Mud

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.

Left to right: Rob Davis, Pete Gray, Les Gray and Ray Stiles. Photo copyright: Sport & General Press Agency. From Rockin’ and around Croydon

THE MUD

Les Gray – lead vocals

Rob Davis – lead guitar

Ray Stiles – bass

Pete Gray – drums

 

1966

28 August 1966 – Cromer Olympia, Cromer, Norfolk with Davey Sands & The Essex (North Norfolk News)

 

10 September 1966 – Newmarket Memorial Hall, Newmarket, Cambridgshire with The Sounds (Cambridge News)

11 September 1966 – Sunday Club, Adelphi Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire (Windsor, Slough & Eton Express)

17 September 1966 – Town Hall, Loughborough (Leicester Mercury)

23 September 1966 – West End, Rushden, Northamptonshire (Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph)

24 September 1966 – Maple Ballroom, Northampton with The Sporting Life (Northampton Chronicle)

30 September 1966 – Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks with The Dark Ages (website: http://aylesburymusictown.co.uk/) This may be 3 September

 

7 October 1966 – Cricketers Inn, Southend, Essex with Five By Five (Southend Standard)

8 October 1966 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Herts with The Trap (Hertfordshire Express)

Photo: Beckenham & Penge Advertiser

12 November 1966 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks with The Next Move (Bucks Free Press)

 

10 December 1966 – Rave, Irchester, Northamptonshire with The Nitebeats (Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph)

31 December 1966 – Victoria Cross Gallery, Wantage, Oxfordshire (North Berks Herald)

1967

21 January 1967 – The White Bicycle, Maple Ballroom, Northampton with The State Express (Northampton Chronicle)

 

4 February 1967 – Rave, Irchester, Northamptonshire with Legal Matters (Northamptonshrie Evening Telegraph)

18 February 1967 – Central Hall, Kettering, Northamptonshire (Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph)

24-25 February 1967 – Silver Blades, Streatham, London (Sutton & Cheam Advertiser)

 

4 March 1967 – Rave, Irchester, Northamptonshire with The Associates (Northamptonshrie Evening Telegraph)

9 March 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, London with The Richard Kent Style (Melody Maker)

 

6 May 1967 – Ritz, Bournemouth, Dorset (Bournemouth Echo)

13 May 1967 – The Union, Manchester with Tony Rivers & The Castaways (Manchester Evening News and Chronicle)

26 May 1967 – Silver Blades, Streatham, London with The Next Collection (Sutton & Cheam Advertiser/Croydon Advertiser)

 

7 June 1967 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, London (Melody Maker)

16 June 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Sonny Childe & The TNT (website: www.california-ballroom.info/gigs/)

 

25 August 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)

31 August 1967 – Town Hall, Mitcham, London (Fabulous 208)

 

23 September 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with The Dream (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)

There is a great article and picture in the Sutton & Cheam Advertiser, 19 October 1967, page 8

There is another great article and picture in Record Mirror, 21 October 1967, page 10

28 October 1967 – Silver Blades, Streatham, London (Streatham News)

 

4 November 1967 – Scotch of St James, 13 Masons Yard, SW1, London (promotional card on Patto Fan website)

17-18 November 1967 – Scotch of St James, 13 Masons Yard, SW1, London (promotional card on Patto Fan website)

13 December 1967 – Hemel Hempstead Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire with The Tremeloes (West Herts & Watford Observer)

20 December 1967 – Hatchetts Playground, Piccadilly, central London (Evening Standard)

22 December 1967 – Hatchetts Playground, Piccadilly, central London (Evening Standard)

23 December 1967 – Hatchetts Playground, Piccadilly, central London (Evening Standard)

30 December 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with Neat Change (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)

1968

4 January 1968 – Bracknell Boys Club, Bracknell, Berkshire (Bracknell News)

29 January 1968 – Wycombe CLP Club, Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)

 

