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Caravan
They came from
Canterbury and are still going strong to this
day - the concert at London's Astoria in October 1999 was
a knockout and showed the strength of the band's output,
virtuosity and musicianship. Their first album, Caravan
(pictured below), is recognised as a 60s classic. They
evolved
out of a band called the Wilde Flowers, another product of
which was the group Soft Machine. They were influenced
by John Coltraine. Their music's trademark is a strong,
prominent and imaginative drum backing, and walls and
layers of sound built on organ, flute, brass and keyboards.
If you didn't catch them the first time, make
sure you do now. Albums include, Cunning Stunts,
If I Could Do It All Again I'd Do It All Over You
and The Battle Of Hastings.
Caravan. Richard
Coughlan, Pye Hastings,
David Sinclair and Richard Sinclair
Eric Clapton
Born in Surrey, Eric is
regarded by many as the
world's greatest rock guitarist vying with
Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix for this title.)
After playing with The Roosters with Tom McGuiness
(soon of Manfred Mann) Eric joined The Yardbirds.
He left them due to their increased pop output and
joined John Mayall's Bluesbreakers where Eric earned
the nickname 'God' amongst the fans.
He then graduated to Cream......
Eric Clapton as
a Yardbird
The Dave Clark
Five
Dave Clark's career
started in the late 50s as
part of a backing band. Then based in Tottenham,
North London, the band developed a distinctive
thumping beat and for a time looked set to
topple The Beatles from their thrones.
Glad All Over, Bits And Pieces and Catch Us If You Can
were their big UK successes, but the group were
even bigger in the US with a series of appearances
on The Ed Sullivan Show. Eventually, the formula
became stale but Dave became a highly successful
businessman in the recording industry.
The Dave Clark
Five. Mike Smith, Dave Clark,
Lenny Davidson, Denis Payton, Rick Huxley
Petula Clark
Petula Clark's
international popularity is rare, being
equally as big a hit in the U.S.A. as well as in
Europe, particularly the French-speaking nations.
She was born on November 15th, 1932. By 1944 she
was such a successful child star in Britain that she sang
at the war victory celebrations in London's Trafalgar
Square. She appeared in many movies, mainly, though not
exclusively musical, both at home and in the States
and carved-out a name for herself as an actress and
a singer of fine ditties such as Where Did My
Snowman Go, The Little Shoemaker and the less
child-like Sailor and Romeo Romeo.
She went to France and
sang fluently in their tongue, much to the delight
of that nation and she was soon 'adopted' by the
French and married a Frenchman. Hits in German and
Italian followed. Come the sixties, writer and producer
Tony Hatch and his wife Jackie Trent took a shine to 'Pet'
& they joined to make many notable and huge international
hits (including two U.S. number ones.) Downtown,
Don't Sleep In The Subway, My Love, I Couldn't
Live Without Your Love &, I Know A Place were all
perfectly evocative of the sixties mood and well-suited to
Petula's, by now, more developed and mature, pop voice.
She had a hit with the Charlie Chaplin song This Is My Song
in 1967 and was the first UK female singer since
Vera Lynn in 1952 to have a number one in the States.
Pet appeared in several movies in the sixties including
Goodbye Mr. Chips and Finian's Rainbow. She was
recently awarded the C.B.E. (Commander of the British
Empire) by The Queen for her contributions to
entertainment and as an unofficial 'ambassadress'
for Britain. She lives in Switzerland.
Petula Clark
Joe Cocker
Gravel voiced Joe from
Sheffield is the best
white soul singer Britain has produced. He can be
seen on the Woodstock movie giving it all he's got
and showing his star quality on his version of The Beatles'
With A Little Help From My Friends, a rare occasion
when a cover is better than The Beatles' original.
Delta Lady, Marjorine and The Beatles'
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
are other famous recordings of his. He has had
a stormy and boozy career, but in recent
sober years his career has flourished again.
Joe Cocker
Cream
Eric Clapton, along
with Jack Bruce (from Manfred Mann)
and Ginger Baker joined forces to create one of the most
influential bands of all time. They were an album band -
that is to say that mainstream singles chart success was
not what they were about. Some say that their live
performances could not reproduce the brilliance
and innovation of these albums. However, I have heard
from sources who were privileged to see them perform
that their live gigs were sensational displays of virtuosity.
Certainly there is no disputing the musicianship of the
three players. Some well-known titles include I Feel Free,
Sunshine Of Your Love, Strange Brew and White Room.
They lasted for a brief period - due to tensions amongst
the three strong personalities and egos within the band it
split but despite its brief history it left a huge legacy.
Cream. Jack
Bruce, Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker
The Creation
The Creation came out
of Middlesex & Hertfordshire & are
now considered one of the most influential & progressive
groups of the era, being hugely popular in Europe despite
little chart success in their home UK. Painter Man,
(later covered by Boney M!), Making Time, Through
My Eyes and How Does It Feel To Feel are really
powerful and evocative beat tracks in The Who or
Small Faces mould. Not surprising really, as they
shared The Who's producer Shel Talmy. In the lottery
that is the music business, their minimal popular success
was in no way reflective of their importance in terms of
influence on other bands or of the quality of their work.
