John Thompson – lead guitar (replaced by Pete Ross late 1965)
Brian Brown – bass
Terry Marshall – tenor saxophone
Pete ?? – tenor saxophone
Paul Atkinson – drums
Formed sometime in 1964 after Terry Marshall left The Soul Messengers, the band appears to have worked at the Ealing Club on a weekly basis throughout 1965. Ray Martin is probably the same Ray Martin who had previously led Ray Martin & The Corvettes.
The Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette has The Ray Martin Group appearing on a Saturday (and sometimes a Sunday) throughout the year, except in December when they switched to Fridays (see gig list below which is incomplete).
Ross, however, didn’t join until July 1965 after The Flexmen split up so the group must have had a different lead guitarist at the outset.
According to Ross, the band opened for James Brown at Tiles (circa March 1966). They also opened for Neil Christian & The Crusaders at Tiles later in July.
Thanks to Pete Ross and Terry Marshall for input
Selected gigs:
16 January 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Saturday)
23 January 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Saturday)
31 January 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday)
6 February 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Saturday)
18 April 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday)
25 April 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday)
8 May 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London (Saturday)
15 May 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London (Saturday)
22 May 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London (Saturday)
28 May 1965 – Cricketers Inn, Westcliff, Southend, Essex with The Paramounts (Southend Standard)
29 May 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London (Saturday)
5 June 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London (Saturday)
12 June 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London (Saturday)
19 June 1965 – Uxbridge Blues Festival, Uxbridge, northwest London with Marianne Faithfull, The Who, Solomon Burke, Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, Long John Baldry, Zoot Money, The Birds, John Mayall, The Spencer Davis Group and Dave Whittling (Ruislip & Northwood Gazette)
31 July 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London (Saturday)
7 August 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London (Saturday)
14 August 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London (Saturday)
21 August 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London (Saturday)
11 September 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London (Saturday)
18 September 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London (Saturday)
30 October 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London (Saturday)
20 November 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London (Saturday)
Photo: Melody Maker
10 December 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London (Friday)
Photo: Melody Maker
17 December 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London (Friday)
24 December 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London (Friday)
31 December 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London (Friday)
15 July 1966 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with Neil Christian & The Crusaders (Melody Maker)
16 December (Friday) – White Hall, Southall, west London (Harrow Observer)
If you can add any further information, please leave a message in the comments below.
Photo Patrick Campbell-Lyons. The Second Thoughts, spring 1964 outside the Ealing Club. Left to right: Mickey Holmes, Patrick Campbell-Lyons, Vic Griffiths (on van roof), Tony Duhig and Bill Hope.
Patrick Campbell-Lyons (lead vocals)
Tony Duhig (lead guitar)
Mickey Holmes (bass)
Bill Hope (drums)
Ealing, Middlesex band, The Second Thoughts were formed around February 1963 and gave birth to a number of notable bands in the late 1960s – Thunderclap Newman, Nirvana, July and Jade Warrior.
Lead singer Patrick Campbell-Lyons (b. 13 July 1943, Lismore, County Waterford, Ireland) had been active on the local scene for several years with The Teenbeats after arriving in the area from Ireland in the summer of 1961.
Campbell-Lyons made plans to form a new group after running into lead guitarist Tony Duhig (b. 18 September 1941, Acton, Middlesex; d. 11 November 1990), drummer Bill Hope and lead guitarist turned bass player Mickey Holmes in January 1963 (see story below from manager Cyril Brown, which erroneously says 1964).
Holmes had previously been a member of The Krewsaders alongside future Fleetwood Mac bass player John McVie and Holmes’ cousin, rhythm guitarist Peter Carney, who went on to play with Geno Washington’s Ram Jam Band among others.
Named by Holmes, one of The Second Thoughts’ first gigs was opening for The Rolling Stones at their farewell gig at the Ealing Club on 2 March 1963.
Thanks to Cyril Brown, their manager
Basing themselves on The Big Three and The High Numbers (aka The Who), the trio’s blues-rock required a harmonica player and Campbell-Lyons recruited his friend from Brentford, Middlesex, Vic Griffiths, who doubled up on rhythm guitar, around Christmas 1963.
The Second Thoughts would play at the Ealing Club regularly and from spring to summer 1964 would hold down a Sunday residency before landing another house gig in central London at the Studio ’51 Club in Leicester Square.
Photo: Cyril Brown
Around July 1964, the band expanded the line up by adding Duhig’s friend, and the band’s roadie, Jon Field (b. 5 July 1940, Harrow, Middlesex) on organ and congas.
Meanwhile Holmes brought in his former band mate from The Krewsaders, drummer John “Speedy” Keen (b. 29 March 1945, Ealing, Middlesex; d. 12 March 2002) to replace Bill Hope.
Photo: Patrick Campbell-Lyons. Left to right: Speedy Keen, Vic Griffiths, Tony Duhig, Jon Field, Patrick Campbell-Lyons and Mickey Holmes.
That summer, the band played four gigs on the Isle of Wight with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds.
Not long after, The Second Thoughts went into the studios twice. On one occasion, the band recorded tracks at a studio near Denham in Buckinghamshire. The other session took place in a studio in north London. The group covered the T J Arnall’s “Cocaine” at one of the sessions.
