The Artists – 1967

JANUARY 1967

Now that the Top 20 was officially over after a hugely successful 6 year run, the Bridgwater Mercury’s redoubtable journalist Mike Guy busied himself with his regular pop column, obtaining an “exclusive” interview with Graham Nash on the 10th January concerning the future of popular music. “Pop music at the moment is progressing by leaps and bounds, but this is not such a bad thing. I am quite sure that in the future there are going to be a lot of beautiful things happening. Look how far it has gone in 10 years. Play a Rick Nelson L.P. and then an album by The Mama’s and The Papa’s. There’s the answer”. It’s slightly ironic that Nash should mention the Mama’s & Papa’s specifically as Mama Cass was apparently instrumental in introducing Nash to his future music partners David Crosby & Stephen Stills.

In the February 7th edition of the local paper, Mike reports on the success of a local musician in the film world. “After becoming a famous pop singer throughout Europe, Bridgwater’s Lee Grant (alias Peter Gibbs) and his group The Capitols have been signed to appear in a new British motion picture starring Boris Karloff and Catherine Lacey” Guy reported. The name of this blockbuster was “The Sorcerers”, a horror movie spoof, with Grant’s band “performing three numbers which they have specifically written for the film” Produced by Raquel Welsh’s husband, Curt Well, Mike Guy had successfully obtained another “exclusive” interview, this time with singer Grant, in which he exclaimed that Ms Welch had specifically asked him to write a song for her “disc debut”. It would appear however that this first waxing by Ms Welch failed to materialise, which was probably for the best.

Meanwhile, sensing an opportunity after the demise of the Top Twenty, a couple of promotional companies were keen to take up the position vacated by Graham Alford’s venture and on the 24th January 1967 news began to filter through of a “New Pop Show for Bridgwater”.

A big new weekly pop show is to start in Bridgwater next month (February 6th) at the Town Hall on Monday evenings – and it will be launched by Hit Parade stars The Fortunes. The shows are to be run by Westside Promotions, of Street who will present non-stop “live” entertainment between 8-11 p.m. This news comes less than two months after the closure of The Top 20 Club which pulled out of Bridgwater after six years. Westside Promotions – rapidly becoming Somerset’s leading pop agency – was formed four years ago and has been staging beat spectaculars at Glastonbury for the past three years. They have also put on pop shows at Street and over a wide area of the South West, stretching to Newbury and Weymouth. Just about everyone who’s anybody in the beat business has been presented by Westside Promotions of Glastonbury. These include Paul and Barry Ryan, Wayne Fontana, Pinkerton’s Colours, The Four Pennies, The Fourmost, The Moody Blues and Billy J.Kramer.

6th February 1967
THE FORTUNES

The origins of The Fortunes can be found in 1960 and the Moseley Grammar School in Birmingham. Pupils Rodney Bainbridge (aka Rod Allen) and Barry Pritchard were in a number of bands together and in early 1963 their group The Strollers were spotted by pop music promoter Reg Calvert. Augmented by Mike West, they were transformed into Robbie Hood and His “Merrie Men” with Messrs Allen & Pritchard suitably attired in boots and green tights for the duration. Calvert eventually realized that Rod and Barry were better suited to forming their own group and paired them with another of his ‘discoveries’ in the form of aspiring vocalist/guitarist Glen Dale. The trio, named The Cliftones, soon developed the three-part harmonies that became a focal point of The Fortunes sound and they were later augmented by a drummer and keyboard player respectively. Re-named “The Fortunes Rhythm Group”, this 5-piece line-up won first place at a beat contest held at Edgbaston’s ‘Tower Ballroom’ and were signed to Decca Records in late 1963. Their first record release, confusingly credited to The Fortunes & The Cliftones, and made under the supervision of future Who and Kinks producer Shel Talmy, was a cover of the Jamie’s 1958 U.S. hit “Summertime, Summertime” though their version sounds as if it’s being played at the wrong speed. But it was their follow-up 45, “Caroline” that achieved some notoriety when it was adopted by the pirate radio station Radio Caroline as its theme tune. Despite plenty of airplay, the record did not chart and two more 1964 releases, The Fab Four-ish “Come On Girl” and a cover of Johnny Ray’s 1957 ballad “Look Homeward Angel” also failed to make their mark. Decca gave the band one last chance. The Fortunes fifth single was a new composition written by the then-unknown songwriters Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook. Initially disappointed to discover that an “unknown” artist had recorded their song they were richly rewarded when “You’ve Got Your Troubles”  provided the breakthrough for the band with the record reaching No.2 in the British charts in August 1965 and also climbing to Number 7 in the Billboard Hot 100. With a hit record under their belt, The Fortunes were now a “hot ticket”, consequently the follow-up “Here It Comes Again” was specifically written for them by Les Reed and Barry Mason and the result was another hit, reaching No.4.  The year 1966 proved to be something of a mixed blessing. Their 7th single “This Golden Ring” reached Number 15 in the charts but a couple of incidents saw them make newsprint for the wrong reasons. Firstly a minor scandal erupted when the group admitted during an interview that session musicians were responsible for the instrumentation on their hit singles and that the band had only supplied the vocals. Although this was common practice back then, it raised a few eyebrows and may have damaged the groups’ credibility among some music fans. A further, more tragic blow occurred in June 1966 when the Fortunes’ manager Reg Calvert, owner of Radio City, a pirate radio station located in the Thames Estuary, was shot and killed during a confrontation with an employee of a rival station. The Fortunes then entered a period of inactivity chart wise. Like many bands before them, they struggled with the onset of the psychedelic era, particularly as they had always enjoyed a clean-cut image and their record sales continued to decline as they found it hard to adjust to the changing trends. However, plenty of bookings were available on the lucrative ‘cabaret’ circuit and this became an increased source of revenue. At the time of their Bridgwater appearance they were no longer the successful chart-bound group of old and in August of 1967, in the hope of resurrecting their career, the Fortunes switched to the United Artists record label and released new singles consisting of self-composed material. The first of these was the excellent “The Idol” written by Rod Allen and Barry Pritchard. Despite achieving heavy rotation on Radio’s Caroline & Luxembourg this sudden change of direction did not achieve chart results but the group soon found new success in recording ‘advertising jingles’, most notably “It’s The Real Thing” for Coca-Cola. It wasn’t until the early 70’s that The Fortunes career as a UK chart act was revived though there was a 2-year gap in which no singles were released at all. After achieving a minor hit in The States with the original recording of “That Same Old Feeling”, a song that was a No 5 hit in the UK for Pickettywitch, another label move, this time to Capitol Records in 1971, and a reunion with Greenaway and Cook produced a No 15 hit with “Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again”. The comeback was complete when their next single, the Caribbean-flavoured “Freedom Come Freedom Go” made Number 6 whilst “Storm In A Teacup” (written by singer Lynsey de Paul) made it into the Top 10 one year later.

