Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays’ gigs 1965-1967

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.

RONNIE JONES & THE BLUE JAYS:

 Ronnie Jones – lead vocals

Tony Allen – sax/lead vocals (left in 1965)

Roger Dean – guitar (ex-John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers)

Tony Bell – bass 

Jack Maverick – organ

Jack Massarik – alto sax

Clive Thacker – drums (ex-Five Embers)

1965

18 April 1965 – Blue Moon, Hayes, Middlesex (Harrow Weekly Post)

 

13 June 1965 – Blue Moon, Hayes, west London (Ruislip & Northwood Gazette)

16 June 1965 – Le Disque A Go Go, Bournemouth, Dorset (website: https://bournemouthbeatboom.wordpress.com/) Billed as Ronnie Jones & The Black Jays

20 June 1965 – Nottingham Boat Club, Nottingham (Down at the Boat book)

21 June 1965 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)

26 June 1965 – Birdcage, Kimbells Ballroom, Southsea, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)

27 June 1965 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London (Melody Maker)

27 June 1965 – Pontiac, Zeeta House, Putney, southwest London (Melody Maker) This may be with Phil Ryan & The Crescents

 

3 July 1965 – Milford R&B, Strutt Arms, Milford, Derbyshire (Derby Evening Telegraph)

4 July 1965 – Blue Moon, Hayes, west London (Harrow Weekly Post)

9 July 1965 – Birdcage, Kimbells Ballroom, Southsea, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)

11 July 1965 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, southeast London (Melody Maker)

17 July 1965 – Pontiac, Zeeta House, Putney, southwest London with Gary L Thompson & The Sidewinders (NME)

30 July 1965 – Birdcage, Kimbells Ballroom, Southsea, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)

 

8 August 1965 – Redcar Jazz Club, Redcar, North Yorkshire with Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Dennis Weller, Chris Scott Wilson and Graham Lowe’s book)

14 August 1965 – Birdcage, Kimbells Ballroom, Southsea, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)

15 August 1965 – Agincourt Ballroom, Camberley, Surrey The Condors (Aldershot News)

27 August 1965 – Pontiac, Zeeta House, Putney, southwest London (NME)

28 August 1965 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)

29 August 1965 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London (Melody Maker)

30 August 1965 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London (Tottenham Weekly Herald)

31 August 1965 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Loose Ends (Melody Maker)

Photo may be subject to copyright

4 September 1965 – Bowes Lyon House, Stevenage, Herts with The Trekkas (Hertfordshire & Bedfordshire Express)

5 September 1965 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, southeast London (Melody Maker)

11 September 1965 – Milford R&B, Strutt Arms, Milford, Derbyshire (Derby Evening Telegraph)

12 September 1965 – Nottingham Boat Club, Nottingham (Down at the Boat book)

Photo may be subject to copyright

14 September 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The John Gummer Trio (Melody Maker)

17 September 1965 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London with Duke Lee (Melody Maker)

 

1 October 1965 – Redcar Jazz Club, Redcar, North Yorkshire with The Alan Price Set, The Graham Bond Organisation and The Crawdaddies (Dennis Weller, Chris Scott Wilson and Graham Lowe’s book)

 

5 November 1965 – Beachcomber, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

7 November 1965 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)

11 November 1965 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London (Tottenham Weekly Herald)

13 November 1965 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London with Duke Lee and The Movement (Melody Maker)

14 November 1965 – Agincourt Ballroom, Camberley, Surrey with The Condors (Aldershot News)

Photo may be subject to copyright

21 November 1965 – Redcar Jazz Club, Redcar, North Yorkshire with The Flowerpot Men (Dennis Weller, Chris Scott Wilson and Graham Lowe’s book)

27 November 1965 – Beachcomber, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

27 November 1965 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, southeast London (Melody Maker)

 

4 December 1965 – Milford R&B, Strutt Arms, Milford, Derbyshire (Derby Evening Telegraph)

5 December 1965 – Ricky Tick, Plaza, Guildford, Surrey (David Else’s research)

6 December 1965 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)

Photo may be subject to copyright

16 December 1965 – Redcar Jazz Club, Redcar, North Yorkshire with Steampacket and Tony Knight’s Chessmen (Dennis Weller, Chris Scott Wilson and Graham Lowe’s book)

24 December 1965 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, southeast London with Terry Lightfoot’s Jazz Band (South East London Mercury)

1966

1 January 1966 – Cue Club, Paddington, central London (Melody Maker)

11 January 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)

Photo may be subject to copyright

25 January 1966 – Carousel Club, 1 Camp Road, Farnborough, Hampshire (Aldershot News/Camberley News)

30 January 1966 – Ricky Tick, Plaza, Guildford, Surrey with Lee Dorsey and The Crew (aka The Krew) (David Else’s research)

30 January 1966 – Cue Club, Paddington, central London (Melody Maker)

 

6 February 1966 – King Mojo, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (The Star)

 

17 April 1966 – Star Club, Hamburg, West Germany with The Silkie, Ian & The Zodiacs, The Remo 4 and The Non-Smokers (Star Club poster) Billed as Ronny Jones & The Night-Timers.

