David Essex & The Mood Indigo

The Mood Indigo in mid-1966. Left to right: Rick Parker, original sax player, Pete Steed, Dave Dyer and original drummer Mick Martin. Photo: Del Paramor

Keyboard player Pete Steed formed the original Mood Indigo in early 1966 before singer David Essex became involved. The original formation comprised:

Pete Steed – organ/vocals

Dave Dyer – lead guitar

Rick Parker – bass

Mick Martin – drums

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A sax player whose name no one can recall

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30 April 1966 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with Pinkerton’s Assorted Colours, The Triads, The Dickens Set and The Ferry Boys (Lincolnshire Standard)

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21 May 1966 – Memorial Hall, Newmarket, Cambridgeshire with The Breed (Cambridge News)

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26 May 1966 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge with The Small Faces (Cambridge News)

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17 June 1966 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with Herbie Goins & The Night Timers (Melody Maker)

20 June 1966 – Drill Hall, Newmarket, Cambridgeshire (Cambridge News)

24 June 1966 – Parkside Hall, Ampthill, Bedfordshire with support (Bury Free Press)

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25 June 1966 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge with Bob Kidman & His Band, The Paramounts, Wainwright’s Gentlemen and The Astrobeats (Cambridge News)

 

2 July 1966 – Memorial Hall, Newmarket, Cambridgeshire with Beat Six (Cambridge News)

9 July 1966 – Marcam Hall, March, Cambridgeshire with Wayne Fontana (Lynn News)

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6 August 1966 – Maple Ballroom, Northampton with The Tykes (Northampton Chronicle)

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8 August 1966 – Drill Hall, Newmarket, Cambridgeshire (Cambridge News)

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4 September 1966 – Burlesque, Leicester (Leicester Mercury)

On 11 September 1966, tenor sax player Del Paramor rehearsed with The Mood Indigo before playing his debut gig three days later, succeeding the sax player who’d left.

Paramor had previously worked in a group with future Procol Harum keyboard player Matthew Fisher at Butlin’s Holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset called The Hi-Fi Sounds.

The following gigs are from his diary.

14 September 1966 – USAF base, Broughton, Northamptonshire

16 September 1966 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge with BB Kidman & His Band, The Sassanacks, The County Cousins and The Swinging Q Men

17 September 1966 – Memorial Hall, Newmarket, Suffolk with The Still Waters

22 September 1966 – Conservative Club, Bedford, Bedfordshire

23 September 1966 – Letchworth Youth Club, Letchworth, Hertfordshire

The Mood Indigo pictured without David Essex in Cambridge, spring 1967. Photo: Del Paramor

1 October 1966 – DeHavilland Social Club, Stevenage, Hertfordshire

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3 October 1966 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with The Mad Lads (Melody Maker)

7 October 1966 – Purple Door, Luton, Bedfordshire

8 October 1966 – Maidenhead, Berkshire (probably the Dolphin Hotel)

On the morning of 8 October, the musicians auditioned at the Marquee in Greek Street in London and met David Essex. The singer and his manager Derek Bowman were keen to link up with The Mood Indigo so that Essex could gain some “road” experience with a touring group

12 October 1966 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge

14 October 1966 – Stanford-le-Hope, Essex (unknown venue)

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15 October 1966 – Flamenco, Folkestone, Kent (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)

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16 October 1966 – Olympia Ballroom, Cromer, Norfolk with Dawn & The Dee-Jays (North Norfolk News)

On 18 October, Mood Indigo had its first rehearsal with David Essex and baritone sax player Paddy Corea in Stevenage.

Originally from the Caribbean, Corea had played with several bands in the Stoke Newington/Tottenham area of London and knew Eddy Grant, Junior Marvin and Calvin Samuels among others.

22 October 1966 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge with The Plague, The Tramps and Formula 4

26 October 1966 – Mecca Ballroom, Stevenage, Hertfordshire with The Searchers

27 October 1966 – Mecca Ballroom, Stevenage, Hertfordshire with The Ted Heath Band

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29 October 1966 – Maple Ballroom, Northampton with The Hubb (Northampton Chronicle) This is missing from Del’s list

 

4 November 1966 – Garden of Eden Club, Bridge Hotel, Wheatley, Oxfordshire

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5 November 1966 – Parsons Hall, Irchester, near Rushden, Northamptonshire with The State Express (Royston band)