THE FORTUNES VARIED FORTUNES
Hit Parade stars The Fortunes headed a recent show at Bridgwater Town Hall presented by Westside Promotions, of Street. Deserving of bigger support than it received, it was virtually non-stop “live”‘ entertainment. The Fortunes lived up to their reputation for equalling their recorded sound on stage, and what a treat it was to hear immaculate, quality harmonising for a change. Newest member. Shel Macrae, could be a notable ballad singer in his own right if his interpretations of “Backstage”, “Just One Smile” and Andy Willams’s “May Each Day” are anything to go by. And Rod Allen is still the “face” in the contingent. Just listen to him and Barry Pritchard for unbeatable vocal teaming. Behind them, skinbeater Andy Brown establishes a consistent perky beat which should earn him more of the limelight. In view of the group’s title, it’s rather ironic that their fortunes have been so mixed. Contrary to recent reports, however, the group definitely has no intention of splitting up, even though they may feel a bit downhearted. At least they can look forward to an important future event. They will be on the bill with Tom Jones at a London Palladium charity concert on March 3rd given in the presence of Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon. They’ve previously starred there on “Sunday Night at the London Palladium”, but never before played to Royalty. MICHAEL GUY – Bridgwater Mercury

And on the 7th February 1967, a day after The Fortunes appearance, another promoter steps forward to fill the void…

LAUNCHING NEW “POP” CAMPAIGN
Bridgwater is to be the launching pad for a new pop campaign in the West Country which will bring top London groups like The Cream and The Move to dance halls.  Behind the project is Western Entertainments, a company formed by the promoter at the famous Starlite Ballroom, London, Mr. Peter Lyndsy. The Bridgwater dances will be held at the Blake Hall and, as can be seen in an advertisement elsewhere in this issue, they start this Friday (February 10th) with The Way Of Life as guest group. An entertainment agency has been set up under the management of Mr. Russell Powell to act as mediator between London and the working end of Western Entertainments, and they may open up offices in either Bridgwater or Taunton. In the most ambitious pop plan ever for Bridgwater, promoter Peter Lyndsay aims to inject new life into West Country entertainments by bringing audiences the best of London’s music. As events gather momentum, such aids as soft lights and stage decorations will be used to add atmosphere. A spokesman for the company, Mr. John Powell said last week; “We feel the West Country is an oyster waiting to be opened up. Bridgwater is a good place to start and we want to run more dances in other towns in the South West. Besides presenting London groups we’ll also be on the look-out for good local groups at our dances”

10th February 1967
THE WAY OF LIFE

Western Entertainments entered into the fray by booking another Birmingham band that I must confess meant little or nothing to me at least initially. However, it turns out that they were of tremendous importance, primarily as they were responsible for introducing to the wonderful world of popular music, a drummer by the name of John Bonham. Perhaps unsurprisingly, their history is convoluted and involves several Brummie bands that may not of achieved notoriety but which are reasonably important for housing musicians who later became an integral part of the local scene. In the early 1960’s singer Reg Jones had started out with a local Brummie outfit called The Counts while his younger sibling Chris played guitar with another local band called The Chantelles. Reg & Chris later joined forces in The Chantelles line-up until 1963, before Jones junior joined Danny King & The Jesters, which also featured bass player Chris ‘Ace’ Kefford (The Move) and drummer Barry Smith (aka Barry St John). Both St. John & King later became part of the Way of Life line-up. After a brief sojourn with a group called The Chucks, the Jones’ decided to form a new band and The Way Of Life became part of Birmingham’s rich tapestry of long lost beat bands. They had already asked lead guitarist Mick Hopkins and bass player Tony Clarkson to join with Hopkins something of a local legend, having previously worked with Gerry Levene & The Avengers (alongside Roy Wood and Graeme Edge of The Moody Blues), The Diplomats and The Nicky James Movement among others. Clarkson also had an impressive, local pedigree. All that was required at this point was a new drummer and after auditioning about 20 skin bashers for the vacant chair, John Bonham, who’d worked with both Clarkson and Hopkins in The Nicky James Movement, landed the job. Unsurprisingly Bonham had also worked in a number of West Midlands bands during the early-mid 1960s, including, for a short while, a group that had appeared in Bridgwater previously, Pat Wayne & The Beachcombers. However, his tenure in The Way of Life was somewhat short-lived as he was unceremoniously sacked for playing too loud (well it was John Bonham after all.)

