Beat group

Line up: Martin Cure (vocals), Steve Jones (guitar), Terry Wyatt (guitar), Graham Amos (bass), Paul Wilkinson (drums).

Formed in March 1963 for a charity concert in aid of Coventry & Warwickshire Hospital, they were managed by Frank Jones, father of the guitarist. Hard gigging band they took part in the 150th birthday celebrations for Sir Robert Fossett's Circus, including an 8000 mile trip of Eastern Europe !. (they becameonly the second British group to play behind the Iron Curtain, in Czechoslovakia.)

They also appeared on the BBC's Welsh Programme, Southern and East Anglia TV .

They made demos for Parlophone although they were eventually signed to Philips by bandleader Cyril Stapleton.

Wyatt also in The Zodiacs.

They Became The Peeps in 1965.

'..direct from a recording session...' CET ad October 1969

Included 2 brothers called Devoel. Drummer was previously in Peppermint Kreem.

Freakbeat

Previously The Little Darlings, They released a single in May 1966 'Look At My Baby', which was a Radio London 'Record Of The Week'.

The follow up recieved fascinating reviews, '...the boys have wasted no time recording a very weird hypnotic, as yet untitled song, which features Indian Sitar and no lyrics..' said the Coventry Standard in May 1966. Midland Beat's July 1966 description was ' ...the third disc, released in a couple of weeks is described as"way out " featuring Sitar, scat singing and a religioso chant...' which sounds very Yardbirds.

There were a number of significant things happening in July 1966  Barry Eaton left, but the most exciting was Liberty Records signed the band and were set to release 'Look At My Baby' in the U.S. , when none other than Sonny & Cher heard the band and insisted the intended B-side, 'What A Wonderful Feeling' was also released as an A-side. The label then asked for two other tracks to be recorded and sent to the U.S. for B-Sides.

What happened next and whether they were issued isn't clear, but the band became The Good Time Losers in 1967.

Singles:

A:Look At My Baby/B:? (Decca F12392 - 1966)

in U.S.

A:Look At My Baby/B:? (Liberty ? - 1966)

A:What A Wonderful Feeling/B:? (Liberty ? - 1966)

'Three Coloured girl singers and backing band' Ad CET 1968

Beat group

Soul band

'Fantastic soul sounds of..' advert in CET. 1967

R&B / Beat group

Line up: Frank Bunker (vocals), Graham Marriott (lead guitar), Maurice Cullen (rhythm guitar), Peter Fisher (bass), Bill Harman (drums).

Rehearsed at Holyhead Youth Club. Bunker also in The Debonairs.

Original formation (1965) was Jon McIntosh, Ted Crum, Jane Parks and Giles Poole.

Eventually reduced down to Ted and Jon before it broke up in 1968. Reformed around 1970 comprising Jon McIntosh (Double Bass), Ian Wall (Vocals), George van Ristell (Guitar, Banjo and vocals) and Ian Elson (fiddle, viola, mandolin and tenor banjo).

R&B / Freakbeat

Line up: Don Maughan (vocals), Pip Whitcher (lead guitar), Terry Jukes (rhythm guitar), Phil Packham (bass), Bruce Finlay (drums).

Coventry's biggest group of the '60's actually only had one major hit, but released a number of superb, tough R&B singles and a very rare album.

Above is the original line up. Maughan had previously been in The Hawks. A hard gigging band, they played blues and beat and secured a twice a week residency at the Pilot in Radford, building up a faithful large following.They also played at Coventry City's Highfield Road ground during half time.

They were signed to Pye's Piccadilly label by producer John Schroeder and released a tough, self-penned a-side for their first single.

Jukes left soon after and was replaced by ex-Unknowns guitarist Wes Price. This line-up recorded the Shuman / Westlake composed second single. Although another good performance, the single failed to sell in the quantities needed to chart and the band were demoralised enough to consider splitting. However they heard a song which was to be their first (and only UK) hit. It was the Boys Blue's version of 'Take A Heart' , written by Miki Dallon (aka Mickey Tinsley).

Tony Fennell tells us, "I recorded “Take a Heart” with the Sorrows as a session drummer and worked with Johnny Goodison’s Showband.

Bruce Finlay left the Sorrows and I recorded Take a Heart and No No No + 1 other track which escapes my memory. This was at Piccadilly Studio with John Shroeder (Cast your fate to the wind fame). Between release of the single I left Coventry to move to Bristol.

They recorded a superb moody version of the song and were rewarded by a number 21 position in the UK charts in September 1965, it also became a huge hit in Europe and eventually the U.S. For the following few months it looked as if the band were on the brink of major success, but the important follow up single failed to perform in the charts (reaching number 47 in the N.M.E.) .

Pye had already scheduled an album release, and this duly came out at the end of 1965. Although containing a few previously released tracks, it was a great demonstration of their talents and styles mixing R&B, Beat, Folk Rock and raw punk attitude, it nevertheless failed to sell in enough quantites to stop it becoming quickly deleted, and is now one of the more sought after artifacts of the beat era.

Again despondancy set in as further U.K. singles failed to sell and Maughan and Packham left. However the remaining 3 members were offered a major tour of Italy (where 'Take A Heart' had been a big hit) playing in huge, 30,000 to 40,000 seater Football stadiums providing they did it as a 4 -piece. They recruited Roger Lomas from The Clouds and with Wes Price on bass, set out on the package tour playing alongside the likes of Charles Aznovour!!. The reaction was so great , they decided to settle in Italy during 1966. During that year they were major pop stars there, frequently having their hotels mobbed by enthusiastic fans, who blocked the roads outside, holding up posters of the band !!.

The band spent too long following up their successes and this coupled with management problems saw the band famous, but with no money, they toured, but were practically starving and by early 1967 they were out of favour with the fickle mid-'60's pop audience.

Lomas moved back to Coventry in September 1967, Whitcher followed soon after.

Their profile in Italy was such that they were offered a record deal and went back there to record the 'Old Songs, New Songs' album in 1968.

Line up: Rob Woodward, Nigel Fletcher, Steve Tayton, Don Ker, Steve Johnson.

Massive history to come on this group, who were parts of Liutenant Pigeon.

Rugby based

Bob Young (lead vocals and guitar), Colin Young (bass), Nicky Trevisick (drums), Roger Prince (guitar), Baz Andruszko (accordion), roadies - Ricky and Dave.

Later became A Band Called George.

Sweeney Todd was revived in 1992 and recorded an album "A String Of Pearls"