A Leicester band but with a long standing Coventry drummer – Tom Lane (Tomace) –
Tom has played in so many Coventry bands from the early 60’s onwards.
His band include Jason and the Canaenites, The Fireflies, The Blue Beats,
The Stringbeats, Pat Gissane Showband and Tuxedo Junction.
The Leftovers
THE LEFTOVERS C 1980 with Martin Barter on keyboards, featuring Adrian Dawson,Guitar, later of The Alliance fame. They may have come second in the Battle of the Bands at the Lanch Poly in Coventry, certainly with most of these guys, not sure it was the Leftovers though! http://crystal-logic.blogspot.com/2019/10/tony-martin-alliance-chapter-before.html
C 1983
Paul Ashfield – guitar,
John Redfern – bass,
Allan Shepard – sax,
Heydon Baker – trombone,
Steve ? drums,
Barry O’keefe trumpet.
Last Fair Deal
Last Fair Deal were a Three piece Country Blues acoustic outfit in Coventry – offshoot of the main electric band – Wandering John in late 60’s early 70’s.
They took their title from the country blues song “Last Fair Deal Gone Down” by blues musician Robert Johnson recorded in 1936.
The original line up in 1969 – 70 was – John Gravenor (Wandering John) – Vocals / John Westacott (Whistler) – Harmonica / Violin / John Alderson (Wandering John) – Dobro (Delta Resonator Guitar).
This three piece would in between the sets of the main band Wandering John as an acoustic blues session and separately at folk or acoustic gigs. They played the Transcendental Cauldron at the Coventry Arts Umbrella Club for instance and their 1969 Music Marathon. They also played Pete Waterman‘s Progressive Music night at the The Walsgrave – see the ticket below.
Songs included were Louisiana Blues, There’s a Man Going Round Taking Names..
Quite refreshing and authentic versions.
Wandering John and Last Fair Deal had split up by early 1971 but by 1973 guitarist John Alderson had moved to Saudersfoot in Wales and formed a new duo called Last Fair Deal – see the card – with songwriter Piet Brinton, with different and original material. They entered the Melody Maker Competition in that Year and also sent a tape off to – I think – Island records. Nothing came of these initiatives but the duo played around some of the local venues and festivals in Wales.
In 2010 Wandering John reformed for the 40th anniversary playing to a packed audience at the Coventry Sphinx club and the original Last Fair Deal played there in between sets as originally.
Line up –
Robin Jones – Lead Vocals Guitars
Steve Nash – Drums / Percussion
Bill Keller – Bass Guitar
Paul Desmond – Keyboards / Synthesiser
Early band in 1978 was Shades – formed 20 Days – merged into Hungry I – changed name to My Favourite Things. See entry for 20 Days for more info.
Memories from John O’Sullivan (Via Rex Brough)
Following the Hungry i split, I relaunched my trio under the name My Favourite Things. A self-styled ‘Beat Group for the Zen Generation’ (whatever that means!), we played regular London gigs and released two 7″ singles, ‘Fruit Machine’ & ‘Syd’ (the latter a joint single with Nocturnal Babies). The high point of the band was probably supporting INXS. The band played their last gig at the Golden Cross in Coventry 1996, the rhythm section opting to concentrate on marriage, steady employment and having kids.
Singles
– ‘Fruit Machine’
– ‘Syd’ (a joint single with Nocturnal Babies)
“The boys took the name My Favourite Things. Between 1992 and 96, they blazed a trail from Coventry to London and back again, generating a great deal of interest from industry and fans alike. Fan mail came in from all over the known world, (via the postman of course, this being long before the invention of things like electricity & email! By eck!) But ultimately, despite getting very close and constantly being referred to (mostly by themselves) as the next Cov band to make the big time, no banana sandwiches were forthcoming. They decided to sign themselves on the dotted line and released their own record, Fruit Machine / Memphis on 7″ vinyl. Another song, Daydream Violence, was released on 7” EP by indie label 25 Records, but nobody knows too much about that, not even the band. Many fine gigs were played in Coventry, London, Brighton (sometimes all on the same day!) Their biggest gig was not a charity concert, it was as sole support act to Australian bigger boys INXS. Michael Hutchence said to them “Ah, there you are!” and they have never since forgotten, or understood, his mystical words. Their last record and arguably their finest moment was Syd (one side of a joint 7″ single with Coventry legends the Nocturnal Babies). Syd was inspired by long time hero of the
band Syd Barrett (so…not Sid James then?) The band played their last regular gig at the Golden Cross in Coventry in 1996, to much whaling and splashing of fins, but…legend said they would return…and they did! Nov 4th 2009, the lads played live in Coventry once again. The legend lives on in it’s own lunchtime! p.s. To anyone one who’s actually read as far as here…thanks for stopping by, come back and see us soon, we’ll get some tea & biscuits in for next time! Cheers!”
Line up: Mick ? (Martin Noble?) – guitarist/ vocalist, Pat Brook – bass/leader, Lynne Curtis – female vocals, Tony Fennell – drums
NEW, Nov 2015 Bass player Chris Allan, tells us that The line-up on the photo shown (from 1963) is as follows:
Back Row: L-R
Pat Brook, Leader/R Guitar, Lynne Curtis vocals, Colin Gozney drums, Chris Allen bass
Front Row L-R
Ricky Starr (Dave Barlow) vocals, Martin Williams Lead guitar, Mike Burns (Mike Smith) vocals.