In 1966 The Way of Life signed with the Rik Gunnell Agency and recorded some tracks in London and, possibly sensing that the band were onto something, the following month Bonham convinced the Jones brothers to re-employ him so by the time their Bridgwater gig took place the line-up not only featured the Led Zeppelin man (undoubtedly STILL playing too loudly,) but also Reg & Chris Jones and Danny King (Tony Clarkson seems to have gone AWOL at this point in time). Despite the undoubted promise of the proverbial record deal, sadly one was not forthcoming though the band soldiered on as a gigging group until April 1968. Bonham, of course, had gone by then, but another notable band member, if only for a very brief period of time, was former Ugly and future Fairport Convention man Dave Pegg, who joined in September 1967 and lasted for about a month before leaving to join the Ian Campbell Folk Group. Apparently, that most unlikely of rhythm sections (Pegg & Bonham) played about 20 gigs together before going their separate ways.

Meanwhile, just when it seemed that all was rosy on the live concert front, things very quickly started to unravel…. This is from 14th February 1967

Westside Promotions of Street have, after only one show, decided to withdraw “for the moment”, a series of Monday night pop dances at the Town Hall, Bridgwater. This comes after only 200 young people turned up for their first beat concert starring chart group The Fortunes. The company were to have filled the chasm left by the closure of the Top Twenty Club in December and had booked in advance, four Mondays at the Town Hall. They planned to present each week almost non-stop “live” entertainment from two groups, including local attractions. A partner in the business, Garth Muton, said they knew they stood to lose out on the first dance, but they advertised it extensively and had expected to get a minimum of 300 at the venue. “If The Fortunes couldn’t pull in that number, Johnny Carr & The Cadillacs, who we booked for the following week, wouldn’t have done any better. And on this showing they would probably have done much worse than The Fortunes, who are a big name”. Garth went on; “We would have needed 283 people at the Johnny Carr dance just to break even. We get almost as many Bridgwater fans at our Glastonbury dance as came to see The Fortunes”.

Sadly, Western Entertainments venture into the “un-opened oyster” of the South West market also proved to be a false dawn and yet it seemed so promising. A 7th March article entitled “Chance for local beat groups” suggested that the Peter Lindsay Entertainments Agency (Western Entertainments were an off-shoot of this agency set-up specifically to handle gigs in the South West area) were “offering auditions to all local beat groups which could put them on the road to fame and lead to an appearance at the company’s famous Starlite Ballroom, Wembley, alongside top pop stars”. There was even a quote from an agency employee, John Powell that was full of promise and enthusiasm whilst the article stated that “two people have been assigned to live permanently in the West acting as dance organisers and talent scouts”. Considering the ambitious nature of the project (it’s extremely hard to imagine Cream playing the Blake Hall), it’s perhaps unsurprising that after one concert, Western Entertainments also pulled the plug on future bookings though I don’t recall seeing anything in the local paper that explained their sudden withdrawal. It was, apparently, down to numbers. Or a lack of them. By all accounts less than 20 people witnessed “The Way Of Life” at the Blake Hall and, unsurprisingly, the promoters, having lost a considerable amount of money, decided that this was a venture that was not worth pursuing. Instead, a more domestic scene (“local groups for local venues” to paraphrase The League of Gentleman) plugged the gap, at least for awhile with The Sydenham Rave at the forefront.

With pop dances folding up left, right and centre in Bridgwater, the Rave at Sydenham Community Centre – which packs em in every month – can be regarded as a bright spot in the current pop wilderness. When I looked in on the latest session I found well over 200 teenagers “having a ball”. It was 180 minutes of excellent home-grown pop amid a wonderfully happy atmosphere.

On the 21st March 1967, the Bridgwater Mercury reported on the success of two local bands, Mother’s Little Helpers and the rather salaciously named The Insexts. Both were showcased by the aforementioned monthly shindig, “The Rave” at Sydenham Community Centre with the former band packing in 200 punters during March’s concert, proof, were it needed, that despite higher profile concerts failing due to an apparent lack of interest, live gigs were still popular even if audience figures had diminished elsewhere. Mother Little Helpers got as far as having a fan club but went no further it would seem, The Insexts on the other hand, did manage to get signed to a London agency but that proved to be the height of their ambition. During April’s “Rave” performance, both bands appeared on the same bill. Michael Guy reported that “During (the Insexts) one hour guest spot, deliriously happy fans invaded the stage and danced in a well-behaved manner alongside the group” whilst further suggesting that “the reaction they got has never before been known in Bridgwater, not even for top stars such as The Troggs and The Small Faces when they came to the Town Hall“. I guess when you are starved of live performance during this furtive period of British music, anything is better than nothing. It should be mentioned however that Sydenham Community Centre’s “The Rave” was proving to be popular even if the artists they were booking were a tad obscure nationally.

For the next Rave on Saturday 6th May, London group The Reason have been booked – they include a member who backs Chris Andrews on his discs. The event is certainly living up to it’s name, and as one Rave-er was heard to remark; “There’s been nothing like it in Bridgwater for some time”. 18th April 1967

Let me see, there was a 60’s band from Coventry operating under the same name as the London group mentioned above and an American female group called The Reason’s who recorded for United Artists but nothing on this lot. Having a band member who once worked with Chris Andrews is not enough to get you a recording contract it would seem. File under “vague”.

