There were many dances with live music at The Grosvenor in the 1950s, mainly with dance orchestras – but some were jazz artists, such as Leslie “Jiver” Hutchinson, a Jamaican jazz trumpter in February 1957 – with Miss Aylesbury 1957 also being chosen!
There was also Harry Bence and his famous Rock’n’Roll Rhythm in August 1956 – though Harry Bence was better known as a band leader.
One man behind these was Alan Clarke, and the Bucks Examiner reported on a court case in July 1957:
1968 proved to be a difficult year for music promoters in Aylesbury.
Eddie Friday pulled the plug on Saturday nights at the Borough Assembly Hall in June. Eddie’s problems were outlined in the Bucks Herald:
Eddie told us this week of his tremendous loss in takings over the past 18 months. “Lack of patronage over the past 18 months has been diabolical,” he said. Another of his main headaches, he said, is the B.A.H. itself. The decor is all wrong, it just doesn’t compare with other dance halls like Top Rank at Watford, and it lacks atmosphere.
The list of artists continued to be rather strange – including Margitte Bardot (the little kmown younger sister of Bridgette Bardot), The Rock ‘n Roll Revival Showband and The Merseys – a “big name” group which attracted only 139 people and lost Eddie £127. Eddie Friday put on two more shows. On July 19th The Foundations, in conjunction with Aylesbury Borough Council, which also made a loss, and in December The Move.
David Stopps recently acquired the contract for this gig, which makes interesting reading.
At the beginning of the year, Andrew Smythe as the Ready Steady Go Club, put on The Foundations and The Love Affair. According to the ads for The Love Affair, he also planned to put on The Plastic Penny on March 2nd, but this did not happen.
On 29 February, the front page story of The Bucks Herald was “Wanted “pop” – got Town Clerk – Group failed to appear”:
About 150 young people paid 10s. to see top pop group The Foundations at Aylesbury’s Borough Assembly Hall on Friday. Instead they saw the Town Clerk, Mr. R. D. W. Maxwell who was called from his Aylesbury home to placate the youngsters who were furios at having paid for a group which did not appear.
The promoter was a Mr. Raine from London, who had booked the hall through his company North West Productions. On 7 March, the Bucks Herald ran an editorial entitled “Pop Fans Need A Guarantee” which began:
It is time Aylesbury Borough Council’s Parks and Public Buildings Committee, and possibly the council as a whole, took a closer look at the terms and conditions under which the Borough Assembly Hall, owned by the council, is let. Without referring to any specific incident, there have been a number of occasions when a large number of young people have been badly let down, inasmuch as they have paid a not insignificant sum to hear big-name groups who have failed to appear.
On March 28, the Bucks Advertiser reported on it’s front page under the title “Moves To Protect Pop Fans” that action had been taken:
How to protect pop fans – that was the subject debated at length by Aylesbury Borough Council’s Parks and Public Buildings Committee on Friday. The committee came up with a list of new provisions which, it is hoped, will ensure that fans get fair play when they pay to see pop shows at the Borough Assembly Hall.
In May and June, Cyril Meichtry – who sometimes billed himself as Cyril of The Green Man – put on three gigs on Friday evenings at the Brough Assembly Hall – The Marmalade, The Herd and The Tremeloes.
In an interview with the Bucks Advertiser on May 16, Cyril said: “Somebody had to do something, because the teenagers were not getting the entertainment they wanted”. The Advertiser commented: “And so for this reason, and the fact that much of his trade depended on the number of spectators at the shows, Mr. Meichtry decided to venture into the pop show business.”
The Herd played to a full house – the Bucks Advertiser reported that “for the first time in ages a group played to capacity crowds in the hall” – but The Tremeloes were less of a draw and played to a half-empty hall, with a loss of more than £200 for the promoter.
I believe that Cyril Meichtry passed away in May 2011, aged 90.
After Eddie Friday had confirmed that he had cancelled his block booking of Saturday nights at the Borough Assembly Hall, the council invited tenders to take over these dates. At the end of October, it was announced that Adrian Hopkins from Oxford had been chosen from six tenders that had been received. Adrian Hopkins also promoted dances at Oxford Town Hall and the Bridge Hotel, Wheatley, and ran a booking agency.
The first date was on November 30 with Chris Farlowe and the Thunderbirds. In the following weeks, The Herd, Simon Dupree and the Big Sound and the Sonny Burke Soul Show appeared – but these were not a success. The Bucks Herald reported that:
His first promotion, when Chris Farlowe appeared, drew an audience of a little over 300. The second, with The Herd as the main attraction, attracted 230. The third promotion, Simon Dupree and the Big Sound, brought in 203, the Sonny Burke Soul Show, plus the Emotional Feet, attracted 80.
On January 9, 1969, the Bucks Advertiser reported that:
After presenting only four shows as the Borough Assembly Hall’s Saturday night pop promoter, Adrian Hopkins has asked Aylesbury Borough Council to release him from his contract.
Mr. Hopkins successfully tendered £30 for each Saturday night booking when the council was seeking a successor to former Saturday night promoter Mr. Eddie Friday. But Mr. Hopkins soon experienced the “apathy” that caused Mr. Friday to back out of his Saturday night block booking. He claims he made a £730 loss on the four promotions.
See below for list of gigs at the Borough Assembly Hall.
Another venue presenting live music was the John F. Kennedy in Bicester Road, where Curly Fields was the promoter. During the year Curly presented Humphrey Lyttelton and his band in May, and The Karl Denver Trio at August bank holiday. There may have been more – the ad for Humphrey Lyttelton shows: “Forthcoming Thursday attractions may include: Acker Bilk, Kenny Ball, Chris Barber”. Any more details about gigs at the John Kennedy would be welcome.
By the end of the year, Curly had decided to move on. Writing in the Bucks Herald, Dave James wrote:
Curly has given us professional entertainment from time to time and was to have entered into the world of cabaret for the first time in Aylesbury with the appearance of Diana Dors. But Curly has decided to move on where there is more demand for his efforts – at Paignton, Devon.
Folk, blues and jazz found a home at the Derby Arms.
In February, Willie Barrett and Mike Batory formed the Thumbstrumb folk club, firstly at the Bricklayer’s Arms in Walton before moving to the Derby Arms.
Also at the Derby Arms, Ron Watts and Bob Savage presented blues. Ron Watts was running The Blues Loft at the Nag’s Head in High Wycombe, and was looking to do something similar in Aylesbury. The Bucks Herald reported:
The quiet of St. Mary’s Square, Aylesbury, which comprises the parish church surrounded by some fine houses, has recently been shattered on Monday evenings by some beautiful sounds emanating from the Derby Arms which is also in the square …
After a rather inauspicious start with a group called the Levee Camp Moan, the club is rapidly gaining strength. The Steve Miller Delivery, a very good jazz-influenced band, which normally has Lol Coxhill, of Aylesbury, as a member, played an excellent evening there, and other bands are to follow. Some of the bands, including the Smokey Rice Blues Band, from Princes Risborough, are to be featured on an E.P. produced by Ron Watts.
Blues Loft membership card
The year also saw the start of Saturday evenings at the Aylesbury Social Club, with bands such as Harlem John’s Reshuffle. Earlier in the year the Social Club was the venue for a number of appearances by local band, Concrete Parachute.
See here for a list of gigs at Aylesbury Social Club. We have very little information about the Aylesbury Social Club and would love to know more – if you can help, please get in touch.
