The Trend

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Members

 

Norman Cummins - lead guitar, vocals

John Connolly - rhythm guitar, vocals

Pete Cole - bass, vocals
Frankie Morgan - drums

 

Mo Eccles - rhythm guitar

Phil Duke - bass guitar

 

Formed in Dagenham, Essex.

Formerly known as The Buddy's.

Pete Cole had previously played with The Prospectors.

Played in Germany many times. 

Backed American singing duo 'The Soul Sisters' for most of their tour of the UK in 1967.

 

 

Known Gigs

21 Apr 1967 London, Tiles Club, Oxford Street. Backing The Soul Sisters. With The Love Affair.

22 Apr 1967 Southsea, The Birdcage. Backing The Soul Sisters. With The Bizarre.

22 Apr 1967 London, The Speakeasy. Backing The Soul Sisters.

26 Apr 1967 London, Sibyllas. Backing The Soul Sisters.

27 Apr 1967 Stoke-On-Trent, The Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire. Backing The Soul Sisters. With The Toggery, and The Canadians.

 

 

 

The Rockerfellas

Members

Dave Barnes - guitar

Tony Sumner

Formed in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.

Johnny Short and the Coasters

Members

Johnny Short - guitar

Gary Brooker - piano

Formed in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.

Gary Brooker was previously in The Electrics.
Came second in a band contest at the Palace Hotel Dance Hall in Southend-on-Sea in 1960.

Gary Brooker was later in The Paramounts, and Procal Harum.

Mickey Law and the Outlaws

Members

Mick Brownlee - drums

Won a band contest at the Palace Hotel Dance Hall in Southend-on-Sea in 1960.

Mick Brownlee was later in The Paramounts.

The Raiders

Members

Mick Trower - lead vocals

Robin Trower - lead guitar

Chris Copping - rhythm guitar

Garry Nicholls - drums (Born: 1945 - Died: April 2007)

Formed in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.

Robin Trower was later in The Paramounts, The Jam, Procal Harum, and The Robin Trower Band.

Chris Copping was later in The Paramounts, and Procal Harum.

The Paramounts

Members

Brian Richards - vocals

Gary Brooker - piano, vocals (Born: 29 May 1945, Hackney, London - Died: 19 February 2022)

Mick Brownlee - drums, vocals (Born: October 1943, Chiswick, West London - Died: June 2017)

Chris Copping - bass guitar (Born: 29 August 1945, Middleton, Lancashire, England)

Robin Trower - guitar (Born: 9 March 1945, Catford, London, England)

Bob Scott - vocals
Diz Derrick (Grahame Derrick) - bass guitar (Born: 11 December 1944, Upminster, Essex)
B. J. Wilson - drums (Born: 18 March 1947, Edmonton, London - Died: 8 October 1990)
Phil Wainman - drums (Born: 7 June 1946, West London)

Formed in September 1960 in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.

Gary Brooker was previously in The Electrics, and Johnny Short and the Coasters.

Robin Trower was previously in The Raiders.
Chris Copping was previously in The Raiders.

Mick Brownlee was previously in Mickey Law and the Outlaws, and The Planets.

Managed by Peter Martin.

Bob Scott replaced Brian Richards in early 1961.

Bob Scott was previously in Bob Scott and the Clansmen.

Bob Scott left the same year and Gary Brooker reluctantly took over lead vocal duties, sometimes sharing the role with drummer Mick Brownlee.
Chris Copping had doubts about turning professional and while he was deciding about his future, Ada Baggerly of Southend group The Orioles, stood in temporarily for a few gigs.
Chris Copping left in December 1962 to study chemistry and his permanent replacement was Diz Derrick.

Diz Derrick had previously been in The Electrics with Gary Brooker.

Mick Brownlee left in September 1963 and was replaced by and B. J. Wilson on drums.

