TOMMYKNOCKERS BEAT CLUB VOLUME 22 - OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS AGAIN, MOBS AND KNOCKERS!

Another collection of rare and yet uncompiled British sixties BEAT and R&B records. UK and Continental-only releases once more. (Knocked up and down with feeling)

01- Runnin' And Hidin' - The Bad Boys (Style,66, released in Italy)

02- Moving Around - Evil Eyes (Decca,67, released in Sweden)

03- You're My Girl - Pete Lacey & The Boulevards (Unreleased 63 studio recording)

04- I Don't Want To Know - Manfred Mann (Unreleased 64 outtake)

05- Breakdown - The Senators (Oriole,64)

06- My Babe - Doc Thomas Group (LP, s.t., Interrecord,66, released in Italy)

07- Baby I Love You - Herbie & The Royalists (LP, s.t., Saga,68)

08- Sweet Day - Johnny Gustafson (aka The Johnny Gus Set) (Polydor,65)

09- Come And See - The Gentry (Go acetate,67, unreleased)

10- Sit Right Down And Cry - The Tremors (V.A.-LP "Go Go Go", Polydor,65, German release)

11- It's All Over - The Excheckers (Decca,64)

12- A Girl Like That - The Monotones (Pye,65)

13- That Girl - The Naturals (Parlophone,64)

14- Nobody Like My Baby - The Dennisons (Decca,64)

15- Why Must It Be This Way - The Hobby Shop (Columbia,68)

16- A Love Like Yours - The New Animals (Live on German TV "Beat Club",67)

17- That's Alright - The Richmond (Group) (V.A.-LP "Live At The Cavern", Ember,65)

18- Not True As Yet - A Band Of Angels (United Artists,64)

19- Think It Over - The Pilgrims (Version 2, studio recording 65, rel. 2004)

20- I Wanna Make It With You - The Smoke (Unreleased outtake,67)

21- Little Queenie - The Athenians (Edinburgh Students Charity,64)

22- Fe Fi Fo Fum - The Eccentrics (Pye,65)

23- Little Egypt - The Marauders (Decca,64)

24- Hello Amy - The Deep Set (Target,68,Ireland, and Pye,68)

25- Doing My Time - Ray Cameron (Island,67)

26- I'm Walking - Tommy Burton Combo (Blue Beat,64)

27- Red Hearts - The Knack (Piccadilly,66)

28- Mother Ferguson's Love Dust - Winston G. Set(Decca,67)

29- Why Do You Wanna Make Me Blue - The Action (Decca acetate,65, released 2012)

30- Can't Help Myself - The Tributes (Unicord acetate EP, approx. 64)

31- Pills - The Mike Cotton Sound (LP, s.t., Columbia,64)

32- Mojo Working - The Jay Bee Four ( EP, s.t., Barclay,65, released in France)

Some of the Middlesex Bad Boys- most notably Roger Dean, who was the guitarist on John Mayall's first records - formerly were in The Nu-Notes, who used to be the backing band of Russ Sainty, before they recorded two instrumental 45s for HMV 63/64. As the Bad Boys they had a domestic single on Piccadilly, but (without Dean) moved to Italy, where they released a desirable LP and at least eight singles for the Style label. Most of these were so-la-la Italian sung beat ballads, but some of the b-sides were taken from the earlier LP, which was recorded before they tried to handle that (somewhat unfit for R&B) romantic Romanic language. The most famous example is "She's A Breakaway", compiled on Chocolate Soup and Incredible Sound Show Stories and Red With Purple Flashes. Here is "Runnin' And Hidin", every bit as wild as "Breakaway", but obviously much rarer.

Evil Eyes were another combo of Brits invading the Continent, this time Sweden. Nothing known about them, but you can listen to the other side of the only record on Diggin' For Gold 6.

Rumour has it, that London's Jill & The Boulevards, who were signed to Columbia a couple of weeks before, were the reason why Epstein was rejected at his first attempt to sell The Beatles to EMI. 'Nuff guitar groups already, he was told... With Jill they released a remarkable 45 in 62, but failed to make much impression on the charts. Out went Jill (Turner) and in came Pete Lacey after this disappointment, but the group never managed to release another record, even if a handful of recordings were made under the control of Joe Meek. Here's the most beatish of these.

Next is a real good outtake of a 64 studio session by the most underrated British R&B combo: Manfred Mann (Chapter One). They just were too good to be true. Too skilled to play "raw" or "snotty", and too sophisticated to even try or give a damn about playing wild man. Garage snobs...

I always thought that The Senators on Oriole were the same brumbeaters with John Bonham on drums who recorded "She's A Mod" for Dial (See volume 2) But according to members of the Birmingham Senators they're not, and to confuse matters even more, a 65 single on CBS by obviously yet another Senators exists.

