Monday, 17 April 2023

West Coast Consortium


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Members
 
Robbie Fair (Robbie Leggat) - lead vocals
Geoff Simpson - lead guitar, vocals
John Barker - bass guitar, vocals
Brian Bronson - rhythm guitar, vocals
John Podbury - drums
 
Billy Mangham - lead guitar
John Caley - keyboards
Brian Parker - guitar
Ken Brown - bass guitar
John Albert Parker - drums
Mick Ware - lead guitar
 
Previously known as Group 66 and then XIT.
Later shortened their name to Consortium and had a UK hit with 'All The Love In The World' which reached no. 22 in the official charts, spending 9 weeks in the Top 75.
Geoff Simpson left in 1970 and was replaced by Billy Mangham.

















Sunday, 16 April 2023

A Band of Angels


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Members
 
Mike d'Abo - vocals, guitar
John Baker - lead guitar
John Gaydon - vocals, rhythm guitar
David Wilkinson - bass guitar
Andrew Petre - drums


Formed in Harrow, London.
Mike d'Abo was later the lead singer of Manfred Mann replacing Paul Jones.
John Gaydon became a manager and then formed E.G.Records with A Band of Angels former road manager David Enthoven.
Andrew Petre was later in Timebox from September 1966 until August 1967.


UK Singles

1964 Me/Not True As Yet                                                                                     United Artists UP 1049 
   (Released 17th April 1964. Both sides written by John Baker and Mike d'Abo. Produced by John Barry)
1964 She'll Never Be You/Gonna Make A Woman Of You                                 United Artists UP 1066
   (Released 25th September 1964. B-Side written by John Baker and Mike d'Abo)
1965 Leave It To Me/Too Late My Love                                                              Piccadilly 7N 35279
   (Released 19th November 1965.)
1966 Invitation/Cheat And Lie                                                                              Piccadilly 7N 35292
   (Released 4th February 1966. A-Side written by Mike d'Abo.)
 
 
Known Gigs
 
19 Feb 1966 Nottingham, Dungeon Club, Nottinghamshire.
 
 

Friday, 14 April 2023

The Chasers


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Members
 
Roger Pincott - vocals, harmonica
Tony Wadlow - bass guitar
Len Tuckey - lead guitar
Algy Couch - rhythm guitar
Lenny Butcher - drums
 
 
Formed in Romford, London.
 
UK Singles
 
1965 Hey Little Girl/That's What They Call Love                                                              Decca F 12302
   (Released 3rd December 1965)

The First Gear

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Members
 
Dave Walton - vocals, harmonica
Raymond Wafer - lead guitar, piano
Phil Birkenshaw - guitar, vocals
Michael Ryal - bass, vocals
Ian Colling - drums

Formed in Cudworth, South Yorkshire, England.
Jimmy Page played lead guitar on their only release including an incredible solo on 'Leave My Kitten Alone'.


UK Singles

1964 A Certain Girl/Leave My Kitten Alone                                                                        Pye 7N 15703
   (Released on 9th October 1964.)




The Anteeks


 
 
 
 
Left to Right: Richard Evans, Dave Prince, Linda MacFarlane, George Arrowsmith, and Ian Gourlay.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Members
 
Linda MacFarlane - vocals (Died: )
Richard Evans - bass guitar
Dave Prince - guitar
George Arrowsmith - guitar (Died: )
Ian Gourlay - drums
 
Annette - vocals
 
Formed in Crewe, Cheshire in the mid 1960s.
Their first female vocalist was called Annette.
Recorded some tracks for Decca in 1971 and had some radio airplay, but the recordings have never re-surfaced. 
Disbanded in the latter half of the 1970s.
 

Thursday, 13 April 2023

The Anteeeks



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Members
 
Frank Knapp - vocals
Billy Gray - guitar
Jim Condron - bass guitar
Malcolm McNally - keyboards
George Butler - drums
 
Formed in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland.
Moved to London in 1965 for better prospects.
Managed by Billy Smith.
Bill Gray was later in The Buzz with David Bowie.
George Butler was later in Giant Moth with Alex Harvey, then in Eggs Over Easy, and The Lightning Raiders.
 