12 November 1966 – Leicester University, Leicester

12 November 1966 – Latin Quarter, Leicester

16 November 1966 – Mecca Ballroom, Stevenage, Hertfordshire with Lee Dorsey

18 November 1966 – Drill Hall, Newmarket, Suffolk

19 November 1966 – Wittering near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire (unknown venue)

21 November 1966 – Goldsmith College, New Cross, southeast London

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24 November 1966 – Charity show at Bowes Lyon House, Stevenage, Hertfordshire with Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers

25 November 1966 – Caesars Palace, Luton, Bedfordshire

26 November 1966 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Herts with The Fenton Wells

29 November 1966 – Letchworth College of Technology, Letchworth, Hertfordshire

 

1 December 1966 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge with Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band

2 December 1966 – Witchdoctor Club, Catford, southeast London

3 December 1966 – Owl Club, Wanstead, Essex

9 December 1966 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London

10 December 1966 – Youth Club, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire

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16 December 1966 – The Cricketers Inn, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex

Following this gig, Mick, the drummer was sacked after crashing the van and replaced by Keith Harvey

17 December 1966 – Flamenco, Folkestone, Kent (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald) This is missing from Del Paramor’s gig list so may not have happened

18 December 1966 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London

22 December 1966 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge with Tykes (Club Moulin Rouge)

24 December 1966 – Mecca Ballroom, Stevenage, Hertfordshire

31 December 1966 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire with The Mooche

Near the Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge, spring 1967. Left to right: second drummer Keith Harvey, Paddy Corea, Del Paramor, Pete Steed and Rick Parker. Photo: Del Paramor

1967

1 January 1967 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (“Radio Caroline Night Out”) (Melody Maker)

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6 January 1967 – Brackley Town Hall, Brackley, Northamptonshire

7 January 1967 – New All-Star Club, 9a Artillery Passage, east London

8 January 1967 – Maids Head, King’s Lynn, Norfolk

9 January 1967 – Drill Hall, Newmarket, Suffolk

13 January 1967 – Purple Door, Luton, Bedfordshire

14 January 1967 – Nautilus Club, Lowestoft, Suffolk

20 January 1967 – USAF base, Mildenhall, Suffolk

21 January 1967 – Owl Club, Wanstead, east London

22 January 1967 – Hyams Sports and Social Club, Prickwillow, Cambridgeshire

23 January 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London

27 January 1967 – Harvest Moon, Guildford, Surrey with Jon and Great Expectations (West Surrey Advertiser) Paramor says this was cancelled

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28 January 1967 – 007 Club, Keys Hall, Brentwood, Essex with The Wishbones

30 January 1967 – Working Men’s Club, Kettering, Northamptonshire

On 3 February, Del Paramor remembers David Essex’s father hired a new Ford van for the group to travel in

3 February 1967 – Witchdoctor, Catford, southeast London

4 February 1967 – Starlite, Greenford, west London

8 February 1967 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London

10 February 1967 – Caesar’s Palace, Luton, Bedfordshire

11 February 1967 – Cliff Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea, Essex

12 February 1967 – Tiffany’s, Shaftsbury Avenue, central London

14 February 1967 – Bournemouth Pavilion, Bournemouth, Dorset with Dave Berry

15 February 1967 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge with The Jimi Hendrix Experience

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17 February 1967 – Royal Albion Hotel, Walton-on-Naze, Essex (Essex County Standard)

18 February 1967 – Legion Hall, Amersham, Bucks

19 February 1967 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London

23 February 1967 – Weir Hotel, Raleigh, Essex

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24 February 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Jo Jo Gunne (Melody Maker)

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

26 February 1967 – Olympia Ballroom, Cromer, Norfolk

 

1 March 1967 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge

3 March 1967 – RAF Marham, near Swaffham, Norfolk

3 March 1967 – Ritz, Bournemouth, Dorset (website: https://bournemouthbeatboom.wordpress.com/This is missing from Del’s list but probably didn’t happen considering the confirmed date above on the same date

4 March 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with The Who

5 March 1967 – Maids Head, King’s Lynn, Norfolk

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6 March 1967 – Drill Hall, Newmarket, Suffolk (Cambridge News)

7 March 1967 – RAF Wyton, near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire

12 March 1967 – Brandon, near Mildenhall, Suffolk (unknown venue)

17 March 1967 – Sawston College, near Cambridge

18 March 1967 – Assembly Rooms, Framlingham, Suffolk

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19 March 1967 – Tavern Club, Dereham, Norfolk with The Insite (Eastern Evening News)

