1963
Jan 1 (Tues) Caberfeidh Shinty Club
New Year Dance in the Pavilion Ballroom, Strathpeffer
Music by the Northern Lights Dance Band
Jan 4 The Chessmen 5/-
The Melotones
Jan 4
This was the evening, famous in local circles, on which the Beatles appeared at the Town Hall Dingwall, supported by the Drumbeats. Much reference has been made to the fact that the dance was poorly attended with an estimate of anywhere between 8 and about 30 people attending. Lore has it that the Beatles packed up early and went off to the Pavilion. Margaret Paterson who attended the dance says that there was a total of 19 people altogether and that the dance finished at about 11 o'clock. The Melotones were indeed playing that night at the Pavilion. However The Chessmen were top of the bill with the Melotones playing support. The Chessmen in question were the Irish Showband from Dublin. The Melotones enjoyed a loyal following in the local area and were known as a skiffle-type band in those days. They were a very vocal band with up to five vocalists singing and harmonising. After the death of Jimmy as the result of a car crash Eck left the band and the line up that night was Jimmy Stewart (Fiddle and alto sax), Johnny Fisher (Tenor sax), Bert Mackay (Guitar), Willie Wilson (Bass) and Dodo Ross (Drums). The Dingwall dance did not advertise a finish time but traditionally ran till around 1 a.m. On that evening Bob Hunter, who had played for the Melotones but now, along with Jackie Cameron, was resident with the Harry Shore orchestra in the Caledonian Hotel, Inverness, called into the Town Hall on his way home. He had left Inverness around midnight and by the time he got to the Town Hall at around 12.30 the hall was all but deserted. He spoke to Dot Macdonald, the caretaker, who said that the Beetles were a good band. Incidentally, Dot used to sell small bottles of lemonade to dancers at the Town Hall. When the place got too hot the bands would ask Dot to open the windows. "Not till all the lemonade is gone!" would be his reply.
For those few who were at the dance the Beatles' set list at the time consisted of some of the following:
Be-bop-a-lula
Hallelujah, I just love her so!
Sheila
Twist and shout
Mr Moonlight
Besame mucho
Sweet little sixteen
Hippy hippy shake
Ask me why
Money
A taste of honey
Red sails in the sunset
Roll over Beethoven
Kansas city
Long tall Sally
I'm talking about you
Road runner
I saw her standing there
In 1963 Duffy Power teamed up with Graham Bond, Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker and John McLaughlin to record "I Saw Her Standing There", one of the first cover versions of a Beatles song.
Before flying to Hamburg Brian Epstein had fixed the Beatles' first tour, of a sort – five ballroom dates in Scotland in the first week of 1963: one hour's stage time a night, played in two thirty-minute bites. He reduced the just-increased £50 nightly fee to £42 in recognition of the block booking, £210 total. (The Beatles:Tune in, Mark Lewisohn page 789.)
These are the names of some of those who attended the Town Hall, Dingwall on the 4th January 1963.
Robert A Beeton ( Formerly of Fort William, now of Kingston, Ontario).
"I lived in Fort William in the 50s until the summer of 1963 when I moved to Grantham, Lincolnshire. I have lived in various parts of Canada and the US since 1974 and currently live in Kingston, Ontario. I was just completing my O-Levels in ’63 and hitched a ride with an older friend who was in a band and had also played in Dingwall. Embarrassingly I have racked my brain and cannot yet recall the name of either the band or the individual. Old age can be a little frustrating but I am sure it will come to me sooner or later and you’ll be the second to know. I had a typical teenage band “career” of sorts my self in and around Grantham and the Midlands and play guitar to this day, albeit more personal therapy than music. I will let you know if I come up with the names".
Ian Gilbert
Cairine Macdonald (née Fraser) was at the dance as a young girl. She was with a few friends but does not remember any names.
Pat Macleod "When I went into the dance at about ten o'clock there were only about eight people in what is a big hall. I asked and there hadn't been many more in all night, so after a short time I went on the bus to another dance in Strathpeffer. I didn't like them on stage, but funnily enough the next day I went out and bought one of their records after I heard it being played on the radio".
Dan Mackenzie (Drumbeats)
"Only twenty two people out of the whole population of Ross Shire turned up to see and hear The Beatles. While we were having a break at the back of the hall the man that booked them turned round and said "What do you think of that shower there?". "I said they're very loud and they're very young - they're keen". "Keen, he says. They're a shower of rubbish! I'll never book them again as long as I live!"