3 February 1968 – Top Spot, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire with The Deep Blues Set (Gloucester Citizen) Billed as Mudd

7 February 1968 – Hemel Hempstead Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Herts with The Tremeloes (Welwyn and Hatfield Advertiser)

10 February 1968 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks with Joker’s Wild (Bucks Free Press)

25 February 1968 – Slough Adelphi, Slough, Berkshire (Windsor & Eton Express)

 

3 March 1968 – Rainbow Room, Kettering Working Men’s Club, Kettering, Northamptonshire with Blossom (Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph)

9 March 1968 – Top Spot, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire with Sons of Rest (Gloucester Citizen)

23 March 1968 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich (East Kent Times & Mail)

24 March 1968 – Rendevous Club, Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent (East Kent Times & Mail)

25-26 March 1968 – Hatchetts, Piccadilly, London (Poster at Jonathan Marks’ website: https://imgur.com/a/sWtBd#0)

30 March 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with The Gods (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)

 

20 May 1968 – Wycombe CLP Club, Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)

23 May 1968 – Quay Club, Exeter, Devon (Express & Echo) Says just back from Sweden and the Netherlands

25 May 1968 – Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis, Dorset (Bridport News/Lyme Regis News)

29 May 1968 – Steering Wheel, Weymouth, Dorset (Dorset Evening Echo)

 

1 June 1968 – Eastbourne Suite, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald)

8 June 1968 – ‘G’ Ranch Discotheque, Maidstone, Kent (Maidstone Gazette)

12 June 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)

14 June 1968 – Hemel Hempstead Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Herts with The Spencer Davis Group (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)

21 June 1968 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Torquay Times)

29 June 1968 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Mindbenders (East Kent Times & Mail)

30 June 1968 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent (East Kent Times & Mail)

 

1 July 1968 – Wycombe CLP Club, Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)

6 July 1968 – Slough Adelphi, Slough, Berkshire (Windsor & Eton Express)

27 July 1968 – Eastbourne Suite, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald)

 

1 August 1968 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Foundations (East Kent Times & Mail)

2 August 1968 – Cavern, Lido, Clifton, Kent (East Kent Times & Mail)

3 August 1968 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Tremeloes (East Kent Times & Mail)

28 August 1968 – The Wheel, Weymouth, Dorset (Dorset Evening Echo)

30 August 1968 – Hatchetts, Piccadilly London (Melody Maker/Mick Capewell’s Marmalade Skies)

 

16 September 1968 – Aurora Hotel, Gillingham, Kent (Chatham, Rochester and Gillingham Evening Post)

18 September 1968 – Hemel Hempstead Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Herts with The Tremeloes (Berkhamsted Gazette)

28 September 1968 – Eastbourne Suite, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald)

20 October 1968 – Newtongrange Institute, Newtongrange, Scotland with The Bay City Rollers (South Midlothian Advertiser)

 

2 November 1968 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)

 

6 December 1968 – White Buck Inn, Burley, Dorset (Bournemouth Evening Echo)

7 December 1968 – Spa Lounge and Ballroom, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (Stroud News)

26 December 1968 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Torquay Times)

1969

1-4 January 1969 – Hatchetts, Piccadilly, central London (Poster at Jonathan Marks’ website: https://imgur.com/a/sWtBd#0)

 

6 February 1969 – Red Ballroom Club, Pilgrim, Haywards Heath, West Sussex (Mid Sussex Times)

27 February 1969 – Red Ballroom Club, Pilgrim, Haywards Heath, West Sussex (Mid Sussex Times)

 

27 March 1969 – Red Ballroom Club, Pilgrim, Haywards Heath, West Sussex (Mid Sussex Times)

 

25 April 1969 – Globetrotters Club, Poole, Dorset (Bournemouth Evening Echo)

7 August 1969 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Move (Folkestone & Hythe District Herald)

9 August 1969 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Love Affair (Folkestone & Hythe District Herald)

22 August 1969 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)

 

