryan Stevens, Bob Lomas and Malcolm Randall

From there, the band headed to West Germany to perform at the Storyville Jazz Clubs in Duisberg, Frankfurt and Cologne. At the latter, the musicians met Folkestone band Neil Landon & The Burnettes whose lead guitarist Noel Redding later became bass player for Jimi Hendrix while Neil Landon went on to form The Flower Pot Men, authors of the hit “Let’s go to San Francisco”.

Bob Lomas and Malcolm Randall

Returning home, the group played at Torquay Town Hall on Saturday, 3 July, before heading back to West Germany to perform for three nights at the legendary Star Club in Hamburg from Friday, 9 July through to Sunday, 11 July. The group was widely photographed inside both and outside the club as well as in a park with a new sax player called John replacing Bob Lomas.

Next up, Beau Brummell & The Noblemen returned to the Storyville Jazz Club in Duisberg where they shared the bill with The Manchester Playboys (most likely from Monday, 12 July to Thursday, 15 July).

The Noblemen with Malcolm Randall top left in Cologne

Randall was so impressed with the Mod/soul band that he handed in his notice, moving up to Manchester to join them soon after. The sax player would later work with Red Express, who morphed into Shakatak, and Sindy & The Action Men among others.

Beau Brummell & The Noblemen returned to England and performed at double-night show in Greater Manchester on Friday, 16 July. The first show was at the Domino Club in Openshaw with Lulu & The Luvvers, which was followed by a second at the Princess club, Chorlton with Julie Grant.

They then appeared at the Manor Lounge, Stockport, Greater Manchester on Monday, 19 July, which may have been Randall’s final gig as The Manchester Playboys’ home base was nearby.

The band also played at the Mid-Beds Conservative Association in Shefford Hardwicke on Saturday, 24 July. The following weekend, on Friday, 30 July, the band, billed as Beau Brummell & his exclusive Noblemen Orchestra performed at the New Embassy Club at Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.

A few weeks later, they advertised for a replacement tenor sax player in Melody Maker’s 14 August issue. Jeremy “Jem” Field, who’d previously been a member of Gene Vincent’s backing group, The Shouts answered and was taken on.

On the same day, the band were billed to play at the New Cornish Riviera Lido, St Austell, Cornwall with The Road Runners.

Not long after, Keith Gemmell (b. 15 February 1948, Hackney, north London) took over from the sax player known as John.

Billed as Beau Brummell & His Noblemen Orchestra, one of the new line-up’s first gigs was Cheltenham Town Hall on Friday, 20 August, followed by a show at the Galaxy Club in Basingstoke the next day.

Then on Sunday, 22 August, the group shared the bill with The Beat Merchants at the Mexican Hat in Worthing.

The Noblemen in Oslo. Left to right: Chuck Fryers, Mick Ketley, Bryan Stevens, Bernie Smith, Keith Gemmell and Jem Field

During September, the musicians travelled to Scandinavia to play dates in Norway and Sweden before heading back to Britain briefly.

One of the band’s first gigs back home was at the Mexican Hat in Worthing on Sunday, 26 September with The Beat Merchants. The advert in the Worthing Gazette notes that the gig was The Noblemen’s final appearance in Britain for six weeks.

Photo: Worthing Gazette

With a string of dates lined up in Italy, the band headed back to the continent, travelling in a converted London St John’s ambulance, equipped with a wardrobe for stage clothes, a cocktail cabinet and other accessories.

While in Rome, the group performed at the famous Piper Club on Friday, 1 October 1965 playing in front of film stars and even the Aga Khan, as well as playing Jane Fonda’s 18th birthday party in a sumptuous villa just outside the capital – no wonder Brummell’s exploits gained him front-page headlines where ever he went!

“The club owner had converted what was an abandoned cinema into a high-vaulted, large auditorium,” remembers Stevens.

“The two stages were set high up at one end, the under-floor lit dance floor was surrounded by tables with a full a width bar at the other end.

“We arrived in two open coaches – Beau, Miss Italy, the club’s owner and one Nobleman in one coach and the rest of the band in the other coach – all of us wearing our stage gear, including scarlet lined capes. There was a lot of press and TV cameras and, apparently, invited celebrities from Rome’s Cincinatti Film Studios.”

The Noblemen, Piper Club, Rome, October 1965

Brummell, however, saw many opportunities opening up for him while in Italy’s capital and, although the singer would continue to perform with The Noblemen intermittently up to spring 1966, he gradually backed out.

During November 1965, for instance, Brummell joined the group for a ten-day stand at a club in Milan. While there, Beau Brummell & The Noblemen recorded four tracks in a studio that was a former church, including the powerful sax-driven “Jezebel” and the Brummell composition, “I’m In Love”, both of which were shelved.

The Noblemen sans Brummell then headed south to Naples to play further dates before returning to Rome where the musicians recorded the tracks “Jump Back Baby” and “Ecstasy” with Chuck Fryers providing the lead vocals.

While in Italy, Columbia released Beau Brummell’s third UK single (and second featuring The Noblemen) – the spoken number, “A Better Man than I” backed by “Teardrops”. Credited to Brummell’s Noblemen Orchestra, the single failed to chart.

Photo: Worthing Gazette

During December 1965, Beau Brummell & The Noblemen performed in Ostend in Belgium before returning to Britain briefly to fit in a show at the Mexican Hat in Worthing on Sunday, 12 December with The Look before returning to the continent and travelling to Turin where the band performed at a club in the run up to the new year.

With Brummell remaining in Italy, The Noblemen returned home to Britain and undertook a mini tour of Scotland in early January 1966.

Bognor Regis, January 1966. Photo may be subject to copyright

They also played at the Top Hat in Littlehampton on Friday, 7 January and the Shoreline in Bognor Regis on Saturday, 8 January, both in West Sussex.

The Noblemen, early 1966, without Beau Brummell

Significantly, they were a late addition to an all-nighter show held at the original Cavern club in Liverpool on Sunday, 27 February, the final show at the legendary venue before it was temporarily closed (reopening on 23 July). Also on the bill were Rory Storm & The Hurricanes and The Big Three, among others.

Heading back to West Germany, The Noblemen reunited with Beau Brummell at the Storyville Jazz Club in Frankfurt where the band shared the billing with Liverpool-based group The Clayton Squares from 7-10 March. Their singer Denny Alexander would join forces with Stevens and Ketley in June 1967.

Returning to Italy in April, The Noblemen finally parted with Beau Brummell, who would later return to his native South Africa and passed away in June 2020. The musicians held down a short residency at the Livorno Club in Pisa before heading back home via West Germany.

The Noblemen in Pisa, Italy, 1966

Thanks to a contact they had made while at the Piper Club in Rome during October 1965, The Noblemen landed an opening gig for The Spencer Davis Group on Friday, 20 May 1966, with Fryers having to borrow Davis’ guitar as his own had been stolen while in Pisa. The next day Jem Field handed in his notice and head back home by train.

Stripped down to a quintet, The Noblemen next played some US air bases with The New Faces but within a matter of weeks Keith Gemmell had also departed, heading home with this group.

Back in Hackney, he joined The Lloyd Alexander Blues Band (later Lloyd Alexander Real Estate), who released a rare 45 before several members, including Gemmell, formed the highly respected rock band, Audience. In later years, the sax player worked with the group Sammy and died on 24 July 2016.

For a short while, the remaining Noblemen hooked up with country and western singer/comedian Don Bowman but after performing at the Star Club in Hamburg under their own name, the quartet returned home in mid-June.

Arriving back in Bognor Regis towards the end of June, Bernie Smith decided to hang up his drum sticks, leaving Fryers, Ketley and Stevens with the name.

Determined to press on with new members, Stevens quickly recruited London singer Jimmy Marsh (b. 9 April 1941, Salem, Carmarthenshire, Wales) who in turn recommended a new drummer Malcolm Tomlinson (b. 16 June 1946, Isleworth, Middlesex; d. 2 April 2016) to replace outgoing Bernie Smith.

“We had met both Jim and Malcolm when we were still Johnny Devlin & The Detours preparing to become The Noblemen,” remembers Ketley.

“They played at a local gig in Littlehampton called the Top Hat club, which was owned by Bob Gaitley who managed Brummell and us and ran the Beat Ballard and Blues Agency, which was famous in the south in those days.”

Bryan Stevens continues the story: “Bob Gaitley gave me Jimmy’s number when we needed a singer after we left Beau Brummell. Jimmy came down to Bognor and we got working with him shortly afterwards as he was a good ‘soul’ singer doing cover versions of Otis Redding hits.”

The singer had a long musical pedigree. His first band, The Fairlanes, formed in 1961, gigged largely on American airbases but also got the opportunity to back cabaret acts Kathy Kirby and Vince Hill. The Fairlanes’ bass player Terry Gore and drummer John Warwick both went on to play with The Trekkers, The Cast and finally Tangerine Peel.

Towards the end of 1962, Marsh formed the original Del Mar Trio, and on 1 June 1963 they participated in the “Rock across the Channel ferry” gig on the MV Royal Daffodil from Southend to Boulogne and back with numerous artists and headlined by Jerry Lee Lewis.

Sometime in 1963, Marsh also played an impromptu jam session at Sound City on Shaftsbury Avenue, the top music store in the country, backed by none other than Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones. The Del Mar Trio’s guitarist Allen Bevan worked at the music shop and later that same year introduced Malcolm Tomlinson, who worked at nearby Drum City.

Tomlinson was a talented musician, who, while primarily a drummer, was also a decent guitar player (and later mastered the flute). Attending Spring Grove Grammar School where drummer Mick Underwood was a class mate, his first musical outing had been the west London band The Panthers. However, this was short-lived, and in early 1963 he joined Jeff Curtis & The Flames alongside former Noblemen sax player Malcolm Randall.

Jeff Curtis & The Flames, 1963. Malcolm Tomlinson (third right) and former member Malcolm Randall (far right)

While playing with The Flames, Tomlinson participated in the Jerry Lee Lewis ferry gig in June 1963, which is probably where he became friends with Jimmy Marsh.

On 4 October 1963, Jeff Curtis & The Flames recorded a four track demo at Landsdowne Studios in Holland Park comprising “Bye Bye Johnny”, “Everybody Needs a Lover”, “Route 66” and “It Don’t Take But a Few Minutes” (the latter with Lenny Hastings behind the kit), but Tomlinson moved on in June 1964 to join the second version of The Del Mar Trio.

The new line up decided to try its luck on the south coast that summer and thanks to Bob Gaitley got the opportunity to play at his venues, the Top Hat and the Mexican Hat in nearby Worthing. They also undertook a short tour of Cornwall in January 1965. It was Gaitley who arranged an audition for EMI at Abbey Road under the direction of Bob Barratt that February.