Ian MacKenzie (Now living in New Zealand)
"Many a good night was spent at the dances in the Pavilion in the early 60s. I was at the Beatles dance in Dingwall which closed down early because very few people turned up. I was at the Beatles in Dingwall along with my sister Sheena and like most other people ended up at the Strath. We had somebody else with us but can not remember who. Can't remember what the weather was like, but it could not have been to bad as I had the family car that night. Did not get the car very often as there was always the free buses running from Resolis where I lived at the time. Spent many a grand night at the Strath. I was very pleased to see the way the Pavilion has been restored to it's former self. My wife Linda was not there as I did not meet her till 1966 after I came to New Zealand in 1964".
Fraser Murray
Margaret Paterson remembers:
The Beatles asked me if I'd like them to sign a poster for me. I said yes but I don't know what happened to it. I'm not sure if I even took it home. The dance packed up early and they thought that Dingwall was just a wee town with no life about it. So I said to go up to the Strath. Two of them, I don't remember which ones, came up on the bus with me and the other 2 drove in their van".
Peter Simonelli was one of the youngest and remembers:
"There were about thirty people there and I was just a kid at the back, but I thought they were good".
Unnamed Lady (originally from near Bonar Bridge) Her audio excerpt was taken from the 2002 BBC series "Fifty Years Fifty Lives". She gave a wholly imaginary account of the night she was at the Beatles concert in Dingwall. The title of "The unlikely story of going to see The Beatles in Dingwall" was fanciful in the extreme, referring to 'hundreds of screaming teenagers'.
Ann Gunn worked at the National Hotel, where the Beatles stayed, and served them their breakfast the next day.
The Commercial Bar is reputed to have been visited by the Beatles before the dance to have a few beers. The same source told me that they signed their autographs on a wall in the bar. Nowadays the walls are covered with wooden panelling and the building is unoccupied. What may lie beneath could be a significant contribution to early Beatles history and a rare chance to acquire a valuable piece of pop memorabilia.
Rocky Marshall, formerly of the Fingal McCool band, wrote the following about the Beatles at the Pavilion.
"Strange to read of so much interest in the Beatles gigs in the North. I don't know how much help I can be except to tell you of our meeting. We (Fingal McCool) were not playing at the Strath - the FMC band was not formed until later - however we were in the habit of forming new bands every other week. (I can't remember our band's name at the time). When we met the Beatles band (I think they were called the Silver Beatles), we were en route to the Strath because all the dances in the area including Dingwall had failed. On arrival at the Strath we (and some of the musicians from the other bands) headed back stage to look and talk to the band that was playing ... late on the band from the Dingwall gig arrived ... very scruffy and all of them speaking a foreign language ... turns out that it was a strong Liverpool accent ... We however spoke in God's tongue of the North which these people did not understand (the English education system I suspect). After much gesticulation and talking in very loud voices (as one does to foreigners), it turned out that they were looking for Joe the caretaker from the Dingwall Town Hall, either to get paid or get gear out of the hall ... someone pointed out "Joe" and the Beatles shuffled away to their destiny and great fortune and we are still here. It may be of some interest that some years later I was writing a column for the Caithness Courier ("Records at Random" by Bob May) and reviewed the first Beatles releases, as I recall said that I preferred the John Lee Hooker releases that came out at the same time and I am still of the same opinion today."
Jan 11 Sundowners Showband 5/-
First appearance in the North
Roadsters Rock Unit plus popular recording star Roli Daniels.
Glasgow Dance Promotions Limited Town Hall Dingwall on January 11th
Mike Saggar and His Crestas
TV and Recording Stars of Easy Beat and Saturday Club fame
Before 10 p.m. 5/- After 10 p.m. 6/-
Jan 12 Commencement of Saturday night dances next week 8.30 – 11.30 4/-
Jan 18 The Dynamic Falcons
The Melotones
Jan 19 The Dynamic Falcons
Jan 25 The Fabulous Falcons (Glasgow’s top rock group)
'The Stage' of 30th May 1963 reported ... "Backing Jackie Dennis on his ballroom tour are the Glasgow Falcons, whose vocalist, Cal Phillips, is attracting a lot of attention. They appear regularly at the Spa Pavilion, Strathpeffer, where they draw crowds of 1,500 over a weekend".
The Melotones
Miss Pavilion contest. The winner’s prize will be a free admission ticket till the end of the year.