1 November 1969 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)

 

20 December 1969 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)

26 December 1969 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Mick T Set (Folkestone & Hythe District Herald)

1970

27 April-2 May 1970 – Hatchetts, Piccadilly, London (Poster at Jonathan Marks’ website: https://imgur.com/a/sWtBd#0)

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

2 thoughts on “Mud”

  1. Mud formed in February 1966 in Carshalton, Surrey with a line-up of Les Gray on lead vocals (b. Thomas Leslie Gray, Monday, April 1, 1946, Carshalton, Surrey, England d. Saturday, February 21, 2004, Hospital, Lagos, Algarve Region, southern Portugal), Rob Davis on lead guitar (b. Robert Berkeley Davis, Wednesday, October 1, 1947, Carshalton, Surrey, England), Nigel Munt on bass and Les Gray’s younger brother Pete Gray on drums (b. Peter Gray, 1947, Carshalton, Surrey, England).

    Les Gray played trumpet in a school band and at 12 he joined a trad Jazz band in 1958. Gray then cultivating his liking for trad jazz played trumpet in his own band a skiffle group called The Mourners, that included his younger brother Pete Gray on drums. Gradually The Mourners began to play more and more rock and roll, until there came a day when they needed a lead guitarist – and in stepped Rob Davis.

    As for Davis, it was in 1962 when he and drummer Dave Mount (b. David George Mount, Monday, March 3, 1947, Carshalton, Surrey, England d. Saturday, December 3, 2006, St Helier’s Hospital, Carshalton, Surrey, England) first played together in a band called The Apaches, formed by Davis in 1961. They both continued to work together for the next few years in bands such as The Barracudas who changed their name to The Remainder in 1964.

    When Remainder needed to find a new bass player, in stepped Ray Stiles (b. Raymond John Stiles, Wednesday, November 20, 1946, Guildford, Surrey, England), whose father worked with Davis. Stiles had been in The Trolls. When at their first engagement The Remainder’s vocalist was ill, he was replaced by Les Grey of The Mourners.

    And for a year Les & Pete Gray, and Rob Davis in The Mourners and Ray Stiles and Dave Mount in The Remainder were Mitcham’s top rival bands. In Late 1965 Stiles joined The Mourners.

    Eventually The Mourners changed their name to Mud in February 1966 with Nigel Munt on bass.

    Mud’s début gig was in April 1966 at The Silver Blades Ice Rink, High Road, Streatham, South West London.

    Later in 1966 Munt left and was replaced by Ray Stiles.

    In April 1967 Mud was signed by Pye, after the group won a national contest ‘Search For Sound.’

    On Friday, October 13, 1967 Mud released their first single ‘Flower Power’ (Rob Davis) / ‘You’re My Mother’ (Rob Davis) on CBS, 203002. It was produced by Mike J. Smith (b. Michael J. Smith).

    In October 1967 Mud went on a tour of Europe, and to get there the band went in their Commer van. They put the van on a train at Olympia in Hammersmith Road, West Kensington, South West London, which took them over to Europe.

    In Early 1968 Pete Gray decided to leave the band to pursue a career as a draftsman. The group had received an offer of a recording contract and the boys had to decide whether to become professional or not. Les Gray, Davis and Stiles were in favor, but Pete Gray was not and so left.

    April 1966: The Silver Blades Ice Rink, High Road, Streatham, West London, England
    Mud’s début gig.

    Saturday, September 17, 1966: The Town Hall, Loughborough, Leicestershire, England
    Advertised in The Leicester Mercury as Town Hall, Loughborough Tomorrow, Sat., Sept. 17 A Fabulous Group-The Name Is MUD.

    Friday, September 30, 1966: The Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England
    Also on the bill: The Dark Ages.

    Friday, October 7, 1966: The Cricketers Inn, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England
    Also on the bill: Five By Five.