In late 1964 to early 1965 Phil Wainman stood in temporarily for B. J. Wilson on drums, who was playing with Jimmy Powell and the Five Dimensions.
Phil Wainman was previously in The Men of Mystery.
Phil Wainman was later in Johnny B. Great and The Quotations, and Jimmy Cliff and The Sound System. He then became a successful record producer, producing The Sweet and The Boomtown Rats.
Disbanded in late 1966.
Robin Trower briefly formed a trio called The Jam (not the 1970s/80s hit band).

Gary Brooker later formed Procal Harum with Keith Reid (lyricist) and Matthew Fisher. They recorded 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' and needed a band to tour and promote the record. Brooker convinced Robin Trower and B. J. Wilson to join them, with David Knights on bass guitar.
By 1969 Knights and Fisher had left and Chris Copping joined.


UK Television Appearances

1964 Ready Steady Go!

Known Gigs

6 Dec 1963 Guildford, Ricky Tick Club, Plaza Ballroom.
11 Oct 1964 Burton Upon Trent, 76 Club, High Street, Staffordshire.

10 Jan 1965. Nottingham, Dungeon Club.

20 Feb 1965 Leek, Town Hall, Staffordshire. Supported by The Hickory Stix and The Flingles.
4 Nov 1966 Warwick, University of Warwick. Supporting The Cream.

Force Five

Members

Ronnie Gent - vocals
Bert Pulham - guitar
Dave Skates - drums
Pete Gosling - guitar
‘Ossie' Osborne - bass guitar

Formed in Canvey Island.
Later evolved into Crocheted Doughnut Ring and released singles on the Polydor and Deram labels.

UK Singles

1964 Don't Make My Baby Blue/Shaking Postman                                         United Artists UP 1051
   (Released 1 May 1964)
1965 Yeah, I'm Waiting/I Don't Want To See You Again                                 United Artists UP 1089
   (Released May 1965)
1965 Baby Don't Care/Come Down To Earth                                                   United Artists UP 1102
   (Released 27 August 1965)
1965 I Want You Babe/Gee Too Tiger                                                              United Artists UP 1118
   (Released December 1965)
1966 Don't Know Which Way To Turn/Baby Let Your Hair Down                 United Artists UP 1141
   (Released 24 June 1966)

Known Gigs

14 Aug 1965 Bishop's Stortford, Rhodes Centre.
6 Nov 1965 Bishop's Stortford, Rhodes Centre. With The Cortinas.
26 Feb 1967 Southend-on-Sea, Cliffs Pavilion. Supporting The Jimi Hendrix Experience. With The Nashville Teens, and The Koobas.

The Trolls

Members

Paul Andrew Smith - guitar
Vic Collins - guitar
Steve Prout - drums
Michael Langridge - bass guitar

Jimmy Proops - vocals

Formed in Canvey Island.
The Trolls starting out playing instrumentals before adding a vocalist, Jimmy Proops.
Vic Collins was later in The Kursaal Flyers and The Ugly Guys.
Paul Andrew Smith later emigrated to Canada and formed the band 'Wednesday' who had major hits in Canada and the USA.

The Essex Five

Members

Lew Mint - vocals
Keith Bonsor - bass guitar, keyboards, vocals
Tom Nichols - guitar
John Webb - guitar
John Martin - drums

Formed in Canvey Island, Essex, England.
Keith Bonsor was later in the studio-only group Cardboard Orchestra.
John Martin was later in Dr. Feelgood.