Jan 26 The Fabulous Falcons
Jan 1 (Tues) Caberfeidh Shinty Club
New Year Dance in the Pavilion Ballroom, Strathpeffer
Music by the Northern Lights Dance Band
Jan 4 The Chessmen 5/-
The Melotones
Jan 4
This was the evening, famous in local circles, on which the Beatles appeared at the Town Hall Dingwall, supported by the Drumbeats. Much reference has been made to the fact that the dance was poorly attended with an estimate of anywhere between 8 and about 30 people attending. Lore has it that the Beatles packed up early and went off to the Pavilion. Margaret Paterson who attended the dance says that there was a total of 19 people altogether and that the dance finished at about 11 o'clock. The Melotones were indeed playing that night at the Pavilion. However The Chessmen were top of the bill with the Melotones playing support. The Chessmen in question were the Irish Showband from Dublin. The Melotones enjoyed a loyal following in the local area and were known as a skiffle-type band in those days. They were a very vocal band with up to five vocalists singing and harmonising. After the death of Jimmy as the result of a car crash Eck left the band and the line up that night was Jimmy Stewart (Fiddle and alto sax), Johnny Fisher (Tenor sax), Bert Mackay (Guitar), Willie Wilson (Bass) and Dodo Ross (Drums). The Dingwall dance did not advertise a finish time but traditionally ran till around 1 a.m. On that evening Bob Hunter, who had played for the Melotones but now, along with Jackie Cameron, was resident with the Harry Shore orchestra in the Caledonian Hotel, Inverness, called into the Town Hall on his way home. He had left Inverness around midnight and by the time he got to the Town Hall at around 12.30 the hall was all but deserted. He spoke to Dot Macdonald, the caretaker, who said that the Beetles were a good band. Incidentally, Dot used to sell small bottles of lemonade to dancers at the Town Hall. When the place got too hot the bands would ask Dot to open the windows. "Not till all the lemonade is gone!" would be his reply.
For those few who were at the dance the Beatles' set list at the time consisted of some of the following:
Be-bop-a-lula
Hallelujah, I just love her so!
Sheila
Twist and shout
Mr Moonlight
Besame mucho
Sweet little sixteen
Hippy hippy shake
Ask me why
Money
A taste of honey
Red sails in the sunset
Roll over Beethoven
Kansas city
Long tall Sally
I'm talking about you
Road runner
I saw her standing there
In 1963 Duffy Power teamed up with Graham Bond, Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker and John McLaughlin to record "I Saw Her Standing There", one of the first cover versions of a Beatles song.
Before flying to Hamburg Brian Epstein had fixed the Beatles' first tour, of a sort – five ballroom dates in Scotland in the first week of 1963: one hour's stage time a night, played in two thirty-minute bites. He reduced the just-increased £50 nightly fee to £42 in recognition of the block booking, £210 total. (The Beatles:Tune in, Mark Lewisohn page 789.)
These are the names of some of those who attended the Town Hall, Dingwall on the 4th January 1963.
Robert A Beeton ( Formerly of Fort William, now of Kingston, Ontario).
"I lived in Fort William in the 50s until the summer of 1963 when I moved to Grantham, Lincolnshire. I have lived in various parts of Canada and the US since 1974 and currently live in Kingston, Ontario. I was just completing my O-Levels in ’63 and hitched a ride with an older friend who was in a band and had also played in Dingwall. Embarrassingly I have racked my brain and cannot yet recall the name of either the band or the individual. Old age can be a little frustrating but I am sure it will come to me sooner or later and you’ll be the second to know. I had a typical teenage band “career” of sorts my self in and around Grantham and the Midlands and play guitar to this day, albeit more personal therapy than music. I will let you know if I come up with the names".
Ian Gilbert
Cairine Macdonald (née Fraser) was at the dance as a young girl. She was with a few friends but does not remember any names.
Pat Macleod "When I went into the dance at about ten o'clock there were only about eight people in what is a big hall. I asked and there hadn't been many more in all night, so after a short time I went on the bus to another dance in Strathpeffer. I didn't like them on stage, but funnily enough the next day I went out and bought one of their records after I heard it being played on the radio".
Dan Mackenzie (Drumbeats)
"Only twenty two people out of the whole population of Ross Shire turned up to see and hear The Beatles. While we were having a break at the back of the hall the man that booked them turned round and said "What do you think of that shower there?". "I said they're very loud and they're very young - they're keen". "Keen, he says. They're a shower of rubbish! I'll never book them again as long as I live!"
Ian MacKenzie (Now living in New Zealand)
"Many a good night was spent at the dances in the Pavilion in the early 60s. I was at the Beatles dance in Dingwall which closed down early because very few people turned up. I was at the Beatles in Dingwall along with my sister Sheena and like most other people ended up at the Strath. We had somebody else with us but can not remember who. Can't remember what the weather was like, but it could not have been to bad as I had the family car that night. Did not get the car very often as there was always the free buses running from Resolis where I lived at the time. Spent many a grand night at the Strath. I was very pleased to see the way the Pavilion has been restored to it's former self. My wife Linda was not there as I did not meet her till 1966 after I came to New Zealand in 1964".