Four tracks have been logged under the name “James Deene & The Del Mar Trio” – “You Know How”, “Pocket Full of Rainbows”, “Like a Baby” and “Haunting Me”.

 

The group then changed its name to James Deane & The London Cats and around May 1965 headed for Bavaria, West Germany to play the club scene around Furth, Munich and Nuremburg.

Over the next 12 months or so, the group members drifted back home. When Tomlinson split to work with a German group for about three months in early 1966, Marsh found himself on his own.

“Bryan found out where I was [in West Germany] through the consulate and would I be interested in fronting the band,” explains Marsh. “I got a plane home and I went straight to the south coast and the Shoreline club.”

Being away so long, Marsh didn’t know “the scene” or the “mode of dress” required for the new group.

“There’s me, I turned up at the Shoreline, my hair’s all swept back, American button down shirt, Levis and a pair of boots. I remember Bryan saying something to me, ‘It’s not your singing Jimmy; it’s your clothes and your hair’.” Stevens took Marsh to Carnaby Street and kitted him out in the latest attire.

With Marsh and Tomlinson onboard, The Noblemen were billed to play at the Royal Ballrooms in Boscombe, Dorset on Sunday, 3 July 1966 with Karl & The Rapiers (although this might have been one of Bernie Smith’s final shows).

Shortly after Marsh and Tomlinson had joined forces with Fryers, Ketley and Stevens, the bass player placed an advert in Melody Maker’s 23 July issue asking for a trumpeter or sax player (tenor or baritone) (Ed: the issue hit newsstands on 16 July).

Two musicians who responded were Chris Rodger (b. 16 October 1946, Solihull, Warwickshire) and his mate Martin Barre, who had recently split from their former band, Midlands outfit, The Moonrakers.

Moonrakers’ gig February 1966

According to Barre, both musicians had been promised work with Screaming Lord Sutch’s Savages but on their arrival in London found the guitar and horn positions had already been taken up by other musicians.

“The Moonrakers stopped when Chris and I went to London to join Screaming Lord Sutch on a promise from Tony Dangerfield,” remembers Barre. “He nearly dropped dead when we turned up! No gig there.”

Rodger, however, has a different recollection. He remembers attending an audition in Harrow without Barre and would have joined The Savages (who no longer featured Dangerfield) for a trip to the Piper Club in Rome but the offer was withdrawn when the Italian gig was moved forward and he and Barre had commitments with The Moonrakers.

Although the guitar was always his preferred choice of instrument, Barre had also learnt saxophone and flute at an early age and around 1963 joined his first serious group, the Midlands beat combo, The Dwellers, who, according to author Greg Russo, recorded a demo that year, Barre’s “I Can’t Get over You”.

Photo: Chris Rodger. The Moonrakers, 1965. Chris Rodger (far left back row). Martin Barre (far right, front row).

Living in Solihull, Barre’s next group was The Moonrakers, who were led by former Dwellers’ singer John Carter and also featured rhythm guitarist Tony Painter, a bass player called Alan and drummer Paul Willets who subsequently went on to The Applejacks.

While playing with band, Barre also studied architecture at Lanchester Polytechnic (now Coventry University).

Rodger, who was educated at Herne Court School in Bournemouth, had first played with keyboard player Bramwell Beer in Syndicate 1 after leaving boarding school in 1963.  In January 1965, both musicians joined The Moonrakers where they met Barre.

Photo: Chris Rodger. Martin bottom left and Chris far right

“We became a very popular Midlands band working every weekend over a period of 18 months and winning Brumbeat top band for 1965,” he recalls.

“In the summer of 1965, the band did a short tour of the south coast, including the Bure Country Club, supporting Unit 4 Plus 2, the Boscombe Beat Ballroom and the White Hart, Burley. In October we recorded a demo at a studio in Nottingham but no copies exist to my knowledge.”

After The Savages’ gig had fallen through, Rodger spotted Stevens’ advert and applied for the spot and, although only one horn player was required, Barre accompanied his friend to the initial meeting to chance his luck, hoping he might be taken on as second sax player while angling for the guitar position.

“I remember we met outside Sound City in Shaftesbury Avenue and it was touch and go whether or not I took him on,” remembers Stevens.

The date in question was most likely Friday, 22 July as that was the day Barre purchased a saxophone from Sound City, so he could practise incessantly in preparation for the audition three days later on Monday, 25 July at the Red Lion pub in Battersea. (Ed. Rodger says this never happened as they debuted on Sunday, 24 July without an audition).

According to Ketley, Barre’s sound and technique was not particularly good at this point and from the outset Rodger assumed the more prominent role, playing solos and supporting Barre until he got up to speed.

“It wasn’t until months and months later that we would go to bed after a gig to the sound of Martin practising on his 335, and wake up in the late afternoon and Martin was still playing that we realised that he was a much better guitarist than he was a sax player,” says Ketley.

In fact, Barre later admitted to taking the job, so that he could get into the band and play guitar.

“It wasn’t until we had formed The Penny Peeps and especially Gethsemane that Martin owned up to getting the sax job under false pretences,” says Ketley. “Clever really and by then we had other plans so it was fine.”

The same day that Stevens met with Barre and Rodger outside Sound City , The Noblemen were billed to perform at the Cricketers Inn in Southend-on-Sea in Essex. However, it’s not clear if the current five-piece (with Fryers) honoured this gig later that evening.

On the following day, Saturday, 23 July, the band were also billed to play at the Le Disque A Go Go in Bournemouth with a midnight performance into Sunday morning. The fact that they were based in Bognor Regis at the time suggests this second gig did take place.

As noted above, Rodger recalls that Barre and his debut took place on Sunday, 24 July with a gig at a US service club in Lancaster Gate at 4pm.

“At the end of the gig, we were asked to follow the band back to Bognor Regis to rehearse at the Shoreline Club,” he says.

“Chuck left that week and Martin, to his delight, was asked to double on sax and guitar.”

With Fryers gone, the revamped Noblemen formation didn’t waste any time and soon hit the road. On Saturday, 30 July, they were billed to perform at the Lion Hotel in Warrington, Cheshire with The Atlantics and The Atlanta Roots. Whether this gig took place is not clear.

A very early publicity photo taken on Bognor Regis beach that summer depicts a six-piece (with Barre holding the guitar) confirming that Fryers had moved on in late July 1966.

The Noblemen, summer 1966. Left to right: Mick Ketley, Martin Barre, Jimmy Marsh, Chris Rodger, Malcolm Tomlinson and Bryan Stevens

On departing The Noblemen, Fryers joined Bognor Regis band The Warren J Five who travelled to Hamburg in late 1966/early 1967 and performed at the Top Ten Club with singer Tony Sheridan.

The Warren J Five subsequently moved on to Italy where they recorded an LP for the Vedette label.

The Warren J Five in late 1966 with Chuck Fryers (third right). Photo may be subject to copyright

After a brief spell performing as The Reflections, Fryers returned to the UK with bass player Geoff Prior and joined Coventry band, The Sorrows who also recorded an LP in Italy.

Later on he worked with Thane Russal in The Electric Heart and has gone on to record solo material, including a CD called That’s It?. His departure freed up the lead guitar spot for Martin Barre.

The Noblemen spent the August month fulfilling bookings along the length of the south coast of England. They also made several trips down to the far reaches of the south west, judging by adverts in local newspapers.

 

On Saturday, 6 August, the group was billed to play Budleigh Salterton Public Hall in Devon before returning to the Bournemouth area the next day to appear at the Royal Ballrooms in Boscombe.

The band would play regularly at this venue (and in the Bournemouth area) over the next two years.

On Saturday, 13 August, The Noblemen started a week-long residency at the 400 Ballroom in Torquay, Devon, which ran until Friday, 19 August (with the exception of playing the Sunday).

Photo: Chris Rodger. The Noblemen at the 400 Ballroom in Torquay, August 1966

A few weeks later, on Saturday, 20 August, The Noblemen were billed to perform at the Flamingo Ballroom in Redruth, Cornwall followed by a show the next day at the Park Ballroom in Plymouth, Devon. The following Thursday, 25 August, they were advertised participating in the Big Beat Boat, held in Bournemouth.

Then it was back down to Cornwall for the weekend for a show at the Blue Lagoon in Newquay on 27 August with The Nite People.

The following day, The Noblemen were billed to play at the Stoke Hotel in Guildford, Surrey, which may have been a gig they played on the way up to London to audition for the Roy Tempest Agency, a notorious British agent who brought US soul acts over and was always on the lookout for local bands to support these artists on the road.

The group appears to have seen out the month playing at the 2 ‘B’s’ Club in Ashford, Kent with The End.

The Noblemen were billed to perform at the Fiesta Hall in Andover, Hampshire on Friday, 2 September and, the following day, an appearance at the Steering Wheel in Weymouth, Dorset. This latter venue would become another regular on the group’s club circuit.

Successfully landing work with Roy Tempest, the infamous promoter arranged for the band to stay in a flat on the Kings Road above The Chelsea Cobblers, and the sextet moved in early that month.

Photo: Chris Rodger

Judging by newspaper advertisements and weekly adverts in Melody Maker the first US soul act The Noblemen supported was The Vibrations, who arrived in England in mid-September. Ketley thinks the musicians may have used Rik and Johnny Gunnell’s club, the famous Flamingo in Wardour Street to rehearse with the American group.

Judging by Rodger’s poster of The Vibrations’ tour (see above), The Noblemen were the backing band for the entire tour, although there may have been the odd show when another group stepped in.

Often The Noblemen weren’t listed on the billing. However, they are definitely named as one of the acts, along with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, to appear with The Vibrations at the recently re-opened Cavern in Liverpool on 17 September.

Photo: Chris Rodger. One of The Vibrations at the Dungeon, Nottingham, September 1966.

It was around this time that Malcolm Tomlinson recalls meeting his idol Otis Redding, who was on his debut UK tour, at London club the Scotch of St James and shaking his hand.

On Friday, 23 September, The Noblemen did back The Vibrations at Toft’s in Folkestone, where Ketley and Stevens reunited with bass player Noel Redding, who only a few weeks later would be playing with Jimi Hendrix (Ed: They had also appeared at this venue with The Vibrations on 11 September).

Then, sometime in early October, The Noblemen provided backing for one of the countless versions of The Original Drifters that Roy Tempest imported. It sounds like the musicians only played one show with the soul singers and the most likely date is at Tiles on Oxford Street on 7 October.

Although the band was advertised, this gig probably didn’t take place as this period is when they were most likely to have been in West Germany

Interestingly, on Saturday, 15 October, the band was billed to play  one of its first gigs under a new name – [The] Motivation – at the Orford Cellar in Norwich, Norfolk, although the musicians would continue to use The Noblemen name for another month. Intriguingly, the advert notes that they had recently backed The Drifters. However, this gig probably didn’t take place because the musicians were most likely in West Germany at the time.