Borough Assembly Hall gigs:
| Date | Promoter Name | Artist 1 | Artist 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/1/1968 | Andrew Smythe / Ready Steady Go Club | The Foundations | |
| 6/1/1968 | Eddie Friday | The New England Mood | The Associates |
| 19/1/1968 | Andrew Smythe / Ready Steady Go Club | The Love Affair | |
| 20/1/1968 | Eddie Friday | The Sound Trekkers | The Acceleration |
| 27/1/1968 | Eddie Friday | Lamb Bros. and Company | The Re-action |
| 3/2/1968 | Eddie Friday | The Trax | The Ginger Factory |
| 10/2/1968 | Eddie Friday | The Special Offer | Surrealist Adventure |
| 17/2/1968 | Eddie Friday | The Bird & The B's | The Brain Police |
| 24/2/1968 | Eddie Friday | The Herbal Mixture | The Choice Soul Band |
| 2/3/1968 | Eddie Friday | Margitte Bardot | The Associates |
| 9/3/1968 | Eddie Friday | The Clayton Haze | The Out Of Order |
| 16/3/1968 | Eddie Friday | The Entire Sioux Nation | The Ginger Factory |
| 23/3/1968 | Eddie Friday | The Cortinas | The Rocky Rivers Record Show |
| 13/4/1968 | Eddie Friday | The Rock 'N' Roll Revival Showband | Candy Bus |
| 15/4/1968 | The Symbols | Max Baer and the Chicago Setback | |
| 20/4/1968 | Eddie Friday | The En-devers Ltd | Friday's Mind |
| 22/4/1968 | J. J. Jackson | Joyce Bond Revue | |
| 27/4/1968 | Eddie Friday | The Night Train | The Phoenix |
| 4/5/1968 | Eddie Friday | The Tramline | Hellhouse Shale |
| 10/5/1968 | Cyril Meichtry | The Marmalade | Bobby Johnson and the Atoms |
| 11/5/1968 | Eddie Friday | The Clayton Haze | The Out Of Order |
| 25/5/1968 | Eddie Friday | The Freehold | The Rocky Rivers Record Show |
| 24/5/1968 | Cyril Meichtry | The Herd | Wild Silk (formerly The Tramlines) |
| 1/6/1968 | Eddie Friday | The Cole Trane Union | The Concrete Parachute |
| 8/6/1968 | Eddie Friday | The Rinky Dink Rock 'N' Roll Show | The Surrealist Adventure |
| 14/6/1968 | Cyril Meichtry | The Tremeloes | The Crew |
| 15/6/1968 | Eddie Friday | The Merseys | Pinky and the Phellows |
| 22/6/1968 | Bucks Ass of Youth Clubs / Eddie Friday | Mahogany Guinness Blues | The Re-action |
| 19/7/1968 | Eddie Friday | The Foundations | Rainbow Ffolly |
| 9/9/1968 | Colin Dale | Camerons Impact | |
| 16/9/1968 | Colin Dale | 27th All Stars | |
| 26/10/1968 | Grange Youth Club/Eddie Friday | 5th Dynasty | Psycho |
| 30/11/1968 | Adrian Hopkins | Chris Farlowe and the Thunderbirds | Paper Lemon |
| 6/12/1968 | Eddie Friday | The Move | |
| 7/12/1968 | Adrian Hopkins | The Herd | Yesterday's Papers |
| 21/12/1968 | Adrian Hopkins | Simon Dupree & The Big Sound | Inorganic Confusion |
| 24/12/1968 | Forever Changes | U-No-Who | |
| 28/12/1968 | Adrian Hopkins | Sonny Burke Soul Show | Emotional Feet |
1967 saw some major names appearing on the stage of the Borough Assembly Hall. These included some giants from the rock world, and others from the pop world.
Paul Hayward (sometimes shown as Paul Haywood) of the Ricky Tick club, which operated in Windsor and other local towns, had some midweek dates. The first was Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band on 25 January.
On 7 February, Zoot Money played.
A week later, on 15 February, Cream appeared, again presented by Paul Hayward. John Braley in an interview on the Friars Aylesbury website recalls: “That was when Clapton had just got an afro haircut. Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker spent the whole gig staring at him and laughing”.
Paul Hayward, under his own name or as Ricky Tick, also presented John Mayall, Georgie Fame and Tomorrow featuring Keith West.
On 28th March, the Jimi Hendrix Experience played.
Eddie Friday continued to promote gigs on Saturday evenings, and also some in midweek. The list of those appearing contains an odd selection of artists. From the world of pop there was Englebert Humperdinck (30th May) and Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich (20th June). There were names from the past, such as Heinz and the Wild Boys (4th February), The Barron Knights (4th March) and Duane Eddy (17th October). And many of those who appeared on Saturday evenings are now hard to recognise.
On February 16th, the Bucks Advertiser reported that the Council would offer grants to support music events in the town:
Grants to support jazz and pop concerts as well as classical music may be made by Aylesbury Borough Council some time soon. But on Monday the council agreed not to under-write a visit by Kenny Ball and his Jazz Men being arranged for promoter Eddie Friday on February 22.
But it also recommended that the council’s officers explore with Mr. Friday the possibility of the council promoting concerts of jazz and pop music with “star performers” in association with Mr. Friday.
This eventually took the form of the Council supporting Eddie Friday with the appearances of Englebert Humperdinck and Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich at the Borough Assembly Hall in midweek slots.
However these did not draw in the expected crowds. In an article “Why pop is not a sell-out”, the Bucks Advertsier reported:
Aylesbury’s pop bubble seems to have burst. A dance held anywhere in the district these days just won’t bring in the profits anymore.
Two pop concerts held at the Borough Assembly Hall recently, were sponsored by the Aylesbury Borough Council. They lost over £550. It was stated previously that £400 was to be the maximum outlay for four such concerts.
Things didn’t get any better. Later in the year, Eddie Friday presented Duane Eddy, again in a mid-week slot – but this time only 139 people came.
Towards the end of the year, there was another problem when promoters Andrew Smythe and John Raine advertised The Temptations – which was assumed to be the Motown group.
However as Phillip Apps and Dave James, writing in the Bucks Herald, reported:
The group which appeared was called The Fabulous Temptations, and may well have come from America. But it was not the group which appears on the Tamla Motown hit records credited to The Temptations. Not only was the group which appears on the records not booked to appear at the hall – it was not even in the country.
At other venues, we know that Lol Coxhill set up a jazz club on Monday evenings at the Crown Tavern in the High Street (closed in around 1980, when work began on the construction of Hale Leys Shopping Centre). An ad shows Lol playing on 30th January, with Jeff Read, Ted Speight and Tony Knight. But this was apparently not a success, as on February 23 Tony White wrote in The Bucks Advertiser:
Lol Coxhill tells me that his Crown Tavern sessions are not drawing the crowds he would like.
Later in the year, Lol was reported to be running a monthly jazz club at Unity Hall in Castle Street.
There was also the White Hart Folk Club at the White Hart Hotel in Exchange Street.
Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers were advertised to play at the Zig Zag Discotheque at the Aylesbury Social Club on 5th June, but it is uncertain whether they played. Later in the year, Dave James started his Discville nights at the New Friarage Hall – a venue that would become significant in another context a few years later.