Fraser Murray
Margaret Paterson remembers:
The Beatles asked me if I'd like them to sign a poster for me. I said yes but I don't know what happened to it. I'm not sure if I even took it home. The dance packed up early and they thought that Dingwall was just a wee town with no life about it. So I said to go up to the Strath. Two of them, I don't remember which ones, came up on the bus with me and the other 2 drove in their van".
Peter Simonelli was one of the youngest and remembers:
"There were about thirty people there and I was just a kid at the back, but I thought they were good".
Unnamed Lady (originally from near Bonar Bridge) Her audio excerpt was taken from the 2002 BBC series "Fifty Years Fifty Lives". She gave a wholly imaginary account of the night she was at the Beatles concert in Dingwall. The title of "The unlikely story of going to see The Beatles in Dingwall" was fanciful in the extreme, referring to 'hundreds of screaming teenagers'.
Ann Gunn worked at the National Hotel, where the Beatles stayed, and served them their breakfast the next day.
The Commercial Bar is reputed to have been visited by the Beatles before the dance to have a few beers. The same source told me that they signed their autographs on a wall in the bar. Nowadays the walls are covered with wooden panelling and the building is unoccupied. What may lie beneath could be a significant contribution to early Beatles history and a rare chance to acquire a valuable piece of pop memorabilia.
Rocky Marshall, formerly of the Fingal McCool band, wrote the following about the Beatles at the Pavilion.
"Strange to read of so much interest in the Beatles gigs in the North. I don't know how much help I can be except to tell you of our meeting. We (Fingal McCool) were not playing at the Strath - the FMC band was not formed until later - however we were in the habit of forming new bands every other week. (I can't remember our band's name at the time). When we met the Beatles band (I think they were called the Silver Beatles), we were en route to the Strath because all the dances in the area including Dingwall had failed. On arrival at the Strath we (and some of the musicians from the other bands) headed back stage to look and talk to the band that was playing ... late on the band from the Dingwall gig arrived ... very scruffy and all of them speaking a foreign language ... turns out that it was a strong Liverpool accent ... We however spoke in God's tongue of the North which these people did not understand (the English education system I suspect). After much gesticulation and talking in very loud voices (as one does to foreigners), it turned out that they were looking for Joe the caretaker from the Dingwall Town Hall, either to get paid or get gear out of the hall ... someone pointed out "Joe" and the Beatles shuffled away to their destiny and great fortune and we are still here. It may be of some interest that some years later I was writing a column for the Caithness Courier ("Records at Random" by Bob May) and reviewed the first Beatles releases, as I recall said that I preferred the John Lee Hooker releases that came out at the same time and I am still of the same opinion today."
Jan 11 Sundowners Showband 5/-
First appearance in the North
Roadsters Rock Unit plus popular recording star Roli Daniels.
Glasgow Dance Promotions Limited Town Hall Dingwall on January 11th
Mike Saggar and His Crestas
TV and Recording Stars of Easy Beat and Saturday Club fame
Before 10 p.m. 5/- After 10 p.m. 6/-
Jan 12 Commencement of Saturday night dances next week 8.30 – 11.30 4/-
Jan 18 The Dynamic Falcons
The Melotones
Jan 19 The Dynamic Falcons
Jan 25 The Fabulous Falcons (Glasgow’s top rock group)
'The Stage' of 30th May 1963 reported ... "Backing Jackie Dennis on his ballroom tour are the Glasgow Falcons, whose vocalist, Cal Phillips, is attracting a lot of attention. They appear regularly at the Spa Pavilion, Strathpeffer, where they draw crowds of 1,500 over a weekend".
The Melotones
Miss Pavilion contest. The winner’s prize will be a free admission ticket till the end of the year.
Jan 26 The Fabulous Falcons
Feb 1 The Tradlads Jazzmen (First appearance in the North)
The Melotones
Feb 2 The Tradlads Jazzmen
Feb 8 The Fabulous Falcons featuring Cal Phillips
The Willie Wilson Quartet
Feb 9 The Fabulous Falcons
Feb 15 The Fabulous Falcons with Cal Phillips and Susie prior to their German tour. 500 requests for their return.
Feb 16 The Fabulous Falcons with Cal Phillips and Susie
Feb 22 The Tradlads Jazzmen
The Willie Wilson Quartet
Feb 23 The Tradlads Jazzmen
The Willie Wilson Quartet
Billed here as Jimmy Wilson and the Melotones, featuring Alec "Rock" Wilson but advertised as The Willie Wilson Quartet!
Saturday night dances were announced as beginning on the 19th January and this is the first instance of the Wilsons being billed to appear on a Saturday.