25th April 1967
THE TOWN’S FIRST DISCOTHEQUE
The Bridgwater pop scene takes a gigantic step forward this week with the opening on Saturday of the town’s first discotheque at the New Market Hotel in Bath Road. For the past two weeks a team of people, including professional artists, have been engaged on the task of converting the ballroom into an exciting, atmospheric setting. The discotheque will have a bar and cloakroom facilities, and no structural alterations were necessary since the ballroom is already equipped with a stage and an excellent dance floor. Opening on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, music will be provided in stereo by a Seeburg juke box, constantly kept up-to-date with the latest and greatest hit parade sounds. The licensee of the New Market Hotel, Mr.Ernest Clare, and his wife, who have done so much to further the cause of pop here in Bridgwater by booking most of the top local groups for Friday night dances at their ballroom, are to be heartily congratulated on this new venture. Let’s hope that this discotheque gets the support it deserves.

The above article turns out to be of significant interest. Not because Bridgwater was finally being introduced to the Discotheque phenomenon (though the suggestion that the New Market was to be Bridgwater’s “first” is not entirely true) but because the introduction of a regular jaunt at the Bath Road pub eventually became something much bigger and in many ways the equal of what had come before. The Newmarket, thanks to the help of the same Westside Promotions agency that had given us The Fortunes earlier in the year, effectively became the heir to the Top Twenty’s throne with a regular live Monday night offering being introduced in September 1967. In the meantime, apart from the Sydenham Community Centre, other venues such as the Bridgwater Boys Club and Westover School catered for the absence of regular professional bookings by promoting live music though these largely consisted of performances by Bridgwater outfits.

Regarding that unknown outfit The Reason, seems like they went down a storm at Sydenham but their mysterious identity was enhanced by the fact that we don’t even know the full name of their star employee.

16th May 1967
The Reason caused great interest, mainly because this was the first occasion The Rave had presented a unit from outside the region but also through the fact their drummer “Kip”, was once a session musician on several discs made by top popster Chris Andrews. Dressed in different coloured jackets they soon broke the ice with numbers like “Hi Ho Silver Lining” by Jeff Beck, The Ronettes “Be My Baby” and another blast from the past, “That’s My Desire”. They received such a good reception that they have been to star at The Rave again in a few months time.

For the latest dance in the series more than 100 ravers had to be turned away when the hall became full…. The July Rave will be a king-size edition it is hoped, and tentative arrangements are being made to book several groups for the date. With all this activity the pop scene in Bridgwater could not be better than it is now. (27th June 1967)

The Rave goes from strength to strength but the new kids on the block are about to give them a run for their money.

4th July 1967
DISCOTHEQUE IS A No.1 SPOT
People from a wide area of Somerset have been coming to dance at Bridgwater’s 1st discotheque, which, when put into operation a few months ago at the Newmarket Hotel in Bath Road, was more or less an experiment. But word has got around of the great atmosphere there and folks from such places as Weston, Taunton, Wells, Glastonbury & Street are now joining local fans at the venue. Informing me of the good news, Mrs. Clare, who runs the hotel with her husband Ernest said, “As many as 200 come on a Saturday night now and there are also good crowds for the other sessions on Mondays and Thursdays. There is not an awful lot for younger people to do of an evening in Bridgwater and it is quite obvious they appreciate the Discotheque very much” she added. Apparently many have been passing favourable comments about it’s decor, which takes as it’s theme the Bridgwater Carnival. And the Seeburg stereo jukebox keeps them up to date with all the latest hit singles. Before the arrival of the discotheque, Friday was always the traditional “group night” at the Newmarket, and this feature has been retained. Nearly every Friday records are replaced by “live” music from one of the local groups – and Bridgwater boys The Haze seem to be the most popular, for they have been asked back many times of late. Discotheques appear to have taken over from ballrooms as leading entertainment centres for young people, and thanks to the enterprise of Mr & Mrs Clare, the borough has been able to keep up with the changing trends.

As if to counteract the suggestion that Bridgwater was a thriving beat town with a healthy local selection of bands, our old friend Graham Alford decides to paint a less-than-rosy picture.

11th July 1967
NO MORE STAR SHOWS FOR BRIDGWATER?
The future of Bridgwater’s pop industry lies solely in the hands of those local organisers who are trying to keep it alive. This fact was made clear after I had spoken to the only man who has run professional beat concerts successfully in this town for any length of time – promoter Graham Alford. When Graham’s Top 20 Club closed here last December after a life of 6 years, it left the borough with no top live pop shows. And 6 months later that gap is still waiting to be filled. With Autumn fast approaching, the big question on the lips of fans is; How much beat entertainment can we expect when the long dark nights arrive? They raise hopes that star shows may once again come to Bridgwater and many feel Graham is the person to put them on. Well, I’m afraid to say that the Top Twenty Club will definitely not be re-opening this winter. Speaking from his Trowbridge home, Graham Alford still remembers how attendance figures slumped dramatically over these last few months. He plainly fears a repeat of this were he to start up operations in the town again, although he added that he had not given up altogether the idea of putting on beat concerts here. “But if we came back we might get good crowds for the first 3 or 4 months and then it might fall off again”. Ironically enough, his Top 20 clubs in his hometown and at Chippenham continue to flourish while he told me he was starting a new club in September at Banbury. He could only see himself around this area in the immediate future filming location scenes for a new, forthcoming ITV pop series – a side to his business he has recently developed. So, unless something turns up out of the blue, this is the situation you will have to face. But it does mean that the continuation of local dances like those at the Sydenham Community Centre and the Newmarket Hotel becomes vitally important. Let’s thank our lucky stars they are there.