Four tracks were cut – “Seventh Son”, “Walking”, “You Gotta Help (Help Me)” and “Looking For My Baby” at one session.
Shelved at the time, the Essex label dug out the recordings for a rare EP in 1997.
The tracks have more recently appeared on The Tomcats’ CD, Running at Shadows: The Spanish Recordings 1965-1966, which was issued on RPM in 2016.
During spring 1965, the band cut more unreleased tracks at RG Jones studio in Morden, near Wimbledon – the Wilbur Harrison classic “Let’s Get Together” and a second version of “Cocaine”.
They also started to play more widely across the Southeast. This included playing US airforce bases in Oxfordshire with Percy Sledge, John Lee Hooker and Jimmy James & The Vagabonds.
The Second Thoughts also made their first trip to Hamburg around March 1965 to perform at the Star Club where they shared the bill with Rory Storm & The Hurricanes and Duane Eddy (Ed. This might have been 1963 not 1965).
The group was performing at Beat City (or 100 Club) on Oxford Street when the musicians were approached by French singer Teddy Raye, who wanted to hire a British backing group for a month initially in Madrid.
The Frenchman, however, didn’t want Patrick Campbell-Lyons, Jon Field or Vic Griffiths for the trip.
Renamed The Gatos Salvaje (The Savage Cats), the band proved to be the main attraction rather than Raye and, buoyed by the response, the musicians made plans to return on their own that summer.
Back in England in May, the musicians brought back Jon Field and recruited singer/guitarist Tom Newman from rival Ealing band The Tomcats.
Performing their final gig at Ealing Town Hall (it’s not clear under what name), the new formation discovered that Keen did not want to return to Spain.
With Keen subsequently moving to Italy in July to join another Ealing band, The Rocking Eccentrics (replacing John Kerrison) with whom he stayed until January 1966, the group recruited drummer Chris Jackson from The Tomcats as his replacement.
Returning to Spain (and renamed Los Tomcats) in June 1965, the band played northern cities like Oviedo and also returned to Madrid but Holmes soon grew tired of living out of a suitcase and came back to the UK. Another former Tomcat, bass player Alan James stepped into his shoes.
Los Tomcats continued working in Spain for a year before returning to England in early 1967 and changing name to July. Duhig and Field would subsequently leave the band and form Jade Warrior in the late 1960s.
Remaining members, Patrick Campbell-Lyons and Vic Griffiths meanwhile formed a new version of The Second Thoughts in late March 1965.
According to the article “Return of the Second Thoughts will delight fans”, published in the Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette, dated 9 April 1965, page 13, the new members were Mick Taylor (lead guitar); Chris Thomas (bass); and Keith Reynolds (drums).
The article says the band were due to embark on a US tour but this seems very unlikely. However, it does say that the group recorded six tracks at Soho’s Maximum Sound studios on Sunday, 4 April, which may or may not be the tracks listed above. It adds that these tracks will not be released in Britain but only in the US.
The article, which notes that the other original members are currently in Madrid backing Teddy Raye, notes that the new version will play at Ealing Town Hall, Cardinal Wiseman School in Greenford and Brunel College, Acton.
They were subsequently joined by a returning Mickey Holmes who took over from Chris Thomas but when the band was offered work at the Star Club in Hamburg in November, Holmes left to move into session work and Thomas returned for the German gigs.
Out in West Germany, The Second Thoughts gigged until spring 1966 before finally splitting.
Patrick Campbell-Lyons remained in Hamburg and worked with Swedish band, Lucifer & The Angels, which took him to Sweden. In Stockholm, he then joined local group, The Merrymen (who’d earlier featured Boz Scaggs) but became ill.
Photo: Mirabelle, 1 October 1966 issue
Returning to England in August 1966, he joined forces with former member Chris Thomas in the duo Hat & Tie. The pair recorded a lone single before splitting soon after and Campbell-Lyons went on to form Nirvana.
Two former members of The Second Thoughts found huge success after the band finally split – Chris Thomas became a noted producer, working with The Beatles and Pink Floyd among others, while John “Speedy” Keen formed Thunderclap Newman and scored an international hit with “Something In The Air”.