    October 1966: BBC Radio 1 ‘Monday, Monday’
    Mud made their radio début on this show.

    Sunday, January 1 – Thursday, January 5, 1967: BBC Radio 1, ‘The Jimmy Young Show’

    Friday, February 24, 1967: The Silver Blades Ice Rink, High Road, Streatham, West London, England

    Saturday, February 25 , 1967: The Silver Blades Ice Rink, High Road, Streatham, West London, England

    Thursday, March 9, 1967: The Tiles Club, 79-89 Oxford Street, Soho, West London, England

    Saturday, May 6, 1967: The Ritz Ballroom, Starleys Hotel, Cliff Cottage Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, England

    Saturday, May 13, 1967: The Union, Manchester, Lancashire, England
    Also on the bill: Tony Rivers and the Castaways.

    Friday, May 26 , 1967: The Silver Blades Ice Rink, High Road, Streatham, West London, England
    Also on the bill: The Next Collection.

    Saturday, June 3, 1967: The Hackbridge Rugby Ground, Hackbridge, Surrey, England
    Also on the bill: The Catch.

    Wednesday, June 7, 1967: The Flamingo, 33-37 Wardour Street, Soho, West London, England

    Friday, June 16, 1967: The California Ballroom, Whipsnade Road, Dunstable Downs, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England
    Supported Sonny Childe and the TT’s.
    Adm. 7/6.

    Thursday, August 3, 1967: The Upper Cut Club, Woodbridge Road, Forest Gate, South East London, England

    Friday, August 25, 1967: The Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, West London, England
    Supported Terry Reid, as did Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers.

    Saturday, September 23, 1967: The Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, West London, England
    Supported The Dream.

    October 1967: European Tour

    Saturday, October 28, 1967: The Silver Blades Ice Rink, High Road, Streatham, West London, England

    Saturday, November 4 , 1967: The Scotch Of St James, 13a Mason Yard off Duke Street, St. James, South West London, England

    Friday, November 17, 1967: The Scotch Of St James, 13a Mason Yard off Duke Street, St. James, South West London, England

    Saturday, November 18, 1967: The Scotch Of St James, 13a Mason Yard off Duke Street, St. James, South West London, England

    Wednesday, December 13, 1967: The Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England
    Also on the bill: The Tremeloes.

    Saturday, December 30, 1967: The Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, West London, England
    Supported Neat Change.

    Thursday, January 4, 1968: The Bracknell Boys Club, Bracknell, Berkshire, England

    Monday, January 29
    , 1968: The Wycombe CLP Club, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England

    Saturday, February 10, 1968: The High Wycombe Town Hall,
    High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England
    Also on the bill: Joker’s Wild.

    So in Early 1968 drummer Dave Mount was brought into replace Pete Gray.

    Mount did not get his first drum kit until he was 15 and then joined Rob Davis’ new band The Apaches in 1962. Davis had formed this band at 14 in 1961. Davis worked with Stiles and Mount’s father’s at a structural engineers in Croydon, Surrey. Mount made his way up from office boy to wages clerk.

    On Friday, March 22, 1968 Mud released their second single as The Mud ‘Up The Airey Mountain’ (Rob Davis) / ‘Latter Days’ (Rob Davis) on CBS, 3355. It was produced by Mike Smith (b. Michael Robert Smith, Tuesday, April 30, 1935, Barking, Essex, England d. Saturday, December 3, 2011, Camberley, Surrey, England) and the A-side was arranged by Keith Mansfield (b. 1943).

    On Friday, February 22, 1969 Linda Kendrick released her single ‘I Will See You There’ (Alan Blaikley, Len Hawkes) / ‘Inside My Heart’ (P. Hendrick) on Philips BF 1750. The arranger was Johnny Arthey. She was backed on the single by Mud. Linda Kendrick (b. 1951, Dagenham, Essex, England d. Sunday, December 5, 2010, London, England of pneumonia) was one of the stars of ‘Hair.’ Mud also appeared on radio and live appearances with her.

