Arguably one of Coventry’s coolest rock / blues bands of the time, formed in Coventry c 1969 with their hippy following, and especially with the support of Coventry’s first underground magazine The Broadgate Gnome.
Note – This is a link to articles on Wandering John’s 40th Anniversary reunion Concert at the Sphinx Club Coventry 2010 by Pete Clemons and Pete Chambers with photos and more. Youtube footage of that excellent and well attended concert are at the foot of this page and on the Reunion page – worth checking out!
Line Up
John Gravenor aka Wandering John – Vocals
John Alderson – Lead / rhythm / slide Guitars
Ade Taylor – Bass / backing vocals
Al Walder – drums – replaced by Jim Pryal in 1970
and for the 2010 reunion – Paul Hayes.
Manager – Dave Sullivan (Julie Sullivan in 2010)
Photo from The Broadgate Gnome 1970
Off shoot band- Last Fair Deal – Acoustic country blues outfit
with John Gravenor – Vocals / John Alderson -Dobro / National Acoustic guitars / John Westacott – blues harp and violin. The played songs like Louisiana Blues, There’s a man going Round Taking Names. This set up often played at Wandering John‘s main gigs and also as a separate unit. There’s a separate page for Last Fair Deal.
How Did Wandering John Form?
John Alderson and Ade Taylor joined Rod Grant‘s band – Interior War – with John on
slide guitar and Ade on bass. It didn’t work out but John and Ade met John Gravenor and Al Walder in the ‘Dive Bar’ – The Lady Godiva pub in Coventry and formed Wandering John in 1969. The band practiced at Binley Park Junior School – as did John and Ted Duggan and Pete Waterman and later Riot Act. The band took their name from John Gravenor’s nick name.
Their set
Consisted of a mix of original numbers and classic rock or blues numbers, delivered with John Alderson’s virtuoso blues guitar playing, John Gravenor’s distinctive blues voice and underpinned by Ade Taylor‘s cool bass playing and Al Walder‘s, or Jim Pryal‘s (and later Paul Hayes) drums. Their own compositions included Don’t You Worry, Image of Ezra (composed from a poem of that name by their manager Dave Sullivan.They covered blues numbers such as Taj Mahal’s Statesbro’ Blues and Taste’s Blister on the Moon. Dead Dog Dead (A Tribute to Captain Beefheart), Catfish, My Babe, It Hurts me Too, Where do I Belong, HSecond ideaway (instrumental), Sensitive Kind, Shake your Money Maker, Second Time Around, Bring it on Home.
The Rumoured Wandering John Album 1970.
Before they finally split up, Wandering John were recorded by Pete Waterman on a reel to reel at their last gig in 1970 at the Lanchester Poly Tech in Coventry 1970 and the tapes were going to be a basis of an album by Wandering John, on the Pig Mother Label,as reported in The Broadgate Gnome. It was to be called “Music to Throw Bombs To“!!
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| Ad from Broadgate Gnome 1970 |
In The Broadgate Gnome, John Gravenor said “It was a cop out regards the LP. Dave had fixed it up with a friend of his to make these albums and was going to push them out on his own specially created label ‘Pig Mother’. Everything was set to go, all we needed was some tapes, so we decided to do these at the Lanchester. Unfortunately one of the bass cabinets was left unplugged, blowing the other one. Then the PA blew and then we could only do a short set. The recorded tapes were good but unrecordable.“
Still, imperfections there may have been but it would still be nice to hear them after all these years. However the 2010 reunion gig produced a DVD recording, filmed by Nomad (Gordon Smith) of Lyme Regis Internet TV and the footage is now on youtube (posted here for you to hear).
Wandering John (Mark 11)
From an article in The Broadgate Gnome late 1970.