Chris Dennis, formerly of The Plebs and Lee Curtis & The All Stars, was living in Hamburg and currently without a band. He joined The Blue Jays and returned to the UK.

During May, Clive Thacker left to join The Brian Auger Trinity and Colin Davy from John Lee’s Groundhogs took his place.

In June , Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays became resident band at Papagayo in St-Tropez, France.

By this point, only Roger Dean remained from the original formation. The Blue Jays comprised:

Ronnie Jones – lead vocals

Roger Dean – guitar

Chris Dennis – organ

Pat Donaldson – bass 

Colin Davy – drums 

Photo may be subject to copyright

1 October 1966 – Harpenden Public Hall, Harpenden, Hertfordshire with The Anzacs (Luton News)

2 October 1966 – Beachcomber, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

8 October 1966 – Beachcomber, Nottingham with Robert Parker and Wynder K Frog (Nottingham Evening Post)

14 October 1966 – Cue Club, Paddington, central London (Melody Maker) Billed as Ronnie Jones & His Band

15 October 1966 – Ricky Tick, Hounslow, west London (Melody Maker)

19 October 1966 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London with The Deakin Lewis Band (website: http://eelpieislandmusic.com/eel-pie-island-roll-call)

22 October 1966 – Gaiety Ballroom, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire with The Survivors (Cambridgeshire Times)

23 October 1966 – Central R&B Club, Central Hotel, Gillingham, Kent (Chatham, Rochester & Gillingham News)

Photo may be subject to copyright

24 October 1966 – Queen’s Ballroom, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (Express & Star)

27 October 1966 – Ricky Tick, Stoke Hotel, Guildford, Surrey (David Else’s research)

 

2 November 1966 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, London (South East London Mercury)

5 November 1966 – Chelmsford Corn Exchange, Chelmsford, Essex with support (Southend Standard)

5 November 1966 – All Nighter Club, Wardour Street, Soho, London with The Shevelles (Melody Maker)

6 November 1966 – Beachcomber Club, Nottingham with The Coasters (Nottingham Evening Post)

13 November 1966 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, London (South East London Mercury)

19 November 1966 – Afan Lido, Port Talbot, Wales with The Blues Organisation (Port Talbot Guardian)

21 November 1966 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)

26 November 1966 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with The Original Coasters, The Motivation and Heart & Soul (Lincolnshire Standard)

 

2 December 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)

Photo may be subject to copyright

3 December 1966 – Bee-Gee Club, Leeds, West Yorkshire with The Zang Woodruff Operation (Yorkshire Evening Post)

4 December 1966 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)

7 December 1966 – Plaza Ballroom, Handsworth, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)

7 December 1966 – Ritz Ballroom, King’s Heath, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)

10 December 1966 – Cue Club, Paddington (Melody Maker)

11 December 1966 – Britannia Rowing Club, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Mail)

16 December 1966 – New All-Star Club, 9a Artillery Passage, E1, London (Melody Maker)

17 December 1966 – Beachcomber Club, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

Photo may be subject to copyright

23 December 1966 – Candlelight, Scarborough (Scarborough Evening News)

24 December 1966 – Beachcomber Club, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

According to Stage magazine, the band played at the Bag O’Nails over the Christmas period with Tony Knight’s Chessmen and The Brian Auger Trinity.

1967

Sometime in early 1967 PP Arnold joined the band

14 January 1967 – Chelmsford Corn Exchange, Chelmsford, Essex (Essex Chronicle)

Photo may be subject to copyright

15 January 1967 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, London (South East London Mercury)

19 January 1967 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)

 

3 February 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with The Fleur De Lys (website: www.california-ballroom.info/gigs/)

10 February 1967 – Nicholas Chamberlain Hall, Bedworth, Warwickshire with Ray King Soul Band, The Dynamics and The Soul Express (Nuneaton Evening Tribune)

Photo may be subject to copyright

17 February 1967 – Ram Jam, Brixton, London with All Night Workers (Melody Maker)

Photo may be subject to copyright

18 February 1967 – Clouds, Derby (Derby Evening Telegraph)

19 February 1967 – Central R&B Club, Central Hotel, Gillingham, Kent (Chatham, Rochester & Gillingham News)

Photo may be subject to copyright

26 February 1967 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire with Patsy Arnold from The Iketts (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)

 

4 March 1967 – Nite Owl, Leicester (Leicester Mercury)

4 March 1967 – Gaiety Ballroom, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire with The Heretics (Cambridgeshire Times)

5 March 1967 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire with Pipi (ex-Ikettes) (Evening Sentinel)

Around this time, Ronnie Jones split from The Blue Jays (who remained with PP Arnold) and linked with The Q-Set. 