25 March 1967 – Thing Club, Oldham, Lancashire with Victor Brox

25 March 1967 – Majestic Club, Oldham, Lancashire (“guested”)

27 March 1967 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge

31 March 1967 – Disk-a-Takis Club, Manchester

 

1 April 1967 – Maple Ballroom, Northampton with Fridays Mind

5 April 1967 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge

6 April 1967 – Samantha’s, New Burlington Street, central London

8 April 1967 – New All-Star Club, 9a Artillery Passage, east London

9 April 1967 – Working Men’s Club, Kettering, Northamptonshire

13 April 1967 – RAF Henlow, Hertfordshire

15 April 1967 – Town Hall, Heacham, Norfolk

16 April 1967 – Co-op Hall, Warrington, Cheshire

17 April 1967 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire

22 April 1967 – Abertillery Jazz Club, Wales

25 April 1967 – Darrell’s Club, Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester

26 April 1967 – Club A Go Go, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne & Wear

27 April 1967 – Mecca/Locarno, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear

28 April 1967 – Cambridge City Football Club, Cambridge with The Spencer Davis Group, The Yardbirds, Family and The Breed

29 April 1967 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire

 

3 May 1967 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge with The Barron Knights

5 May 1967 – USAF base, Stanton, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

6 May 1967 – Burton Leander Social Club, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire (Burton Daily Mail) This is not on Del’s gig list so probably didn’t happen

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6 May 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with The All Night Walkers and Zany Woodruffe Operation (Melody Maker)

6 May 1967 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London

10 May 1967 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire

12 May 1967 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London

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13 May 1967 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Troggs

14 May 1967 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Troggs (final gig)

David Essex splits from The Mood Indigo after the Dreamland gigs and goes solo.

Del Paramor briefly works with singer Vince Edwards before joining The Warren Davis Monday Band in July. Paddy Corea joins a ‘fake’ version of The Skatelites and then Blue Rivers & The Maroons. Most of the band evolves into Demon Fuzz. 

The Mood Indigo reform later in the year.

Although the gig advertised Mood Indigo, Del Paramor says it was his next band with Vince Edwards who honoured the booking. Image may be subject to copyright

Huge thanks to Del Paramor for the gigs listings from September 1966-May 1967. Thanks to Del for the use of photos as well.

The followings gigs were from June 1967 but it’s not clear if they went ahead:

2 June 1967 (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle). Image may be subject to copyright
5 June 1967 (Bolton Evening News). Image may be subject to copyright
15-16 June 1967, Cornish gigs (possibly Cornish Guardian). Image may be subject to copyright

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.

Mood Indigo, spring 1967, left to right: Rick Parker, Paddy Corea, Pete Steed, Keith Harvey and Del Paramor. Photo: Del Paramor

24 thoughts on “David Essex & The Mood Indigo”

  1. The drummer in Mood Indigo was Keith Harvey. Keith was formally a member of The Niteshades who released the song Be My Guest in 1965, from the film of the same name. I was at school with Keith and for a short period of time he played drums in one of the bands I was in, namely Harsh Reality. Pete Steed went on to play guitar and sing in a band called The Helmsmen who were resident at The Longship in Stevenage Town Centre. The last time I saw him was in Malta were he was doing a residency at a holiday resort back in 1980. Rick Parker was bassist with The Deltics in the early 60’s who’s singer was Alan Greed – who was the vocalist / keyboards with Harsh Reality.

    1. Hi Dave, Did you know Michael McCarthy at all ? From Danny Lee & The Gypsys? I’m looking to find more pics and videos of his band.. Are you in contact with Keith still ? Thanks A grandaughter who’s never met her Grandad !

  2. Dear David,

    Thank you for your comment. I remember Keith well. he was a very good, albeit somewhat eccentric, drummer with a great sense of humour – especially when on “medication”. it was only for reasons of health that he left the band. According to Pete Steed’s first wife, Gloria, Rick Parker stayed on in Malta as a yacht deckhand and the good life. Any info you could give me about Rick, Keith and the first guitarist Dave Dyer would be very welcome. Did we ever meet during the Stevenage era? i know we had a roadie called Dave towards the end.
    Cheers,
    Del