Mar 1 Roadster Rock Unit Scotland’s own Shadows
Plus Johnny Campbell Champion professional band
Mar 2 Roadster Rock Unit
Plus Johnny Campbell
Mar 8 The Cyclones with Rikki and Evie especially returned from Germany
Mar 9 The Cyclones with Rikki and Evie
The Cyclones were put together by Stuart Dow from Perth and managed by him as a limited company.
Pictured left to right in Perth Town Hall are
Fred Murray (rhythm guitar),
Dougie Smart (keyboard),
Alan Dalton (bass),
Ricky Garton (vocals),
Eric Murray (drums) and
Lindsay Thomson (lead guitar).
They played in the Perth area, in Fife and all over the North of Scotland. Founder member and lead guitarist Lindsay Thomson, who had played with the Erle Blue Stars in 1959 before joining the Cyclones, left in 1962 to do his school exams. Between their Dingwall Town hall appearance on the 1st January and this their first time at Strathpeffer they had changed their lineup and had done a tour to Germany.
Mar 9 The Cyclones with Rikki and Evie
The Cyclones were put together by Stuart Dow from Perth and managed by him as a limited company.
Pictured left to right in Perth Town Hall are
Fred Murray (rhythm guitar),
Dougie Smart (keyboard),
Alan Dalton (bass),
Ricky Garton (vocals),
Eric Murray (drums) and
Lindsay Thomson (lead guitar).
They played in the Perth area, in Fife and all over the North of Scotland. Founder member and lead guitarist Lindsay Thomson, who had played with the Erle Blue Stars in 1959 before joining the Cyclones, left in 1962 to do his school exams. Between their Dingwall Town hall appearance on the 1st January and this their first time at Strathpeffer they had changed their lineup and had done a tour to Germany.
The Cyclones was the first Rock and Roll Band I ever saw. They performed in the village hall in Kyle of Lochalsh in 1962 and went down a storm. I remember meeting the band backstage before the dance when they were getting ready to perform and they were very courteous and accommodating to a young lad.
This official fan club photo shows from left to right:
Chic Taylor (lead),
Barry Pyewell (keyboard),
Evie Beatson (vocals),
Eric Murray (drums),
Ricky Garton (vocals),
Alan Dalton (bass) and
Fred Murray (rhythm).
They went on to play further dates at the Pavilion but broke up later in the year. Indeed the November 22nd dance with Johnny Law and the MI5 featured Evie and billed her as "formerly of the Cyclones". By a quirk of fate Lindsay Thomson formerly of the Cyclones had by now left school and joined Johnny Little and the Giants, who were on the bill at the Pavilion two weeks after Evie.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eve_Graham 2015-01-15
Eve Graham (born Evelyn May Beatson on 19 April 1943) began her career during the 1960s as a singer with the Cyclones in Scotland and later with the Cyril Stapleton Band, based in London. She joined The Track in the mid-sixties and was a founder member of The Nocturnes, originally alongside Sandra Stevens (later of Brotherhood of Man) and then Lyn Paul (her future colleague in The New Seekers).
In 1969 she became a founder member of The New Seekers and was lead singer on the majority of their early hits, including the world wide Number One hit - "I'd like to teach the world top sing". Graham's three-octave range was showcased on several songs, most notably the British and European smash hit "Never Ending Song of Love".
In 1974 the group disbanded and Graham moved on to solo work, but rejoined a reconstituted New Seekers in 1976 and sang lead on their hits "It's So Nice To Have You Home" and "I Wanna Go Back".
In 1978 she left once more, and again performed as a solo singer, as well as marrying another ex-New Seeker Kevin (Danny) Finn on 1 June 1979. They toured as a duo for many years and released one single Ocean and Blue Sky.
Graham retired in 2000 after a last charity performance, and originally said that she could not envisage being tempted out of retirement. But in 2005 former New Seekers record producer David Mackay did it, and produced a new album with her - The Mountains Welcome Me Home. She lives in Crieff with her husband Kevin, also a former New Seeker.
Mar 15 The Fabulous Falcons
Mar 16 The Fabulous Falcons
Mar 22 The Cherokees First appearance in the North
Mar 23 The Cherokees
Drummer with the Cherokees was Jimmy Younger who by early 1965 was playing with the Melotones Trio. He was reputed to be Ross Shire's Top drummer. During his spare time he was a keen angler and was often to be found fishing for pike in Loch Ussie.