Notable gigs:
25 May 1963 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (support The Rolling Stones on their last gig at this venue)
19 April 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
26 April 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
3 May 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
10 May 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
17 May 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
24 May 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
31 May 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
7 June 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
14 June 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
21 June 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
28 June 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
5 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
10 July 1964 – Attic, Hounslow, Middlesex with Erky Grant & The Tonetts and The Tempests
11 July 1964 – YWCA Hall, Ealing, Middlesex
12 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
19 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
20 July 1964 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, Middlesex with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
25 July 1964 – YWCA Hall, Ealing, Middlesex
25 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (played both weekend nights)
26 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
29 July 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, west London
9 August 1964 – Beat City, Oxford Street, central London with The Tomcats
15 August 1964 – YWCA Hall, Ealing, Middlesex
22 August 1964 – YWCA Hall, Ealing, Middlesex
22 August 1964 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, central London with The Tridents
23 August 1964 – Beat City, Oxford Street, central London with The Tomcats
8 September 1964 – Nurses Club, Jolly Gardeners, Isleworth, Middlesex
9 September 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, west London
12 September 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, west London
16 September 1964 – YWCA Hall, Ealing, Middlesex
16 September 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, west London
18 September 1964 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, west London
19 September 1964 – YWCA Hall, Ealing, Middlesex
20 September 1964 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, west London
22 September 1964 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London with Dave Davani & The D-Men with Beryl
23 September 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, west London
3 October 1964 – YWCA Hall, Ealing, Middlesex
8 October 1964 – Ealing Town Hall, Ealing, Middlesex with The Flexmen
10 October 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Tridents
12 October 1964 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London with John Lee Hooker
16 October 1964 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, central London
17 October 1964 – Witchdoctor, Hastings, East Sussex with Four Plus 1
18 October 1964 – Watford Trade Hall, Watford, Hertfordshire
19 October 1964 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London
20 October 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Tridents
22 October 1964 – Ealing Town Hall, Ealing, Middlesex with The Challengers, Liverpool Lads and Bob Harvey
23 October 1964 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, Middlesex
23 October 1964 – Ealing Technical College, Ealing, Middlesex
24 October 1964 – Fratton Hall, Portsmouth, Hants
24 October 1964 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, central London with The Impacts (All Nighter)
31 October 1964 – Twyford School, Acton, Middlesex
5 November 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Graham Bond Organisation
19 November 1964 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hampshire with St Louis Checks, The Cromwells and Dave Oades Orchestra
22 November 1964 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, central London
26 November 1964 – Ealing Town Hall, Ealing, Middlesex with Frankie Reid & The Casuals
13 December 1964 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, central London
29 December 1964 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London with Alexis Korner
31 December 1964 – Wilton Hall, Bletchley, Bucks with The Invaders (Bletchley District Gazette)
1 January 1965 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, central London
2 January 1965 – Egham Literary Institute, Egham, Surrey
3 January 1965 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hants with The Leeways with Belinda
12 January 1965 – Nurses Club, Jolly Gardeners, Isleworth, Middlesex
22 January 1965 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, central London
31 January 1965 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, central London
11 February 1965 – Bromel Club, Bromley, Kent
26 February 1965 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, central London
4 March 1965 – Ealing Town Hall, Ealing, Middlesex (final gig before the original group split?)
24 July 1965 – Egham Hythe Social Centre, Egham, Surrey with Bern Elliott & The Klan
25 July 1965 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, central London
30 July 1965 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, central London
15 August 1965 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, central London
4 September 1965 – Egham Hythe Social Centre, Egham, Surrey with Just Five
24 September 1965 – Ealing Town Hall, Ealing, west London with Bob Grant
21 October 1965 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hampshire with The Southern Valley Four
5 November 1965 – King George’s Hall, Esher, Surrey with Just Five
6 November 1965 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hampshire
Gigs taken from many sources including Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette, Camberley News and Bagshot Observer,, Kingston & Malden Borough News, Record Mirror, Surrey Comet and Melody Maker. Thanks to Mickey Holmes, Tom Newman and Patrick Campbell-Lyons.
This article originally appeared on the Strange Brew website. I’ve updated it and provided more information since but would like to thank Jason Barnard for posting it on his excellent site.
I have tried to ensure the accuracy of this article but I appreciate that there are likely to be errors and omissions. I would appreciate any feedback from anyone who can provide any additions or corrections. Email: Warchive@aol.com
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.
James Royal (real name: James Nairn) (vocals)
Micky King (guitar)
Terry Goldberg (keyboards)
John Savage (bass)
Terry Mabey (drums)
1966
Photo may be subject to copyright
5 February 1966 – Royal Links Pavilion, Cromer, Norfolk with The Swinging Blue Jeans and The Devil’s Coachmen (Julie Fielder book: What Flo Said Next/North Norfolk News)
9 April 1966 – Norwich venue, Norwich, Norfolk with The Amboy Dukes (Eastern Evening News)
11 April 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
Photo may be subject to copyright