John Wandered
“Rumours have been about in musical circles for the past few weeks, suggesting that Wandering John were no longer together. A ‘phone call to bass guitarist – Ade Taylor confirmed the rumours. He told me that John Gravenor had in fact left and that the remaining three were seeking an organist / singer. The band will not be working together again. Everything’s off. Determined to get more facts,
I finally traced John Gravenor in a city centre café. “I’m forming a new band, a band that
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| Page from Broadgate Gnome 1970 |
will really be it. Dave Fawkes, my manager, has been approaching a number of likely musicians, looking for a good team. So far he has Neol Davies (ex Mead and later of The Selecter) and Roy Butterfield (ex Indian Summer and later of The Tom Robinson Band) and he has had them doing some really grueling practices out at the university. I hear that they are two brilliant leads that together are just fantastic. Drums and bass haven’t been finalised yet. We’re trying out a few this weekend.”
We’re not planning any work yet. We’re going to fill a couple bookings that Wandering John were contracted to do, but when we have fulfilled these obligations, we’ll be concentrating on getting it together. Dave is hustling financial backers at the moment and mumbling a lot about some cottage in the country. I asked John about why he left the other band, and what happened about the proposed LP, ‘Music to Throw Bombs To’.
It was a cop out regards the LP. Dave had fixed it up with a friend of his to make these albums and was going to push them out on his own specially created label ‘Pig Mother’. Everything was set to go, all we needed was some tapes, so we decided to do these at the
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| Neol Davis 1970 from Broadgate Gnome |
Lanchester. Unfortunately one of the bass cabinets was left unplugged, blowing the other one. Then the PA blew and then we could only do short set. The recorded tapes were good but unrecordable.
I finally split with the others because we were constantly playing the same old round, which was a drag. The others turned down a couple of bookings that would have got us more into other fields like the college circuit. The others are good musicians and good lads, but I really want to get into something bigger. It’s going to be quite a gas, if nothing else.
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Note – in actual fact Wandering John mark 2 never really got off the ground but Neol Davies did play with the other John – John Alderson in a Blues Bros type duo c 2009 and he did join the original band on stage at the 2010 reunion gig.
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NEW (OLD) PHOTOS OF THE WANDERING JOHN CATHEDRAL RUINS DIGGERS CONCERT VIA ADE TAYLOR – WITH RA HO TEP AND ASGARD AUGUST 29TH 1970
Photos taken by a Coventry evening telegraph photographer.
‘Wandering John’ gig in the old Coventry Cathedral ruins, August 29th. 1970.
Lead vocals; John Gravenor, lead guitar; John Alderson, bass; Ade Taylor, drums; Jim Pryal, sound; Mick Whelan.
JOHN ALDERSON
RA HO TEP AT THE SAME CONCERT
JOHN GRAVENOR
JIM PRYAL
JOHN ALDERSON
ADE TAYLOR
WANDERING JOHN – THE GIGS – FROM ADE TAYLOR.
Wandering John played many gigs during their existence including the Coventry Arts Umbrella Club,
1969
Newlands, Tile Hill (Tile Hill Social club) 25.10.69,
Art College on 27/10/69
Cov City Football Ground + advert from Cov Telegraph for Football Ground gig on 30/10/69
Railway Union Club, 31/10/69
International Centre, Cov Cathedral 9/11/69
Art College with Last Fair Deal – shared proceeds! 10/11/69
Mantra, Bantam, Hen Lane, 13/11/69
Navigation Inn, Stoney Stanton Rd, 15/11/69
Mantra, 20/11/69
Coventry Arts Umbrella Club, 22 and 23/11/69 (Music Marathon which included Last Fair Deal, Indian Summer, Dando Shaft)
Crown, High St, Leamington, 22/11/69
Kirby Corner Rd, Canley, 19/12/69
1970
International Centre, Cov Cathedral, 4/1/70
Wyken Parish Church Hall, 10/1/70 (this was when Al Walder left the band)
Building Trades Club, 16/4/70 (First gig for drummer Jim Pryal)
The Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa, 18/4/70
Plough London Rd, 8/5/70
Antelope Pub, Hertford Place, 10/5/70
Woolpack, Union St, Rugby, 16/5/70
Building Trades Hall, 4/6/70
Sportsmans Arms, 7/6/70
British Legion Club, Spon End, 12/6/70
Wyken Parish Hall, 13/6/70
Walsgrave Pub, The Walsgrave (Pete Waterman’s venue) 23/6/70
Diggers Concert Coventry Cathedral Ruins with Ra Ho Tep and Asgard 29 (28th?) August 1970
Lanchester Poly, 21/11/70 (The last gig) – Recorded by Pete Waterman – recently the ‘lost tapes’ re-emerged but were deemed ‘unbalanced’. Live recording and mixing weren’t as sophisticated as modern digital equipment.Gigs not fulfilled by Wandering John (other bands substituted)
Gigs scheduled that were unfulfilled owing to splitting up
Police Ballroom (with Comus, Demon Fuzz) Advertised as Wandering John 2 (John Gravenor and new version of the band which included Neol Davies – later of Selecter) but not fulfilled. Rogue substituted! Village disco and lights.