Known Gigs

4 Sep 1965 Dunstable, California Ballroom. Supporting Manfred Mann.  With Simon and the Surreys.
11 Dec 1965 Bishop's Stortford, Rhodes Centre. With The Quiet Five.
15 Jan 1966 Cambridge, Dorothy Ballroom. With The Candles.
12 Mar 1966 Dunstable, California Ballroom. Supporting Chris Farlowe and the Thunderbirds. With The Fleur De Lys.
30 Apr 1966 Bishop's Stortford, Rhodes Centre.Supporting The Birds.
13 May 1966 Dunstable, California Ballroom. With The Caretakers, and The Tridents.
13 Aug 1966 London, Tiles Club. With The Peddlers, and The Profile.
26 Aug 1966 Dunstable, California Ballroom.With The Alan Bown Set.
17 Dec 1966 Dunstable, California Ballroom. With Sonny Childe and The T.N.T., and The Chevrons.
11 Mar 1967 Dunstable, California Ballroom. With The Quiet Five, and The Way Of Life.
12 Aug 1967 London, Tiles Club. With The Rick 'N' Beckers, and The Crawdads.

Cardboard Orchestra

Members

Keith Bonsor - vocals, guitar, keyboards
Mark 'Wooly' West - vocals
Vic Collins - bass guitar
Roger - drums

Formed in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England.
This was a studio-only project fronted by Keith Bonsor.
Keith Bonsor was previously in The Essex Five.
Their song 'Zebedy Zak' wasa written by Keith Bonsor and Mark Wesley (under the name M Goble). Mark Wesley was a Radio Luxembourg DJ who also wrote songs while he was at the station.

UK Singles

1969 Zebedy Zak/Mary Tell Me Why                                                                                  CBS 4176
   (Released 25 April 1969)
1969 Nothing But A Sad Sad Song/Yes I Heard A Little Bird                                            CBS 4633
   (Released 14 November 1969)

Bobby Rio and the Cutaways

Members

Bobby Rio - vocals
Vic Larkins - lead guitar
Mickey Johnson - rhythm guitar
Ray Brown - bass
Brian Talbot - drums

Formed as The Cutaways in Dagenham, Essex in 1960.
Bobby Rio joined as lead vocalist.
When Bobby Rio left, The Cutaways recruited Tony Rivers as their lead singer and soon changed their name to Tony Rivers and the Castaways.

Tony Rivers and the Castaways

Members

 

Tony Rivers (Anthony Thompson) - vocals

Vic Larkins - lead guitar

Mickey Johnson - rhythm guitar

Ray Brown - bass

Brian Talbot - drums

 

John Lyons - rhythm guitar

Ricky West - lead guitar

Steve Scott - lead guitar 

Frank Townsend - guitar

 

Formed in Dagenham, Essex.

In 1961 Tony Rivers joined a group called The Cutaways as their new lead singer.

The group soon changed their name to Tony Rivers and the Castaways.

John Lyons replaced Mickey Johnson on rhythm guitar around 1962/3.

Ricky West replaced Vic Larkins on lead guitar around 1962/3.

Steve Scott replaced Ricky West on lead guitar in 1963.

This line-up recorded for Columbia from 1963. 

Frank Townsend joined in 1966. Townsend was previously in The Easybeats of Liverpool, The Beachwoods and The Escorts.

In 1968 they changed their name to Harmony Grass.

Known Gigs

1 Oct 1962 Hamworthy, Empire Hall, Dorset.
16 Jan 1963 Walton-on-Thames, Walton Hop, Surrey.
26 Jan 1963 Walton-on-Thames, Walton Hop, Surrey.
6 Feb 1963 Walton-on-Thames, Walton Hop, Surrey. With Shane Fenton and the Fentones.
1 Sep 1963 Margate, Dreamland Ballroom, Rendezvous Club.
21 Nov 1963 Aberdeen, New Palace Ballroom.
2 Aug 1964 Warminster, Longleat House. Supporting The Rolling Stones. With Danny Clarke and the Jaguars.
19 May 1966 Coventry, Mecca Ballroom, Smithford Way.
22 Sep 1967 Wolverhampton, Civic and Wulfrun Halls, West Midlands. With The Californians, Dual Purpose, The Staffords and The News.
29 Jun 1968 Burton upon Trent, 76 Club, Staffordshire. With The John Smith Affair.