23 April 1966 – Harpenden Public Hall, Harpenden, Hertfordshire with Johnny Haven & The Just Five (Luton News/Welwyn Advertiser)
29 April 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
11 June 1966 – Starlite, Greenford, northwest London with The Ram Jam (Melody Maker)
19 June 1966 – Starlite, Greenford, northwest London with The Soul Agents (Melody Maker)
25 June 1966 – Starlite, Greenford, northwest London with The Emeralds (Melody Maker)
5 July 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Alan Price Set (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
8 July 1966 – Dancing Slipper, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)
8 July 1966 – Fiesta Hall, Andover, Hampshire with The Rumours (Andover Advertiser)
16 July 1966 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with The Quiet Five and Dave & The Strollers (website: www.california-ballroom.info/gigs/)
22 July 1966 – Dancing Slipper, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)
Photo may be subject to copyright
23 July 1966 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with Paul & Barry Ryan, The Action, Rob Storme & The Whispers and The Ferry Boys (Lincolnshire Standard)
29 July 1966 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (website: www.california-ballroom.info/gigs/)
Photo may be subject to copyright
6 August 1966 – Flamenco, Folkestone, Kent (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
Photo may be subject to copyright
8 August 1966 – Atlanta Ballroom, Woking, Surrey (Aldershot News/Camberley News)
10 August 1966 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London (Melody Maker)
15 August 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
20 August 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Soul Agents (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
27 August 1966 – Royal Albion Hotel, Walton-on-Naze, Essex with The Wild Oates (Essex County Standard)
3 September 1966 – Galaxy Club, Town Hall, Basingstoke, Hampshire (Hampshire & Berkshire Gazette)
9 September 1966 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Fadin’ Colours (Melody Maker)
10 September 1966 – Adelphi Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire (Windsor, Slough and Eton Express)
19 September 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Alan Bown Set (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
Photo may be subject to copyright
23 September 1966 – Royal Albion Hotel, Walton-on-Naze, Essex (Essex County Standard)
24 September 1966 – Club de Danse, Colchester, Essex (Essex County Standard)
30 September 1966 – Starlite, Greenford, northwest London with Robert Parker (Melody Maker)
Photo may be subject to copyright
1 October 1966 – Co-op Rainbow Suite, Birmingham, West Midlands with The Jimmy Brown Sound (Birmingham Evening Mail)
2 October 1966 – Sunday Club, Addlestone, Surrey (Woking Herald)
12 November 1966 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with The Rockin Berries, The Bo Street Runners and The Charades (Lincolnshire Standard)
19 November 1966 – Shoreline, Bognor Regis, West Sussex and The Ultimate (Melody Maker)
26 November 1966 – Lion Hotel, Warrington, Cheshire with The Principals and The Mistake (Warrington Guardian)
Around now keyboard player Terry May from The Keyes joins.
10 December 1966 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Brox & The Blues Train and The Tender Trap (website: www.california-ballroom.info/gigs/)
Photo may be subject to copyright
27 December 1966 – Tuesday Club, Adelphi Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire (Windsor, Slough and Eton Express)
31 December 1966 – Starlite, Greenford, northwest London with The Birds (Melody Maker)
8 February 1967 – Kingsway Theatre, Hadleigh, Essex with Spencer Davis Group, Sounds Incorporated, The Fourmost and The Human Instinct (Essex Chronicle/Southend Standard)
22 March 1967 – Big L Party Night, Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Tuesday’s Children (Melody Maker)
21 April 1967 – Tiger’s Head, Downham, southeast London (South East London Mercury)
4 May 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with The Shell (Melody Maker)
26 May 1967 – Angel Hotel, Blue Beat Club, Godalming, Surrey (Surrey Advertiser)
1 July 1967 – Summer Festival, Welcome Inn, Eltham, southeast London with The Herd and Debonaire (South East London Mercury)
Photo may be subject to copyright
23 July 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London (Melody Maker)
31 August 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London (Melody Maker)
10 September 1967 – Starlite Ballroom, Greenford, northwest London with James & Bobby Purify (Melody Maker)
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.
Jimmy Royal (real name: James Nairn) (vocals)
Micky King (guitar)
John Savage (bass)
Terry Mabey (drums)
Formed after Jimmy Royal had worked with The Skyways, the singer recruited Micky King, who’d spent time with Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and Terry Mabey, who’d previously worked with Frankie Reid & The Casuals among others.
1963
11 April 1963 – Fender Club, Kenton, Middlesex with The Barron Knights featuring Duke D’Mond (Harrow Observer)
First lineup, circa early 1961, from left: Roger Bluck, Frankie Reid, John Donald, Pete Stretch and Danny McCulloch
Originally published November, 2010, revised June 2012
From Ealing in West London, R&B band Frankie Reid & The Casuals were notable for containing several musicians that went on to fame and fortune in later years.
Frankie Reid & The Casuals #1 (Late 1960)
Frankie Reid – vocals Mick Cosgrave – lead guitar (replaced before first gig) John Donald – rhythm guitar Danny McCulloch – bass Mick Revelle – drums (replaced by Peter Stretch early on)
Born in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Frankie Reid and his brother Ralph started performing in 1957 as the Reid Brothers. In February 1960, they moved to London and in their first week in the capital entered and won a talent contest, held at the Shepherd’s Bush Hotel.
In September, Frankie Reid was introduced to the manager of the Kew Boathouse in Kew, Middlesex, who hired him to sing at the club with the three resident bands – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, Pat Creswell & The Crescents and Ray & The Riversiders. Signed up for six months, he performed six songs a night, split between each band.
Turning down an offer to play another six months at the Kew Boathouse, Reid chose instead to form his own group. Hearing about The Casuals who needed a new singer after Tony Craven had left; Reid met the musicians – John Donald, Mick Cosgrave, Danny McCullough and Mick Revelle – at a rehearsal hall in Askew Road, Shepherd’s Bush.
Originally known as The Avro Boys, who had won a talent contest at the Gaumont in Shepherd’s Bush, the group appeared in a BBC documentary on how the guitar had taken over from the piano in the home. Produced by Ken Russell, “Guitar Craze – From Spain to Streatham” was screened on BBC TV’s “Monitor”, presented by Huw Weldon. Soon afterwards, the group linked up with singer Tony Craven and became Tony Craven & The Casuals.