List of gigs at the Borough Assembly Hall in 1967:
| Date | Venue | Promoter Name | Artist 1 | Artist 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7/1/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The En-devers Ltd | The Kontax |
| 21/1/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | Easy Come Easy Go | The Deep |
| 25/1/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Paul Hayward | Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band | |
| 28/1/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | Tricia and the Southern Valley Four | Denim Blues, Deuces Wild |
| 4/2/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | Heinz and the Wild Boys | The Ironsides |
| 7/2/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Paul Hayward | Zoot Money | |
| 10/2/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Bucks Ass of Youth Clubs / Eddie Friday | The New Jump Band | The Tridents |
| 11/2/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Uglys | The Associates |
| 15/2/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Paul Hayward | Cream | |
| 18/2/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | Phil Hunter and the Jaguars | The Substitutes |
| 21/2/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen | |
| 25/2/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Bobcats | The Choosey Beggars |
| 4/3/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Barron Knights with Duke D'Mond | Pinky and the Phellows, Just Us |
| 25/3/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Anzaks | The Vibratones |
| 28/3/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Jimi Hendrix Experience | ||
| 31/3/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Paul Hayward | John Mayall | |
| 1/4/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The En-devers Ltd | The Tridents |
| 8/4/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Scots of St. James | Freddie Fingers Lee and the Upper Hand |
| 15/4/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Meantimers | The Vivas |
| 22/4/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | Sound City | Lloyd Williams, Sounds from Spectre |
| 29/4/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | Soul Reason | The New Era |
| 6/5/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | Gates of Eden | Deuces Wild |
| 12/5/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | The Small Faces (did they play?) | The Soul Trinity | |
| 13/5/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Reasons | The Daystroms |
| 27/5/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Step | The Tridents |
| 30/5/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | Englebert Humperdinck | The Bystanders |
| 3/6/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Anzaks | The Sneakers |
| 10/6/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | Motown Trinity | The Memphis Gents |
| 17/6/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Block | The Nett |
| 20/6/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | Dave, Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich | The En-devers Ltd |
| 24/6/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Symbols | The Driftwood |
| 1/7/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | Gates of Eden | The Crew |
| 8/7/1067 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | Pinky and the Phellows | The New Era |
| 15/7/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Worrying Kynde | The Industrial Revolution |
| 22/7/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Wages of Sin | The Flowers |
| 29/7/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | Johnny Carr and the Cadillacs | Marie (DJ) |
| 5/8/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Memphis Gents | The Vibratones |
| 11/8/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Ricky Tick Promotions ? | Georgie Fame | |
| 12/8/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Driftwood | The Angelo Six |
| 18/8/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Ricky Tick Promotions | Tomorrow featuring Keith West | |
| 19/8/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The En-devers Ltd | The Vivas |
| 2/9/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Maze | plus supporting group (unknown) |
| 9/9/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Memphis Gents | The Exit |
| 15/9/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Horatio Soul and the Square Deal | J. J. Bender and the S.O.S. | |
| 16/9/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The U-No-Who | The Re-action |
| 23/9/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Crash Landing | The Flowers |
| 30/9/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Impulse | The Associates |
| 7/10/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Kobalts | The Ironsides |
| 14/10/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Purple Barrier | Granny's Attic |
| 17/10/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | Duane Eddy | Bobby and the Rebels, Soho's Fabulous Go-Getters |
| 21/10/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Cole Trane Union | The Dream |
| 4/11/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Wages of Sin | The Acceleration |
| 11/11/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Quick Re-action | The Spectre Powerhouse |
| 21/11/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Andrew Smythe and John Raine | The (Fabulous) Temptations | The Avalons, Parkers Mood |
| 18/11/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The En-devers Ltd | The Ginger Factory |
| 25/11/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Virgin Sleep | The Reaction |
| 2/12/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Memphis Gents | Granny's Attic |
| 9/12/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Dream | Surrealist Adventure |
| 23/12/1967 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | Pinky and the Phellows | The Denim Blues |
The Ready Steady Go Club, which had started in Aylesbury at the end of 1965, presented more gigs at the Borough Assembly Hall before closing in the spring of 1966.
However, the club had trouble with artists failing to turn up or equipment not arriving, and small crowds. On 25th January, the Mark Leeman Five were due to appear – but only three of them appeared. The Bucks Advertiser reported:
Last week a much reduced Mark Leeman Five – without a vocalist and organist – gave us a makeshift show of, mainly, instrumentals. Although, admittedly, it may not be the club’s fault, this is the second time recently that things have gone wrong with group bookings.
Worse was to come when Inez and Charlie Foxx were due to play on 8th February. They arrived – but their backing group did not. John Finn reported in the Bucks Advertiser:
The famous American brother and sister singing team did arrive but a backing group did not. For two hours they sat in their dressing room twiddling their thumbs waiting for the group that was supposed to have left London at six o’clock …
Eventually Inez and Charlie agreed to appear and sang over one of their records. Teenagers rushed to the front of the hall and with just one number the Foxx’s rhythm and music swept over the small crowd. Resounding cheers followed their one and only number after which anger flared up again.
A few weeks later, on 22nd February, Tony Rivers and the Castaways were due to play – but the same thing happened. The Bucks Advertiser commented:
Another chapter in the trouble-plagued history of Aylesbury’s RSG was written on Tuesday night.
Three times now, in almost as many weeks, things have turned sour with artistes. On Tuesday the twist, treated by teenagers as a poor joke that is quickly wearing thin, was with Tony Rivers and the Castaways. They turned up, but their equipment didn’t. Again, no show.
Things got no better when another club, the Top Of The Pops Club, opened. The intention was to present top DJs, with some live bands. Pete Murray appeared with The Mindbenders.
There were soon allegations of payments not being made – under a front page heading of Top Of Pops Club Flops, the Bucks Herald reported on March 18th that:
Agents for two of the country’s top disc jockeys alleged this week that they had been unable to get payment from the Top of the Pops Dance Club, based in the Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury. They maintain that Alan Freeman and Peter Murray – famous faces on television and well-known on radio – have received no money for their personal appearances.
And club members who intended going to the club tonight to see The Small Faces, last week No. 1 in the hit parade, will be disappointed. Their agent has told The Bucks Herald that the group, contrary to an announcement made from the Assembly Hall stage last week, have never been booked to appear at Aylesbury.
Meanwhile, Eddie Friday continued with his Saturday evenings, distancing himself from the problems with other promoters. Among artists appearing for Eddie on Saturdays were Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, The Honeycombs, Patti LaBelle and her Bluebelles, Brian Poole and the Tremeloes and The Ink Spots.
The Ink Spots was a strange booking. Tony White in his review in the Bucks Advertiser wrote:
It must have been very difficult – and nerve-wracking – for the Ink-Spots to face a crowd of beat-crazy teenagers at Saturday night’s Eddie Friday promotion at the Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury.
At least that was the impression I got from the wings as I watched this veteran group of American showbusiness at work. They looked nervous in front of the youngsters, most of whom had probably never heard of them. That the Ink-Spots’ music was so many years pre-beat was very obvious…
This is the first visit to Britain by the Ink-Spots since 1952. Billy Bowen told me after the show that American bases around the country are included in their itinery. I’m sure they will be far more appreciated there than in the current British ballroom scene.
On 18th October, the El Bribon Organisation put on Lee Dorsey, who had a hit with “Working In A Coal Mine”.
Note: There is some confusion as the local papers also carried ads for Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band on the same evening!
Towards the end of the year there were more problems with artists advertised but not appearing. On 22nd November, the El Bribon Organisation advertised Tom Jones – billed as “The Greatest Rave Night in Aylesbury”. However Tom Jones did not appear. Dave James later reported:
Last November, posters all over the town proclaimed a show and a dance would star Tom Jones. Tickets were even available from local shops. Tom Jones did not appear, which was not surprising – he was not booked to appear and did not even know his name was on the posters.
Crowds of youngsters turned up on the appointed day, to read a notice saying there would be no show and no dance.
1966 also saw the first Hobble on the Cobbles in the Market Square – see here for more.