FLOWER POWER HAS ARRIVED
Flower Power has arrived in Bridgwater! The peace-loving cult started by hippies on America’s West Coast was introduced into the borough recently during the last in the present series of Rave’s at Sydenham Community Centre. Many of the ravers were seen to be wearing flowers as were local resident group Mother’s Little Helpers, who also brightened up the stage with floral displays for their well-received act. Steve Taylor told me that he and fellow members of the unit had had a “whip round” and bought most of those used on the set, “mixing in some wild blooms as well”. (15th August 1967)

Despite this well-intentioned stunt, Sydenham never did become the UK equivalent of Haight-Ashbury. As for the “wild blooms”, I’m guessing that someone in Fairfax Road woke up the following morning minus a few stems from their front garden.

“I don’t think we will be going in for those bells and beads. We might put a cauliflower in our hair though”. Adge Cutler – Bridgwater Mercury – 5th September 1967.

For a couple of months at least, the somewhat bleak prediction offered by Mike Guy in his July Bridgwater Mercury post looked to be sadly prophetic, despite a comment in the 22nd August edition suggesting that the “fabulous group The Symbols are coming to Bridgwater”.

Adge Cutler & The Wurzels made an appearance at the Blake Hall on the 1st September 1967, a gig that included Fred Wedlock as the compere, and which was important enough for the Mercury to give it a few column inches on it’s front page.

To the strains of “Drink Up Thee Zyder”, and other choice Zummerset-flavoured ditties, Adge Cutler is to launch a “scrumpy and Western” show at Blake Hall, Bridgwater on Friday. And he’ll be bringing along some of his friends from the world of folk for physical support too. People like Lindsay Dear, the Wiltshire lass who charmed us all at the Top 20 Club last year and went on to score in the “Cider Apple” television series. Then there will be Derek Brimstone, a favourite in folk clubs throughout the British Isles and heard regularly on radio programmes and Bev and Rich Dewar, who will play guitar, fiddle and five-string banjo in an act which has won tremendous support at concerts over the last four years. Three gents who call themselves The Alligator Jug Thumpers are to present that special brand of music to which they owe their group name, and Bristolian Fred Wedlock will be compere for the evening.

However, Guy offered a continuation of the doom n’gloom in a post from the 12th September’s edition of the paper with the comment; “Plans for a weekly beat show at the Town Hall still awaited”. There was also a query regarding the London agency who had given us a gig way back in February and who had promised concerts on a regular basis. “Whatever happened to Peter Lindsay Entertainments and their dances at The Blake Hall? May be able to answer that one before long.” Now either Mike was unaware of what was happening in the background or he was playing his cards close to his chest. On the 19th September, without any pre-publicity, an intriguing advert appeared. On the 25th September 1967, there was to be a brand new experience for Bridgwater music fans to savour.

On the day after the gig, under the title of “Bright outlook for “pop” fans” a casual comment regarding the current state of Bridgwater’s pop scene finally gave us an inkling of what was to come.

“Most ambitious venture of them all concerns the New Market Hotel in Bath Road where the discotheque will be used to fill the gap left by the closing down of the Top 20 Club. Big name groups and DJ’s will present swinging Club shows for three hours from 8.30 each Monday evening. Lucas and the Mike Cotton Sound launched the series last night, and next week Weston’s The Voids will appear with the Safety Catch heading the bill the following Monday”.

25th September 1967
LUCAS with THE MIKE COTTON SOUND

Here’s a band who frequently changed their style of music depending on what was popular at the time. Mike Cotton (born in 1939) had played trumpet in a variety of trad jazz bands in the late ’50s, and in 1960 he formed a group of his own, the Mike Cotton Jazzmen, with members of the Peter Ridge Band, who had recently broken up. During a period where Trad Jazz was the music of Britain’s youth, Cotton’s sound was pure Dixieland and the group got lucky by inheriting a recording contract originally intended for Ridge that also led to a licensing agreement with EMI-Columbia. The group toured frequently, playing as many as 300 gigs a year, primarily in clubs in the north of England, where they were best known. They also became a regular fixture in live appearances on the radio and did their share of television performances as well. They were sufficiently respected and successful enough to appear in the 1962 film “The Wild and the Willing”, a British romantic drama that gave both Ian McShane and John Hurt their screen debuts. 1962 proved to be a pivotal year for a number of reasons as the line-up not only changed frequently (keyboard player Dave Rowberry was a significant addition) but Cotton was also acutely aware of the changing musical scene and by 1963, despite obtaining a Number 36 hit with a strictly jazz rendition of the Leadbelly song “Swing That Hammer”, he decided to shift their sound, adding more rock & roll and R&B to their repertoire. This resulted in not one but two changes of name, firstly to the Mike Cotton Band and then to the Mike Cotton Sound. After the release of their predominantly instrumental debut album in 1964 they secured tour work backing the likes of Stevie Wonder, the Four Tops, Solomon Burke and Gene Pitney, amongst others, whilst also performing on bills alongside Tom Jones and Dusty Springfield. By this time, they had embraced R&B almost completely, but during the following year they lost keyboard player Rowberry to The Animals where he replaced the departing Alan Price. (Among the musicians who auditioned, unsuccessfully, for his spot were Reginald Dwight aka Elton John and Joe Cocker). Having obtained the services of future Argent bassist Jim Rodford, The Mike Cotton Sound were signed to Polydor in 1965 and gradually continued to transform their style still further, moving away from Chicago-style blues and R&B into a soulful Stax combo. Their decent version of the Bob & Earl classic “Harlem Shuffle” (released in January 1967) was as clear a sign as any of the changes that had taken place.