Mar 29 The Fabulous Falcons
Mar 30 The Fabulous Falcons
Apr 5 The Cyclones
Apr 6 The Cyclones
Apr 12 The Fabulous Falcons
Apr 13 The Fabulous Falcons
Apr 19 Pye recording star Simone Jackson
With top London rhythm group Dave Devon and the New York Twisters
Apr 20 Simone Jackson
Dave Devon and the New York Twisters
Chris Hughes has written an article on his involvement in the music industry. This hugely enjoyable extract can be found at http://www.epicure.me.uk/randrandme.html
"We (The Cannons) played several Rock-and-Roll tours, backing visiting performers from the US — these included Del Shannon, Dion (late of The Belmonts), Freddie Cannon, and Gene Vincent. Our vocalist, Dave Devon, took to doing 'Be-Bop-a-Lula' on our own gigs, as an impression of Gene, who was one of the original medallion men — Dave accomplished this aspect by suspending a dustbin-lid on a chain around his neck! Our first show with Del Shannon was at the Albert Hall, of all places. I had a recording session, and couldn't make the rehearsal, which put Del into a bit of a spin… I had the solo, originally recorded using a small organ, in 'Runaway' — and the relief on his face was almost funny when I breezed through it. He wasn't used to working with sight-readers! Del was a nice guy, as was Dion di Mucci. There were some spirited sing-songs on the tour coach — in particular a trio version of 'Money', a song that was new to us, belted out by Del, Dion and Buzz Clifford.
In the early 1960s, groups didn't wander on stage dressed up in the sort of clothes that they might have lifted from a scarecrow, as is now de rigeur — oh dear me, no. Matching whistles-and-flutes were the order of the day. The Cannons started out with five slightly sparkly dinner jacket outfits, supplied by Morris Angel, the theatrical costumiers.
I don't know what production they had been made for, but I do remember that mine had the name 'Anton Diffring' on the label. Diffring was a blue-eyed, blonde German, actor, very handsome, who played an awful lot of Nazi bastards in various films and TV shows. Ironic to think that he had fled Germany to get away from the blighters… The trousers led me to think that they had been made for a dance routine, since there was no fly, but a zip at the side, on the hip so to speak.
These served us well for a while, and then we were sent to visit a tailor in Streatham, who would make a set of suits for us, and these turned out to be pale grey mohair, very tasty! We wore them with maroon bow ties that went under the shirt collar. Sprauncy!
The group was being booked by the Tito Burns agency, and they came up with an idea I wasn't keen on. The 'Twist' was breaking in New York, and they wanted us to back an American dancer who sang a bit, a chap called Peppi Borza. Pep was from a circus family, and had until recently had an act with his sister, working with Sammy Davis Jr. The plot was, we were to pose as 'Peppi and the New York Twisters', and I think it was the dumb name that put me off. Still, work was work, and for a while we alternated as The New York Twisters and The Cannons. As the former, we played some rather nice stage shows, and also appeared at somewhere completely unknown to us, in Liverpool — The Cavern.
The Cavern is now the stuff of legend. In reality it was a ghastly hole, with condensation running down the brick walls. As we unloaded our equipment, now all impressively rack-mounted by Ken Bran, our roadie, later a leading light at Marshall Amps., clusters of girls quizzed us; what did we think of the beetles? Frankly we had no idea what they were on about. Later that evening we discovered that one of the local groups was wittily entitled 'The Beatles', and they were on to finish the evening. I must say that there were several local groups playing that night, and they were all good and all different. While the rest of the country was still trying to play 'Apache' and sound like the Shadows here was a variety of different sounds, styles and approaches. I think it a pity that it was only the Beatles that really came to fame".
The same article refers to the band's accommodation in Bayreuth, Germany viz.
"The Bayreuth accommodation was in what had been the Gestapo HQ, just behind the Festspielhaus. Our room had been the billiards room and you could still see where the players had chalked their cues, in the whitewash on the ceiling. Outside the window was a blood-stained, bullet-pocked wall. It was the time of the Wagner festival, and we could easily hear the rehearsals from outside the opera house, which was a fascinating experience for me, although I don't know about the others".
The architecture of the Pavilion was reputedly based on elements of the Casino in Baden Baden and the Festspielhaus in Bayreuth.
Apr 26 The Fabulous Falcons
Apr 27 The Fabulous Falcons
May 3 The Fabulous Falcons
May 4 The Fabulous Falcons
May 10 Alex Harvey’s Big Soul Rhythm Group with singing personality Wally Stewart
First time in the North
May 11 Alex Harvey’s Big Soul Rhythm Group with singing personality Wally Stewart
May 17 Evie and the Cyclones
May 18 Evie and the Cyclones
May 24 Dance of the year
Dave Macintosh (Star of Grampian TV)
With Jack Sinclair and his broadcasting band
plus the Fabulous Falcons
May 25 The Fabulous Falcons
May 31 The Gaylords
June 1 The Gaylords
June 7 The Fabulous Falcons
plus the International Monarchs Showband (Belfast’s top band)
This was an appearance by Van Morrison on saxophone. The band, including Van Morrison, played another date at Tain on June 28th the as part of their 'Scottish Tour'.