Plough, London Rd, 27/11/70
Walsgrave, 29/12/70,
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40 year Reunion gig – Sphinx Club, Coventry
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Band Bios
Ade Taylor- Bassist. Ade’s story – Told in 2010.
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| Ade Taylor and girlfriend c1970 |
I got into music at a very early age, when I first discovered Rock ‘n’ Roll and Skiffle, in the fifties. My earliest influence was Lonnie Donnegan and Tommy Steele. Then Elvis and Bill Haley. I was a teenager in the sixties, a great time to be a teenager. I was influenced by such bands as: Rolling Stones (whom I still Love!), The Who, The Kinks, The Animals. The Small Faces and, all the good groups America had to offer. By the time I started playing myself, in the late Sixties, among my influences were bands like; Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Free, John Mayall’s Blues Breakers and Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac. My great friend, John Alderson, has also, been an influence, encouraging me to keep playing all these years. I took up playing the bass guitar after a chance remark from my brother, who said the bass would suit me. My first real band was briefly with “Interior War”, Where I met John Alderson (Rhythm Guitar and Slide Guitar). After 2 gigs, we were both unceremoniously dumped! Johnny took it harder than I did, but, I said we will form our own band. “Who’s going to play lead guitar ? ” He asked. “Why you are”. I replied, you’re a great guitarist. “Do you think I can pull it off?” “Definitely”, I replied, and we searched for a drummer and singer. After trying out a few drummers without success, the pair of us were in the Dive (Lady Godiva Pub), one night when Mr. Alderson called me over to meet these 2 lads. Johnny
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| Ade Taylor’s Stage Outfit |
said that this is our new drummer, Al Walder and Singer, John Gravenor. And the name of the band is “Wandering John”. This was the singer’s nick-name. I looked at these 2, 17 year old,hippies, one a Red Indian sort, and, the other with this massive ginger afro, and thinking; well if they can play and sing as good as they look, no problem! When we got together to practice, although we didn’t have much material, we sounded very good together, and I knew we had a good
combination.
We soon gelled, as our playlist came together. Our first gig was on a Sunday night, at the Newlands Pub, Tile Hill, round about mid to late 1969. After about 25 gigs, our last gig was Saturday, 21st. November,,1970 at the Lanchester Polytechnic (now called Coventry University). This was the last time that we played together, as John Gravenor quit the band, and later moved to Brighton. And, Al Walder, shortly after, packed in playing drums. Myself and John Alderson did get back together in a band in 1981, with musician, Tim James, from the band “Ra-Ho-Tep”. But, alas, we didn’t get past the rehearsing stage. Johnny went on to “Travelling Riverside Blues Band”. I gave up playing for a while, when I married my girl-friend, Angie, and set up home. I came back to playing in the early 1990’s, at first on bass, then lead round 1997. I have played with a few bands in the area where I live, in the West Country, even playing at Festivals in Germany, and a party in Denmark, and even in our holiday hotel, in Austria. Today, I am back on the bass guitar, and am playing with a Yeovil based, blues band, called “The Bad Apples” and a Country/Rock band, in Lyme Regis.