This was helped somewhat by the arrival in the group’s lineup of an American vocalist called Lucas (Bruce MacPherson Lucas). who was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and was a former GI living in England. His presence helped boost the band’s credibility as a soul-based performing unit. They were also lucky enough to sign with Pye Records and find a sympathetic producer in Mike Raven, who helped them achieve a commercial sound on their records. Their version of “Soul Serenade”, originally recorded by King Curtis, rose to the Top 30 on the British R&B charts in 1968, but they were never able to follow it up. The group stayed together long enough to be engaged by Apple Records as the backing band on Mary Hopkin’s “Postcard” album in 1969 and with progressive music rearing it’s ugly head, Cotton, always trying to stay ahead of the game, changed musical tack again. Consequently The Mike Cotton Sound became Satisfaction, recording an album for England’s Decca Records, which attracted little notice. Mike Cotton’s final swansong came when he and his fellow brass men from the band were recruited by the Kinks for some notable mid-’70s recording sessions, including their excellent “Muswell Hillbillies” album in 1971. Cotton, who by 1967 was something of a veteran at 28, is still alive but probably hasn’t been given the credit he deserves for fronting a hard working and professional band for over 15 years. It could be argued that he was something of an opportunist, but he was also flexible enough to extend his career by playing different kinds of music with comparative ease.

MONDAY NIGHT BEAT SHOWS OFF TO GREAT START
Monday night beat shows at the New Market Discotheque, Bridgwater, got off to a great start last week with the exciting U.S. soul singer Lucas accompanied by his permanent group of backing men, The Mike Cotton Sound. The concerts are being promoted by Westside Promotions of Street, but in contrast to their ill-fated dances at the Town Hall earlier this year, which soon folded up through lack of support, this venture seems all set to become the leading pop attraction in the town. A spokesman for the agency told me it was hoped to book a big name once a month with some of the best West Country groups appearing on the other three dates, and he added that D.J.’s and record spots would be featured at every show. Certainly the discotheque is tailor-made for the kind of groovy club scene I noted there on Monday. Uninhibited dancing, an electrifying atmosphere, plus loads of Stax, Atlantic and Tamla hits combined to make this an all-happening evening. Mike Cotton’s boys, surely among the best musicians Britain has produced, lent solid support to Lucas, who fervently swung through numbers like “Harlem Shuffle” and “Shake”, before giving a demonstration of how to do the Philly Dog. With The Voids from Weston topping the bill last night (Monday) and Taunton’s up and coming Safety Catch guesting next week, it would not be rash to say that New Market Discotheque is well and truly making it’s mark.

2nd October 1967
THE VOIDS

In keeping with the policy of booking one “big” band per month and then 3 or 4 local attractions, The Voids hailed from Weston-Super-Mare. This incidentally wasn’t their first appearance in Bridgwater as they had played the Top Twenty Club on 4th July 1966 during the latter part of it’s tenure in the town. They might as well have been called Null & Void for the impact they made on popular music.

9th October 1967
THE SAFETY CATCH

Safety Catch played clean soul music at the New Market Discotheque on Monday including “007” and “Raise Your Hand”. The Safety Catch, may well have been “PHILIPS” Recording Artists, but with no disrespect, they were also “Taunton’s Top Group!” which has never been a guarantee for rock n’roll stardom. No doubt another bunch of local boys trying to make good but sadly not succeeding..

16th October 1967
The Nashville Teens

As it happens another band making a re-appearance as they, like the Voids before them, had played The Top Twenty on the 22nd February 1965.

200 LOCAL FANS HEAR THE NASHVILLE TEENS – Famed group at Discotheque
The Nashville Teens have remained one of Britain’s most consistently good groups, popping into the charts every so often with excellent singles like “Tobacco Road” and “Google Eye” and sticking to an act which owes nothing to quickly passing fads but which has earned them a hard core of fans over the years. For proof one only had to look in at the New Market Discotheque last Monday when over 200 of their admirers packed the venue out and saw the boys pile-drive their way through such winners as “Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever” and “You’d Better Run”. “It’s great to be in the West Country again because the audiences here are so receptive” said singer Ray Phillips, interrupting a backstage game of darts, and recalling the time The Teens played at the Town Hall. Of course, since those days the group have gone a long way and are now in the enviable position of being known not only in this country but all over the Continent as well. In fact, they’re so popular in Hungary where they toured and appeared in a song festival earlier this year, that they’re wanted back there at the quickest possible opportunity. What with plane-hopping around the globe, and making many appearances on various Radio 1 shows, I suppose we can count ourselves lucky to have got them to Bridgwater once again. It could be quite a while before they can squeeze in another visit to this part of the world.