THE MONARCHS were George Jones (guitar), Billy McAllen (guitar), Van Morrison (sax),
Wesley Black (keys), Harry "Mac" Megahey (sax, trumpet), George Hethrington
(vocals), Laurie McQueen (drums). Their manager was Frank Cunningham. They rehearsed at 33 Levernside Rd, Pollok where they were quoted as saying they were "starting a tour of Scotland on Thursday". They spent some of the time in Scotland "starving in a council estate in the middle of Glasgow", eventually securing a number of gigs and "playing at a local hop at Strathpeffer" and in Tain, among others, on their own and as partial tour support for Don Charles. After touring Scotland they moved to England and sometime in August they hoped to tour Germany.
[Information sourced from David Chance's chronology of Van Morrison with the Monarchs and Them]
June 8 The Fabulous Falcons
plus the International Monarchs Showband.
June 14 Johnny Law and the MI5 TV and recording stars 9.30 – 2.00
Cal Phillips and the Fabulous Falcons
June 15 Johnny Law and the MI5
Cal Phillips and the Fabulous Falcons
This is a picture of Johnny Law and the MI5. It is cut down from a promo poster produced around 1963-1964.
The band came from Motherwell and they were voted the best band in Scotland in 1964. I had always thought they were a six piece band but the advert above promotes them as the MI5s.
Thanks to Axel Korinth for the following information.
For a long time Johnny Law and the MI5 played at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg. Later they appeared at the Star-Club in Karlsruhe and in various Starpalästen. The Starpalast founded by Manfred Woitalla was meant to be a competitor to the Star-Club. Johnny Law later joined the Tremors which I think was a group made of British and German musicians. Recordings by The Tremors can be found on numerous German various artists LPs issued by Polydor and Ariola. In 1969 The Tremors performed at the Star-Club, Hamburg just before it closed. Apparently the Tremors still perform in Hamburg though I don´t know whether Johnny Law still is a member of the group.
June 21 The Beat Unlimited
The Fabulous Falcons and Cal Phillips
Super draw First prize a holiday abroad for two or £100 cash
June 22 The Beat Unlimited
The Fabulous Falcons and Cal Phillips
June 28 The Fabulous Falcons with Cal Phillips
Joey and the Wildcats
June 29 Alex Harvey plus Wally Stewart
The Fabulous Falcons
Tain Town Hall The International Monarchs June 28th
June 28 Highland Cabaret Monday – Thursday 8.30 – 11.15 3/-
The only show of its kind in the North
Buses from Inverness and Tain
July 5 The Muskrats with the sensational Mackinley Sisters
The Fabulous Falcons
July 6 The Muskrats with the sensational Mackinley Sisters
The Fabulous Falcons
The Mackinley Sisters consisted of Sheila (19) and Jeanette (17). Over the next eighteen months they made the transition from working girls living in the family home in Craigour Drive in Edinburgh to £200 a week artistes. On this occasion they worked with the Muskrats but soon they were to be teamed up with the Falcons from Glasgow at the suggestion of Pavilion manager Steve Shepherd.
The then leader of the Falcons, John Macgowan, also saw their potential and when he left the Falcons and became an agent with an office in Glasgow he took them on his books and pushed them himself. Both girls had fond memories of Strathpeffer and said "We will always be grateful to Mr Shepherd and the Pavilion. This is where we really got our start on the road to the big time and we'll never forget it. The Pavilion is one of the best, if not THE best, ballrooms in Scotland. Too many people in the south just don't know such a place exists and they would really have their eyes opened by the delightful surroundings and top class acoustics here". By the end of 1963 they had made a total of sixteen Friday and Saturday appearances. During 1964 their usual backing group was the Aberdeen-based band led by Tommy Dene and in the course of the year Sheila and Tommy became engaged. The Sisters made frequent appearances on television and released three records: "Someone cares for me", "When he comes along" and "Sweet and tender romance". Their final appearances
at the Pavilion were on the 24th and 25th December 1964 when they were backed by the Senate Showband. A total of almost 2000 dancers attended these two dances, with 1201 on Christmas Eve alone. They were invited along to meet the newly born Christmas Day baby at the Ross Memorial Hospital in Dingwall where they gave an impromptu performance by singing "Silent night" and an upbeat pop number. After their last dates here they made an appearance on STV on the 30th December before spending a few days at New Year at home with their family in Edinburgh. Then it was on to London again for a January 6th appearance on "Discs A'Gogo". (There may be some inaccuracy here because they were reported to have made an appearance with Vince Newman and the Veltones on the BBC programme "Come Thursday" on the 6th January 1965). It was reported that The Beatles and Gerry and the Pacemakers were only two of the many groups who were members of the Mackinley Sisters Fan Club.