The next soul act that the group supported was Edwin Starr, kicking off with a series of dates in mid-October. The Noblemen are listed as Starr’s backing band at the Beachcomber Club in Nottingham on Sunday, 16 October. The bill also featured John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers with Peter Green on lead guitar.

However, singer Alan Chamberlain from The Guests insists that it was his group that backed Starr as he recalls getting into a fight with Mayall at the venue and Green had to break it up!

It’s worth pointing out that Roy Tempest had multiple bands on his books to provide support for visiting US acts, so it’s quite possible he chopped and changed the backing groups at short notice (Ed. The Senate also backed Starr on this tour.)

Whatever the truth, The Noblemen were certainly on hand to back Edwin Starr at Granby Hall in Leicester on Friday, 21 October for a stellar show headlined by Ike & Tina Turner and also featuring soul singer Alvin Robinson, who the band would also back shortly afterwards.

During this hazy period, The Noblemen also worked very briefly with Lee Dorsey and, according to Martin Barre, Ben E King. By now, they had a new rehearsal room to work through material with the US acts.

“Roy Tempest booked the soul artists to come over,” recalls Stevens. “We met them at a first floor practice room (possibly the Roebuck) in Tottenham Court Road and had about three hours with them before going out on the road. Usually, we started at the US base in Bayswater Road (7pm) then onto [Starlight Ballroom at the] Boston Gliderdrome in Lincolnshire by midnight and sometimes then to a place in Leicester for a 6am show!”

Next up in the revolving roster of artists that The Noblemen backed was Alvin Robinson, possibly kicking off with a show at the Dungeon Club in Nottingham on Friday, 28 October.

Over the next week, the singer performed at the Starlight Ballroom at the Boston Gliderdrome in Lincolnshire, the Burlesque in Leicester, the Jigsaw in Manchester and the Whisky A Go Go in Wardour Street, but the support bands are not named in the advertisements.

“Alvin Robinson stayed at our [second] flat in Gloucester Road,” remembers Stevens.

“Roy Tempest had just given us that flat when Alvin stayed. He stayed with us for quite some time, so I think the gigs dates [were us]. He always made a stew of meat and veg and would leave it simmering on the cooker for hours and tuck into it when he returned from a gig.”

What is clear is that on Tuesday, 1 November and Wednesday, 2 November, The Motivations (as they were billed for these dates) did support Robinson at the Club Cedar in Birmingham for two nights. Tomlinson also remembers the group backing the singer at Newcastle University and briefly losing him at the venue!

Then, on Friday, 4 November, the musicians (billed as The Noblemen) starting working with another soul legend, The Coasters, backing the group at the King Mojo Club in Sheffield, South Yorkshire on a bill that also featured Sonny Childe & The TNT.

Marsh remembers Rod Stewart & The Steampacket – it would have been The Shotgun Express by this point – and Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band also performing that night but this was most likely a different occasion.

Still using The Noblemen name, the band joined The Coasters for a show at the Mecca Ballroom on the Royal Pier in Southampton, Hampshire on Wednesday, 9 November.

Interestingly, promoters continued to use The Noblemen name to advertise the group during November. This included a return to Liverpool’s Cavern on Saturday, 19 November, on a bill that also featured local band, The Escorts. [Ed. Former sax player Malcolm Randall, who’d played with Tomlinson in The Flames remembers seeing the group at the Cavern when he was gigging with his next group, The Manchester Playboys, but it’s not clear when this was.]

One of the final ones gigs as The Noblemen, again backing The Coasters, took place at the New Yorker Discotheque in Swindon, Wiltshire on Friday, 25 November.

As November closed, the band stopped using The Noblemen as a name, adopted the more Mod sounding Motivation (sometimes billed as The Motivation by promoters).

A Norbury, south London group called The Motivation had been active throughout 1965 and 1966 but it appears that by November of that year, the group was on its last legs and split around this time.

Motivation, Syon Park, spring 1967

Unaware that a Cheshire band was also using The Motivation name, the musicians embraced Motivation and moved into a new chapter of their career.

To be continued…

Thanks to Bryan Stevens, Mike Ketley, Martin Barre, Jimmy Marsh, Denny Alexander, Chris Rodger, Malcolm Randall, Chuck Fryers, Malcolm Tomlinson, Mike Paxman, Vernon Joynson, Hugh MacLean, Pete Frame and Greg Russo.

Thank you to Bryan Stevens and Mike Ketley for the photos of The Noblemen.

Copyright © Nick Warburton. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior permission from the author.

 

The Summer Set

Photo may be subject to copyright: The Summer Set (aka Top Ten All Stars) in Hamburg in 1966. Clockwise from bottom: Rocky Browne, Vic Gillam, Mart Jenner, Dave Green and Les Humphries

Les Humphries – keyboards/vocals

Mart Jenner – lead guitar/vocals

Dave Green – bass/vocals

Vic Gillam – saxophone

Brian ‘Rocky’ Browne – drums

Harmony pop/rock band The Summer Set had its roots in south coast beat groups, The Javelins, Count Downe & The Zeros and Peter & The Headlines.

Jenner, Green and Gillam had been there from the outset and were joined by former Royal Marine musician Humphries in The Headlines.

Renamed The Summer Set, they auditioned for Marquee boss Harold Pendleton and were signed to Marquee Artists Agency, playing at the Marquee and making 12 appearances.

According to Dave Green’s book The Wonder Years: a rock ‘n’ rollercoaster, the club booked them into a weekend at the Golf Drout in Paris around late October/early November 1965, shortly after which their original drummer departed.

Around mid-November, Brian ‘Rocky’ Browne came on-board from Norfolk outfit, Boz & The Boz People, another regular at the Marquee. While with that band, he played alongside soon-to-be Small Faces keyboard player Ian McLagan.

The Marquee Artists Agency also booked The Summer Set into popular clubs like the Cromwellian in South Kensington, where they played regularly in late 1965 through to mid-1966. They also began to play the university circuit.

21 October 1965 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Graham Bond Organisation (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)

 

 

5 November 1965 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with David Bowie & The Lower Third (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)

Image may be subject to copyright

12 November 1965 – King George’s Hall, Esher, Surrey with The Beat System (Surrey Comet)

Brian ‘Rocky’ Browne joined around now

Image may be subject to copyright

19 November 1965 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with David Bowie & The Lower Third (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live/Melody Maker)

Image may be subject to copyright

20 November 1965 – Silver Blades, Streatham, southwest London (Beckenham & Penge Advertiser/Norwood News)

25 November 1965 – ABC Regal Cambridge, Cambridge with Manfred Mann, The Yardbirds, Inez and Charlie Foxx, Paul and Barry Ryan, The Scaffold and The Mark Leeman Five (Cambridge News)

26 November 1965 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)

27 November 1965 – Granada East Ham, East Ham, east London with Manfred Mann, The Yardbirds, Inez & Charlie Foxx, Paul & Barry Ryan, The Scaffold and The Mark Leeman Five (Southend Standard)

29 November 1965 – Northampton ABC, Northampton with Manfred Mann, The Yardbirds, Inez & Charlie Foxx, Paul & Barry Ryan, The Scaffold and Mark Leeman Five (Northampton Chronicle)

 

2 December 1965 – Granada, Bedford with Manfred Mann, The Yardbirds, Inez & Charlie Foxx, Paul & Barry Ryan, The Scaffold and The Mark Leeman Five (Boyfriend magazine)

3 December 1965 – Colston Hall, Bristol with Manfred Mann, The Yardbirds, Inez & Charlie Foxx, Paul & Barry Ryan, The Scaffold and The Mark Leeman Five (Boyfriend magazine)

4 December 1965 – ABC Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon with Manfred Mann, The Yardbirds, Inez & Charlie Foxx, Paul & Barry Ryan, The Scaffold and The Mark Leeman Five (Boyfriend magazine)

5 December 1965 – ABC Exeter, Exeter, Devon with Manfred Mann, The Yardbirds, Inez & Charlie Foxx, Paul & Barry Ryan, The Scaffold and The Mark Leeman Five (Boyfriend magazine)

In December, The Summer Set made their first visit to West Germany and played at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg where they were extremely popular. The group would return on multiple occasions.

While there, the band recorded two LPs’ worth of material as the Top Ten All Stars and backed singer Isabella Bond.

They also recorded a 45, a cover tune “Pim Pim Pim” backed by Les Humphries and Vic Gillam’s “Hey Daddy”, which was released in January 1966, by which point they were back in Hamburg for a second visit to the Top Ten Club.

3 March 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)

4 March 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)

10 March 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Mark Leeman Five (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)

18 March 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Gary Farr & The T-Bones (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)

22 March 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Small Faces (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)

25 March 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)

Around April, The Summer Set returned to Hamburg to play at the Top Ten Club for a third time.

21 May 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)

 

9 June 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Tony Rivers & The Castaways (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)

Image may be subject to copyright

12 June 1966 – Mr McCoys, Middlesbrough with Wynder K Frog (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)

Image may be subject to copyright

18 June 1966 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire with The Shamed (Evening Sentinel)

24 June 1966 – Coronation Ballroom, Ramsgate, Kent with Justin Hayward Group and The Sonics (Herne Bay Press)

 

1 July 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Wishful Thinking (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)

6 July 1966 – Beachcomber Club, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

9 July 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)

14 July 1966 – Pier Ballroom, Hastings, East Sussex (Fabulous 208)

15 July 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Majority (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)

16 July 1966 – Bowes Lyon House, Stevenage, Herts (Fabulous 208)

Image may be subject to copyright

17 July 1966 – Agincourt Ballroom, Camberley, Surrey (Aldershot News/Camberley News)

18 July 1966 – Royal Pier Ballroom, Aberystwyth, Wales (Fabulous 208)

21 July 1966 – Thorngate Ballroom, Gosport, Hampshire (Portsmouth News) Replaced by Bluesology

Around now, the band record their debut 45, a cover of Brian Wilson’s “Farmer’s Daughter” backed by Humphries and Gillam’s “What are You Gonna do?” for Columbia Records, which was subsequently released on 28 October 1966.

24 July 1966 – Tavern Club, Dereham, Norfolk with The Sullivan James Band (North Norfolk News) This may have been cancelled

Image may be subject to copyright

28 July 1966 – Adam & Eve, Southampton, Hants (Southern Evening Echo) This may have been cancelled

According to Green’s book The Wonder Years: a rock ‘n’ rollercoaster the musicians decided to dispense with Les Humphries without his knowledge and hired two new musicians to play at the upcoming festival in Windsor, which proved to be a disaster.