IMAGE OF EZRA – based on a poem by Dave Sullivan
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| Dave and Julie Sullivan. |
and co-written with Ade Taylor / John Alderson.
Confusion raised her coloured head
And messed my mind with amber thoughts
I drifted thro’ a purple haze
Where nothing’s found and nothing’s sought.
Chorus
Then I looked into the gilded mirror
Standing there was the Image of Ezra.
(Two more verses to this)
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John Gravenor – Vocalist
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| John Gravenor with his Afro 1970 |
I started singing in a church choir in St Michael’s when I was 9 until I was 12 – then bought a guitar and started writing my own songs. Played with a couple of guys at school (Caludon Castle) including Al Walder. Al and I auditioned for John and Ade in Wandering John when we were 17 and joined the band. I think at the time we believed that we were going to be huge, but unfortunately I was still very young and things weren’t moving fast enough for me so I quit the band to try other things. I left Cov in 1971 for Brighton. Then went round Europe in 1972 with Neil O’Connor and Alex Murphy – mostly busking. (and Phil Knapper – older brother of brother of Stu Knapper – lead singer with Cov punk outfit Riot Act)
Looking back, we should have continued with Wandering John as the guys were and still are brilliant musicians. One of the things I remember about WJ is the amount of times that we were paid off after one number for being too loud! I also well remember the Diggers Feast in the Old Cathedral. I now live in Hastings, E Sussex – currently wholesaling beers, previously having owned and run clubs in Brighton.
Previous bands include Midnight Circus (Neil O’Connor’s band), Alicats and Downturn and I pursued a solo career
My main influences are various old blues musos, John Mayall, Pretty Things, Who.
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John Alderson – Guitar
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| John Alderson – his own sketch! |
Born in Coventry, I started to play guitar at the age of 13 /14 whilst at Binley Park School. I started work at Rolls Royce at 16 in 1966 as a trainee apprentice and met John Westacott there. I joined my first band Interior War as slide second guitar with Rod Grant, during which time I met Ade Taylor. Through the ‘Dive Bar’ (Lady Godiva pub), a regular haunt for musos, I met John Gravenor and Al Walder – and we formed Wandering John.
We practiced at Binley Junior School – other folks practicing there too and included John and Ted Duggan (In Acorn then Drops of Brandy etc) and Pete Waterman (who played in a R & B band Tommorow’s kind)! Also as an off shoot, came Last Fair Deal – an acoustic blues trio – with John Gravenor, John Westacott (violin and harp) and myself. We used to play regularly at the Umbrella Club in Cov. After a couple of years, the band split and I met Martin Barter (keyboard player/vocals and formed Just Jake. In 1973, I left to live in Pembrokeshire where I played slide blues around folk clubs. I moved back in 1976 and met up with Martin Barter again and joined Ottoman – but we didn’t conquer the world!
I retrained as a carpenter/joiner and taught woodwork to YTS students before going self-employed as a carpenter/joiner. Then formed Travelling Riverside Blues Band with Tony Morgan (bass), George Stevens (drums) and Trevor Jones (vocals). The band has had various line-ups but ‘Johnny Slide’ (John Alderson’s other persona) now being the only original member.
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| Al Walder 1st Drummer |
My old friend Tim James (vocals/harp/sax) – previously in Ra Ho Tep – has been around all this time too! I have made guitars on and off for 35 years now, but only full time for the last 10 years concentrating on my’Delta resonator’ guitars – but also electric guitars. Website Here http://www.deltaresonatorguitars.co.uk/links.htm
“Thirty years ago I bought my first resonator, a 1936 Dobro, and then two Nationals in
various stages of disrepair. My interest in the construction of guitars developed from there, and I began to repair and set up instruments for a music shop. I loved the characteristic bite and attack that a metal body gives, but wanted that extra warmth and depth that can only be accomplished with a wooden body. My quest began to build my own resonator guitar with the ultimate sustain, tone and volume. For the past five years I have been successfully producing my own Delta brand: hand-built to customers’ specification, each as individual as their owner, and made by a player for players.”My main influences are old country bottleneck blues, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Free, Jeff beck and Jimi Hendrix.