UK Singles
 
1966 I Don't Want You/Ball and Chain                                                                            Philips BF 1471
   (Released 4th March 1966)


UK TV Appearances

1966 A Whole Scene Going


Known Gigs

8 Jan 1966 London, The Jazz Cellar, Kingston Upon Thames.
19 Feb 1966 St. Leonards, Witch Doctor, East Sussex. With The Cellmates.
11 Mar 1966 St. Leonards, Witch Doctor, East Sussex.
26 Mar 1966 St. Leonards, Witch Doctor, East Sussex. With The Sonics.












Lorne Lesley


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Real Name: Irene Spetti
Born: 30 October 1938, Tiger Bay, Cardiff, South Wales, UK

Groups: Lorne Lesley and Her Boyfriends, Solo
 
Lorne Lesley was a singer, actress and model.
She is married to television presenter and antiques expert David Dickinson.
Lorne released records on Parlophone, Polydor and Philips labels. 


UK TV Appearances

1964 Top of the Pops
1964 Sunday Night at the London Palladium (standing in for Cilla Black, who was ill)
1965 Thank Your Lucky Stars
 
 

The Lancastrians


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Members
 
Barry Langtree - guitar, vocals
Kevin Heywood - guitar
Terry Benson - bass guitar
John Fleury - drums

Steve Wilde
 
Formed in 1963 in Altrincham, Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, UK.
Barry Langtree and Kevin Heywood formed a group that became known as The Heartbeats as far back as 1956.
Toured Germany.
Disbanded in 1967.


UK Singles

1964 We'll Sing in the Sunshine/Was She Tall                                                                   Pye 7N 15732
   (Released    . Produced by Shel Talmy.)
1965 Let's Lock The Door (And Throw Away The Key)/If You're Goin' To Leave Me    Pye 7N 15791
   (Released    . Produced by Shel Talmy.)
1965 There'll Be No More Goodbyes/Never Gonna Come On Home                               Pye 7N 15846 
   (Released 14th May 1965. Produced by Shel Talmy.)
1965 Lonely Man/I Can't Stand The Pain                                                                          Pye 7N 15927
  (Released 3rd September 1965. Produced by Shel Talmy.)
1966 The World Keeps Going Round/Not The Same Anymore                                        Pye 7N 17043
   (Released 28th January 1966. Produced by Shel Talmy.)
1966 The Ballad Of The Green Berets/My Little Rose                                                     Pye 7N 17072
   (Released 11th March 1966. Produced by Shel Talmy.)


Known Gigs

16 Jan 1965 St. Leonard's, Witch Doctor, East Sussex. With The Classmates.
19 Feb 1965 Dunstable, California Ballroom, Bedfordshire. With George and the Rave Ons, and Fernando and the Hide-A-Ways.
21 Feb 1965 Nottingham, Dungeon Club, Nottinghamshire. With Junco Partners.
27 Feb 1965 Ramsey, Gaiety Ballroom, Cambridgeshire. With The Midnighters.


Tuesday, 11 April 2023

The King Brothers


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Members
 
Denis King - vocals (Born: 25 July 1939)
Mike King - guitar, vocals (Born: 25 April 1935, Barking, Essex - Died: 9 November 2018)
Anthony King - vocals (Born: 31 January 1937)
 
Formed in the early 1950s.
Originally known as The King Three. 
In later years  Denis King became an award-winning composer for television, film, and musicals composing, amongst other things, the theme music for UK television programmes 'The Adventures of Black Beauty' and 'Lovejoy'. 

















UK TV Appearances

1952 Shop Window

 
UK Radio Appearances
 
Jan 1967 Swingalong - BBC Light Programme
 
 
 

The Boomerangs


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Members
 
Ian Crawford - guitar, vocals
 
 
 
 
Not to be confused with an Irish group of the same name, who released a record on Pye.
 
UK Singles
 
1964 Don't Let Her Be Your Baby/Rockin' Robin                                                           Fontana TF 507
   (Released October 1964)
1965 Another Tear Falls/ Fun, Fun, Fun                                                                         Fontana TF 555
   (Released 23rd April 1965)
 
 
 
 

Louise

 
 
Members
 
Tony Durant - guitar, vocals
Nigel Smith - bass guitar
Bob Chudley - guitar
Chris Cutler - drums
 
Formed in South London.
Cut an acetate demo disc in 1967 including the songs 'Look at the Sun' and 'Toymaker Shop'.
Chris Cutler was later in Henry Cow.
Tony Durant was later in Fuchsia.
 