    On Friday, May 9, 1969 Mud released their third single ‘Shangri-La’ (M. Antony)/ ‘House On The Hill’ (Rob Davis, A. ‘Paddy’ Carpenter, J. Tilton) on Philips, BF 1775. The musical director was Johnny Arthey.

    By the time of the release of their third single Mud had made thirty radio appearances, recently been to Germany to record a TV Show and done a tour of Sweden.

    On Friday, June 26, 1970 Mud released their fourth single ‘Jumping Jehosaphat’ (Mitch Murray, Peter Callander) / ‘Won’t Let It Go’ (Rob Davis, Dave Mount, A. ‘Paddy’ Carpenter) on Philips, 6006 022. The A-side was written by Mitch Murray (b. Lionel Michael Stitcher, January 30, 1940, Hove, East Sussex, England) and Peter Callander (b. Peter Robin Callander, October 10, 1939, Lyndhurst, Hampshire, England d. February 25, 2014, Harefield Village, London Borough of Hillingdon, West London, England).

    Monday, March 25, 1968: The Hatchetts Playground, 67a Piccadilly, Mayfair, West London, England

    Tuesday, March 26, 1968: The Hatchetts Playground, 67a Piccadilly, Mayfair, West London, England

    Saturday, March 30, 1968: The Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, West London, England
    Supported The Gods.

    Sunday, March 31, 1968: The Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, West London, England
    Supported Blue Rivers and his Maroons.
    Mud’s first professional gig.

    Wednesday, May 29, 1968: The Steering Wheel, Weymouth, Dorset, England

    Saturday, June 8, 1968: The ‘G’ Ranch Discotheque, Maidstone, Kent, England

    Wednesday, June 12, 1968: The Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, West London, England

    Monday, July 1, 1968: The Wycombe CLP Club, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England

    Wednesday, August 28, 1968: The Steering Wheel, Weymouth, Dorset, England

    Friday, August 30, 1968: The Hatchetts Playground, 67a Piccadilly, Mayfair, West London, England

    Monday, September 16, 1968: The Aurora Hotel, Gillingham, Kent, England

    Wednesday, January 1, 1969: The Hatchetts Playground, 67a Piccadilly, Mayfair, West London, England

    Tuesday, January 2, 1969: The Hatchetts Playground, 67a Piccadilly, Mayfair, West London, England

    Wednesday, January 3, 1969: The Hatchetts Playground, 67a Piccadilly, Mayfair, West London, England

    Thursday, January 4, 1969: The Hatchetts Playground, 67a Piccadilly, Mayfair, West London, England

    Monday, February 3, 1969: BBC Radio 1 Session, ‘The Keith Skues Show’

    Friday, February 7, 1969: BBC Radio 1 Session, The Keith Skues Show’

    May 1969: BBC1 TV’s ‘The Basil Brush Show’
    Mud made it’s UK TV début on this show.

    Monday, May 12, 1969: The Marquee, Baston Playing Fields, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England
    Supporting Simon Dupree and the Big Sound.

    Monday, August 11 – August 15, 1969: BBC1 Radio Session, ‘The Jimmy Young Show’

    Friday, August 29, 1969: The Woodhall Community Centre, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England

    Sunday, April 27, 1970: The Hatchetts Playground, 67a Piccadilly, Mayfair, West London, England

    Monday, April 28, 1970: The Hatchetts Playground, 67a Piccadilly, Mayfair, West London, England

    Tuesday, April 29, 1970: The Hatchetts Playground, 67a Piccadilly, Mayfair, West London, England

    Wednesday, April 30, 1970: The Hatchetts Playground, 67a Piccadilly, Mayfair, West London, England

    Thursday, May 1, 1970: The Hatchetts Playground, 67a Piccadilly, Mayfair, West London, England

    Friday, May 2, 1970: The Hatchetts Playground, 67a Piccadilly, Mayfair, West London, England

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