List of gigs at the Borough Assembly Hall in 1966:
| Date | Club | Promoter Name | Artist 1 | Artist 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/1/1966 | Eddie Friday | Chris Andrews | Barry Lee and the Planets, The Ironsides | |
| 4/1/1966 | Ready Steady Go Club | Them | ||
| 8/1/1966 | Eddie Friday | The Bystanders | The En Devers Ltd, The In-Sect | |
| 18/1/1966 | Ready Steady Go Club | The Applejacks | ||
| 22/1/1966 | Eddie Friday | Johnny Carr and the Cadillacs | The Gent-L-Men | |
| 25/1/1966 | Ready Steady Go Club | The Mark Leeman Five | ||
| 29/1/1966 | Eddie Friday | Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers | The New Creations, The Future Set | |
| 1/2/1966 | Ready Steady Go Club | The Paramounts | ||
| 5/2/1966 | Eddie Friday | The Caesars | The Associates | |
| 8/2/1966 | Ready Steady Go Club | Inez and Charlie Foxx (no backing group - only one song) | ||
| 11/2/1966 | Eddie Friday | The Anzaks | The Ravons, The 5th Dynasty | |
| 12/2/1966 | Eddie Friday | Stevie, Johnny and the Various Others | The Tridents, The Unchained | |
| 15/2/1966 | Ready Steady Go Club | The Yeng Tongs (did not play) | ||
| 19/2/1966 | Eddie Friday | The Tennessee Teens | The Sneakers | |
| 22/2/1966 | Ready Steady Go Club | Tony Rivers and The Castaways (equipment did not arrive - no show) | ||
| 26/2/1966 | Eddie Friday | The Washington D.C.s featuring Johnny Cannon | The Sonics | |
| 1/3/1966 | Ready Steady Go Club | The Downliners Sect | ||
| 5/3/1966 | Eddie Friday | Chris Lamb and the Universal Show Band | Group Survival | |
| 8/3/1966 | Ready Steady Go Club | The Birds | ||
| 11/3/1966 | Top Of The Pops Club | The Mindbenders | Peter Murray (DJ) | |
| 12/3/1966 | Eddie Friday | The Zuider Zee | The Night Beats | |
| 19/3/1966 | Eddie Friday | Must-B-Blues | Mistral-Tuac | |
| 2/4/1966 | Eddie Friday | Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas | The Shindigs, The Quantum | |
| 5/4/1966 | The Fortunes | |||
| 9/4/1966 | Eddie Friday | Fernandos Hideaways | The Ironsides | |
| 12/4/1966 | Tony Knight's Chessmen | |||
| 16/4/1966 | Eddie Friday | Terry Judge and the Barristers | Pinky and the Phellows | |
| 23/4/1966 | Eddie Friday | Lynn Cordette and the Countdowns | The Future Set | |
| 30/4/1966 | Eddie Friday | The Honeycombs | The Vibratones, Blue Velvets | |
| 7/5/1966 | Eddie Friday | Patty La Belle and her Belles | The Bystanders, The Dark Ages | |
| 14/5/1966 | Eddie Friday | Peter Fenton and the Crowd | The Associates, The Denim Blues | |
| 21/5/1966 | Eddie Friday | The Survivors | The Tridents | |
| 28/5/1966 | Eddie Friday | Brian Poole and the Tremeloes | The Ravons, The Methods | |
| 3/6/1966 | Bucks Ass of Youth Clubs / Eddie Friday | The Ravons | The 5th Dynasty | |
| 4/6/1966 | Eddie Friday | The Ink Spots | Bluesology, The Ironsides | |
| 11/6/1966 | Eddie Friday | The Endevers Ltd | Sounds from Spectre | |
| 18/6/1966 | Eddie Friday | The Fenmen | The Triads | |
| 25/6/1966 | Eddie Friday | Chris Lamb and the Universals | The Little Angels | |
| 9/7/1966 | Eddie Friday | The Orlons | Gates of Eden | |
| 16/7/1966 | Eddie Friday | Terry Judge and the Barristers | The Denim Blues | |
| 23/7/1966 | Eddie Friday | Pinky and the Phellows | The Tridents, Anna Arki of Ready Steady Go! | |
| 30/7/1966 | Eddie Friday | Wainwrights Gentlemen | The Reasons | |
| 6/8/1966 | Eddie Friday | The Mansfields | The Ironsides | |
| 13/8/1966 | Eddie Friday | Patterson's People | The Nightbeats | |
| 20/8/1966 | Eddie Friday | Bean & Loopys Lot | The Vibratones | |
| 27/8/1966 | Eddie Friday | The Original Dyaks | The Associates | |
| 3/9/1966 | Eddie Friday | Mud | The Dark Ages | |
| 10/9/1966 | Eddie Friday | The Essex Five | Sounds from Spectre | |
| 17/9/1966 | Eddie Friday | The Future Set | Jo Jo Gunne | |
| 24/9/1966 | Eddie Friday | The Uglys | The Nitebeats | |
| 1/10/1966 | Eddie Friday | Pinky and the Phellows | The Tridents | |
| 8/10/1966 | Eddie Friday | The Lovin' Kind | The Methods | |
| 15/10/1966 | Eddie Friday | Johnny Carr and the Cadillacs | The Denim Blues, The Kontax | |
| 18/10/1966 | El Bribon Organisation | Lee Dorsey | The Neat Change, John Dimble (Radio London) | |
| 18/10/1966 | Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band (advertised) | |||
| 22/10/1966 | Eddie Friday | Pattersons People | The Vivas | |
| 29/10/1966 | Eddie Friday | Terry Judge and the Barristers | The Moonbeats | |
| 1/11/1966 | The Action | The Neat Change, John Dimble (Radio London) | ||
| 5/11/1966 | Eddie Friday | The Meantimers | The Ironsides | |
| 12/11/1966 | Eddie Friday | Finders Keepers | The Southern Valley Four | |
| 19/11/1966 | Eddie Friday | The Missing Links | The Fenton Weils | |
| 22/11/1966 | El Bribon Organisation | Tom Jones (did not appear - show cancelled) | The Question, The Neat Change | |
| 26/11/1966 | Eddie Friday | The Sneakers | The Associates | |
| 2/12/1966 | Barbados Independence Big Dance | The Hot Line Special of Aylesbury | D.C. Ward and the Fies Fiestas | The Havana Boys |
| 3/12/1966 | Eddie Friday | The Anzaks | The Vibratones | |
| 10/12/1966 | Eddie Friday | The Future Set | Jo Jo Gunne, The Choosey Beggars | |
| 24/12/1966 | Eddie Friday | Pinky and the Phellows | Sounds from Spectre, The Substitutes |
May 1965 saw the end of Aylesbury Bluesville, and with it the link with promoters Ron and Nanda Lesley, who had begun the Aylesbury Jazz Club at the Grosvenor Ballroon in January 1961. The Lesleys also promoted in London and other towns, and in particular in Ipswich on Monday evenings, where they continued with the local Bluesville for a few more years.
The list of artists appearing at Aylesbury Bluesville in 1965 typified those who had been promoted by the Lesleys in previous years: from the world of trad jazz there was Kenny Ball and Chris Barber, and from R&B there was the Spencer Davis Group, Rod Stewart and the Soul Agents and the Yardbirds.
Rod Stewart had previously appeared at Aylesbury Bluesville many times with Long John Baldry and his Hoochie Coochie Men – and some say that it was the Lesleys who first billed Rod Stewart as “Rod the Mod”. In an interview with Geoff Bradford in 2002, Long John Baldry recalled: “They were the people who nicknamed Rod the Mod – they started putting it on posters, Rod the Mod Stewart.”
Aylesbury Bluesville 1965:
| Date | Club | Artist 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/1/1965 | Aylesbury Bluesville | Tony Knight and the Chessmen | |||
| 19/1/1965 | Aylesbury Bluesville | Spencer Davis Group | |||
| 26/1/1965 | Aylesbury Bluesville | Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen | |||
| 2/2/1965 | Aylesbury Bluesville | The Art Woods R&B | |||
| 9/2/1965 | Aylesbury Bluesville | Rod Stewart and the Soul Agents | |||
| 16/2/1965 | Aylesbury Bluesville | Spencer Davis Group | |||
| 23/2/1965 | Aylesbury Bluesville | The Downliners Sect | |||
| 2/3/1965 | Aylesbury Bluesville | Chris Barber's Jazzband | |||
| 9/3/1965 | Aylesbury Bluesville | The Yardbirds | |||
| 16/3/1965 | Aylesbury Bluesville | The Cheynes | |||
| 6/4/1965 | Aylesbury Bluesville | The Downliners Sect | |||
| 13/4/1965 | Aylesbury Bluesville | T-Bones | |||
| 20/4/1965 | Aylesbury Bluesville | The Shevelles | |||
| 27/4/1965 | Aylesbury Bluesville | Zoot Money and his Big Roll Band | |||
| 4/5/1965 | Aylesbury Bluesville | The Downliners Sect | |||
| 11/5/1965 | Aylesbury Bluesville | John Mayall's Blues Breakers | |||
| 25/5/1965 | Aylesbury Bluesville | Garry Farr and the T-Bones |
The Borough Assembly Hall was the main venue in town in 1965. Eddie Friday continued to promote on Saturday nights, but during the year there were some new promoters bringing different artists to Aylesbury – including a short-lived folk club.