Not long after Frankie Reid had joined forces with The Casuals, the band took on Bill Dunton as their manager. Dunton sold his Ford Zodiac/Zephyr to buy a van, which was painted with the band’s name and the individual group members’ names on the side.
Despite rehearsing about 60 songs, Mick Cosgrave left before a single gig and Roger Black (aka Bluck) took over on lead guitar. Soon after, Peter Stretch came in for Mick Revelle.
Frankie Reid & The Casuals #2 (Late 1960-late 1961)
Frankie Reid – vocals Roger Bluck – lead guitar John Donald – rhythm guitar Danny McCulloch – bass Peter Stretch – drums
One of the group’s earliest gigs was at the Pitshanger Lane Youth Club. The second line up also played at Battersea Town Hall and was regulars at the Brixton Maccabi Jewish club, St Mary’s Hall in Putney, the White Hart in Southall, Middlesex and the Clay Pigeon in Eastcote, Middlesex.
Sometime in late 1961, Peter Stretch left and a very young Mitch Mitchell took over. Originally from Ealing, Mitchell had taken drum lessons at Jim Marshall’s shop and was recommended to Reid by Marshall. Mitchell had briefly worked with The Crescents before joining The Casuals.
Frankie Reid & The Casuals #3 (Late 1961-spring 1962)
Frankie Reid – vocals Roger Bluck – lead guitar John Donald – rhythm guitar Danny McCulloch – bass Mitch Mitchell – drums
In early 1962, Roger Bluck, who worked at EMI as a record cover designer, got the opportunity to do some session work backing a pianist on an instrumental single and called the other Casuals to see if they could participate. Unfortunately, only Donald could make it and subsequently the session was cancelled.
A few months later both Donald and Bluck departed. While Donald would join Brian Connell & The Countdowns for about six months in 1963, Bluck would go on to become a member of David Bowie’s early group Davey Jones & The King Bees in November 1963. From there, he went on to play with The Spectrum from 1964-1968. Ian Holland came in on lead guitar and the band continued as a four-piece.
Frankie Reid & The Casuals #4 (spring 1962)
Frankie Reid – vocals Ian Holland – lead guitar Danny McCulloch – bass Mitch Mitchell – drums
The new line up played gigs at St Mary’s Hall, Putney, the Ealing Club, Acton Town Hall, Ealing Town Hall, Wembley Town Hall, the White Hart in Southall, Middlesex and Southall Community Centre.
Frankie Reid & The Casuals #5 (May-circa July 1962)
Frankie Reid – vocals Ian Holland – lead guitar Brian Mansell – rhythm guitar Danny McCulloch – bass Mitch Mitchell – drums
Brian Mansell, a rhythm guitarist from Whitton, Middlesex had been playing with Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers, who changed name to The Condors in April 1962 for one tour. When the band’s guitarist Ritchie Blackmore left to join Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages, The Condors split and Mansell got a job with Frankie Reid & The Casuals. Soon after he joined, Mansell lobbied for his former band mate, Terry Mabey, to take over from Mitch Mitchell.
Mitchell was given his marching orders and joined Peter Nelson & The Travellers with lead singer Pete Nelson, bass player Tony Ross, rhythm guitarist Tony Hall and lead guitarist Vic Briggs (who years later joined Eric Burdon & The New Animals). In subsequent years, Mitchell played with Johnny Harris & The Shades, The Soul Messengers, The Next 5, The Riot Squad and Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames before ultimately finding fame and fortune with The Jimi Hendrix Experience in September 1966.
Notable gigs:
26 May 1962 – White Hart, Southall, Middlesex
27 May 1962 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, Middlesex
31 May 1962 – Gifford School, Northolt, Middlesex
2 June 1962 – St Mary’s Hall, Putney, Surrey
9 June 1962 – White Hart, Southall, Middlesex
11 June 1962 – Boathouse, Kew, Surrey
14 June 1962 – Hatfield College (Hatfield, Hertfordshire?)
15 June 1962 – Poplar Town Hall, Poplar, London
16 June 1962 – St Mary’s Hall, Putney, Surrey
17 June 1962 – Invicta Ballroom, Chatham, Kent
18 June 1962 – Howard Hall, Ponders End, Enfield
22 June 1962 – Poplar Town Hall, Poplar, London
23 June 1962 – White Hart, Southall, Middlesex
25 June 1962 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, Middlesex
26 June 1962 – Roxeth School, South Harrow, Middlesex
29 June 1962 – Wimbledon Palais, Wimbledon
30 June 1962 – St Mary’s Hall, Putney, Surrey
2 July 1962 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, Middlesex
6 July 1962 – White Hart, Southall, Middlesex
7 July 1962 – Atheneon, Muswell Hill, London
8 July 1962 – Irish club, Cricklewood, Middlesex
13 July 1962 – Woking (Atlanta Ballroom?), Surrey
14 July 1962 – Royal Oak, Dagenham, Essex
Frankie Reid & The Casuals #6 (Circa July-September 1962)
Frankie Reid – vocals Ian Holland – lead guitar Brian Mansell – rhythm guitar Danny McCulloch – bass Terry Mabey – drums
Having only joined the band a few months earlier, Brian Mansell handed in his notice at the end of September and dropped out of the music scene for several years, returning in 1966 with Sunbury, Middlesex band, The Missing Links.