    1. Hi Del,
      Your name rings no bells with me but that’s not to say our paths have not crossed. What bands did you play in? I was in The Stalkers / The Switch / Revolution/The Freightliner Blues Band/Harsh Reality before joining up with ex Niteshades Martin Davies/Giner Roberts + Len Crawley from Linda Laine and The Sinners to tour Greece and Turkey (USAF Bases) in 1969. Can’t give you too much info on Rick Parker but Len Crawley told me that he joined ‘Peanuts’ as bassist for a few gigs back in the early seventies after Martin Davies left the band. Can’t add much more about Keith, you’ve said it all. The last time I saw him was around 2006, a couple of years before I left Stevenage to live in Norfolk. I first met Dave Dyer when Andy Colpin joined Fernando and The Hideaways. Andy was a neighbour of mine and we learnt to play guitar together. I think Dave lived in Knebworth at the time, I remember going to early rehearsals of the band in the back of a shop in Station Road.
      I spoke to Pete Steed while we where playing Incerlik Air Base in Turkey back in 1969, he and Keith along with Jerry (The Helmsmen) were with the same agency as us and were at the time playing in Ankara. We were about to come home after a nine month stint in both Greece and Turkey, and soon after I got home I bumped into Keith in the town centre. He did not elaborate on why he was back so soon!!!
      Hope you find this of interest.
      Regards
      Dave

    2. Hello Del,

      My name is Roy Newton and I am trying to make contact with Pete Steed’s ex-wife Gloria. I knew Pete and Gloria back in the 1950’s and would like to speak with Gloria again. Are you in contact with her or could you pass on my details for her to contact me?

      Regards, Roy

    3. hi dave, just to let you know that i wasn’t sacked as stated in your write up but left after the smash. it happened on the north cicula/hanger lane lights.
      regards mick martin

  3. Nice one Dave …yes Rick Parker joined the group ‘Peanuts’ after Martin Davies left, Rick was an excellent bass player, although he did like a drink or 2 or 3…don’t know where he is now , I think l heard from someone he may have passed on like Pete Steed has, Pete never did pay me the 15 bob he owed me after I sold him my paper round in 1956…HAPPY DAYS

  4. I have been checking some Yardbirds concert dates for 1967 and Del Paramor has listed his band , Mood lndigo , appearing at Cambridge FC with The Yardbirds , Spencer Davies, Family and The Breed on 28 /4 / 67 and then apparently , exactly the same line up appeared at Cambridge FC on the 29/5/ 67. Del said Mood lndigo were replaced by his next band. If you read this Del, lt seems that the club managed to , more or less , get exactly the same line up a month later? Can anyone confirm this? Many thanks for any help.

  5. Hi All, I stumbled across your site looking for Gloria Steed Pete steeds wife I have a few memory’s of both of them and I attended their wedding at the Cromwell hotel stevenage old town 19?? I remember it was snowing, I was at that time an electrician working at English Electric Co Gunnels wood rd and as was normal each spark was assigned an apprentice You guessed it Pete was assigned to me Well at least he made me smile I began to see the funny side of life after our union. I could go on with stories regarding Pete But the purpose of this letter was to locate Gloria If any one could HELP please leave a message
    Regards
    Roy Newton

    1. Hi Roy again, Started thinking again about Pete steed and the time in the early 1960s I invited Pete to go to Belgium with me in my Jowett Jupitor sports car I had been visiting a town called Koksijde since i was a child so knew the place very well Pete and I soon got into the drinking night life and met an old military N.C.O. named King After visiting a few bars and getting merry King invited us back to his barracks in Koksijde village three of us jumped into my soft top Jupitor and drove to the barracks and arrived at the main gate to be stopped by armed guards They obviously knew King and up came the barrier and in we went and stopped out side the military band block king ordered the young bandsmen outside to play us a few tunes , fortunately it was a weekend so no high ranking officers on site and we left without trouble , We had been drinking some Spanish junk wine in a bottle encased in a wicker basket a few franks for five Ltrs and it gave us a serious hang-over for a couple of days. There is more to the Belgium trip if anyone is interested any one found our Gloria yet?
      Roy Newton

  6. Hi,my name is Dave and I am the son of the original drummer Mick Martin,he is still gigging locally in Hertfordshire,I have followed in his footsteps on the drums,it was great to see a band photo with him in as he has lost all his memorabilia,would be good if you could put his name in the credits instead of a ?,cheers Dave

    1. Great news! Have only just checked out this site after a long gap following its first publication by good old Nick Warburton. Hopefully he will see this e-mail and add Mick’s name to the credits on the first photo. As far as I know Gloria is still alive and kicking in Stevenage. I shall be writing to her about Roy Newton. Give my best regards to your dad. I was with David Essex waiting for the band after the night of the accident and still don’t understand why Mick left. He was a good drummer!
      Cheers,
      Del