One of the highlights of the year was the appearance of The Who on 10th September. A review by Tony White in the Bucks Advertiser covered The Who who played on a Friday evening and Screaming Lord Sutch who appeared the following evening – click on image below to enlarge:
Aylesbury saw the two extremes in pop entertainment last weekend – Friday being the noisiest thing it’s ever been my misfortune to encounter in the shape of The Who and Saturday being far more enjoyable, even though mostly old hat, in the form of Screaming Lord Sutch.
Friday’s performance by the young men being lauded as the bringers of “pop art” to pop was the first, and I sincerely hope the last, time that any form of music, even in its most primitive guise, has made me physically sick. The noise – I think that would be a better title – was so abominably loud that after 20 minutes I had to leave for a stiff whisky with aspirins to settle a throbbing head and an upset stomach.
S & M Promotions presented 16 year old Lulu on 20th August. In 1964 as a 15 year old, Lulu and the Luvvers had a hit with “Shout”. Tony White writing in the Bucks Advertiser was impressed:
This vivacious 16-year-old, who hails from Glasgow, brought the lads to the front of the stage to cheer her wildly – a change from the hordes of screaming girls. And her brief (about 35 minutes) appearance on stage sent them back asking for more …
Overall, it was a first-rate performance from a young girl I think is destined to be in show business for a long time.
The Ready Steady Go Club was another newcomer to the Borough Assembly Hall, with Zoot Money and his Big Roll Band, The Hollies and The Nashville Teens playing.
This was the third visit to Aylesbury by The Hollies, having previously played at the Granada in November 1964 and at the Borough Assembly Hall in April 1965. 1965 had bought two hits – “I’m Alive” (number one in June/July 1965) and “Look Through Any Window” (October 1965).
In July a Folk Blues Club presented by Bruce Dunnet spang up for a few weeks, presenting Nadia Cattousse, Shirley Collins and Arlo Guthrie.
Tony White did not enjoy Arlo Guthrie’s performance – and questioned whether the Borough Assembly Hall was the right venue for folk:
To me, and I know to many others, the answer lies in the Borough Assembly Hall bogie – that is its barn-like structure designed to immediately kill off any initimate atmosphere that a promoter aims for.
I know Bruce wants to get some of our younger folk artists used to working on a large stage, but I think he must realise that a much better rapport could be attained between the performers and listeners if they were altogether on the same level.
Eddie Friday’s promotions included Them and The Ivy League.
Them had had chart success with “Baby Please Don’t Go” (with B-side “Gloria”) and “Here Comes The Night”. The photo below is thought to have been taken at this gig in 1965. Thanks to Simon Gee who wrote to identify (left to right) Pete Bardens (keyboards), Terry Noon (drums), Van Morrison, Joe Baldi (guitar), Alan Henderson (bass).
See more photos at the Aylesbury Remembered website: https://www.aylesburyremembered.com/LiveMusic/Misc-Live-Music/1960s/Them-1965/.
The Ivy League had “Tossing And Turning” in the charts, peaking at number 3.
On 10th November, the Small Faces played.
The band included Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones and Ian McLagan, who had replaced Jimmy Winston. In his review, John Finn wrote:
Those chirpy East Enders, the Small Faces, who rocketed to fame with their first record, “Whatcha Gonna Do About It”, recently paid their first visit to the Borough Assembly Hall last week.
Perhaps the most significant thing about them is their meteoric rise to fame. Inside six months they have risen from nothing to become potentially one of the biggest groups to hit the pop scene this year.
List of gigs at Borough Assembly Hall in 1965 – not including Bluesville:
| Date | Club | Promoter Name | Artist 1 | Artist 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2/1/1965 | Eddie Friday | The Half Dozen | The Mantas | |
| 9/1/1965 | Eddie Friday | The Eric Delaney Band | ||
| 16/1/1965 | Eddie Friday | |||
| 23/1/1965 | Eddie Friday | The Knives and Forks | The Vibrations | |
| 24/1/1965 | Eddie Friday | The Echoes | The Whispering Four | |
| 30/1/1965 | Eddie Friday | The Classmates | The Cavaliers | |
| 6/2/1965 | Eddie Friday | Shane and the Shane Gang | The Sonics | |
| 13/2/1965 | Eddie Friday | Terry Judge and the Barristers | The Apollos | |
| 20/2/1965 | Eddie Friday | Tom Thumb and the Four Fingers | Georgie, The Rave Ons | |
| 27/2/1965 | Eddie Friday | The Wackers with Terry Anton | The Mantas with Carol Hanson | |
| 6/3/1965 | Eddie Friday | Johnny Carr and the Cadillacs | The Narcotics | |
| 10/3/1965 | The Primitives | The Shames | ||
| 13/3/1965 | Eddie Friday | Tony Knight and the Livewires | Rodgers Codgers | |
| 20/3/1965 | Eddie Friday | Bern Elliott and His Klan | The Downsiders | |
| 10/4/1965 | Eddie Friday | The Hollies | The Cavaliers, The Homelanders | |
| 17/4/1965 | Eddie Friday | Shirley and Johnny | The Berries, The Monktones | |
| 1/5/1965 | Eddie Friday | Beat Six | The Yes 'n' No | |
| 8/5/1965 | Eddie Friday | Terry Judge and the Barristers | The Cameos | |
| 15/5/1965 | Eddie Friday | Johnny Carr and the Cadillacs | The Mantas | |
| 22/5/1965 | Eddie Friday | Bryan and the Brunelles | The Triads | |
| 29/5/1965 | Eddie Friday | Washington D.C.s | The Macambos, The Victors | |
| 5/6/1965 | Eddie Friday | Shelley | The Reasons | |
| 12/6/1965 | Eddie Friday | Yenson's Trolls | The Silhouettes | |
| 19/6/1965 | Eddie Friday | Shirley and Johnny | The Homelanders, The Konways | |
| 26/6/1965 | Eddie Friday | The Persuasions with Terry Anton | The Vibratones | |
| 3/7/1965 | Eddie Friday | Beat Six featuring Jeannie St. Claire | The Sneakers | |
| 10/7/1965 | Eddie Friday | Johnny Kidd and the Pirates | The Sneakers | |
| 17/7/1965 | Eddie Friday | The Tramps | Geoff Moule and the Diggers | |
| 20/7/1965 | Folk Blues Club | Bruce Dunnet | Nadia Cattousse | |
| 24/7/1965 | Eddie Friday | Gobbledegooks | The Dark Ages | |
| 27/7/1965 | Folk Blues Club | Bruce Dunnet | Shirley Collins | Barry Thomas, The Tinkers |
| 31/7/1965 | Eddie Friday | The Cameos | The Nightbeats | |
| 3/8/1965 | Folk Blues Club | Bruce Dunnet | Arlo Guthrie | |
| 7/8/1965 | Eddie Friday | Them | Sound F-X | |
| 14/8/1965 | Eddie Friday | The Ivy League | Terry Judge and the Barristers | |
| 20/8/1965 | S & M Promotions | Lulu and the Lovers | ||
| 21/8/1965 | Eddie Friday | The Fairlanes featuring Lindi Loo | The Mantas | |
| 28/8/1965 | Eddie Friday | Jimmy Royal and the Hawks | The Reasons | |
| 4/9/1965 | Eddie Friday | The Shindigs | The Associates | |
| 10/9/1965 | The Who | |||
| 11/9/1965 | Eddie Friday | Screamin' Lord Sutch and the Savages | The En Devers Ltd | |
| 18/9/1965 | Eddie Friday | Johnny Cannon and the Shades | The Tribe | |