Jim Pryal – Wandering John’s Second drummer.
Jim played with The Mild, Electric Circus, Pagan Sabbat, Liberation, Ning – who made a single for Decca called Machine – later Stepmother, Just Before Dawn, Khayyam (toured Europe and played the Speakeasy), Stiletto, Black Parrot Seaside, Reno, The Mob, Hot Snacks (Machine) ( a Ska band), The Bonediggers (Roddy Radiation), Graham Walker’s Propeller, Inferno. Jim has done production work and worked with various singers and poet / lyricist Trev Teasdel (who performed as support for Wandering John at the reunion concert) on some trance tracks in 2009.
Paul Hayes (Drummer for the reuinon gig 2010)
Paul was recruited for the 2010 reunion gig as neither Al or Jim were available (although Jim did turn up for the gig later on – to watch and join in the dancing). Here’s Paul’s story.
Paul G. Hayes grew up in Eastern Green Coventry. Coming from a musical background with both parents having vast stage and concert experience, my musical experience started at junior school playing Violin and Trumpet finally achieving Grade 8 at the Coventry School of Music and a member of the Coventry School of Music Brass Ensemble Also during this time i became a member of the Boys Brigade based in Tile Hill Initially playing Trumpet then took up the marching Side Drum. In Sept 1981 at the age of 16 i joined Her Majesty`s Forces Army ROYAL CORPS OF TRANSPORT. During my time in
he training Regiments as well as basic and trade training i became the Lead Drummer in the Corps of Drums, with many Military Band demonstrations, Parades and shows including Marching through London on the Lord Mayor`s Parade in 1982 and also the Military Tattoo at Earls Court London.
After this i joined my permanent Regiment in Germany as a HGV driver duties including the supply and movement of stores, vehicles, and live ammunition and explosives to front line troops mainly attached to the Royal Artillery.
I left the forces at the end of 1988 and have mainly owned and driven HGV class1 trucks both UK and European Haulage. I changed careers four and a half years ago to work and operate Heavy Mobile Cranes, working in the Heavy Lifting industry with Cranes ranging from 25 to 1000tons.
My two previous bands were the Roadhogs Rock and Blues Band and Third Alert both from Coventry. I have played Drums Live at Pubs, Clubs, Parties, Weddings and Charity Events and recording in two studios over the last Eight years since i started playing Drums again building up my Acoustic Kit to as it is today.
I play a Yamaha Stage Custom Kit, Zildjian Cymbals, Roland TD8 electronic Drums with AKG microphones and Wharfdale sound monitoring.
My musical influences are predominantly Heavy and Classic Rock and up tempo Blues. Artists admired are Iron Maiden, Metallica, Muse, Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Cream, Gary Moore.
I was only 5 or 6 years old when Wandering John were playing the music scene in the early 70`s in Coventry!
Photo Gallery
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| The Brighton Crew |
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Neol Davies and John Alderson on a Blues tour c 2009 /10
Ade Taylor from the Broadgate Gnome – photo reversed.
A John Alderson cartoon he did for Hobo magazine 1974.
Trev Teasdel and John Alderson as kids – 1950’s! Lorenzo Close Willenhall.
Alex Murphy, Neil O’Connor (Hazel’s bro) and the Wandering John Brighton Crew.
John Gravenor from the Broadgate Gnome.
John Gravenor from Broadgate Gnome.
Wandering John Mark 2 earmarked for the Police Ballroom – ad from Broadgate Gnome.
Gig Ads and receipts
Publicity by Hilary Kennelly
A Psychedelic Ade Taylor by Trev Teasdel based on a Broadgate Gnome photo.
Pete Waterman’s Progressive Music venue 1970
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Pete Waterman’s progressive Music venue 1970