30 July 1966 – 8th National Jazz & Blues Festival, Windsor, Berkshire with The Who, The Yardbirds, Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, Chris Barber, Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds, Gary Farr & The T-Bones, Louis Nelson, The Move, Kid Martyn, Alex Welsh and Julian Covey & The Machine (Reading Evening Post)

On 31 July, the musicians (minus Humphries who’d taken a week’s holiday as he had been told the group had no bookings), headed back to Hamburg and started to play at the Top Ten Club. They also recorded a third LP, which was never released.

However, at the end of the week, Humphries, who’d discovered what had happened, told EMI that the group had split up and assumed ownership of the name, turned up at the Top Ten Club and told them he was the legal owner of The Summer Set name.

With no possibility of continuing with the name, the musicians all returned to England.

Photo may be subject to copright: Left to right: Dave Brien, Rocky Browne, Alan Spriggs, Les Humphries and Mick Jarvis

Humphries, who’d retained Brian ‘Rocky’ Browne, put together a new version of The Summer Set with:

Alan Spriggs – lead vocals

Les Humphries – keyboards/vocals

Mick Jarvis – lead guitar/vocals

Dave Brien – bass

Brian ‘Rocky’ Browne – drums

15 September 1966 – Thorngate Ballroom, Gosport, Hampshire (Portsmouth News)

Image may be subject to copyright

23 September 1966 – Royal Pier, Pavilion, Southampton, Hampshire with The Embers (Southern Evening Echo)

The band returned to Hamburg to play the Top Ten Club around October 1966.

5 November 1966 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire with The Jimmy Brown Sound and John McCoy’s Crawdaddies (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)

18 November 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)

25 November 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Sands (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)

 

23 December 1966 – Ricky Tick, Hounslow, west London with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (David Else’s research)

Image may be subject to copyright

26 December 1966 – Tavern Club, Dereham, Norfolk with The Ram Jam Band and The Eyes of Blonde (Lynn News)

Image may be subject to copyright

27 December 1966 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (Woking Herald)

In February 1967, The Summer Set performed in Hamburg at the Top Ten Club.

Image may be subject to copyright

4 March 1967 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Fancy Bred (East Kent Times & Mail)

Image may be subject to copyright

11 March 1967 – Chelmsford Corn Exchange, Chelmsford, Essex (Essex Chronicle)

14 March 1967 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire with Neat Change (Poster)

Image may be subject to copyright

24 March 1967 – Glenlyn Ballroom, Forest Hill, southeast London (South East London Mercury)

26 March 1967 – Cromer Olympia, Cromer, Norfolk (North Norfolk News)

 

9 April 1967 – Dereham Tavern Club, Dereham, Norfolk with The South Side Move (North Norfolk News)

Image may be subject to copyright

25 May 1967 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)

28 May 1967 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)

Sometime in 1967, the group recorded the unreleased acetate “Listen The World is Crying” at Regent Sound, London.

Image may be subject to copyright

4 June 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London (Melody Maker)

On 16 June 1967, Columbia released The Summer Set’s second 45, Les Humphries and Dave Brien’s “Overnight Changes” backed by Humphries’ “It’s a Dream”.

Image may be subject to copyright

25 June 1967 – Britannia Rowing Club, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

 

8 July 1967 – Hatchetts Playground, Piccadilly, central London (Evening Standard)

Image may be subject to copyright

29 July 1967 – Elbow Room, Aston, West Midlands with The Stormsville Shakers (Birmingham Evening Mail)

Image may be subject to copyright

29 July 1967 – Carlton Ballroom, Erdington, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)

During September, the band play at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg with The Berkley Squares.

2 September 1967 – Star Palast, Kiel, West Germany with Paul Raven & The Boston International Showband and The Chimes of Freedom (Rolf Hannet’s research)

Image may be subject to copyright

9 September 1967 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with Episode Six (Thanet Times)

10 September 1967 – Rendezvous Club, Margate, Kent (Thanet Times)

During October, Fontana in Germany released the band’s cover of The Flower Pot Men’s “Let’s Go to San Francisco” backed by Les Humphries and Dave Brien’s “Cos It’s Over”.

Sometime in early 1968, Humphries left the band high and dry near Berlin and the remaining members returned home to the UK.

To read the band’s fascinating career in depth, this Strange Brew article offers an excellent account.

Copyright © Nick Warburton. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior permission from the author.

The Shoreline Club, Bognor Regis, West Sussex

Photo: Melody Maker

This notable rock music venue on England’s south coast was run by Eric St John-Foti who later handed it over to the owners of the Marquee Club in London in late 1966.

Mike Read has written extensively about the Shoreline and the bands that played there in his excellent book “The South Coast Beat Scene during the 1960s”, which I would thoroughly recommend readers get a copy of.  This excellent website also provides a wealth of information on the venue. 

Initially, when the club opened in the Caribbean Hotel during the Easter holiday in 1965, it looks like gigs took place every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Mondays were added soon after.

In its few months, the club mainly catered for local bands but by late 1965 more nationally recognised groups began appearing at the club.

I have started to put an entry together but would welcome any additions/corrections in the comments section below.

1965

Photo: Littlehampton Post

17 April (Saturday) – Act 4 with Johnny Devlin and Dave Storme & The Tremors (Littlehampton Post)

18 April (Sunday) – The Road Runners and “The Fabulous” Mo-Henry (Littlehampton Post)

19 April (Monday) – Formula V and Force Four (Littlehampton Post)

21 April (Wednesday) – The Southbeats with support (Littlehampton Post)

Photo: Littlehampton Post

23 April (Friday) – The “Sensational” Southbeats and The Blue Chords (from Portsmouth) (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

24 April (Saturday) – The Southbeats and The Vigilantes (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

25 April (Sunday) – The Southbeats and The Hunters (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

30 April (Friday) – The Milestones and The Southbeats (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

 

1 May (Saturday) – The Talismen and The Southbeats (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

2 May (Sunday) – The Untamed (from Brighton) and The Southbeats (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

5 May (Wednesday) – The Southbeats and The Road Runners (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post) This may have been the first Wednesday booking

Photo: Littlehampton Post

7 May (Friday) – The Triffiks and The Southbeats (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

8 May (Saturday) – The “Great” Untamed and The Southbeats (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

9 May (Sunday) – Mo Henry and The Southbeats (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

12 May (Wednesday) – Johnny Devlin with Act 4 and The Southbeats (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

14 May (Friday) – The Soundwave Vibrations (from Worthing) and The Southbeats (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

Photo: Littlehampton Post

15 May (Saturday) – Dave Storme & The Tremors and The Southbeats (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

16 May (Sunday) – The Coastliners with Danielle (from Southampton) and The Southbeats (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

19 May (Wednesday) – Force Four (from Portsmouth) and The Southbeats (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

Photo: Littlehampton Post

21 May (Friday) – The Jaguars and The Southbeats (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post) The Deltas replaced The Southbeats

22 May (Saturday) – 4 Hits and a Miss (from Bournemouth) and The Southbeats (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post) Looks like The Coastliners featuring Danielle and Dawn and The Soundwave Vibrations replaced 4 Hits and a Miss

23 May (Sunday) – Mo Henry and The Untamed (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

26 May (Wednesday) – The Crow and The Southbeats (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

28 May (Friday) – The Untamed and The Deltas (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

29 May (Saturday) – Dave Storme & The Tremors, The Southbeats and The Soundwave Vibrations (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post) Blues by Five replaced The Southbeats

30 May (Sunday) – Plain and Fancy and The Southbeats (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

Photo: Littlehampton Post

2 June (Wednesday) – The Milestones (from Midhurst) with supporting group (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

4 June (Friday) – The Cellarbrations and The Southbeats (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

5 June (Saturday) – The Diamonds, The Southbeats and The Sound Vibrations (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post) The Nightmares replaced The Sound Vibrations and The Warren J Show was added later along with The Cyan

6 June (Sunday) – The Web with Sandy Crawford and Act 4 with Johnny Devlin (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post) The Web was formerly known as The Flames. A poster in Mike Read’s book has The Southbeats instead of Act 4 with Johnny Devlin

7 June (Monday) – The Untamed, The Soundbeats and The Sound Vibrations (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post) A poster in Mike Read’s book also has The Zabres

9 June (Wednesday) – The Tremors with Dave Storme and The Southbeats (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post) A club poster in Mike Read’s book lists The Southbeats instead of The Tremors

11 June (Friday) – The Warren J Show, The Diamonds and Dave & The Sounds (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

12 June (Saturday) – Force 4, The Southbeats and The Sound Vibrations (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

Photo: Littlehampton Post

13 June (Sunday) – Act 4 with Johnny Devlin and The Southbeats (Poster)

16 June (Wednesday) – Johnny Tempest & The Nomads with resident group (Poster)

18 June (Friday) – The Untamed and The Just Men (from Bournemouth) (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

19 June (Saturday) – The Cosmic Sounds, The Southbeats, The Fenmen (not the London band) and The House-of-Blues (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post) The Littlehampton Post also has The Fab

20 June (Sunday) – The Trackmarks and The Southbeats (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

The Littlehampton Post notes there is no dance on Wednesday, 23 June

25 June (Friday) – The Untamed, The Southbeats and The Just Men (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

26 June (Saturday) – The Alan Bown Set, The Untamed, The Southbeats and The Midnight Blues (from Bognor Regis) (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post) The Littlehampton Post also lists the “reformed” John Barry Seven

27 June (Sunday) – The St Louis Checks (debut at Shoreline) supported by resident group (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

30 June (Wednesday) – The Web (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

 

2 July (Friday) – John Brown’s Body (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post) This was Keith Emerson’s Brighton group not the Hammersmith one led by Clive Barrow

3 July (Saturday) – West Side (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post) A poster in Mike Read’s book (see above) also lists The Klassiks, The Southbeats and The Midnight Blues 

4 July (Sunday) – Simon & The Surreys and resident group (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Post)

7 July (Wednesday) – The Untamed supported by The Ends (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

9 July (Friday) – The Cosmic Sounds (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

10 July (Saturday) – 4 Group Nite (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

11 July (Sunday) – The Dark Ages (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

 

27 August (Friday) – The Equals and The Bow Bells (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

28 August (Saturday) – The Klassiks, Heads & Tails and The Midnight Blues (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

29 August (Sunday) – The Strats and The Mob (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

30 August (Monday) – The Swinging Blue Jeans, The Bolts and The Midnight Blues (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

According to Mike Read’s excellent book The South Coast Beat Scene during the 1960s, September (this is more likely November) 1965 saw appearances from Billie Davis, Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers, Wayne Gibson and The Dynamic Sounds and The Mojos. Local bands that played this month included The Mike Stuart Span, The Web and Beau Brummell & The Noblemen.