The Doc Thomas Group (aka Shakedown Sound) from Hereford spent the best part of 66 in Italy, where they recorded an LP full of mod-soul covers for Interrecord. They'd hardly be remembered much today, hadn't they had Overend Watts and Mick Ralphs on bass and guitar. Back in England 68 Dave Griffin and Verden Allen joined the band that now was called Silence, and they only had to recruit Ian Hunter to take off as Mott The Hoople in 69. "My Babe" isn't the better known Little Walter R&B standard, but a Righteous Brothers number which was also recorded by The Spencer Davis Group.

Often suspected to be Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers under pseudonym, Herbie & The Royalists were a different outfit, or just a studio formation, led by Herbie Hunte from Barbados. Their LP for the budget label Saga is a mixed bag of soul, beat, and pop influences with mostly weak tracks, marred by the usual cheap, tinny production that makes so many Saga reords a questionable pleasure. But I immediately liked "Baby I Love You" (not The Ronettes' song), because here they sound not unlike one of these 60s German amateur combos we love so dearly. (See Prae-Kraut Pandaemonium.)

Here is the other side of Johnny Gustafson's solo single. Find the other and read the story of this Mersey legend on volume 4. In Germany the record was released as by Johnny Gus on cover and Johnny Gus Set on label..

The Gentry from Lisburn, Northern Ireland, never had a proper release, but some acetates made in a local studio called Go Records have survived.

One more from Scotland's (Mike Reoch &) The Tremors, who lived and made all recordings in Germany. Later they were known in Germany as Light Of Darkness. They reunited in the 90s and are sporadically on the road again as John Law and The Tremors. Unconnected with Dave Curtiss & The Tremors.

Some say they were from Liverpool, others say Chester, but with a distance of 15 miles between the two, both may be right. After this 45 for Decca The Excheckers went to Germany, where they made two more for Ariola. (Stay tuned, we'll meet them again.) They most likely also recorded a lot (but not all) of the tracks released under the alias Liverpool Beats in Germany. (See vol. 19)

For The Monotones see volumes 3 & 16. I thought that all of their sides for Pye already had a re-release, but "A Girl Like That" obviously slipped through the net.

We had The Naturals from Harlow on Tommy 1, 5, 10 and 19. Here's the flip of the debut, an early attempt to jump on the train to Skaville on both sides. They fell down on both sides... But great fun!

Liverpool's Dennisons had two tracks on Decca's famous "At The Cavern" LP and three singles for the company. Most of the songs are well documented on compilations, but I've nowhere found the flip of the third.

Formerly known as The Roger James Four, The Hobby Shop released one fine, but totally overlooked 7" on Columbia. Read about and listen to more of both bands on volume 11.

In 67 Eric Burdon seemingly had some problems finding new Animals, but contracts for tours were signed, and he gigged with changing personnel, before a steady line-up for the new, more psychedelic direction was complete. Can't reliably say who plays on this Beat Club performance, but they still did R&B standards like "Shake Rattle & Roll" that night, and looked like boozers on a collective hangover. No "Girl Named Sandoz" in sight yet, anyway. And how could I resist to present a song called "A Love Like Yours Don't Come KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCKIN' - KNOCK, KNOCKIN' Everyday".

From The same LP we've already plundered on volume 18 comes another track by the wonderful Richmond, who unfortunately never had the chance to record a 45 of their own.

Next is the b-side of the first 7" by A Band Of Angels. We had this group (whose most prominent member was Mike D'Abo) on vols. 9 & 18. "Me", the a-side of "Not True As Yet", has been compiled on That Driving Beat 3.

UK Christian 60s Garage-Punk exists! As a follower of this blog you'll probably know that. If not, go to our Mercy! Beat!! UK!!! 1964-1969!!!! compilation, which was something like Tommyknockers volume Zero, the booster detonation for the whole project, and still some kind of revelation to me. You'll also find more of The Pilgrims there, the roughest of all these British xian crusaders. They only had one 45 on Herald, but recorded lots of rockin' sermons in the 60s, which only saw the light when original members decided to release a collection of the best at their own expense a couple of years ago on CD as "Telling Youth...The Truth".

It's assumed that the story of The Smoke ("My Friend Jack", big in Germany, banned by BBC etc.) should be known well enough, and we don't have to rerun it here. This is a nice 67 studio outtake, probably unreleased back then because of irreparable tape damage of the only surviving mastertape that permanently switches left to right in the stereo channels. Even mixed down to mono you can't get rid of strange effects.