  7. Hi del I hope you remember me my name is Dave pike I was the roadie you guys hired to drive the Ford van l lived two doors from kieth Harvey the early drummer
    I have some very happy memories of those days and the hours we all spent travelling around England lm eighty now but still remember rehearsing knock on wood at the place paddy found at casnove crescent l hope you are still well

  8. Hello Dave!
    Never thought I’d hear from you again. Margate 1967 was the last time we met when Essex and I were sacked over the unpaid microphone affair. Sorry about all the unpleasantness that followed, but that’s all in the past. I’m still in regular contact with Paddy Corea in New York, but Dave Essex only briefly acknowledged me a few years ago. Did you ever see him in “EastEnders”? Good actor. Remember you and me fighting for the affections of “Chicken” in Swaffham? Lovely little blonde chick! Kept in touch with her for a year or so after “going straight” in May, 1968, but she had no taste for suave, respectable salesmen with company cars!
    Cheers,
    Del

  9. Hello again del it’s Dave pike
    Great to hear you still remember me great memories from that era
    I often wondered why mood indigo never got invited to Mr Essex, s this is your life TV programme, I bet his manager Derek had something to do with that. One incident I remember was at spiders nite spot in Newcastle were you played upstairs and I had to carry all the gear up the stairs past the cloakroom with a pretty girl behind the counter who I instantly started chatting up be for any of you lot could and I got her to agree to dance with me later on, feeling chuffed with myself I told Pete steed about pulling the bird in the cloakroom and he immediately started to snigger and paddy smiled I thought no more about it
    Anyway halfway through your set I went to claim my dance and as she came from behind the counter it became apparent that she had a full length wooden leg, being chivalrous not to be rude took her on to the dance floor and we danced she was a good dancer and a bubbly person we got on well
    When I looked up on the stage at you lot Pete steed was playing the organ kneeling down in convulsions Ricky was facing the back of the stage you and paddy were facing sideways and the drummer as usual didn’t know what was going on,
    But I think you can guess how it finished up Dave Essex finished up with her mate
    First three songs on your set that night were Hold on I’m coming,. Any day now. and Watermelon man. Its nice to share some memories del. Keep in touch buddy

  10. Great story, Dave! Don’t remember the incident myself. She should have applied with Dudley Moore as Tarzan and Jane!
    Nobody seems to have any news on Rickie or Dave, the guitarist – which would be of moreinterest to followers of the band than our lustful reminiscences, I think!
    Cheers,
    Del

  11. Hi Y’all. I am Paddy Corea, early mood indigo. It is sooo nice to see and read the comments and refresh my memory of the old days. I went on to form my own band DEMON FUZZ on my return from AFRICA 1969 and never looked back. We changed the face of BLACK music in Britain with 2 albums,*AFREAKA and ROODS AND OFFSHOOTS. Am still alive and kicking but don’t play anymore. I live in Queens NY USA.. Stay well and stay safe y’all
    Paddy

  12. Ricky Parker came back to stevenage and took over his parents house in forest Row in the broadwater area of stevenage in the early 2000 s.
    I saw him once in the town centre sorry I can’t be more helpful than that Nice to know you made it big paddy enjoy your retirement
    Dave pike your xroadie from mood indigo

  13. Found this one but looks like it was after David Essex left

    27 May 1967 – YMCA, Sebert Street, Gloucester with Sack O’Woe (Gloucester Citizen)

  14. Does a yo e remember Mick McCarthy From the old town of stevenage old town?
    He was the lead singer of the band moonbeats, and then Danny Lee and the gypsies.
    He passed away in February 1986 from Hodgkins disease (cancer).

    1. Hi abi Dave pike here I remember mick Mccarthy from from he gypsy’s in stevenage their last gig was in the peartree pub in stevenage new Town the rest of the group are all just about alive Roy Collins. keith Harvey Ricky Parker and of course poor old mick who played rhythm guitar and vocals he is buried in almonds Hill cemetery next to his wife rosanne I think that’s the right spelling abi.

    2. Hi abi Dave pike here I remember mick Mccarthy from from he gypsy’s in stevenage their last gig was in the peartree pub in stevenage new Town the rest of the group are all just about alive Roy Collins. keith Harvey Ricky Parker and of course poor old mick who played rhythm guitar and vocals he is buried in almonds Hill cemetery next to his wife rosanne I think that’s the right spelling abi.

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