24 September (Friday) – The Spectres (Poster) This is most likely the band that became Status Quo

25 September (Saturday) – The Inevitables and The Southbeats (Poster)

26 September (Sunday) – The Untamed (Poster)

29 September (Wednesday) – The Untamed (Poster)

 

15 October (Friday) – The Rebels (advert in local newspaper, possibly the Bognor Regis Observer)

16 October (Saturday) – Simon Dupree & The Big Sound and Five More (advert in local newspaper, possibly the Bognor Regis Observer)

17 October (Sunday) – The Cosmic Sounds with Lynda Crane (advert in local newspaper, possibly the Bognor Regis Observer)

24 October (Sunday) – The Web (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s) The Cherokees played in the evening

 

1 November (Monday) – The Mojos (Littlehampton Post)

8 November (Monday) – Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers (Littlehampton Post)

12 November (Friday) – The Talismen (advert in local newspaper, possibly the Bognor Regis Observer)

13 November (Saturday) – DJ Blues Band and Five More (advert in local newspaper, possibly the Bognor Regis Observer)

14 November (Sunday) – The Buckinghams (advert in local newspaper, possibly the Bognor Regis Observer)

15 November (Monday) – Heinz (advert in local newspaper, possibly the Bognor Regis Observer)

 

8 December (Wednesday) – Dave & The Diamonds (advert in local newspaper, possibly the Bognor Regis Observer) Every Wednesday

10 December (Friday) – The Just Men (advert in local newspaper, possibly the Bognor Regis Observer)

11 December (Saturday) – The Changing Times and Five More (advert in local newspaper, possibly the Bognor Regis Observer)

12 December (Sunday) – Plain & Fancy (advert in local newspaper, possibly the Bognor Regis Observer)

13 December (Monday) – Wayne Gibson & The Dynamic Sounds (advert in local newspaper, possibly the Bognor Regis Observer)

15 December (Wednesday) – Dave & The Diamonds (advert in local newspaper, possibly the Bognor Regis Observer) Every Wednesday

Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene during the 1960s notes that The DJ Blues Band and Henry played on 31 December, bringing in the New Year.

1966

Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene during the 1960s adds that The Profile, The Alex Laine Group and Henry played on 1 January 1966.

3 January (Monday) – Them (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

8 January (Saturday) – Beau Brummell & The Noblemen (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

9 January (Sunday) – The Klimaks (afternoon) (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

10 January (Monday) – Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

12 January (Wednesday) – Dave & The Diamonds (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

15 January (Saturday) – The Brothers Scarlett with Gary & Lee (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

16 January (Sunday) – The Untamed (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s) The Klimaks play in the afternoon

17 January (Monday) – The Applejacks (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

19 January (Wednesday) – Dave & The Diamonds (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

22 January (Saturday) – All Nite Rave with five groups (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

23 January (Sunday) – The Cosmic Sounds (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s) The Klimaks play in the afternoon

24 January (Monday) – The Cardinals (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

26 January (Wednesday) – Dave & The Diamonds (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

29 January (Saturday) – The Alex Laine Group (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

30 January (Sunday) – Ray Flacke & His Muckabouts (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s) The Klimaks play in the afternoon

31 January (Monday) – The Mojos (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

 

7 March (Monday) – Tony Jackson & The Vibrations (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

21 March (Monday) – Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

 

9 April (Saturday) – Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers, The Mob and The Klimaks (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

10 April (Sunday) – The Untamed and The Clayton Squares (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

11 April (Monday) – The Jimmy Brown Sound and Jimmy Winston’s Reflections (poster in Mike Read’s book The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s)

 

18 May (Wednesday) – The Clayton Squares (Record Mirror: https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Record-Mirror/60s/66/Record-Mirror-1966-04-23.PDF) Record Mirror’s 23 April issue, page 12 says that the group starts a Wednesday residency at the Shoreline today but doesn’t say for how long. They are also booked for 11 Sunday concerts in the summer. Bass player Geoff Jones confirms the residency.

25 May (Wednesday) – The Clayton Squares (Record Mirror) Band has Wednesday residency

 

1 June (Wednesday) – The Clayton Squares (Record Mirror) Band has Wednesday residency but this needs confirmation as do other June dates

5 June (Sunday) – The Clayton Squares (Record Mirror) See above

12 June (Sunday) – The Clayton Squares (Record Mirror) See above

19 June (Sunday) – The Clayton Squares (Record Mirror) See above

22 June (Wednesday) – David Bowie & The Buzz (David Bowie fan site)

26 June (Sunday) – The Clayton Squares (Record Mirror) See above

 

3 July (Sunday) – The Clayton Squares (Record Mirror) See above

10 July (Sunday) – The Clayton Squares (Record Mirror) See above

17 July (Sunday) – The Clayton Squares (Record Mirror) See above

18 July (Monday) – The Action and Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Fabulous 208)

24 July (Sunday) – The Clayton Squares (Record Mirror) See above

31 July (Sunday) – The Iveys (Tom Brennan’s research)

 

27 August (Saturday) – The Action (Fabulous 208)

 

21 September (Wednesday) – Gary Farr & The T-Bones (Fabulous 208)

28 September (Wednesday) – Gary Farr & The T-Bones (Fabulous 208)

As Mike Read notes in his book, in the autumn of 1966, Eric St John-Foti, who ran the Shoreline, signed the club over to the owners of the Marquee, Harold and Barbara Pendleton

29 October (Saturday) – The Action, Long John Baldry, Bluesology and David Bowie & The Buzz (Melody Maker) This was the grand opening of the Marquee at the Shoreline

Photo: Melody Maker

2 November (Wednesday) – Sands (Fabulous 208)

5 November (Saturday) – Sands, Duffy Power’s Nucleus and The Ultimate (Flyer in The Action book In The Lap of the Mods)

Photo: Melody Maker

12 November (Saturday) – The VIPs, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown and The Herd (Fabulous 208, Melody Maker and flyer in The Action book In the Lap of the Mods)

Photo: Melody Maker

19 November (Saturday) – The James Royal Set and The Ultimate (Melody Maker) The flyer in The Action book In the Lap of the Mods notes Embers West, Jimmy James & The Vagabonds and The Ultimate

26 November (Saturday) – The Artwoods and The Race (Melody Maker) The flyer in The Action book In the Lap of the Mods notes The Artwoods, Sands and The Herd

The flyer in The Action book In The Lap of the Mods lists the following artists for Saturday shows in December: Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, The Action, The Alan Bown Set and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. 

1967

25 March (Saturday) – Pink Floyd and The Shame (45 Worlds website)

26 March (Sunday) – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (45 Worlds website)

27 March (Monday) – The Soul Society (45 Worlds website)

 

After returning from Italy in April 1967, Motivation rehearses new singer Denny Alexander, who knows the club from playing with The Clayton Squares.

22 April (Saturday) – The Move (Disc & Music Echo)

28 April (Friday) – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (flyer at: www.radiolondon.co.uk/caroline/scrap60/p4scrap60.html)

29 April (Saturday) – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (flyer at: www.radiolondon.co.uk/caroline/scrap60/p4scrap60.html)

 

6 May (Saturday) – The In Crowd and The Errol Bruce Show (flyer at: www.radiolondon.co.uk/caroline/scrap60/p4scrap60.htmlDave Allen’s research has Herbie Goins & The Night-timers on this date instead of The Errol Bruce Show

13 May (Saturday) – The Who (flyer at: www.radiolondon.co.uk/caroline/scrap60/p4scrap60.html)

20 May (Saturday) – Prince Buster & The All-Stars (Fabulous 208)

28 May (Sunday) – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band (Fabulous 208)

 

17 June (Saturday) – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Melody Maker) Melody Maker reports that Jimmy James collapses from exhaustion and the next gig in Derby is cancelled

 

15 July (Saturday) – The Move (Fabulous 208)

During August as Motivation changes to The Penny Peep Show, the group uses the Shoreline to rehearse their new stage act and material. 

3 December (Sunday) – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Fabulous 208)

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.

Top Hat, Littlehampton, West Sussex

Photo: Chichester and Southern Post

The Top Hat in Littlehampton, West Sussex was a popular live venue during the early-to-mid 1960s. The venue wasn’t advertised regularly in the local press so I’d be interested to hear from anyone who can add any further details of groups that performed there.

Photo: Littlehampton Gazette

According to the Littlehampton Gazette, the Top Hat featured bands every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday throughout 1964 but rarely advertised the names of the artists.

The following are the only gigs I’ve been able to find:

25 March 1964 – The Beat Merchants (Wednesday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

26 March 1964 – Dave Storm, Jeff Spence & The Tremors (Thursday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

28 March 1964 – The Beat Merchants and The Tremors (Saturday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

30 March 1964 – The Sabres (Bank Holiday Monday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

14 May 1964 – Beat Merchants (Thursday) (Littlehampton Gazette) Advert says St Mary’s Youth Club

 

24 December 1964 – Dave Storme & The Tremors and Gary Grant & The G-Men (Thursday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

26 December 1964 – The Beat Merchants and Gary Grant & The G-Men (Saturday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

27 December 1964 – The Dave West Show (Sunday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

28 December 1964 – The Dave West Show and The Fleur De Lys (Monday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

31 December 1964 – Dave Storme & The Tremors and Force Four (Thursday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

The same applied for 1965. The Littlehampton Gazette started to advertise acts on 4 June 1965.

4 June 1965 – The Deltas (Friday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

5 June 1965 – Chapter Four and Sons of Man (Saturday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

7 June 1965 – The Giants (Monday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

Photo: Littlehampton Gazette

Judging by the dates below, it looks like Wednesdays were given up to national acts

23 June 1965 – The Applejacks (Wednesday) (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Gazette)

30 June 1965 – Heinz (Wednesday) (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Gazette)

Photo: Littlehampton Gazette

7 July 1965 – The Mojos (Wednesday) (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Gazette)

14 July 1965 – The Four Pennies (Wednesday) (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Gazette)

Photo: Littlehampton Gazette

21 July 1965 – The Ivy League (Wednesday) (Chichester & Southern Post/Littlehampton Gazette) Van Morrison’s band Them replaced The Ivy League

Photo: Littlehampton Gazette

28 July 1965 – The Measles (Wednesday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

Photo: Littlehampton Gazette

4 August 1965 – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Wednesday) (Beat Instrumental/Littlehampton Gazette)

Photo: Littlehampton Gazette

11 August 1965 – The In Crowd (Wednesday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

18 August 1965 – Tommy Quickly & The Remo Four (Wednesday) (Beat Instrumental/Littlehampton Gazette)

25 August 1965 – The Fourmost (Wednesday) (Beat Instrumental/Littlehampton Gazette)

Photo: Littlehampton Gazette

1 September 1965 – The Nashville Teens (Wednesday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

Photo: Littlehampton Gazette

8 September 1965 – Billie Davis & Platform 6 with The Beat Merchants (Wednesday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