Their music was a fusion of beat & psychedelia and is now
finally, thankfully, recognised as significant. Sample their
work on the album Our Music Is Red With Purple Flashes.
*See
Eddie Phillips interview in
our Special Features section*
The Creation
David &
Jonathan
Roger Greenaway & Roger Cook had a hit with
You've Got Your Troubles for The Fortunes.
They decided to try their hand at recording/performing
and started, (as David & Jonathan), with The Beatles'
Michelle and the self-penned Lovers Of The
World Unite. They continued to write for others -
Gasoline Alley Bred for The Hollies, Home Lovin' Man
for Andy Williams and I'd Like To Teach The World
To Sing for The New Seekers. Cook also performed in
the successful Blue Mink in the early 70s with
Greenaway contributing material.
David &
Jonathan
Billie Davis
Carol Hedges was born
in Woking, Surrey in 1945. She was
discovered by Bee Gees manager Robert Stigwood. Her
first hit was with Mike Sarne on Will I What. (Mike
also duetted with Eastenders star Wendy Richard on
Come Outside, another variation on the same theme.)
She covered The Exciters' Tell Him and was an instant smash.
Her follow-up, He’s The One, faired less well. Billie’s
romance
with Jet Harris, formerly of The Shadows was front
page news – they were both involved in a horrendous car
crash which resulted in Billie having to have her jaw rebuilt.
However, Billie managed to recover and I Want You To Be
My Baby was a minor hit. By the end of the 1960s she was
concentrating on the European market where she was
doing better than at home.
Billie Davis
Spencer Davis
Group
Part-time blues
musician and teacher Spencer Davis
met the rest of the band playing solo at a Birmingham pub.
After some unsuccessful singles, The Spencer Davis
Group broke through with the strong Keep On Running, then
Somebody Help Me, Gimme Some Lovin' (which knocked
The Beach Boys' Good Vibrations from UK number one)
and I'm A Man. Steve Winwood left to form Traffic,
brother Muff went successfully into production as
did Spencer Davis, for Island records in the States.
The Spencer
Davis Group. Spencer Davis, Steve Winwood,
'Muff' Winwood, Pete York
Dave Dee, Dozy,
Beaky
Mick and Tich
While supporting The
Honeycombs on a UK tour they
were noticed by songwriters Howard & Blaikley.
Initially unsuccessful, they broke through with You
Make It Move. Howard & Blaikley then created for
the band an impressive portfolio of pop songs that kept
them at the top of the charts and teen popularity for
several years. Bend It, Zabadak, The Legend Of Xanadu,
Hold Tight, Last Night In Soho. Despite the suggestiveness
of some of their material, they were regulars on children's
programmes like Crackerjack and Blue Peter. Dave Dee
left to go into production and the band have had a few
reunion performances. They completed a
two-month tour with the Solid Silver Sixties Show 2001.
I was lucky enough to see the last night at the London
Palladium where the guys gave a great rocking performance
and where a loyal American fan went away with a souvenir -
Dave Dee's whip which he uses during 'Xanadu'.
Dave Dee, Dozy,
Beaky, Mick and Tich.
(Dave Dee) - David Harman, (Dozy) - Trevor Davies,
(Beaky) - John Dymond, (Mick) - Michael Wilson,
(Tich) - Ian Amey
Donovan
Scotsman Donovan was
proclaimed Britain's answer to
Bob Dylan by the media, though inaccurately, because his
style and material, although folk/rock and thus akin
to Dylan's, was a uniquely British affair. In fact,
Donovan's catchy material was often much more accessible
to the mainstream, where Dylan often had to be content
with other groups making chart successes of his creations.
With Catch The Wind, Sunshine Superman and Mellow Yellow
(with Paul McCartney & friends on backing vocals)
Donovan was identified as an unofficial leader of
the British flower power movement. Jennifer Juniper,
Hurdy Gurdy Man and, with Jeff Beck,
Goo Goo Barabujagal established him in the US
as his UK popularity waned.
Donovan
The Downliners
Sect
The Sect consisted of
Don Craine, Johnny Sutton,
Keith Grant, Terry Gibson and Ray Sone. The band
played raw R&B and refused to adapt to the trends
and styles of the time, which alienated them somewhat
from the young record buyers although they were
held in high regard by contemporaries such as
The Yardbirds and The Pretty Things. They released
controversial material in all manner of styles and just
couldn't seem to get a popular following. The image was
fabulous - Craine sporting a Deerstalker hat and the
rest of the band looking like dandies from some bygone era.
Personnel came and went. Rather like The Creation, they
were more popular in the perhaps more discerning Europe
than at home. By the 60s end they had disbanded.
Founder Don Craine was one of the members of the
British Invasion All-Stars. Like The Creation, they
are these days something of a cult with their albums
The Sect, The Country Sect and The Rock Sect's In.
The Downliners
Sect
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