12 March 1967 – King Mojo, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (The Star) Although this was billed as Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays, it’s possible it was fulfilled with Jones’s next band, The Q-Set

16 March 1967 – Kilburn Polytechnic, Kilburn, London with Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and The Syn (Melody Maker) Although this was billed as Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays, it’s more likely that it was fulfilled with Jones’ next band, The Q-Set

The rhythm section from The Blue Jays became PP Arnold’s backing band (Four of a Kind) and supported her on a Roy Orbison tour with The Small Faces. The first gig was on 25 March 1967

The following gigs are billed as PP Arnold & The Blue Jays:

15 April 1967 – St Thomas Hall, Brentwood, Essex (Melody Maker)

 

16 May 1967 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)

Photo may be subject to copyright

27 May 1967 – Glastonbury Town Hall, Glastonbury with Western Union (Western Gazette)

The Blue Jays split shortly after this with the band members going their separate ways (see comments below).

22 June 1967 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Stafforshire (Evening Sentinel) This gig was probably performed by PP Arnold & The Nice

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.

14 thoughts on “Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays’ gigs 1965-1967”

    1. Tony

      It is a small paper book from what I recall that I saw in Nottingham library. To be honest all the dates will have been drawn from the Nottingham Evening Post. Are there any artists you are after as I may have a copy of the book buried somewhere

      1. Thanks for your reply. Just wondered if there was copies of advertisements or reviews of shows. Looking for details of the Artwoods. Obviously I have the dates of appearances, but looking for reviews of shows. Thanks.

        1. Hi Tony

          The book doesn’t have reviews. The newspaper might. If I come across any reviews on my trips to the British Library, I will let you know

  1. Roger Dean’s website has a picture of the band in the French Alps in June 1966, which suggests that a new line up came together in the spring of that year. Roger Dean was the only surviving member from the line-up above. Pat Donaldson had already taken on bass, Chris Dennis (ex-The Plebs and Lee Curtis & The All Stars) was on organ and Colin Davy was on drums.

    When they split around April 1967, Dean and Dennis went to Italy and joined The Bad Boys, with Dennis later playing with Dave Antony’s Moods. Colin Davy I believe spent some time with Georgie Fame in his post Flames band in ’67 (and possibly also Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede) before joining Freddie Mack around December of that year. He also did a short stint with Geno Washington in July-August 1968 before joining Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds.

  2. Chris Dennis got in touch and provide the following info

    I joined the band in Hamburg. They came over to do a stint at the Star Club and I went in to see them. They were fantastic – but they didn’t have an organist so since I was very unemployed at the time, I went up and asked Ronnie if they needed one. He told me to join the band for the next set to audition for the job. So there I was one stage with one helluva band, never having rehearsed, but away we went. At the end of the gig I was in, and when they finished the Hamburg gig, I went back to Britain in the van with them.

    I was with them for the St Tropez gig at a club called Papagayo too. At that point the drummer was no longer Clive Thacker but Colin Davey, and there was no sax player.

    After PP Arnold, Roger Dean the guitarist finished up in Milan, how I have no idea. He got word to me that there was a job going there, so off I went. I’m still here in Italy (though not in Milan)! I don’t know what the other members of the Blue Jays got up

  3. Billed as Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays, it’s more than likely that these gigs were fulfilled by Ronnie Jones with his next band, The Q-Set.

    23 March 1967 – Stoke Hotel, Guildford, Surrey with Top of The Tree (Surrey Advertiser)
    26 March 1967 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, London (South East London Mercury)

    4 May 1967 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)

  4. I was the DJ at Cadenas (23rd March 67) and I remember there being a brass section, so it was more likely to be the Q Set than the Blue Jays. At the time the club promoters booked Ronnie Jones he was probably still with the Blue Jays.
    Pure speculation, but for Ronnie to finish with the Blue Jays on 16th March and start with Q Set on 17th March seems a bit unlikely without even a small gap fore rehearsals, so it may be that the mid -March dates were also with the Q Set rather than the Blue Jays

  5. Hi guys it’s me! Yes Ronnie Jones. Yeah ne thing I’d love to know? Can I use some of the information that I finally got around to reading, in my biography!
    Let me know and thanks for remembering little me
    Rj

    1. Hi Rronie, Tony Bell here, If I remember correctly, Don Robb was on drums.
      That was 1965 but he left and Clive Thacker joined and you went to America and T-Bone then fronted the band and we toured all over the UK.
      for some time. He then went back to Americ and you returned to the band.
      It was great working with you both. I am now 79 this September, still paying the bass guitar and have been living in France since 1998.

      It would be great to hear from you, keep in touch, there are not too many of us left!

      Take care in these difficult times,

      Tony Bell

  6. “The following gigs are billed as PP Arnold & The Blue Jays:
    16 May 1967 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)”

    According to NME 13 May 1967: “PP Arnold: We’ve formed a little band called ‘The Nice’ backing me on engagements.”

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