CALL UP THE GROUPS 13

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COPYRIGHT

Please note that many images contained within this website may be subject to copyright, although many have been kindly sent to me and intended to be shared on this non commercial outlet. If anybody wishes to use any of the same, then please get in touch as well as possibly giving credit where due as well as setting up reciprocal links if relevant to the actual content on any webpage. Please note that I am able to monitor any image-copying and if published on other websites. I would appreciate any contact to report broken/outdated links and any corrections to the text that accompanies any images herein. Thank you and enjoy!

OK Pop-Pickers Welcome to the 13th webpage of great memories and all thanks to the many people who eventually discover my website, followed by e-mails full of more great images etc. As always, there may be some gaps and missing names of those featured in the old photos that have been preserved in old scrapbooks or maybe just been boxed up many decades ago. Please get in touch with any comments, amendments, updates or even new input that can be shared with the world of 60s music fans.

Let's kick off with another e-mail out of the blue-great nostalgia from the early days of Southampton's iconic Royal Pier (now Kutis Thai Restaurant) which you can read about all my 60s music pages via the Site Map. In June 2011 - I was interviewed on the Alex Dyke Radio Show for BBC Solent as he is very keen on all aspects of the local music scene and David sent this message plus photograph of the Five Rays

David,

I heard you on BBC Radio Solent this morning and was fascinated (and surprised) to hear that you have maintained such an interest in the Royal Pier and the groups that appeared there in the 50s and 60s.

I was the drummer with the Five Rays (twins Ray and Roy Worley) and we played regularly at the Royal Pier, usually on Wednesday and Saturday nights. I also played drums for the Blackjacks on and off during the same period.

I remember very well Tex Roberg and the Brooks Brothers. There was also a Portsmouth group but I can't remember their name but I think their drummer was called Tony Harte.

As you say in your website Len Canham was like father to us all. Also Reg Calvert was our manager for a while

I stopped playing around 62/63 when I got married and eventually lost touch with everyone, even the Worleys, mainly because I went to live in South Africa for several years. I think they changed their name to the Townsmen and carried on for some time.

I think Roy Worley past away some time ago but if you have any knowledge of the whereabouts of Ray Worley and the other group members Buck Humphreys and Bill Stedman I would love to get in touch with them.

I am attaching to only photo I have of the Five Rays which I hope will be of some interest to you.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Very best wishes

David Street

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Many Southampton based music fans and fellow musicians will recall the name of vocalist John Drevar from the early and mid Sixties. In fact he was with the Eastleigh based 'Planets' who then became 'The Unforgiven' around 1964/65 when me and Dave 'Beau' Dinnage joined this terrific group led by Eddie Harnett. You can read all about this on my Biography page as well as noting the sad loss of Eddie early this year out in Las Vegas. John was very much in the 'Mod' style with a great soul voice and was involved with several local bands over the years. I have only been recently sent some rare photos by Expression members- Derek Edmond and Richard Hayes as seen in the above image. These other images tell more of the story and I will be adding more info on these in the near future so please return to this Groups 13 webpage from time to time as well as noting more add-ons to any of the featured bands, singers etc. At time of writing this, I have just been told that JDE have just met up agains some 40 odd years after this brush with national fame and that the local Southern Echo has an article pending!

John was involved with the Expression and the well known Globe Show as fronted by another amazing vocalist Chris Shakespeare who is still singing as well as ever these days.

From Top Pops and Jackie magazines 1968- I will scan the text and reproduce it back here

L-R Tony House, Cliff Barkes, Chris Shakespeare, Richie Hayes, Barrie Palmer.

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Barrie 'Baz' Palmer has also been in touch with me-he was a couple of years above me at Itchen Grammar School (same year as Duncan Campbell) He has had an amazing career in the music business with several years in the USA and just sent me a draft copy of his autobiography. Very funny, irreverent and 'off the wall' - it contains references to many of the names featured across my Southampton music webpages. Baz is thinking of getting it published on a small scale at first so come on back to this page in the near future for any developments. It really is sex, drugs and rock n roll to coin that phrase!