Photo: Littlehampton Gazette

15 September 1965 – Johnny Kidd & The Pirates (Wednesday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

Photo: Littlehampton Gazette

22 September 1965 – The Merseybeats (Wednesday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

Photo: Littlehampton Gazette

29 September 1965 – Goldie & The Gingerbreads (Wednesday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

 

6 October 1965 – The Applejacks (Wednesday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

Photo: Littlehampton Gazette

13 October 1965 – Mike Berry (Wednesday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

15 October 1965 – The Deltas (Friday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

16 October 1965 – The Just Five (Saturday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

Photo: Littlehampton Gazette

20 October 1965 – Silkie (Wednesday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

27 October 1965 – The Cherokees (Wednesday) (Worthing Gazette)

Photo: Littlehampton Gazette

3 November 1965 – Tony Rivers & The Castaways (Wednesday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

5 November 1965 – The Force Four (Friday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

6 November 1965 – The Just Five and Chapter Four (Saturday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

There’s a gap until the following dates

Photo: Littlehampton Gazette

24 December 1965 – Danny Boyd & The Profile and The Force Four (Friday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

26 December 1965 – Danny Boyd & The Profile and Dave & The Diamonds (Sunday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

29 December 1965 – The Profile (Wednesday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

31 December 1965 – The Deltas and The Defiants (Friday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

5 January 1966 – The Profile (Wednesday) (Worthing Gazette)

7 January 1966 – The Noblemen (Friday) (Worthing Gazette) Says just back from Italy

8 January 1966 – Dave & The Diamonds and The Defiants (Saturday) (Worthing Gazette)

The Littlehampton Gazette advertises that bands played every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday throughout the rest of 1966 but does not name the artists until the very end of the year. This is all there was:

23 December 1966 – The Four Inches (Friday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

24 December 1966 – The Omega Plus and 4 Bidden (Saturday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

26 December 1966 – The St Louis Checks and The Inspiration (Monday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

27 December 1966 – The Laymen (Tuesday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

30 December 1966 – The Fleur De Lys (Friday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

31 December 1966 – The Omega Plus and The Total (Saturday) (Littlehampton Gazette)

1967 gigs
Gig for 21 April 1967

 

The Starlight Ballroom, Crawley

The Who with Jo Jo Gunne, 11 February 1968 (Surrey Mirror)

Located on the high street, the Starlight Ballroom in Crawley, West Sussex was a significant music venue in the UK during the 1960s. Peter Griffin booked artists for the venue, together with the Starlite Ballroom in Greenford, London.

I have started to compile a list of artists that were advertised at the venue between 1966 and 1968 and would welcome any additions/corrections. I have noted down the sources.

It is important to stress that these are listings for artists who were advertised in local papers or on posters so it’s quite possible that changes in the final billing may have taken place. I’ve tried to note them down where they are confirmed.

1965

29 October 1965 – The Animals (Record Mirror)

 

4 November 1965 – Unit 4 Plus 2 (Record Mirror and Beat Instrumental)

 

2 December 1965 – The Small Faces (Record Mirror and Beat Instrumental)

9 December 1965 – Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas (Beat Instrumental)

1966

6 January 1966 – The Hollies (Beat Instrumental)

13 January 1966 – Dave Berry & The Cruisers (Beat Instrumental)

27 January 1966 – The Swinging Blue Jeans (Record Mirror)

 

3 February 1966 – The Moody Blues (Beat Instrumental)

10 February 1966 – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Beat Instrumental)

 

18 March 1966 – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Beat Instrumental)

 

21 April – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band and The Fleur De Lys (Caterham Weekly Press) Beat Instrumental had The Small Faces on this date

 

5 May – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, The Gobbledegooks and The Cadalacks (Caterham Weekly Press)

15 May – The Manchester Playboys (Caterham Weekly Press)

19 May – (Jimmy James &) The Vagabonds (Caterham Weekly Press)

26 May – The Action and The Powerhouse Six (Caterham Weekly Press)

 

1 December – The Bunch of Fives (Mid Sussex Times)

1967

12 March – The 1st Lites (Surrey Mirror)

26 March – The Iveys (Surrey Mirror)

Photo: Melody Maker

31 March – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (Crawley Advertiser)

 

2 April – Zoot Money and His Big Roll Band (Melody Maker)

23 April – Pink Floyd and The Doves (poster)

Photo: Surrey Mirror

5 May – Shell Shock Show and The Gods (Crawley Advertiser/Surrey Mirror)

7 May – Alan Bown Set (Crawley Advertiser/Surrey Mirror)

19 May – Lunar II and The Honey Band (Crawley Advertiser)

Photo: Surrey Mirror

21 May – Ronnie Jones & The Q-Set and Prince Buster & The Bees (Crawley Advertiser)

26 May – Alan Bown Set (Surrey Mirror)

28 May – The Shell Shock Show (Surrey Mirror)

 

4 June – Ray King Soul Band and The Gods (Crawley Advertiser)

Photo: Surrey Mirror

11 June – Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement and Craig King & The Midnight Train (Crawley Advertiser)

18 June – John Lee Hooker and The Hip Hooray Band (Crawley Advertiser)

Photo: Surrey Mirror

25 June – Alan Price Set with support groups (Crawley Advertiser)

 

2 July – The Outer Limits and support group (Crawley Advertiser)

29 July – The Kindred (Surrey Mirror)

30 July – Sam and Bill with Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement and The Gas Company (Surrey Mirror)

 

5 August – The Cornermen (Surrey Mirror)

6 August – Winston’s Fumbs and Geranium Pond (Surrey Mirror)

Photo: Surrey Mirror

13 August – Cats Pyjamas and Geranium Pond (Surrey Mirror)

 

16 September – Aubrey Denny & The Cornermen and The Kindred (Surrey Mirror)

17 September – The Tiles Big Band and Gentle Madness (Surrey Mirror)

23 September – The Exits and The Visitors (Surrey Mirror)

Photo: Surrey Mirror

24 September – The Small Faces and Modes Mode (Surrey Mirror)

30 September – The Exits (Surrey Mirror)

Photo: Surrey Mirror

1 October – The Move and Jo Jo Gunne (Surrey Mirror)

7 October –  The Exits (Surrey Mirror)

8 October – Dantalion’s Chariot and The Kindred (Surrey Mirror)

14 October – The Exits and The Mover (Surrey Mirror)

Photo: Surrey Mirror

15 October – The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Jo Jo Gunne (Surrey Mirror)

Henry Turtle, singer/songwriter and guitarist with The Doves, says Jo Jo Gunne didn’t turn up and The Doves were parachuted in at the last minute. A poster confirms The Doves with Jimi Hendrix for this date without Jo Jo Gunne listed.

21 October – The Exits (Surrey Mirror)

22 October – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Surrey Mirror)

28 October – The Exits and The Mover (Surrey Mirror)

Photo: Surrey Mirror

29 October – The Original Drifters (most likely backed by The Trend) (Surrey Mirror)

 

4 November – The Exits and The Mover (Surrey Mirror)

5 November – Long John Baldry (with Bluesology) and The Deadly Nightshade (Surrey Mirror)

11 November – Fascination (afternoon). The Exits and The Mover (evening) (Surrey Mirror)

12 November – Jo Jo Gunne and Modes Mode (Surrey Mirror)

18 November – Fascination (afternoon). The Exits and The Mover (evening) (Surrey Mirror)

Photo: Surrey Mirror

19 November – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and The All Night Workers (Surrey Mirror)

25 November – The Exits (Surrey Mirror)

26 November – Ronnie Jones & The Q-Set (Surrey Mirror) and The Army (Melody Maker)

 

2 December – The Exits and The Mover (Surrey Mirror)

Photo: Surrey Mirror

3 December – The Fabulous Temptations (aka The Fantastics) and The Army (Surrey Mirror)

9 December – The Exits and The Mover (Surrey Mirror)

Photo: Surrey Mirror

10 December – The Foundations (Surrey Mirror)

Jo Jo Gunne may have been on the bill with The Foundations but needs confirmation

16 December – The Kindred (afternoon) and The Exits (evening) (Surrey Mirror)

17 December – The Vibrations (Surrey Mirror)

Photo: Surrey Mirror

23 December – The All Night Workers and The Exits (Surrey Mirror)

24 December – Jo Jo Gunne and The Exits (Surrey Mirror)

30 December – The Exits and The Tony Strudwick Orchestra (Surrey Mirror)

31 December – Jo Jo Gunne and Precisely This (Surrey Mirror)

1968

6 January – Dave’s Dimensions (afternoon) and The Exits (evening) (Surrey Mirror)

7 January – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Surrey Mirror)

13 January – Jason Crest (Surrey Mirror)

Photo: Surrey Mirror

14 January – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds with support band (Surrey Mirror)

20 January – The Taste (afternoon) and BBC’s Stuart Henry and The Army (Surrey Mirror)

21 January – The Human Instinct and The Summits (Surrey Mirror)

27 January – BBC’s Stuart Henry and The Age with Rice Milton (Surrey Mirror)

Photo: Surrey Mirror

28 January – Desmond Dekker & The Aces and The Inspiration (Surrey Mirror)

 

3 February – Purple Dream and The Taste (Surrey Mirror)

Photo: Surrey Mirror

4 February – Edwin Starr (Surrey Mirror/New Musical Express) and Gin House Blues (Surrey Mirror)

10 February – Jo Jo Gunne and The Doves (Surrey Mirror)

11 February – The Who and Jo Jo Gunne (Surrey Mirror)

Photo: Surrey Mirror

17 February – The Mike Stuart Span and The Memphis Gents (Surrey Mirror)

18 February – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Surrey Mirror)

Henry Turtle says that The Doves opened for Jimmy James & The Vagabonds at this venue. It might have been on this occasion or another time.

24 February – Damson Flies (afternoon) and Misty Romance and Exploding Orange (evening) (Surrey Mirror)

Photo: Surrey Mirror

25 February – The Human Instinct and Jo Jo Gunne (Surrey Mirror)

 

2 March – Size Five and The Race (Surrey Mirror)

3 March – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Surrey Mirror)

9 March – Surprise group (afternoon) and Jo Jo Gunne and Modes Mode (evening) (Surrey Mirror)

Photo: Surrey Mirror

10 March – The Fabulous Temptations (aka The Fantastics) and Jo Jo Gunne (Surrey Mirror)

16 March – Surprise group (afternoon) and Zoot Money (aka Dantalion’s Chariot) (evening) (Surrey Mirror)

Photo: Surrey Mirror

17 March – The Small Faces and Kristan Young & The Reflections (Surrey Mirror)

23 March – Surprise group (afternoon) and DJ Pete Drummond and The All Night Workers (evening) (Surrey Mirror)

24 March – The Skatalites and The Extreme Sound (Surrey Mirror)

30 March – Sulphate of Ammania (afternoon) and Tony Strudwick & His Band (evening) (Surrey Mirror)

31 March – The Original Drifters and Jo Jo Gunne (Surrey Mirror)

Drummer Paul Maher of Jo Jo Gunne says he covered for the drummer in the backing band for The Original Drifters as he was ill.