Athenians again. See vols. 13, 20 & 21. This is their first record, and the first known British version on vinyl of Chuck Berry's "Little Queenie". Like "Steppin' Stone" it's on that Edinburgh Students Charites label, but here they had both sides for themselves.

The Eccentrics were a London band who went to Italy after this single for Pye. Mike Liddle liked the climate there and joined Gli Atomi, an Italian group with some successful 45s. John Kerrison went back to England and was replaced by Speedy Keen, but the band fell apart soon after and the remaining members went separate ways.

We've had The Marauders from Stoke-On-Trent on Tommy 14. Here they are again with a version of The Coasters' evergreen "Little Egypt", a number that was in the repertoire of many a Brit beatgroup. On vol. 3 you can listen to The Cyclones' treatment.

Dublin's Paul & The Deep Set, formerly known as The Chimes, abbreviated the name to Deep Set after two singles on Major and on Diamond in 66. "Hello Amy" was the first of two for Target, both had a UK release on Pye. They also had a UK-only 45 on Major Minor in 1970. "Hello Amy" was written by Don, one half of the Everly Brothers.

Nothing known about Ray Cameron and the only 7" he ever made, at least under that name. One of the early Island singles with the new pink label, and the second (after Traffic's "Paper Sun") that didn't deal with ska, blue beat, rocksteady or other shades of Caribbean soul..

Talkin' 'bout British ska labels... The best known record by an all white beatband on Blue Beat is the first 45 of Mickey Finn & The Blue Men, but they played some veritable, respectable kind of ska on that one. (See vol. 2) Here is a 60s beat arrangement of Fats Domino's "I'm Walking" by Wolverhampton's Tommy Burton Combo, and it's probably the most untypical release on Blue Beat. These guys were a Midlands legend since the late 50s, and it's a shame that this single is their only vinyl legacy. Tommy Burton, multi-instrumentalist on piano, sax and guitar, went back to playing jazz in the late 60s and had a successful local career until his death in 2000.

The Knack from Ilford, suburb of London, had six singles on Decca and Piccadilly 65 - 67, plus a German only 7" on Star Club credited to The Londoners, because having a Knack in German means something like being the village idiot. Most prominent member was Paul Gurvitz, who later formed The Gun with his brother Adrian. They went on in the 70s as Three Man Army and then The Baker-Gurvitz Army.

On his first record he was backed by the uncredited Graham Bond Organization, but while this one, his fourth, again is credited to Winston G. alone on the label, it actually was the work of a London based group called The Winston G. Set, who formerly were known as Winston G. & The Wicked. Winston Gork, who reputedly tried to start a career in the early 60s as Johnny Apollo, was a cool. good looking guy with Indian roots, probably on the part of his mother. He (or they) had five singles on Parlophone and Decca 65 - 67, before the band morphed into The Fox, who only had one, but great 45, "Mr. Carpenter" on CBS 68. What you hear is the a-side of "Judge And Jury", a number you can find on Mod Meeting 6 and on New Directions 3.

No need to introduce the BEST of all Brit mod groups, The Action. This repro of a rare one-sided acetate was included as a freebie in last year's fantastic book "In The Lap Of The Mods", a biography of the band and a summary of the whole scene no one should live without, if you ask me. Go out and buy it presto, even if the luxury edition with the 45, a cover of a Temptations song, is sold out by now.

I found the next one on the wonderful youtube channel of 94MikeJ, where you can listen to the other three tracks (and a lot more goodies) of this Unicord demo acetate by The Tributes from Merseyside, recorded at CAM studios, Moorfields. If anyone out there knows any details about this fascinating, but totally obscure combo, please let us know in the comments.

The Mike Cotton Sound had seven mostly soul-tinged singles on Columbia, Polydor, Pye and MGM between 64 and 68, plus one as Mike Cotton's Jazzmen and one as Mike Cotton Band, both 63, but the rarest artefact arguably is the LP they made for Columbia in 64. "Pills", one of the catchiest of many less known Bo Diddley singles, was also covered by Newcastle's Shorty & Them (comped on our own "Exploiting Plastic Inevitable Vol. 1) and, in the 70s, by the untouchable New York Dolls. Most prominent members of the group were Jim Rodford on bass, who joined Argent in 1970, and Dave Rowberry, who replaced Alan Price in The Animals.

We've already had a cut from The Jay Bee Four's only record, an EP on the French Barclay label, on Tommy 20, and a third one will follow soon. This is another interesting version of "I've Got My Mojo Workin'" with a rather unusual arrangement. The group came from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, and leader John Lord later had this pictured solo single, which only was released on the Continent. But as it's already comped on "Mod Meeting 5", you won't find it here.

That's it for today. All knocked out and shocked by the news of Reg Presley's tragic death. In black: Papst Lutscher and wanda ale. 

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