Orbit 4

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Orbit 4
c 1960

L to R Pete Bowron – Rhythm Dave Jones – Drums – Errol McGrath guitar


Davy Jones’s 1st group, more practiced than played at The Waterworks Club


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Errol McGrath writes
“This was the first band I formed. We were rehearsing at the ‘Waterworks Club’ when a

David Jones

guy came into the room and asked if he could book us at the club and what were we called, I did not have a name for the band then and trying to think while looking at the guitar –I named it after the guitar I was playing at the time ‘The Orbit’ (see drum skin). We really did not have any equipment at the time and all looks a bit pathetic now but I suppose we all have to start somewhere.

I attach a Pic taken at the time. I think that is Pete Bowron on the left and Davy Jones on Drums and myself on the right. I really like these lads very much and I always wondered what happened to them.

Many years later I went on to form ‘Coconut Mat’ (heavy rock band)and supported Jeff Lynn, Status Quo, Pink Floyd etc.”

Errol McGrath

ORANGE

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ORANGE


was Mojo (Tony) Morgan’s first Coventry band late 60’s –

Mojo Morgan, ryth’m guitar and vocals.
Steven Harrison, drums.
Graham Dewis, bass guitar.

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Mojo told us ” I just left school and put a 3 piece band together called Orange. I was playing rhythm guitar and vocals, and Steve Harrison on drums, and Graham Dewis on Bass. We used to do lots of cover versions from The Doors, Cream, Stones, and that sort of thing! Graham Dewis’s parents had a farm near Stoneleigh Island, not far from the N.E.C (Birmingham National Exhibition Centre). We used to practice there all the time. In the summer, we would practice out side to all the passers by on the motorway. The cows and the sheep liked us! We were young and just didn’t care, and had a great time!”

Mojo went on to play with Roddy Radiation of the Specials in SAMMY EARTHQUAKE AND THE VOLCANOES

PURPLE HAZE

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 PURPLE HAZE 

Ted Duggan – Drums / Purple Haze were also called The New fanatic and then Acorn and later (1970) Rogation Sunday and then Liberation. See entry for Acorn for a picture. Ted was also in Drops of Brandy in the 70’s, Paris in the 80’s, Chevy in the 80’s and The Mudsliders.He now plays for Banco De Gaia and from time to time plays for the Two Tone Collective. (Source Rex Brough)

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PUGMAHO

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 PUGMAHO 

c 1974 Managed by Sunshine Music Agency – Coventry – Derby band but played in Coventry and managed there. This band were managed by Sunshine Music Agency based in Gulson Rd. Bob Young of A Band Called George and also a director of Sunshine Agency wrote songs for the band. The band came from Derby but settled in Cov and included Olly Oliver (Later Doc Mustard) and Margo Buchannan Smith. They later become SMACK! See SMACK! for further info.

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Protege

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 PROTEGE

Gary Cox – Guitar /Vocals
(joined The Wild Boys on bass)
Andy Cox – Bass / Guitar
Mark Seward – Drums
Chris Bowes – Keyboards (later)
Neil Martin – Bass
Various line ups so not sure who was in which line up.
Demo – Protection – track was included on the Sent From Coventry album.

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Prole Position

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Prole Position

Prole Position links

Prole Position on Facebook –

Prole Position on Bandcamp https://proleposition.bandcamp.com/


Prole Position website https://prolepositionblog.wordpress.com/


Prole Position is basically Ashley Spindler – sometimes with a few musicians.

From Nigel Meffen

When musician, producer, actor and artist Ashley Spindler moved from his home town of Colchester to Coventry in 1989, he was hell bent on making music which was interesting and different, so his band The Naked And War formed and featured on the well known local compilation CD ‘16 Days – The Depot Studios’, with their track ‘I Want It Now’. After four years The Naked And War came to a natural end, leaving Ashley with an overwhelming urge to create something which hadn’t happened before and wasn’t bland, boring or predictable, whilst also being both an experimental and an emotional outlet…Prole Position was born.

Whilst Prole Position has mainly centred around Ashley as a solo artist, he has often used musicians such as drummer Pete Hnatushka (Blitzkrieg Zone), and bass players Nigel Meffen (Skeet, Simon Seachange, Spoofer, Del-Chronics, Cherry Joe & the Lightning Crew) and the late Steve Dullaghan (The Primitives) to enhance his music.

Over the last 24 years Prole Position have released 18 CD / cassettes through Ashley’s record label Numb Ratio, each one subtly different from the last.

Prole Position have also appeared on a CD released by the National magazine Vive Le Rock with the track ‘Double Negative’ and on the first Alternative Sounds CD.

The latest album is due out in late 2023.


Emma Sayers of the now defunct band Filthy Cake tells us that Ashley is “a great artist too – paintings and sculpture” 


Ashley’s publicity says – 
“The multi-talented Ashley Spindler, aka Prole Position is one of the ‘wing-nuts’ that keeps the music machine rolling and with a set that combines the ‘wall of sound’ aspects of Phil Spector with the trashier excesses of ‘70’s glam, we should be in for a night of top quality ‘alternative sounds’”.


Prole Position – Pete Chambers from The Coventry Observer Thursday April 30th 2020
Prole Position have an new EP out.
Prole (or Ashley Spindler) who is the man behind the project) is a genius – fact.
It is a constant frustration that this guy is not a major artist. With Prole Position, there is always something different on offer, always original, always intense and as real as it can be. Yet, it is a travesty that the world hasn’t woken up to him. To me he hasn’t ever made a bad record.
His new EP “All This For the Sake of Penetration” is another high quality offering; imagine the scene, high guitars, hypnotic drum beats, and a unique vocal line cutting through it all like some demented soul that’s determined to be heard.
If it sounds like some unnatural cacophony then think again, despite the hard edge the leody always gets through, it’s quite an experience listening to Prole Position, but once you get it, you get it.
This EP is another highlight to a classic body of work. Prole could not be accused of the use of understatement, and this set of songs explore the erotic, psychotic side of life, you will get no moon in June here, thank you.
I have no idea if Ashley sets out to shock. I would think he doesn’t, he’s just saying it as he sees it. He’s an artist and a writer and producer, fine artist and actor. The inventor of Existential Glam. So there is never any room for compromise. And why should he, although it may be a hint as to why his music defies mainstream attention.
Either way, it’s time you became a fan.
From – 



Prole Position Purge –  “This live, unedited footage of the ‘Purge’ was part of the final Prole Position gig with the current line-up, filmed by Mike Page at EGO in Coventry on 11th October 2014. The track features on the latest release from Prole Position, the EP ‘We Are Not In The North, We Are Not The South. We Are In The Middle And We Are Ignored’.”



Prole Position Tin Electronic Open Mic August 2018 A unique Prole Position performance during an electronic ‘open mic’ session at The Tin Music and Arts in Coventry, captured roughly on a mobile phone.


Prole Position Shangri La la – ‘Shangri La La’ is taken from the Prole Position album ‘This Ecstasy Will Kill Us All’


PROLE POSITION REASONABLE ADJUSTMENT – The track Reasonable Adjustment is taken from Prole Position’s album This Extasy Will Kill Us All. It was mastered in Cage Studios and released n=by Numb Ratio Records. The video was made by Meffenvision.