The following year, he joined The All Night Workers and stuck with this group until 1969.
When Mabey wasn’t well enough to perform, Derek Sirmon, who had attended Kneller school in Twickenham, Middlesex with Brian Mansell and Terry Mabey, filled in on drums.
Notable gigs:
19 July 1962 – Hatfield College, (Hatfield, Hertfordshire?)
20 July 1962 – Hendon, Middlesex
21 July 1962 – Stanwell, Middlesex (afternoon)
21 July 1962 – Atheneon, Muswell Hill (afternoon)
22 July 1962 – Irish club, Cricklewood, Middlesex
24 July 1962 – Park Ballroom, Southampton, Hants
25 July 1962 – Hillingdon, Middlesex
27 July 1962 – Crayford Town Hall, Crayford, Kent
28 July 1962 – Tiptree, Essex
29 July 1962 – Invicta Ballroom, Chatham, Kent
1 August 1962 – Hillingdon, Middlesex
3 August 1962 – Hendon, Middlesex
4 August 1962 – Botwell Club, Hayes, Middlesex
9 August 1962 – Hatfield (Hatfield, Hertfordshire?)
10 August 1962 – Woking (Atlanta Ballroom?), Surrey
11 August 1962 – St Mary’s Hall, Putney, Surrey
15 August 1962 – Hillingdon, Middlesex
17 August 1962 – Winchester, Hants
18 August 1962 – St Mary’s Ballroom, Putney, Surrey
19 August 1962 – Southall Community Centre, Southall, Middlesex
22 August 1962 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, Middlesex
24 August 1962 – White Hart, Southall, Middlesex
25 August 1962 – White Hart, Southall, Middlesex
31 August 1962 – Park Ballroom, Middlesex
1 September 1962 – Botwell Club, Hayes, Middlesex
5 September 1962 – Hillingdon, Middlesex
7 September 1962 – Finchley, Middlesex
9 September 1962 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire
14 September 1962 – Dormers Pioneer Club, Southall, Middlesex
15 September 1962 – St Mary’s Ballroom, Putney, Surrey
16 September 1962 – Invicta Ballroom, Chatham, Kent
22 September 1962 – White Hart, Southall, Middlesex
28 September 1962 – Crayford Town Hall, Crayford, Kent
Frankie Reid & The Casuals #7 (October 1962)
Frankie Reid – vocals Ian Holland – lead guitar Danny McCulloch – bass Terry Mabey or Derek Sirmon – drums
Reduced to a four-piece, this was another short-lived line up of Frankie Reid & The Casuals.
In October 1962, Derek Sirmon and Danny McCulloch left to join Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages.
Frankie Reid & The Casuals #8 (October 1962-circa February 1963)
Frankie Reid – vocals Ian Holland – lead guitar Steve Hargreaves – bass Terry Mabey – drums (replaced by Bill Dunton)
This was yet another short-lived line up of the band. In early 1963, Terry Mabey left to join Ealing band, James Royal & The Hawks.
Bill Dunton took over the drums for a while but didn’t stay long.
Notable gigs:
21 January 1963 – White Hart, Southall, Middlesex (the band plays every Monday)
28 January 1963 – White Hart, Southall, Middlesex (the band plays every Monday)
Photo: Surrey Advertiser
2-3 February 1963 – Plaza, Guildford, Surrey (Surrey Advertiser)
Ealing Town Hall, early 1963, from left: Ian Holland, Frankie Reid and Steve Hargreaves with John Kerrison at back
Frankie Reid & The Casuals #9 (Circa February-April 1963)
Frankie Reid – vocals Ian Holland – lead guitar Chris Jackson – rhythm guitar Steve Hargreaves – bass John Kerrison – drums
John Kerrison attended Mellow Lane in Hayes in Middlesex where Keith Grant of The Downliners Sect also went to school.
At the age of 14, Kerrison played with The Cossacks from Greenford, Middlesex. The group’s line up also included Keith Lewis (lead guitar/vocals) and Merv Lewis (bass).
From there, he hooked up with Paul & The Alpines, featuring Paul Lonergan (vocals); Ray Kirkham (lead guitar); Dave Dove (bass) and Alf Fripp (rhythm guitar).
Managed by Sid Foreman, the band worked quite a bit for the Roy Tempest Agency. It was while he was drumming with this band that Kerrison got the call to audition for Frankie Reid & The Casuals at the Viaduct Pub in Hanwell, Middlesex after Bill Dunton left.
Soon after he joined, the band reverted to a five-piece by adding Chris Jackson on rhythm guitar.
Ian Holland and Steve Hargreaves both left in spring 1963, although Hargreaves would re-join Frankie Reid in later years in his group, The Powerhouse.
Ian Holland (sometimes known as Hollands) went to record with The Legends and also played with The Magic Roundabout.
Notable gigs:
25 March 1963 – King George’s Hall, Esher, Surrey
Botwell House, Hayes, Middlesex (late 1963), from left: Chris Jackson, Reg Bodman, Frankie Reid, John Kerrison and Mick Liber. Thank you to John Kerrison for the use of the photo.