 

6 April – The Fascinations (afternoon) and Miss Gatwick 1968 competition and Tony Strudwick & His Band (evening) with Colin Berry and Size Five in the upstairs lounge (evening) (Surrey Mirror)

Photo: Surrey Mirror

7 April – Modes Mode and Ffolley & The Rainbow (aka Rainbow Ffolley) (Surrey Mirror)

13 April – The New Breed (Surrey Mirror)

14 April – Peter London’s Rock and Roll Band and The New Breed (Surrey Mirror)

27 April – JJ Jackson (Evening Argus)

 

1 June – The Equals and The Motion (Surrey Mirror)

23 June – Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch (New Musical Express)

FINAL NOTE:

Henry Turtle says that The Doves also opened for the following artists at this venue but I haven’t been able to find listings: Amen Corner, The Small Faces and Wishful Thinking

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

 

Mike Stuart Span gigs 1966-1968

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.

MIKE STUART SPAN

Photo may be subject to copyright: Mike Stuart Span, spring 1966. Back row, left to right: Stuart Hobday, Dave Plumb, Gary Parsley, Jon Poulter. Front row, left to right: Gary Murphy and Roger McCabe

Stuart Hobday – lead vocals

Nigel Langham – lead guitar

Roger McCabe – bass

Ashley Potter – keyboards

Gary Murphy – drums

Hobday and McCabe had worked together in The Mighty Atoms which morphed into The Extremes during 1965 and later included Langham and Potter. They changed name to The Mike Stuart Span in mid-1965 when Mike Clayton took over their management.

Before the turn of the year, the group add four horn players; two trumpet players and two saxophone players. These include trumpet player Gary Parsley and sax player Dave Plumb.

Image may be subject to copyright

14 November 1965 – Whitehall, East Grinstead, West Sussex with Tony Rivers & The Castaways (Sussex Evening Express)

21 November 1965 – The Downs, Hassocks, West Sussex with Robb Storme & The Whispers (Mid Sussex Times)

 

26 December 1965 – Mexican Hat, Worthing, West Sussex with The Beat Merchants (Worthing Gazette) This seems unlikely unless it is a different date

26 December 1965 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with The Jaguars (Cornish Guardian)

1966

Over the first two months of 1966, two of the horn players dropped out. Jon Poulter also took over from Ashley Potter.

1 January 1966 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)

Image may be subject to copyright

2 January 1966 – Steering Wheel, Weymouth, Dorset (eight-piece band) (Dorset Evening Echo)

 

26 February 1966 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with Soul Society (eight-piece band) (West Briton & The Royal Gazette)

 

5 March 1966 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)

26 March 1966 – Gala Ballroom, Norwich, Norfolk (Eastern Evening News)

 

2 April 1966 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with The Vigilantes (West Briton & The Royal Gazette)

Around this time Nigel Langham tragically dies in a fall and is not replaced

24 April 1966 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London with The Herd (website: http://www.eelpiemuseum.co.uk/rollcall/rollcall/)

27 April 1966 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with The Other Five (West Briton & The Royal Cornwall Gazette)

 

8 May 1966 – Tiffany’s, Shaftsbury Avenue, central London (Melody Maker)

10 May 1966 – Hare & Hounds, Brighton, Sussex with Champion Jack Dupree (Melody Maker)

13 May 1966 – Southfield College, Wimbledon, southwest London (Melody Maker)

14 May 1966 – College of Technology, Brighton, Sussex (Melody Maker)

Image may be subject to copyright

15 May 1966 – Downs Hotel, Hassocks, West Sussex with Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (Melody Maker/Mid Sussex Times)

Image may be subject to copyright

19 May 1966 – Pilgrim, Hayward’s Heath, West Sussex (Melody Maker/Mid Sussex Times)

20 May 1966 – The Dolphin, Marine Court, St Leonards, East Sussex (Roger Bistow’s research at Dizzy Tiger Music website)

Photo: John Treais

29 May 1966 – Bure Club, Mudeford, Dorset (Poster from John Treais)

Image may be subject to copyright

12 June 1966 – Ultra Club, Downs, Hassocks, West Sussex with The Birds (Mid Sussex Times)

Image may be subject to copyright

23 June 1966 – Pilgrim, Hayward’s Heath, West Sussex (Mid Sussex Times)

 

9 July 1966 – Club La Bamba, Tunbridge Wells, Kent (Kent and Sussex Courier)

Image may be subject to copyright

16 July 1966 – Jimmy’s Restaurant, Brighton, Sussex (Evening Argus)

Image may be subject to copyright

28 July 1966 – Pilgrim, Hayward’s Heath, West Sussex (Mid Sussex Times)

30 July 1966 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle)

Image may be subject to copyright

31 July 1966 – Royal Ballrooms, Boscombe, Dorset with The Law (Bournemouth Evening Echo)

 

6 August 1966 – Club LaBamba, Tunbridge Wells, Kent (Kent and Sussex Courier)

12 August 1966 – The Parlour, North End, Portsmouth, Hampshire (Portsmouth News) Billed as Mike Stuart Band

19 August 1966 – Hotel Metropole, Brighton, Sussex with Paul & Barry Ryan, Weston Gavin, Graham Bond Organisation, Robbe Storme & The Whispers and The Mercats (Evening Argus)

20 August 1966 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle)

27 August 1966 – Club LaBamba, Tunbridge Wells, Kent (Kent and Sussex Courier)

Image may be subject to copyright

4 September 1966 – Ultra Club, Downs, Hassocks, West Sussex with The Birds with Parker’s Mood (Mid Sussex Times)

16 September 1966 – The Parlour, North End, Portsmouth, Hampshire (Portsmouth News)

Image may be subject to copyright

17 September 1966 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle)

24 September 1966 – Winter Gardens, Banbury, Oxfordshire (Brackley Advertiser)

26-27 September 1966 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)

29-30 September 1966 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)

Image may be subject to copyright

2 October 1966 – Le Metro, Birmingham, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)

4 October 1966 – Waggon & Horses, Wall Heath, West Midlands (Express & Star)

5 October 1966 – 3 Men in a Boat, Walsall, West Midlands (Express & Star)

6 October 1966 – Cleveland Arms, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (Express & Star)

8 October 1966 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle)

15 October 1966 – La Bamba, Tunbridge Wells, Kent (Melody Maker)

Image may be subject to copyright

22 October 1966 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hampshire with The Argonauts (Aldershot News/Camberley News)

29 October 1966 – Beachcomber, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

 

13 November 1966 – Casino, Leicester with The Morons and The Chaesers (Leicester Mercury)

17 November 1966 – New Cliff Hall, Rotherham, West Yorkshire with St Louis Union and Soul Object (The Star) Billed as Mike Stuart Five so possibly another band entirely

Image may be subject to copyright

19 November 1966 – Lewes Town Hall, Lewes, East Sussex with The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (Sussex Evening Express)

Photo: Worthing Gazette, 23 November 1966. Image may be subject to copyright

25 November 1966 – Fiesta Hall, Andover, Hampshire (Andover Advertiser)

Image may be subject to copyright

26 November 1966 – 2 ‘B’s Club, Ashford, Kent with support (Kentish Express) Billed as The Stuart Span

Photo: Record Mail, December 1966. Image may be subject to copyright

4 December 1966 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London with The Stalkers (website: http://www.eelpiemuseum.co.uk/rollcall/rollcall/)

10 December 1966 – Winter Gardens, Banbury, Oxfordshire with The Seychelles (Brackley Advertiser)

11 December 1966 – Stoke Hole, Stoke Hotel, Guildford, Surrey (Surrey Advertiser)

Image may be subject to copyright

20 December 1966 – Kodak Hall, Harrow, northwest London with The Right Attitude (Harrow Observer)

23 December 1966 – Parlour, Portsmouth, Hampshire with Camel Train (Portsmouth News)

24 December 1966 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)

31 December 1966 – Worthing Pavilion, Worthing, West Sussex with Ray Affleck & His Band (Worthing Gazette)

1967

1 January 1967 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London with Savoy Brown Blues Band (website: http://www.eelpiemuseum.co.uk/rollcall/rollcall/)

5 January 1967 – Klooks Kleek, Hampstead, north London (Melody Maker)

7 January 1967 – Atlanta Ballroom, Woking, Surrey (Aldershot News)

12 January 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Artwoods (Melody Maker)

13 January 1967 – Bluesette Club, Bridge Street, Leatherhead, Surrey (Caterham Weekly Press/Melody Maker)

14 January 1967 – Unknown venue, Enfield, north London (Melody Maker)

15 January 1967 – Royal Ballrooms, Boscombe, Dorset with Courtelles (Bournemouth Evening Echo)

Image may be subject to copyright

18 January 1967 – Gravesend R ‘n’ B club, Clarendon Royal Hotel, Gravesend, Kent (PACE magazine)

20 January 1967 – Unknown venue, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Melody Maker) Possibly Club Continental

21 January 1967 – Unknown venue, Chichester, West Sussex (Melody Maker)

22 January 1967 – Unknown venue, Southampton, Hampshire (Melody Maker)

25 January 1967 – Unknown venue, Brighton, Sussex (Melody Maker)

Image may be subject to copyright

4 February 1967 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle)

Image may be subject to copyright

12 February 1967 – Le Metro, Birmingham, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail/Express & Star)

Image may be subject to copyright

19 February 1967 – Dereham Tavern Club, Dereham, Norfolk with Alex Wilson Set (North Norfolk News)

 

4 March 1967 – Beachcomber, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

Image may be subject to copyright

10 March 1967 – West End, Rushden, Northamptonshire with Sonny’s Snap, Crackle and Pop (Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph)

11 March 1967 – Kodak Hall, Harrow, northwest London with Ziggy Turner Combo (Harrow Observer)

16 March 1967 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hampshire with One In a Million (Aldershot News)

19 March 1967 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London with Black Cat Bones (website: http://www.eelpiemuseum.co.uk/rollcall/rollcall/)

Image may be subject to copyright

26 March 1967 – Bluesette Club, Bridge Street, Leatherhead, Surrey (Caterham Weekly Press)

27 March 1967 – Walton Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (Woking Herald)

Image may be subject to copyright

1 April 1967 – Steering Wheel Club, Dorchester, Dorset (Western Gazette)

Image may be subject to copyright

8 April 1967 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle)

14 April 1967 – Brighton Arts Festival, Brighton, Sussex with Paul Jones, The Move, Geno Washington, Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and others (Melody Maker)

Image may be subject to copyright

16 April 1967 – Beau Brummel Club, Alvaston Hall Hotel, Nantwich, Cheshire, Nantwich, Cheshire with Phil Ryan & The Scorpions (Nantwich Chronicle)