23rd October 1967
THE MID-ROD ENDS

Here’s a novelty. A band named after an implement that is “typically used in the automotive and aerospace industries, but are also present in a wide range of industrial machinery.” So who were they exactly? Hailing from Glastonbury, according to a web-site called “Poptop”, they were formed in 1965 and created a substantial following in the South West also playing at such venues as the famous Flamingo Club in London’s Wardour Street. In 1969 they recorded a “brass-led psychedelic” album under the name Brainchild called “Healing of the Lunatic Owl”. The Album made the Luxembourg Charts in March 1970 but failed to chart nationally. The band played a number of BBC sessions and acquired a following in other London Clubs such as the “Revolution”, the “Scotch of St James”, “Blaise’s” and the “Bag O’ Nails”. They also toured Spain in 1970 as the backing band to sixties star Billie Davis. What is perhaps even more interesting is that they are still going. Now called the New Midrod-Ends they feature songs from Louis Prima to Robbie Williams, Amy Winehouse, Ed Sheeran and the Killers. A covers band in other words (albeit an eclectic one) which, one suspects, was what they always were even before the term was invented.

30th October 1967
WESTERN UNION

The name of this band were NOT apparently named after the New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company, who were founded in 1851 in Rochester, New York and who changed their name to the Western Union Telegraph Company 5 years later. They were so named simply because they were from Yeovil, deep in the heart of the South West of the UK. Just before their appearance in Bridgwater, they supported Adge Cutler & The Wurzels on their UK tour and had even been the backing band for P.P. Arnold on her recent series of English gigs.

So many young people came to the first monthly Rave of the new series at Sydenham Community Centre (on the 21st October) that some unlucky fans had to be turned away. 11th November Rave to feature The Circle from Taunton. (31st October 1967)

7th November 1967
GAMBLE SEEMS TO HAVE PAID OFF.
Professional beat concerts at the New Market Hotel Discotheque look like becoming a permanent part of the Bridgwater pop scene. Since Westside Promotions opened Monday night shows there just over a month ago, attendances have risen steadily. A spokesman for the agency said at the weekend that they had been encouraged not only by the patronage for star attractions like The Nashville Teens but for groups who come from the West Country. Support was steadily growing. When the Top 20 Club closed down nearly a year back, fans feared they would never see the likes of it again in the Borough. It was a very courageous Westside who, at the end of September, decided that they would fill the gap, and their gamble seems to have paid off. In the fantastic atmosphere of the New Market Discotheque, Westside have been presenting first-rate shows with excellent “live” music, not to mention all the latest “in” discs introduced by different DJ’s. This is where it happens on Monday nights, and one only trusts it will keep on happening for a long time to come.

The Newmarket took a break from proceedings on both the 6th & the 13th November in order to make way for the Annual Carnival.

After New Market disco appearance, Somerset soul band The Midrod Ends captured engagement at London’s Flamingo. Large crowd enjoyed The Western Union from Yeovil there on Monday…Lucas and Mike Cotton Sound return to New Market venue on 20th November by popular demand. (7th November 1967)

20th November 1967
Lucas with the Mike Cotton Sound

27th November 1967
THE MOODY BLUES

The Top Twenty’s policy of booking bands that were appearing on their first tour of the UK, occasionally paid huge dividends. Bands such as The Who and The Small Faces went onto achieve international success but were obtained at a point in their career when they were just starting out and consequently were affordable. It is not known whether Westside Promotions adopted the same formula but in making this booking, they struck lucky, just as Graham Alford had done on numerous occasions. There is a review of the Moody’s concert at the Newmarket (see below) where redoubtable reporter Mike Guy expresses some surprise at what he had just witnessed. Mainly because of the success of their cover version of Bessie Banks “Go Now” in 1964, he was probably expecting a Brummie group steeped in R&B, but instead of harmonica’s and blue jeans, he got kaftans and a mellotron. It was a band that had been transformed into a brand new entity that Mike dubbed the “music of the future“. Praise indeed. The group was formed in early 1964 by Ray Thomas (harmonica, flute, vocals) and Mike Pinder (keyboards, vocals), who had previously played together in a couple of local Birmingham bands. They began recruiting members from rival groups including Denny Laine (vocals, guitar), Graeme Edge (drums), and Clint Warwick (bass, vocals). The Moody Blues, as they came to be known, made their debut in Birmingham in May of that year and quickly secured the services of manager Tony Secunda. Things moved quickly with the band landing an engagement at the Marquee Club, which helped them earn a contract with London-based Decca Records less than six months after their formation. Released in September of 1964, their debut single, “Steal Your Heart Away” failed to chart, but their follow-up, a cover of the American singer Bessie Banks’ R&B song “Go Now” fulfilled every expectation and more, reaching number one in England and earning them a berth in some of the nation’s top performing venues. When it also made the Top Ten in the U.S., the Moodie’s were offered a support slot opening for the Beatles in America (which is no doubt where Macca and Denny Laine first met). Decca then released the band’s first LP, “The Magnificent Moodies”, which appeared in July 1965. A well-made set of R&B and Merseybeat cuts with vocals shared by Laine, Thomas, and Pinder, the album hit the New Musical Express chart, but failed to register elsewhere. Coming up with a suitable follow-up single to “Go Now” proved a difficult task and they eventually settled on “From the Bottom of My Heart” a subtly soulful and haunting original that, despite its quality, only reached number 22 in the U.K. and barely brushed the Top 100 in America. Ultimately, the grind of touring, coupled with the strains facing the group, became too much for Warwick, who exited in the spring of 1966. By August of that year, Laine had left as well, effectively ending the band’s original line-up. Despite losing two primary members, the Moodies opted to soldier on, bringing newcomers Justin Hayward (vocals, guitar) and John Lodge (vocals, bass) into the group.