Frankie Reid & The Casuals #10 (Circa April 1963-December 1964)
Frankie Reid – vocals Mick Liber – lead guitar Reg Bodman – bass Chris Jackson – rhythm guitar John Kerrison – drums
Scots-born lead guitarist Mick Liber’s first notable band was Ealing group Clay Alison & The Searchers led by guitarist and future lawyer, Andre de Moller.
Liber was also friends with Pete Townshend, who had rented a flat off Liber’s dad in Sunnyside Road in Ealing during his time at Ealing Art College, and taught Liber how to play feedback.
Originally from Peckham in south London, Reg Bodman had started out in 1960 with local band, The Talismen, which included drummer Al Alison from Emile Ford & The Checkmates for a while.
When Frankie Reid & The Casuals broke up in the December 1964, John Kerrison joined The Rocking Eccentrics and then went on to work with The Horizons, The Dae-b-Four, The New Pirates, Episode Six and The Beachcombers.
Reg Bodman filled in for a number of bands around the Ealing area, including The Ealing Redcaps, The Pirates and Morgan James before joining a soul band in Southeast London called The Sassenachs, who played top Soho clubs like the Flamingo and the Marquee.
After playing with this band for over ten years, Bodman relocated to Kent and worked with the blues band TwoSixNine. He then went on to work with a soul band in Dorset (where he currently lives) called Soul Intention.
Mick Liber had guested with Ealing group, The Unit 4 led by his friend Frank Kennington from mid-1964.
The pair reunited in Sydney, Australia in January 1965 and formed a new (Australian) version of Unit 4 (see pic below).
Photo may be subject to copyright: Frank Kennington (second left) and Mick Liber (far right). Unit 4 in Sydney, Australia 1965.
They also worked together in The Denvermen before forming the original Python Lee Jackson in Sydney, Australia in December 1965.
Liber returned to the UK with a new version of Python Lee Jackson in October 1968 and subsequently reunited with Frankie Reid (see below).
Frankie Reid dropped out of the music scene briefly before returning in 1968 with a new band, The Powerhouse, which he led until 1974.
Frankie Reid & The Casuals at Botwell House, 1964. Thank you to Frankie Reid for use of the photo.
Notable gigs:
23 May 1963 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday)
13 June 1963 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex with Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Thursday)
20 June 1963 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex with Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Thursday)
30 July 1963 – Top Twenty Nite Club, Swindon, Wiltshire
9 February 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday)
11 April 1964 – Rock Stars, Adeyfield Hall, Hemel Hempstead, Herts with Sounds Five (Hertfordshire and Hemel Hempstead Gazette and West Herts Advertiser)
20 April 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Monday) (Billed as The Casuals)
27 April 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Monday) (Billed as The Casuals)
18 June 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday)
25 June 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday)
30 June 1964 – Jolly Gardeners, Isleworth, Middlesex with Mark Leemen Five (billed Frankie Reed & The Casuals)
2 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday)
9 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday)
16 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday)
23 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday)
25 July 1964 – “The Cavern” at the West Cliff Hall (near Ramsgate), Kent with The Satans
30 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday)
17 September 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday) (special guest Jimmy Royal)
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
24 September 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex with Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Thursday)
25 September 1964 – Lynx Club, Borehamwood, Herts with The Fenmen (Simon Gee research – see comments section below)
26 November 1964 – Ealing Town Hall, Ealing, Middlesex with The Second Thoughts
28 November 1964 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Applejacks
29 November 1964 – Rocky Rivers Top 20 Club, Conservative Club, Bedford
The original Powerhouse in 1968/1969 from left: Steve Hargreaves, Peter Abbot and Frankie ReidThe original Powerhouse in 1968/1969 from left: Steve Hargreaves (obscured, on bass), Peter Abbot, Frankie Reid and Mick Liber
Frankie Reid & The Powerhouse (1968-1969)
Frankie Reid – lead vocals Mick Liber – lead guitar Steve Hargreaves – bass Peter Abbot – drums
Frankie Reid returned to the West London live scene with The Powerhouse, featuring former Casuals bass player Steve Hargreaves.
After arriving back in England from Australia in late 1968, Liber reunited with his old band leader.
In 1969, the latest version of Python Lee Jackson, which included drummer David Montgomery, recorded the classic “In A Broken Dream” with Rod Stewart.
In 1970, Liber introduced Montgomery, keyboard player David Bentley and former Easybeats drummer Tony Cahill, who was now playing bass, all current members of the UK-based Python Lee Jackson, to the latest line up of Frankie Reid’s Powerhouse. The second incarnation recorded some material that remains unreleased.
The 1970 Powerhouse, photo courtesy of Frankie Reid, From left: Tony Cahill, Dave Montgomery (on drums, obscured), Frankie Reid and Mick LiberFrom left: Frankie Reid, Tony Cahill, Dave Montgomery and Mick Liber. Photo courtesy of Frankie Reid
Frankie Reid & The Powerhouse (1970)
Frankie Reid – lead vocals Mick Liber – lead guitar David Bentley – organ Tony Cahill – bass David Montgomery – drums
(Early-mid 1970s) John Hawken – piano Neil Korner – bass
While working with The Powerhouse, Liber also toured and recorded with Ashton, Gardner & Dyke. Together with Bentley, Cahill and Montgomery, he continued to record with Python Lee Jackson, and later did studio work with Third World War and live work with Thunderclap Newman. In 1973, Liber returned to Australia and continued to perform with a number of artists, most notably Dana Gillespie and Blerta.