| 25/9/1965 | Eddie Friday | The Wayfarers | The Vivas | |
| 2/10/1965 | Eddie Friday | Rip Van Winkle and the Monsters | Lynn Cordette and the Countdowns | |
| 9/10/1965 | Eddie Friday | The Cameos | The Skyliners | |
| 12/10/1965 | Ready Steady Go Club | Kenny and Kash | ||
| 16/10/1965 | Eddie Friday | The Blue Ravens | The Sonics | |
| 19/10/1965 | Ready Steady Go Club | Zoot Money and his Big Roll Band | ||
| 23/10/1965 | Eddie Friday | Dean Lord and the Gaylords | The Nightbeats | |
| 29/10/1965 | Eddie Friday | Mistral Tuac | The Quantum | |
| 6/11/1965 | Eddie Friday | The Barron Knights | James King and the Farinas | |
| 9/11/1965 | John Mayall and his Bluesbreakers | |||
| 10/11/1965 | The Small Faces | |||
| 13/11/1965 | Eddie Friday | The Symbols | Alan Wade and the Hawkers | |
| 16/11/1965 | Chris Farlowe and the Thunderbirds | |||
| 19/11/1965 | Bucks Ass of Youth Clubs / Eddie Friday | The Cameos | The Ravons, The Justice League | |
| 20/11/1965 | Bucks Ass of Youth Clubs / Eddie Friday | The Shindigs | The Mantas | |
| 23/11/1965 | Ready Steady Go Club | The Hollies | ||
| 27/11/1965 | Eddie Friday | Washington D.C.s | The Associates | |
| 4/12/1965 | Eddie Friday | Billy Storm and the Falcons | The Vivas, The Unchained | |
| 11/12/1965 | Eddie Friday | Johnny Anger and the Wild Ones | The Neutrons | |
| 14/12/1965 | Eddie Friday | Dutch College Swing Band | ||
| 18/12/1965 | Eddie Friday | The Cameos | The Vibrations | |
| 21/12/1965 | Ready Steady Go Club | The Nashville Teens | ||
| 24/12/1965 | Eddie Friday | Shirley and Johnny (hosts) | Lynn Cordette and the Countdowns, The Dark Ages |
1964 brought changes on Tuesday evening with Aylesbury Bluesville presenting rhythm and blues in the shape of acts such as The Animals, The Yardbirds and Manfred Mann – see here for details.
Saturday evenings at the Borough Assembly Hall continued to be promoted by Eddie Friday. Highlights included two further appearances by Gene Vincent (February – see below – and July) and three more by the Barron Knights (July, October and December).
Appearing for the first time during the year were the Swinging Blue Jeans (two appearances in February and November), Unit Four Plus Two (in May and September) and The Applejacks. With the winding up of the Aylesbury Jazz Club, Eddie Friday also took the opportunity to present some jazz artists, such as the Terry Lightfoot Jazzmen and the Dutch College Swing Band.
The Swinging Blue Jeans appearance in February caused a stir. The Bucks Advertiser reported:
It was the biggest night at the B.A.H. for many seasons, of that there was little doubt. Promoter Eddie Friday shut the doors tight at 8 o’clock, just as the dancing started. Inside were as many people as he dare alow. The fans had waited for a long time – two girls started their vigil four hours earlier.
They played again in November:
Other promoters brought Alexis Korner and his Blues Incorporated and the Graham Bond Organisation. The Graham Bond Organisation included Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker who, with Graham Bond, had left Blues Incorported to form this new group, and Dick Heckstall-Smith. Despite their reported hostility to each other during their time with Graham Bond, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker were later to form Cream with Eric Clapton – Cream played in Aylesbury in February 1967. Before this Bruce left the Graham Bond Organisation, joining John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, which included Eric Clapton, and then Manfred Mann, playing on “Pretty Flamingo”.
One unsolved mystery is a possible appearance by Marianne Faithfull. In her book Faithfull: An Autobiography it shows that, as part of her schedule for November 1964, Marianne Faithfull appeared at the “Barrow Assembly Hall” in Aylesbury on 23rd November 1964 – but this was a Monday night when wrestling was taking place at the hall. No other details can be found about this – can you help?
List of gigs at Borough Assembly Hall:
| Date | Promoter Name | Artist 1 | Artist 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/1/1964 | Eddie Friday | Johnny Milton And The Condors | The Apollos |
| 11/1/1964 | Eddie Friday | Shane Spencer and The Casuals | The Trackers |
| 18/1/1964 | Eddie Friday | Roy Starr and the Cherokees | The Crusaders |
| 25/1/1964 | Eddie Friday | The Ghouls | Neil Landon and the Burnetts |
| 1/2/1964 | Eddie Friday | Johnny, Mike And The Shades | The Rhythm 3, The Journeymen |
| 7/2/1964 | The Chris Du Maurier Agency | Shane Fenton and the Fentones | The Kossaks featuring Johnny Kaye |
| 8/2/1964 | Eddie Friday | Gene Vincent & The Shouts | The Apollos |
| 15/2/1964 | Eddie Friday | Dave LaKaz and the G Men | The Bullets |
| 22/2/1964 | Eddie Friday | The Kubas | Johnny Anger and the Wild Ones |
| 28/2/1964 | Alexis Korner and his Blues Incorporated | The Impulsions | |
| 29/2/1964 | Eddie Friday | The Swinging Blue Jeans | Ken Gordon and the Dynamic Down-Siders |
| 7/3/1964 | Eddie Friday | Russ and the Sabres | The Cavaliers, The Rave Ons |
| 14/3/1964 | Eddie Friday | The Cherokees featuring Roy Starr | The Apollos |
| 21/3/1964 | Eddie Friday | Mike Berry and the Innocents | Johnny Carr and the Cadillacs |
| 28/3/1964 | Eddie Friday | Shane Spencer and The Casuals | The Phantoms |
| 4/4/1964 | Eddie Friday | The Flintstones | The Strangers |
| 11/4/1964 | Eddie Friday | Johnny, Mike And The Shades | The Craymen |
| 17/4/1964 | Graham Bond Organisation | ||
| 18/4/1964 | Eddie Friday | Wee Willie Harris backed by The Rockets | The Redcaps, The Rave Ons |
| 25/4/1964 | Eddie Friday | Peter Andersen and The Midnighters | Johnny Anger and the Wild Ones, The Preachers |
| 2/5/1964 | Eddie Friday | Unit Four Plus Two | The Classmates, The Sound Trekkers |
| 9/5/1964 | Eddie Friday | Johnny Carr and the Cadillacs | Cliff Adams and the Twilights |
| 16/5/1964 | Eddie Friday | Grant Tracey and the Sunsets | The Corvettes |
| 18/5/1964 | Eddie Friday | Shane Spencer and The Casuals | The Whispering Four |
| 23/5/1964 | Eddie Friday | The Redcaps | The Telstars, The Chessmen featuring Jeff Reed |
| 30/5/1964 | Eddie Friday | Steve Francis and the Higrades | The Rebels |
| 6/6/1964 | Eddie Friday | Pat Wayne and the Beachcombers | The Storms |
| 13/6/1964 | Eddie Friday | King Size Taylor and the Dominos | Tony and the Stranglers |
| 20/6/1964 | Eddie Friday | The Plus Four featuring Erky Grant | Roy Powell and the Offbeaters |
| 27/6/1964 | Eddie Friday | Shane Spencer and The Casuals | Ken Gordon and the Downsiders |
| 4/7/1964 | Eddie Friday | The Barron Knights and Duke D'Mond | The Silhouettes |
| 11/7/1964 | Eddie Friday | The Wackers featuring Terry Anton | Johnny Anger and the Wild Ones |
| 18/7/1964 | Eddie Friday | Johnny Carr and the Cadillacs | The Chessmen featuring Jeff Reed, The Rave Ons |
| 25/7/1964 | Eddie Friday | Gene Vincent & The Shouts | The Apollos |
| 1/8/1964 | Eddie Friday | The Hustlers | The Cavaliers |