It was the arrival of Justin Hayward that changed the Moody’s musical palette. From Swindon, he had signed a publishing deal as a songwriter with Lonnie Donegan at the tender age of 18, a move that proved to be something of a personal disaster as all of the rights to material written by him up to 1974 ended up in Donegan’s pocket. In 1965 he became a guitarist for Marty Wilde and during the following year answered an ad placed in the Melody Maker by Eric Burdon. Burdon seemingly decided that Hayward was not what he was looking for but had the foresight to pass his demos onto Mike Pinder and Hayward became a Moody and their principal songwriter at the same time. A transitional period ensued as the band began to move away from its R&B roots into a more psychedelic pop sound on singles like Hayward’s “Fly Me High” and Mike Pinder’s “Love And Beauty” both produced by Decca staffer Tony Clarke. With their Decca contract nearing its expiration date and the Moodie’s owing the label a significant sum in unrecouped advances and session fees, a solution presented itself in the form of a new technology. To compete with the emerging stereo market, Decca, a label that had always been synonymous with sound development, had come up with its own “Deramic Sound” a process involving two four-track recorders that were used to record and then blend the results. A new, more “progressive” label called Deram was formed specifically to house these performances, though at first it would appear that Decca were hoping to entice both their classical and rock audiences, with the label proposing the recording of a rock version of Dvorák’s New World Symphony to serve as its own hi-fi marketing tool. The Moodies, who had yet to produce a second LP, were chosen for this unique showcase.

Over the previous year, the band had made a strong enough impression with A&R man Hugh Mendl and producer Tony Clarke that they were able to negotiate an entirely different project altogether, albeit along the same lines. Instead of Dvorák’s music, the band conceived an original song cycle depicting an archetypal day’s events represented through rock songs and set within a classical framework. Produced by Clarke and featuring the orchestrations of conductor/arranger Peter Knight, “Days of Future Passed” was released in November 10th 1967 just 2 and a half weeks before their New Market appearance. Arguably the very first rock “concept album”, after a slow start, the album climbed the U.K. charts thanks in part to the success of Hayward’s songs “Nights in White Satin” (which, despite it’s status only reached No 19 in the UK singles charts) and “Tuesday Afternoon” (which didn’t chart at all). “Days of Future Passed” reintroduced the Moody Blues as a serious rock group stocked with multiple singer/songwriters and a unique vision that would carry them into their most successful period. And Bridgwater was there to see it happen.

A NEW SUN IS RISING
Watching The Moody Blues at the Newmarket last week, one could scarcely believe this was the group who made their mark with such simple, if catchy numbers as “Go Now”. The basic, down-to-earth beat had vanished and in it’s place was a unique form of music falling midway between pop and classical thinking. With Mike Pinder’s £1,300 mellotron simulating a full string section of a symphony orchestra, the quintet opened up new fields and reached dimensions never before explored. “We’re just finding ourselves” explained flautist Ray Thomas, “drawing inspiration from a million and one things. If anyone else gets turned on to us then that’s great”. In fact, it takes quite a while to ascend to The Moodies’ plain and that is why they have to lead the listener gradually through starters like “Fly Me High” and “I Got The Feeling” before they become totally involved in the intensity of “Nights In White Satin” (their latest Deram waxing), “Tuesday Afternoon” (one of the tracks on their fantastic album with The London Festival Orchestra) and others. The Moody Blues will, I’m sure, show everyone that pop and the classics are not so far apart as people think. With a large proportion of symphony orchestra musicians behind them in the project, and the extraordinary prospect of shortly holding a classical concert at the Royal Albert Hall, this is no publicity gimmick. A new sun is rising – and soon we shall all recognise the music of The Future.

4th December 1967
THE LAST-TIK BAND

Another band of local origin, this time hailing from Exeter. The only info that I have comes from the Bridgwater Mercury in an article that appeared a week or so after their appearance. “After doing Newmarket stint, the “Last-Tik-Band” cut some sides with Philips Records and changed their name to Harriet’s Underground Railway to avoid confusion with an American band of the same name”. I do know that they supported a number of “name” bands but I don’t know who they were. And incidentally if you think that the name “Harriet’s Underground Railway” was concocted after a particularly far-out pharmaceutical trip you would be mistaken. It is a reference to the social activist Harriet Tubman. Her “Underground Railroad” was the name given to her “network of antislavery activists and safe houses”. Still a strange name for a band though.

11th December 1967
The Mid-Rod Ends

Another band also making a quick return to the Newmarket though the possible reason for this was due to the fact that they may have been last minute replacements for the Alan Bown Set who were advertised in the local press but whose gig never materialised for reasons unknown.

Street’s Midrod Ends played good soul there last week and go to Pink Flamingo Club, London, on Saturday.

Unruly behaviour by a few, sadly jeopardising future of phenomenally successful Sydenham Raves…. (12th December 1967)

18th December 1967
STORMY

Other than the Bridgwater Mercury advertisement suggesting that this was “A Brand New Group!” information regarding this aggregation is as rare as the parting of the River Parrett. They were a vocal harmony group from Yeovil, that much I do know. Further inspection revealed a line-up featuring the Fender brothers whilst according to the briefest of resume’s from Mike Guy – “For quite a time they toured forces bases in Germany under the name of “Dale Fender’s Temptations”. Another band from the locality with stars in their eyes and for whom, fame proved elusive to non-existent.

New Year’s Day sees New Market disco presenting Safety Catch of Taunton, who have just recorded at Philips. (26th December 1967)