After The Powerhouse split up in 1974, Frankie Reid formed The Frankie Reid Band. In 1978, he formed Flying Fox with drum legend Carlo Little and bass player Nick Simper, best known for being an original member of Deep Purple. In November 1979, however, he emigrated to Australia and currently lives in Perth.
Many people helped piece this story together. Thanks to Frankie Reid, particularly for the use of photos/images.
Thanks to Brian Mansell for the list of concert dates from May-September 1962, which were taken from his diary.
I’d also like to credit John Kerrison, Mick Liber, John Donald, Colin Reece, Nick Simper, Reg Bodman and Terry Mabey for their invaluable input.
Concert dates were also taken from several newspapers, including the Ampthill News & Weekly Record, East Kent Times & Mail, Harrow Observer, Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette, the Middlesex Chronicle (Hounslow Edition), Surrey Comet and Swindon Evening Advertiser.
I have tried to ensure the accuracy of this article but I appreciate that there are likely to be errors and omissions. I would appreciate any feedback from anyone who can provide any additions or corrections.
The Unit 4, from left: Ian Gomm, Martin Davis and Frank Kennington
Frank Kennington – lead vocals Ian Gomm – rhythm guitar/lead guitar and vocals Martin Davis – bass Simon Behar – drums
+ Mick Liber – lead guitar
Ian Gomm
The band started around 1962/1963 and was formed by Ian Gomm, Martin Davis and Simon Behar, who were all pupils at Ealing County School for Boys (another student was Lee Brilleaux who later formed Dr Feelgood).
Soon after forming, Frank Kennington, who was older than the others, joined as lead singer and they became Unit 4 (not to be confused with the Unit 4 + 2).
One of the bands Unit 4 opened for around 1963 was Del Angelo & The Detours, which included singer Del Angelo, lead guitarist Roger Daltry, rhythm guitarist Pete Townshend and bass player/horn player John Entwistle. The latter three went on to become The High Numbers and more famously, The Who.
Kennington became a close friend of The Who and would work with that band in later years. Mick Liber, who was playing with Frankie Reid & The Casuals and (and previously) Clay Alison & The Searchers (Ed. Liber had been taught feedback by Pete Townshend), guested with Unit 4 from the summer of 1964.
Simon Behar and Frank KenningtonFrank Kennington
Around October 1964, Kennington left England and moved to Sydney, Australia, and Unit 4 broke up.
Liber subsequently re-joined Frank Kennington in Sydney on 28 January 1965 after leaving Frankie Reid & The Casuals.
The pair formed a new version of Unit 4 (see pic below), who included (at various times) Australians Lloyd Hardy (bass), Roger Homan (rhythm guitar) and John Webber (drums) plus British expat, Shane Duckham (harmonica). However, the revived band was short-lived.
Photo may be subject to copyright: Unit 4 in Sydney, Australia during early 1965. Frank Kennington (second left) and Mick Liber (far right). Photo also shows John Webber (far left) and Roger Homan (second right).
By mid-1965, Kennington had briefly joined Sydney group, The Missing Links and then reunited with Liber in The Denvermen.
They then left to form the original version of Python Lee Jackson in December 1965, named by Liber’s former band leader from Clay Alison & The Searchers – Andre de Moller, who was living in Sydney at the time.
Kennington was subsequently deported and returned to the UK, where he roadied for The Who and eventually moved into rock management. He was Motorhead’s first road manager and moved out to California in the 1970s. He died in 1998.
Liber kept Python Lee Jackson going with various different line ups and recorded a string of singles for CBS. After working with Australian rock legend, Billy Thorpe, he reformed Python Lee Jackson and returned to the UK around October 1968.
After the London-based Unit 4 broke up in late 1964, Ian Gomm and Martin Davis went on to work with local band, The Unknowns.
Gomm subsequently played with West London bands The Triangle, The Generation and The Daisy Showband before joining Brinsley Schwarz in September 1970.
He co-wrote Nick Lowe’s worldwide hit “Cruel to Be Kind” with Lowe when they were both members of Brinsley Schwarz. He also had his own US top twenty hit “Hold On” in 1979 when the Ian Gomm Band supported Dire Straits on their epic “Sultans of Swing” US tour. “Hold On” was Stiff Records’ only US chart success.
Great thanks to Ian Gomm for supplying the photos (apart from the Australian Unit 4) and background information. Also, thanks to Mick Liber for his contributions and putting me in touch with Ian.
This site is a work in progress on 1960s garage rock bands. All entries can be updated, corrected and expanded. If you have information on a band featured here, please let me know and I will update the site and credit you accordingly.
I am dedicated to making this site a center for research about '60s music scenes. Please consider donating archival materials such as photos, records, news clippings, scrapbooks or other material from the '60s. Please contact me at rchrisbishop@gmail.com if you can loan or donate original materials