| 3/8/1964 | Eddie Friday | The Niteshades | The Whispering Four |
| 8/8/1964 | Eddie Friday | Washington D.C. | The Leon Boys |
| 15/8/1964 | Eddie Friday | Shane Spencer and The Casuals | Tony and the Stranglers |
| 19/8/1964 | Eddie Friday | Terry Lightfoot Jazzmen | |
| 22/8/1964 | Eddie Friday | The Deacons | Johnny Anger and the Wild Ones, The Journeymen |
| 29/8/1964 | Eddie Friday | The Applejacks | Georgie, The Rave Ons |
| 5/9/1964 | Eddie Friday | Unit Four Plus Two | Johnny Carr and the Cadillacs |
| 11/9/1964 | Music Management Promotions | Snowballs | The Soundtrekkers, Scrooge and the Misers |
| 12/9/1964 | Eddie Friday | Jimmy Nicol and the Shubdubs | The Reasons |
| 18/9/1964 | Music Management Promotions | The Other Two | The Herd, Evergreens |
| 19/9/1964 | Eddie Friday | The Mike Cotton Sound | The Storms |
| 26/9/1964 | Eddie Friday | King Size Taylor and the Dominos | Terry Judge, The Barristers |
| 3/10/1964 | Eddie Friday | The Migil Five | The Cavaliers |
| 10/10/1964 | Eddie Friday | Mal Ryder and the Spirits | Shane and the Shane Gang |
| 17/10/1964 | Eddie Friday | The Barron Knights and Duke D'Mond | The Apollos |
| 21/10/1964 | Eddie Friday | The Papa Bue Viking Jazz Band | |
| 24/10/1964 | Eddie Friday | The Wranglers | The Dolphins |
| 30/10/1964 | The Grange Youth Club | The Mistral Tuacs | The Berries |
| 31/10/1964 | Eddie Friday | Johnny, Mike And The Shades | The Whispering Four with Pam Cordell |
| 7/11/1964 | Eddie Friday | Dave Curtis and the Tremors | Tony and the Stranglers |
| 14/11/1964 | Eddie Friday | Buddy Britten and the Regents | The Trolls |
| 21/11/1964 | Eddie Friday | The Swinging Blue Jeans | Georgie, The Rave Ons |
| 28/11/1964 | Eddie Friday | The Clouds | The Koalas |
| 2/12/1964 | Eddie Friday | Dutch College Swing Band | |
| 5/12/1964 | Aylesbury Young Conservatives | The Mistral Tuacs | The Penny Blacks |
| 12/12/1964 | Eddie Friday | The Fenmen | The Storms |
| 19/12/1964 | Eddie Friday | The Downsiders | Washington DCs |
| 24/12/1964 | Eddie Friday | The Barron Knights and Duke D'Mond | The Reasons |
| 26/12/1964 | Eddie Friday | Johnny Anger and the Wild Ones | The Sneakers |
1963 saw the closure of the Grosvenor Ballroom for refurbishment, re-opening as the council-owned Borough Assembly Hall. During its closure, the Walton Hall stood in, with weekly rock concerts.
The Grosvenor Ballroom closed at the end of April 1963, initially for three months – but the date of the re-opening was put back a number of times, and eventually to October 7th.
For a list of gigs during 1963, please see below.
During the first months of the year, Eddie Friday continued to promote rock gigs at the Grosvenor on Saturday evenings. Among the artists appearing were Emile Ford and the Checkmates, Eden Kane, The John Barry Seven, Eric Delaney and his Band and the Vernon Girls.
Tony White in the Bucks Advertiser was particularly impressed with Eric Delaney and his Band. Eric Delaney was a drummer and bandleader, and Herbie Goins was the vocalist. Click on image to enlarge:
Walton Hall
The closure of the Grosvenor caused some concern – the Editor at the Bucks Advertiser received a letter on behalf of “A Group of Aylesbury Teenagers” – see below. It was announced that Alan Wallis and Stan Wyatt, who had promoted gigs at the Town Hall before the fire in March 1962, had booked the Walton Hall for 19 weeks, to start when the Grosvenor closed. The first night at the Walton Hall was on 11th May – and the run eventually extended to 21 weeks, ending on 28th September. Click on image to enlarge.
Borough Assembly Hall
In September it was announced that the new name for the Grosvenor would be the Borough Assembly Hall – not popular with many, including Tony White in the Bucks Advertiser:
The Borough Assembly Hall. Look at it. Read it. Let it roll around your tongues for a while. You will probably agree with me. It sounds horrible! Believe it or not, this is the name Aylesbury Borough Council – new owners of the Grosvenor – have decided to call that popular centre of entertainment in the corner of the Market Square …
For goodness sake, why not leave it as it was. The Grosvenor is well-known over a large area either through the jazz club or the Saturday night dances that used to be held there until it closed. “The Grosvenor” is short. “The Grosvenor” is an appropriate name for a building that is to be the venue for the type of entertainment to be offered there.
And I say this. I’ll bet my whole collection of long-playing records that “The Grosvenor” is how it will continue to be known, no matter what the new owners like to call it.
The Bucks Advertiser also published a useful potted history of the venue (click to enlarge):
Grand re-opening
The grand re-opening took place on 7th October, with a charity ball in aid of the Mayor’s Freedom From Hunger campaign, with Joe Loss and his Orchestra and Johnny Thunder and the Thunderbirds.
One of the singers with Joe Loss was Ross MacManus (who also played trumpet); Ross is the father of Elvis Costello (Declan MacManus). He also composed and sang the 1970s “I’m A Secret Lemonade Drinker” TV ad for R. White’s lemonade.
Ian Samwell
Also of note is that during the year Ian “Sammy” Samwell presented record nights in Aylesbury on Wednesdays – initially at the Grosvenor Ballroom and then, after its closure, at the Walton Hall – see report below.
Ian Samwell was a member of Cliff Richard and the Drifters and he wrote “Move It”. He was later a record producer for artists such as Sounds Incorporated, Georgie Fame,John Mayall and The Small Faces. Later he was in-house producer for Warner Brothers in London, bringing artists such as Linda Lewis and America to the label, producing the first America album and the hit “A Horse With No Name”.
Pete Frame writes about Ian Samwell in the Epilogue to his book The Restless Generation. Ian had moved to Sacramento, California.
Sometime in late 1991, suddenly and unexpectedly overcome by breathlessness, he had collapsed and woken in hospital, where he was diagnosed with idiopathic cardiomyopathy. If he didn’t have a heart transplant, he would die, doctors told him – which was a bit of a bummer because he had allowed his medical insurance to lapse only six weeks earlier and the procedure was going to cost in excess of a quarter of a million dollars …
“There was no way I was going to get that sort of bread together,” said Samwell, “so I accepted I was going to die … I phoned a few friends, including Robert Allen, my lawyer in London, to ask him to bring my will up to date, and then fell into a deep sleep.”
When he came to, a hovering nurse came over. “Who are you?” she asked. “Samwell, Ian Samwell”, he replied, nodding toward the case notes at the end of the bed. “Yes, I know that,” she said, but who are you? The phone hasn’t stopped ringing. All these people have been calling with offers of money – Pink Floyd, Cliff Richard, Led Zeppelin … who are you?”