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When the JDE folded, some of the musicians formed Inflatable Toy and you can find more info on this much respected 'progressive' style lineup on my other Group pages. They were in the genre of The Nice/The Who and made some excellent demos that never quite took off. I Toys toured Scandinavia and the band split with Melvin McCrae joining Refugee and other bands with Colin Willsher moving onto Joker. Terry Scott took lead vocals with Toy before fronting the much acclaimed Heaven along with Eddie Harnett and co- played the IOW Festivals in 1969/1970 (Bob Dylan & Jimi Hendrix years) Sadly, Melvin McCrae passed away some 20 years but is still remembered by many musicians and fans of his many groups.

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Richard Hayes (organist) with JDE kindly sent me many of the above images (also thanks to Derek Edmonds) and his own career is a very long road across the decades and here is some of it. He mailed this overview and you will note the current You Tube links so well worth checking out

Richard Hayes – Musical Profile.

Started piano lessons aged 5 with usual associated exams.

Used piano knowledge to teach myself guitar around 12 years old.

Founder member as organist of The Chris Shakespeare Movement with Cliff Barkes, Barry Palmer and Tony House. At this time also backed Ebony Keys a black American singer while he was promoting a record in the UK. (A cover of Elvis’ Presley’s “Don’t”) SEE BELOW

Second band John Drevar’s Expression along with Derek Edmond, Melvin McRae, Colin Angel (nee Willsher), Barry Palmer and Keith Bennett. Released “The Closer She Gets”

Link:

(http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=john+drevars+expression&aq=0&oq=john+drevars)

“Show more” on You Tube reads:

“UK Blue eyed soul of the highest order from Southampton's John Drevar’s Expression, a soul orientated band in the vein of Amen Corner. Released on UK MGM in the Spring of 1968 and remarkably failed to chart, but some 7 years later would set dance floor alight at the Wigan Casino. A perfect example of cross over pop Northern and certainly no change from £100 if you are lucky enough to find a copy.”

Think this is a bit out of date as one has gone for £400 and one on eBay last week for £235.

Played variously in Germany, major London gigs and billed with Stevie Wonder, Amen Corner, Georgie Fame, The Equals etc.,

Then with Derek, Melvin and Colin morphed into The Inflatable Toy – Progressive Rock – University circuit etc., playing with Yes, Rory Gallagher etc.,

After group days studied Classical Guitar up to Grade VIII and ran The Alhambra Guitar Quartet performing locally – The Southampton Show, Radio Solent etc.,

Nowadays back on the Strat with backing tracks for my own enjoyment ranging from The Shadows to a complete solo guitar version of Bohemian Rhapsody.

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L-R Bob Stone (bass) Paul Beard (lead guitar) Dave Lane (roadie and trumpet) Paul Sheath (organ) Terry Gilmour (drums) Denny Witt (tenor sax) Bob Ames (Baritone sax) lying across picture Melvyn Day (vocals)

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A very rare old photo taken on the Pier with the old docks in background plus an I.O.W. ferry. This early Sixties group comprised of:

'Southern Roots' quotes: Led by Bernie West whose later line-up went on as The Ides Of March, March and the Wild Boys named by Heinz Burt who used them as his backing group for his solo career following the Tornados (Telstar) days with Joe Meek etc.

Hi Dave

Please find below, a few notes re The Companions. I have attached a photo of us, taken at the Royal Pier, Southampton. It was in the same batch from which Avenue Artistes took the one of me "up the pole", which was used for one of the "Mod Ball's" gigs. I have other "stories" if you think they would be of interest ??

The Companions, were based at Ashby Youth Club, Stratton Road, Shirley, and took their name from the "Good Companions" pub in Leigh Road Eastleigh. Originally they were Dave Curtis and The Companions. ( In those days it was Gerry & the Pacemakers, Freddie & the Dreamers, Billy J Kramer & the Dakotas, etc etc.) Dave, the singer, lasted as long as it took to get "Dave Curtis & the Companions" Business cards printed. So, when I took the place of Dave in the band, I was unofficially "Dave" until the cards ran out. (£7.10s was major Capital expenditure in those days) We then went under the banner of "The Companions", which, as a Group name was IMHO Krap ( not very commercial)