Chris also says
“Yes, there were 3 vocalists at the time! Lynne was the best looking (and Pat Brook’s girlfriend for a long time). I actually introduced her to the Mustangs. Her parents ran the New Yorker coffee bar in Leamington, where I lived then and still do. One night I heard her singing an impromptu song with some members of The Challengers, who were there. Afterwards I asked her to come to a rehearsal with the Mustangs. She promptly joined us and we got a lot more bookings!.”
“I played with the Mustangs in Coventry in the 60’s. We had a girl singer called Lynne Curtis who I recall recorded for Larry Page (Manager of the Orchid Ballroom). Pat Brookes was bass guitarist and leader . We played most venues in the area and often appeared at The Coventry Locarno.”
Pete Chambers from Godiva Rocked to a Backbeat
“Kenilworth’s big rock n roll band of the early 60’s.Lynne Curtis fronted the band for a time as did Ricky Starr and his DA haircut! Lynn went on to release the country influenced Decca 45 House for Sale. The Mustangs were one of the first ever bands to use echo effect. Martin Noble borrowed his dad’s Telefunken reel to reel tape recorder and inserted a switch that made it play back within a spilt second – instant echo! They could only play for 45 mins as the tape would run out. They decided Fender guitars were American and old hat so invested in Burns guitars which the Shadows used (big mistake). They were certainly well made and finished. We also invested in Vox AC 30 amps and speaker cabs. We met Vince Martin who was at the tail end of his singing career but who could still make Ricky Starr look second rate, especially in his gold lame suit. Vince did a few gigs with us and livened up the band no end.”
Ted Bean joined The Mustangs and The Incas from the Challengers.
Lynne Curtis
House for Sale / Decca F 11869 – Released March 64
Tracklist
A – House For Sale. Written-By – Klein*, Hoffman*
B – My Little Boy. Written-By – Tilzer*, Lewis*, Dillon*
House for Sale “Country tinged” according to Pete Chambers.
Record man says ” I’ve just stumbled on an old press clipping about Miss Curtis. She was from the Midlands (Kenilworth actually) and an American release on President was apparently planned to coincide with the UK release. I can’t see that that ever happened and two other tracks she recorded at the same time (according to the press story) ‘Gonna Make A Man Outta You’ and ‘The Night of The Dance’ seem to have remained on the shelf.” http://www.45cat.com/record/f11869
NME review Mar 27, 1964.
President Records production
XDR.32138 : Kassner Music Ltd.
XDR.32140 : Francis, Day & Hunter.
Link to the SINGLE audio – but not sure if this link is safe – haven’t tried it myself – At you’re own risk! http://onetunes.ru/rid-cgfgide/House-For-Sale
Peter Chambers says in Godiva Rocks “In 1980 something very magical began happening in Leamington. Four guys came together to form Leamington’s finest band – Mummy Calls. With a sound all of their own, they could mesmerise an audience with just a few well chosen lights, such was the power of their atmospheric delivery. I don’t flatter them, they were really that good.
Then so it was, in 1986 they signed for the US based label Geffen Records.”
Past members David Banks, Alan Bint, Paul Brook, Andrew Hingley, Paul Howard, David Everingham
Drummer Paul Brook began with the jazz / Rock outfit Analog playing for us at the Hobo Workshop, Holyhead Youth Centre in 1974.
“The band’s line-up consisted of vocalist David Banks, keyboardist Alan Bint, drummer David Everingham – replaced in 1984 by Paul Brook (formerly of Analog, Reluctant Stereotypes, Level 42), bassist Andrew Hingley (brother of Tom Hingley of the Inspiral Carpets) and saxophonist Paul Howard.
The band achieved their enduring fame, however, when “Beauty Has Her Way” was used on the multi-million selling soundtrack of the vampire film “The Lost Boys” (Joel Schumacher 1987). The song, soundtrack and film still maintain a level of cult status.
A shift in priorities at the band’s record label halted the group’s chart rise in both the U.S. and U.K. as promotional dollars were spent on other artists on the roster. The group disbanded in 1987 in order to free themselves from their record contract.
After Disbandment
Vocalist David Banks later joined the group Unicorn Jones in 1996 alongside former It Bites members John Beck and Dick Nolan.
David Banks is presently an author and solo artist, living in London, working on a new solo album.
Drummer Paul Brook became an in-demand session drummer, touring and recording with Nick Kershaw, Gary Moore, Greg Lake, Bonnie Tyler, Pino Palladino and The Dream Academy. Brook died May 3, 2007 following a battle with cancer.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mummy_Calls
Mummy Calls on Last FM http://www.last.fm/music/Mummy+Calls/_/Beauty+Has+Her+Way
Mummy calls on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/120548809957/?ref=ts&fref=ts
Band members –
Marcus Allen (vocals, guitar), Steve Jones (bass), Neil Colebeck (drums), Graham Colebeck (guitar).
Graham Colebeck says
” We were together from 1992 to 1995. played all the usual venues (Golden Cross, Colin Campbell, General Wolfe, Coventry Poly student union).”
‘ with Geordie, also Mick that mad, mad drummer ‘ gig ad CET 1968. Card supplied by Cliff Wagstaff