As soon as he had put the phone down, Robert Allen had got on to Jeff Dexter, the DJ / producer / manager who was Ian’s principal sidekick throughout the sixties and seventies, and Dexter phoned everyone he knew … Sufficient funds were gathered for an operation to replace his heart … and it pumped efficiently for another 11 years.
Ian Samwell eventually died on 13 March 2003, aged 66. Nicest guy you could ever meet. And he wrote Move It.
Ian Samwell obituary The Independent
| Date | Venue | Promoter Name | Artist 1 | Artist 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/1/1963 | Grosvenor Ballroom | Eddie Friday | Emile Ford and the Checkmates | Mike Sagar and the Crestas |
| 12/1/1963 | Grosvenor Ballroom | Eddie Friday | Johnny Carr backed by Mel Turner and the Mohicans | Dave Seaton and the Leons |
| 19/1/1963 | Grosvenor Ballroom | Eddie Friday | Eden Kane backed by the Rhett Stoller Group | The Lee Atkins Combo |
| 26/1/1963 | Grosvenor Ballroom | Eddie Friday | Johnny, Mike and the Shades | Bobby Patrick Big Six |
| 2/2/1963 | Grosvenor Ballroom | Eddie Friday | Peter Nelson and the Travellers | The Tartans |
| 9/2/1963 | Grosvenor Ballroom | Eddie Friday | The John Barry Seven | Johnny Anger and the Wild Ones |
| 16/2/1963 | Grosvenor Ballroom | Eddie Friday | Johnny, Mike and the Shades | Dru Harvey and the Jokers |
| 23/2/1963 | Grosvenor Ballroom | Eddie Friday | Doug Sheldon backed by The Sceptres | Bobby Rio and the Dominators |
| 2/3/1963 | Grosvenor Ballroom | Eddie Friday | Eric Delaney and His Band with Herbie Goins | The Lee Atkins Combo |
| 9/3/1963 | Grosvenor Ballroom | Eddie Friday | The Tartans | Paul Dayton and the Deputies |
| 16/3/1963 | Grosvenor Ballroom | Eddie Friday | Russ Sainty and the Nu-Notes | Mark Douglas and the Prowlers |
| 23/3/1963 | Grosvenor Ballroom | Eddie Friday | The Original Checkmates | Ricky Marino and the Stormbreakers |
| 30/3/1963 | Grosvenor Ballroom | Eddie Friday | The Barry James Show featuring The Strangers with Gary and Lee | Mike Sagar and the Crestas |
| 6/4/1963 | Grosvenor Ballroom | Eddie Friday | The Black Arrows | Paul and the Hustlers |
| 13/4/1963 | Grosvenor Ballroom | Eddie Friday | Peter West and the Embers | Paul and the Hustlers |
| 20/4/1963 | Grosvenor Ballroom | Eddie Friday | The Vernon Girls | Mark Douglas and the Prowlers, The Noel Francis All-Steel West Indian Band |
| 27/4/1963 | Grosvenor Ballroom | Eddie Friday | The Fabulous Flintstones | Ricky Marino and the Stormbreakers |
| 11/5/1963 | Walton Hall | Alan Wallis | Johnny Milton and the Condors | The Twistettes, Nick Troy and the Trojans |
| 18/5/1963 | Walton Hall | Alan Wallis | Golli-Golli Show | Johnny Shadow and Danny Gavan, Paul and the Hustlers |
| 25/5/1963 | Walton Hall | Alan Wallis | Ray Pilgrim | Tony Vince and the Minutemen, Colin and the Champions |
| 1/6/1963 | Walton Hall | Alan Wallis | Jet Harris's Original Jetblacks | Terry Judge and the Waders |
| 8/6/1963 | Walton Hall | Alan Wallis | Ricky Brown & The Hi-Lites | Mike Harper & The Cerveza |
| 15/6/1963 | Walton Hall | Alan Wallis | Robb Storme and the Whispers | The Cavaliers |
| 22/6/1963 | Walton Hall | Alan Wallis | The Barry James Show with Gary and Lee and The Strangers | Terry Judge and the Waders |
| 29/6/1963 | Walton Hall | Alan Wallis | Kevin Scott & His Kinsmen | The Strangers |
| 6/7/1963 | Walton Hall | Alan Wallis | Johnny, Mike and the Shades | Mick Barber and the Travellers |
| 13/7/1963 | Walton Hall | Alan Wallis | Mike Everest and the Alpines Crazy Gang Show | The Strangers |
| 20/7/1963 | Walton Hall | Alan Wallis | Steve Francis | Johnny Anger and the Wild Ones, Apex Group with Colin York |
| 27/7/1963 | Walton Hall | Alan Wallis | Dave Dee and the Bostons | The Cervezas |
| 3/8/1963 | Walton Hall | Alan Wallis | The Gamblers | Roy Powell and the Off-Beaters |
| 10/8/1963 | Walton Hall | Alan Wallis | Jet Harris's Original Jetblacks | The Cavaliers |
| 17/8/1963 | Walton Hall | Alan Wallis | The Federals | |
| 24/8/1963 | Walton Hall | Alan Wallis | Laurie Jay Combo | Gerry Temple, The Cervezas |
| 31/8/1963 | Walton Hall | Alan Wallis | Johnny, Mike and the Shades | Terry Judge and the Barristers |
| 7/9/1963 | Walton Hall | Alan Wallis | The Dowlands | The Soundtracks, The Stranglers |
| 14/9/1963 | Walton Hall | Alan Wallis | The Ravin' Savages | The Cavaliers |
| 21/9/1963 | Walton Hall | Alan Wallis | The Six Citizens | Del Summers, Roy Powell and the Off-beaters |
| 28/9/1963 | Walton Hall | Alan Wallis | Brian Fisher | The Raiders |
| 7/10/1963 | Borough Assembly Hall | Gala Opening | Joe Loss and His Orchestra with Rose Brennan, Larry Gretton and Ross MacManus | Johnny Thunder and the Thunderbirds |
| 11/10/1963 | Borough Assembly Hall | Stanley Wyatt Promotions | Ray Piligrim and Minute Men | The Phantoms |
| 12/10/1963 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | Johnny Carr and the Cadillacs | Johnny Anger and the Wild Ones |
| 18/10/1963 | Borough Assembly Hall | Stanley Wyatt Promotions | Ray Pilgrim and Minute Men | |
| 19/10/1963 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | Troy Dante and the Infernos | The Delta Five |
| 25/10/1963 | Borough Assembly Hall | Stanley Wyatt Promotions | Danny Storm and Strollers | The Strangers |
| 26/10/1963 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | Johnny, Mike and the Shades | Russ and the Sabres |
| 1/11/1963 | Borough Assembly Hall | Stanley Wyatt Promotions | The Citizens | The Apollos |
| 2/11/1963 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Barron Knights with Duke D'Mond | Johnny Anger and the Wild Ones |
| 8/11/1963 | Borough Assembly Hall | Stanley Wyatt Promotions | Robb Storme and the Whispers | |
| 9/11/1963 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | Unit 7 | The Jimmy Ritchie Combo |
| 16/11/1963 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | Johnny Carr and the Cadillacs | Eddie King and the Chequers |
| 23/11/1963 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Redcaps | Jimmy Richards and the Javelins |
| 30/11/1963 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | Rockin' Henry and the Hayseeds | The Pagans |
| 7/12/1963 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Eric Delaney Band | Dale Curtiss and the Blunotes |
| 14/12/1963 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | Johnny, Mike and the Shades | Johnny Anger and the Wild Ones |
| 21/12/1963 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | The Gamblers | The Coasters |
| 28/12/1963 | Borough Assembly Hall | Eddie Friday | Johnny Carr and the Cadillacs | Cliff Adams and the Twilights |