21 April 1967 – Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks (Melody Maker)

23 April 1967 – Le Metro, Birmingham, West Midlands (Express & Star)

24 April 1967 – Carlton Club, Warrington, Cheshire (Warrington Guardian)

29 April 1967 – Beachcomber, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

 

7 May 1967 – The Bridge, Wooden Bridge Hotel, Guildford, Surrey with The Switch (Surrey Advertiser)

12 May 1967 – West End, Rushden, Northamptonshire with Clockwork Orange (Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph)

14 May 1967 – Indigo Vat, Portsmouth, Hampshire (Portsmouth News)

Image may be subject to copyright

18 May 1967 – Le Trap, Brighton, Sussex (Melody Maker)

21 May 1967 – Beachcomber Club, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

21 May 1967 – Britannia Rowing Club, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

25 May 1967 – Le Trap, Brighton, Sussex (Melody Maker)

26 May 1967 – Loughborough Town Hall, Loughborough with Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (Leicester Mercury) Billed as Mike Stuart Band (may not be same group)

Image may be subject to copyright

29 May 1967 – Walton Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (Woking Herald)

Photo: Mid Sussex Times. Image may be subject to copyright

4 June 1967 – Le Metro, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail)

5 June 1967 – Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with Penthouse Suite (Express & Star)

11 June 1967 – George Inn, Wilby, Northamptonshire (Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph)

16 June 1967 – Klue J Klub, Saracens Head Hotel, Chelmsford, Essex with The Skatalites (Essex Chronicle)

Image may be subject to copyright

21 June 1967 – Beat Cruise, Southsea Pier, Hampshire, Harbour Station, Hampshire and Ryde Pier, Isle of Wight with The Shevelles (Portsmouth News)

Image may be subject to copyright

23 June 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with The Herd (website: www.california-ballroom.info/gigs/)

24 June 1967 – Lion Hotel, Warrington, Cheshire with The Undertakers and The Shades (Warrington Guardian)

25 June 1967 – Carlton Club, Warrington, Cheshire (Warrington Guardian)

Image may be subject to copyright

29 June 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with Omega Plus and Fraternity (Melody Maker)

Around this time Gary Parsley and Dave Plumb depart. Jon Poulter stays on but is gone by end of July

1-7 July 1967 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)

8 July 1967 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall (Cornish Guardian) The advert says for one week

13 July 1967 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with The Fortunes and The Jaguars (West Briton & Royal Cornish Gazette)

15 July 1967 – Steering Wheel, Dorchester, Dorset (Dorset Evening Echo)

15 July 1967 – Steering Wheel, Weymouth, Dorset (Dorset Evening Echo)

18 July 1967 – Concorde, Southampton, Hampshire (Southern Echo)

28 July 1967 – Beachcomber, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

 

5 August 1967 – Walton Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (Woking Herald)

6 August 1967 – Royal Ballrooms, Boscombe, Dorset with Charles Drayton Kind (Bournemouth Evening Echo)

In mid-August Melody Maker announces that Brian Bennett has joined on guitar from Tony’s Defenders and the band has reduced to a four-piece

15 August 1967 – Concorde, Southampton, Hampshire (Southern Evening Echo)

Image may be subject to copyright

19 August 1967 – Liphook Youth Club, Village Hall, Liphook, Hampshire with The Outer Limits (Petersfield Post)

Image may be subject to copyright

23 August 1967 – Big Beat Cruise, Solent, South Parade Pier, Portsmouth Harbour and Ryde Pier Head with The Creation (Portsmouth News)

26 August 1967 – Civic Hall, Guildford, Surrey with The Embers (Surrey Advertiser)

27 August 1967 – Le Metro, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail)

28 August 1967 – Mercers Arms, Coventry, West Midlands with The Chicaines (Coventry Evening Telegraph)

Image may be subject to copyright

2 September 1967 – St George’s Ballroom, Hinckley, Leicestershire with Herbie Goins & The Nighttimers (Nuneaton Evening Tribune)

3 September 1967 – Beachcomber, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

4 September 1967 – Mercers Arms, Coventry, West Midlands (Coventry Evening Telegraph)

14 September 1967 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)

Image may be subject to copyright

16 September 1967 – Walton Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (Woking Herald)

Image may be subject to copyright

16 September 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with Ferris Wheel and The Workshop (Melody Maker)

21 September 1967 – Ritz, Skewen, Wales with The Syn (Port Talbot Guardian)

23 September 1967 – Swan, Yardley with The Peanuts (Birmingham Evening Mail)

 

13-27 October 1967 – Belgian Tour (Melody Maker)

 

4 November 1967 – Blaises, Imperial Hotel, Queen’s Gate, west London (Melody Maker)

11 November 1967 – Tin Hat, Kettering, Northamptonshire with The Dream (Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph)

12 November 1967 – Saville Theatre, Shaftsbury Avenue, central London (Disc & Music Echo) Debut appearance at venue

18 November 1967 – Steering Wheel, Dorchester, Dorset (Dorset Evening Echo)

Image may be subject to copyright

3 December 1967 – Le Metro, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail)

Image may be subject to copyright

9 December 1967 – Petersfield Town Hall, Petersfield, Hampshire with Aaron’s Beard (Petersfield Post)

11 December 1967 – Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with The Key (Express & Star)

12 December 1967 – Waggon & Horses, Wall Heath, West Midlands (Express & Star)

23-24 December 1967 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)

30 December 1967 – Walton Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (Woking Herald)

1968

6 January 1968 – Nottingham Boat Club, Nottingham (Down at the Boat book)

Image may be subject to copyright

13 January 1968 – Dolphin, Marine Court, St Leonards, East Sussex with The Camp (Hastings & St Leonards Observer)

21 January 1968 – 76 Club, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire (Burton Daily Mail) Billed as The Span

 

4 February 1968 – Beachcomber, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

8 February 1968 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Penny Peeps (Melody Maker)

10 February 1968 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Troggs (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)

Image may be subject to copyright

15 February 1968 – Pilgrim, Hayward’s Heath, West Sussex (Mid Sussex Times)

17 February 1968 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with Memphis Gents (Crawley Advertiser)

 

10 March 1968 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Troggs (East Kent Times)

11 March 1968 – Rendevous Club, Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent (East Kent Times)

Image may be subject to copyright

15 March 1968 – Burton Leander Social Club, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire (Burton Daily Mail)

30 March 1968 – Civic Hall, Guildford, Surrey with The Black Out (Surrey Advertiser)

According to Melody Maker, The Mike Stuart Span made their third tour of the Netherlands from 23-30 April 1968. Their LP was due to be released on 29 March

Image may be subject to copyright

6 April 1968 – Windsor Ballroom, Redcar with The Skyliners (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)

9 April 1968 – Top Rank, Reading, Berkshire (Melody Maker)

18 April 1968 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London (Melody Maker)

24 April 1968 – Elbow Room, Aston, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)

Image may be subject to copyright

4 May 1968 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)

According to Melody Maker, the band undertook an Icelandic tour from 8-16 May 1968. Record Mirror confirmed these dates and added gigs were in the capital, Reykjavik.

According to Record Mirror, they then arrived in Belgium on 17 May for five days and then played cabaret in Copenhagen, Denmark from 23-27 May.

15 May 1968 – Steering Wheel, Weymouth, Dorset (Dorset Evening Echo) Unlikely if Iceland gigs happened

 

2 June 1968 – Le Metro Club, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail)

Image may be subject to copyright

8 June 1968 – The Cobweb, St Leonards, East Sussex with The Mushroom (Roger Bistow’s research at Dizzy Tiger Music website)

16 June 1968 – Cosmo, Carlisle, Cumbria with Max Colliers Rhythm Aces (need to confirm)

21 June 1968 – Brighton Dome, Brighton, Sussex with Scott Walker and The Herd (NME)

22 June 1968 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (Woking Herald)

Image may be subject to copyright

29 June 1968 – Windsor Ballroom, Redcar, North Yorkshire with The Chelfont Line (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)

Image may be subject to copyright

2 July 1968 – Rag 68!, Bournemouth Colleges Rag Appeal 1968, Bournemouth Pavilion, Bournemouth, Dorset with Tim Rose and The Nice (Bournemouth Evening Echo)

4 July 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The House of Lords (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live) Billed as The Span

8-10 July 1968 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)

12 July 1968 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)

14 July 1968 – Hotel Leofric, Coventry, West Midlands (Coventry Evening Teleraph)

25 July 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Beatstalkers (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)

Image may be subject to copyright

27 July 1968 – The Stage Club, Oxford (Oxford Mail)

 

2 August 1968 – Metropole, Exhibition Hall, Brighton, Sussex with Simon Dupree & The Big Sound, Marmalade, The Tremeloes, The Nice and Spooky Tooth (Melody Maker)

3 August 1968 – Le Metro, Birmingham (Express & Star)

Image may be subject to copyright

11 August 1968 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)

16 August 1968 – Bracknell Boys Club, Bracknell, Berkshire (Bracknell News)

18 August 1968 – Birdcage, Harlow, Essex (Fabulous 208)

22 August 1968 – Liberal Club, Yeovil, Somerset (Fabulous 208)

23 August 1968 – Solvent Cruise, Portsmouth, Hampshire (Fabulous 208)

 

27 September 1968 – Capitol Theatre, Horsham, West Sussex with Marmalade (Fabulous 208/New Musical Express)

29 September 1968 – Bird Cage, Harlow, Essex (Fabulous 208)

Image may be subject to copyright

5 October 1968 – Windsor Ballroom, Redcar, North Yorkshire with The Skyliners (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)

Image may be subject to copyright

10 October 1968 – The Cobweb, St Leonards, East Sussex (Roger Bistow’s research at Dizzy Tiger Music website)

17 October 1968 – The Cobweb, St Leonards, East Sussex (Fabulous 208)

18 October 1968 – Memorial Hall, Farnham, Surrey (Fabulous 208)

Image may be subject to copyright

19 October 1968 – Stage Club, Oxford (Fabulous 208/Oxford Mail) Billed as The Span

20 October 1968 – Woodenbridge, Guildford, Surrey (Fabulous 208) Listed but unlikely with gig below

20 October 1968 – Plymouth Top Rank, Plymouth, Devon (Western Evening Mail)

Image may be subject to copyright

24 October 1968 – The Cobweb, St Leonards, East Sussex (Fabulous 208/Hastings & St Leonards Observer)

25 October 1968 – Clinton Club, Seaford, East Sussex (Fabulous 208)

26 October 1968 – Tofts, Folkestone, Kent (Fabulous 208)

 

16 November 1968 – University College, London, Gower Street, central London with Proteus (Melody Maker)

Image may be subject to copyright

24 December 1968 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Torquay Times)

 Around this time, they changed name to Leviathan

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