Known Gigs
 
14 Oct 1967 London, Happening 44, Gerrard Street, W1. With South East Blues Band, and Steve Harding.
20 Jan 1968 London, The New Roadhouse, Chalk Farm, NW1. Brunel University Students Union presents. With Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, Crazy World of Arthur Brown, The Family, Geranium Pond, Spider, Paper Blitz, and Tissue.
 

 
.

Monday, 10 April 2023

The Flintlocks


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Members
 
 
 
 
 
UK Singles
 
1966 What Goes On?/I Walked Right Into Heaven                                                           Decca F 12412
   (Released 3 June 1966)


















The Score

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Members
 
Eddy Lamb - vocals
Ken White - guitar
Frank Davies - guitar
Alan Megitt - bass
Clem Lee - drums

Formed in Manchester in 1965.
Some members of this group were in Jimmy Powell's Five Dimensions.
Eddy Lamb was later in Shinn.
 
UK Singles
 
1966 Please Please Me/Beg Me                                                                                        Decca F 12527
   (Released 25th November 1966)
 
 

Wednesday, 5 April 2023

The Trends

 
Members
 
Freddie Ryder - guitar, vocals (Born: 3 April 1942 - Died: 22 January 2021, London, England)
Tony Priestley - guitar
Mike Kelly - bass guitar
John Hayes - drums
 
Formed in Liverpool.
Previously known as The Beatcombers.
Signed to Larry Parnes management.
Played at the Star Club in Hamburg. 
Disbanded by the end of 1964.

UK Singles

1964 All My Loving/Sweet Little Miss Love                                                                 Piccadilly 7N 35171
   (Released January 1964.)
1964 You're A Wonderful One/The Way You Do The Things You Do                             Pye 7N 15644
   (Released 8th May 1964.)


The Three Spirits

 
Members
 
Pete Vickery - rhythm guitar, vocals
Barry Crowe - bass guitar
Jim Twigg - drums

Formed in Tamworth, Staffordshire.

Known Gigs

2 Nov 1963 Tamworth, Assembly Rooms. With The Liverbirds.

Tuesday, 4 April 2023

Dave and the Diamonds


 
 
 
Left to right: Milky Mason, Dolly Hart, Dave Hooper, Mick Brooks, Terry Slade, Steve Gordon and Glen Elgood.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Members
 
Dave Hooper - vocals (Died: 2015)
Steve Gordon - guitar, vocals
Milky Mason - alto saxophone
Glen Elgood - sax
Terry Slade - drums
Ray Flacke - guitar
Dolly Hart - bass guitar
Jezz Loveland - bass guitar
Dave Greenaway - tea-chest bass
Colin - washboard
Vic Bailey - keyboards
Lawrey Smith - guitar
Mick Brookes - saxophone, guitar
Stuart Mason - tenor saxophone
Mark - trumpet
Stuart - trumpet
Chris Hart - trumpet
Brian Oakes - drums
Colin Enticott - bass guitar
Jeff Prior - bass guitar
Malc Dyne - keyboards
Mick Shilley - drums
Gordon Keene - bass guitar
Pete Keen - vocals
Alan David - vocals  

Dave and the Diamonds was formed in the 1950s as a skiffle band called The Blue Diamonds.
Many musicians have passed through the ranks over the years, hence the large list of members above.
The group gained solid work backing solo artists of the 1960s including Big Dee Irwin, from the USA,  Cilla Black and PJ Proby.
Played in Hamburg at the Star Club.



















UK Singles

1965 I Walk The Lonely Night/You Do Love                                                     Columbia DB 7692
   (Released 10th September 1965)


The Diamonds


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 The Diamonds as pictured in the Crewe Chronicle of 29 July 1961.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Members
 
Phil Rylance - guitar, vocals
Keith Haines - guitar, vocals
 

Formed in Crewe, Cheshire.
Performed on BBC Radio in 1961.
Phil Rylance, who was professionally known as Phil Ryan, was later in Gary B Goode and the Hot Rods, Phil Ryan and the Crescents, and Phil Ryan and the Scorpions.
 

The Rikki Allen Combo

 
 
Members
 
Rikki Allen
 
 
 
Rikki Allen was also in The Rikki Allen Trio, who recorded for Decca.
 
Known Gigs
 
22 Apr 1963 Reading (as the Rikki Allen Trio)
23 Nov 1963 Crewe, Majestic Ballroom, High Street. Backing Craig Douglas. Supported by Dene Wayne and the Exiles.
 
 

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