In those days Len " I can't afford to pay you much" Canham ran the Royal Pier dance hall. It really was a great place to go and to perform. Len was a very good businessman and put on some great music, without a great outlay of money, which he never liked to part with Avenue Artistes were the main Agency in Southampton at the time, and sent Groups far and wide in search of Fame. There were many very good Groups from the South, but you had to go to London to get a "Big" agent

Not many Southern Bands made it Big by remaining Southern based. The Troggs and Dave Dee were possible exceptions. Dave Dee and the Bostons made their name via the Butlins circuit before going full time pro. The very last Gig they did under that name was at Ashby Youth Club, Southampton. On the following Monday, they were unveiled as Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mitch and Titch, and, as they say, the rest is history

The Companions changed their name to Ides Of March, and throughout the years became Shades, March, Hobson's Choice ( not sure of the order) The last Group I was in was Gentle Persuasion

I knew Keith and Christine right from the start at Ashby, and then later on from the Royal South Hants Hospital, where Keith held a senior position in Radiotherapy I believe. I was computer based, dealing with Insurance on specialist equipment

I lost track of Keith circa 2001, when I retired and went to Canada for a while. I really was choked up to hear of his sad passing. Luckily, I still have some great memories of him

Brian Knight July 2011

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The Lord Maurice Group's line-up can be noted in this article and comprised 'Lord Maurice' (Martin Welch) Dave Tilbury Pete Forrester Mike Hackett Dickie Carpenter and Brian 'Fritz' Carter. They played many mid 60s gigs at the Excel Bowling Alley in Bitterne, as did a few of us local bands- as well as appearing at the other Southampton Bowling Alley- the Top Rank in Banister Road, next to the old Ice Rink and close to the Top Rank Suite that was built on the site of the old Stadium (Charlie Knott) that featured speedway, stock car races and greyhounds etc. The LMG worked all over the area and beyond before going their separate ways. Vocalist Pete Forrester took over from me at the old Woolston pub (former Railway and later Bridge Inn, New Bridge Inn) in 1972 when I went into my solo comedy career. He did a great Alice Cooper take-off as well!

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This rare magazine article was kindly sent in by 60s musician Al Kirtley and this is the message:

Hi David,

I thought you might be interested in the attached article about Reg. It was published in late 1960/early 1961 to coincide with a feature programme on Southern Television about Reg's "Rock School". I think the article is from the southern edition of the TV Times. As you'll see, the director of the programme was John Boorman, who went on to direct movies such as Point Blank, Deliverance, Hope and Glory, etc. The article also identifies "Carol" in the (Reg Calvert) group photo on your site as Carol Laine, whom we backed several times as The Ramrods (later known as Dave Anthony and the Ravers" in which I was lead guitarist.

I've just had a mini-reunion with the other two surviving members of Dave Anthony and the Ravers - Jet Berryman (bass) and Eddie Parsons (drums) - and over the next few days will be adding a few more images of our time with Reg, including some taken at Clifton Hall. They'll be at http://alkirtley.co.uk/gallery/

Cheers,

Al Kirtley

If you have read my Reg Calvert webpage then you will note that his early days as a 'teen dance' promoter were from his Southampton base in the late Fifties. He worked out of the Bandbox in St Marys Street- later Henrys Record Shop (see that page too!) and was an amazing character with a flair for marketing and PR stunts! A real showman and moved up to Rugby in 1961 to Clifton Hall which then became a bigger base for his 'School Of Rock n Roll'. You may have noticed the new musical play staged by his daughter Susan for the 4th November and this all ties in with this incredible story that ended in tragedy. In the middle of the Pirate Radio era, Reg and Screaming Lord Sutch set up their own radio station (Radio Sutch + Radio City) on a disused fort in the Thames estuary, but in 1966 Reg was shot by a business rival who managed to get off a murder charge due to the travesty of the 'trial'. One of the biggest miscarriages of justice and the case is now being looked at some 45 years down the line and I strongly recommend that you go and see Susan Calvert's own story from the inside!

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Please come back again soon as this new page will be extended as I receive more great input and maybe hear from YOU soon?