For some unknown reason the sisters were consistently billed at the Pavilion as The Mackinley Sisters. It is clear from promo material and record covers that they spelt their name as McKinlay, but some other sources spell it McKinley.
July 12 The Fabulous Falcons plus Cal Phillips
Susie the girl with the golden voice
July 13 The Fabulous Falcons plus Cal Phillips
Susie the girl with the golden voice
July 19 The sensational Mackinley Sisters
The Fabulous Falcons
July 20 The sensational Mackinley Sisters
The Fabulous Falcons
July 26 The sensational Mackinley Sisters
The Fabulous Falcons
July 27 The sensational Mackinley Sisters
The Fabulous Falcons
Aug 2 The sensational Mackinley Sisters
The Fabulous Falcons
Aug 3 The sensational Mackinley Sisters
The Fabulous Falcons
Aug 9 Butch and the Bandits
Anna (Scotland’s Brenda Lee)
Aug 10 Butch and the Bandits
Anna (Scotland’s Brenda Lee)
Aug 16 The Fabulous Falcons with Cal Phillips
The Mackinley Sisters
Aug 17 The Fabulous Falcons with Cal Phillips
The Mackinley Sisters
Aug 23 The Hornets and TV and recording star Tommy Heaney
Aug 24 The Hornets and TV and recording star Tommy Heaney
Aug 29 Thursday 29 August 1963 Charity Ball
Aug 30 The Fabulous Falcons with Cal Phillips
The Mackinley Sisters
Aug 31 The Fabulous Falcons with Cal Phillips
The Mackinley Sisters
August 31st was the start of the Teenage Dances in the Lower Town Hall for under 17s. They ran from 7.00 - 9.00 and cost 1/-. Dancing upstairs, presumably for over 17s, started at 9.30.
Sept 4 BBC Broadcast of “On Tour” with Jim Macleod and his Band
Jean Urquhart Effie Morrison Norman Cairns
Eleanor Leith Alan Cameron
Sept 6 The Invaders
The Johnny Douglas Combo
Sept 7 The Invaders
One of the members of the Johnny Douglas Combo was Tain-born Alex Ross who was playing with them in Germany when, in 1965, he decided to give up the unpredictable world of full time professional music to settle in Invergordon and take up a job at the Distillery. When the Melotones' regular drummer Jimmy Younger went on holiday during their busy summer period the group thought they might have to cancel some bookings. However Alex dusted off his drum kit, stepped into the breach and earned the admiration of all who heard him at the Dingwall Gala Week Cabaret in the Town Hall with his terrific drumming, both beat and strict tempo. Alex said he really enjoyed getting back into harness and the short stint helped him keep his hand in. He also hinted he expected to be back full time with a new group in the near future. He also sat in for a couple of nights with the Quartet at the Dornoch Hotel where the Melotones had a summer season residence.
Sept 13 The Cherokee Showband
Sept 14 The Cherokee Showband
Sept 14 Tain Town Hall on September 14th
The Nashville Teens
(Coming soon The Barron Knights / Sons of the Piltdown Men / Ben Richmond / The Overlanders / Craig Douglas / Fourmost / Shane Fenton
and the Fentones / Tommy Quickly / Big 3 / Ian Crawford and the Boomerangs
Sept 19 Last show of Cabaret season (Thursday)
Sept 20 The Fabulous Falcons with Cal Phillips
Sept 21 The Fabulous Falcons with Cal Phillips
Sept 27 Johnny Law and the MI Five
Sept 28 Johnny Law and the MI Five
Oct 4 The Invaders
Oct 5 The Invaders
Oct 11 The Hornets with Anna
Oct 12 The Hornets with Anna
Oct 18 Grand Dance with the Apaches 9.30 – 1.30
Oct 19 The Apaches
Oct 25 The Fabulous Falcons with Cal Phillips and the Mackinley Sisters
Oct 26 The Fabulous Falcons with Cal Phillips and the Mackinley Sisters
Nov 1 Johnny Law and the MI Five
Nov 2 Johnny Law and the MI Five
Nov 8 Tommy Spence and the Pyretones (Ayrshire’s top band)
Nov 9 Tommy Spence and the Pyretones
Nov 15 The Hornets with Tommy Heaney
Nov 16 The Hornets with Tommy Heaney
Nov 22 Johnny Law and the MI Five plus Evie (formerly of the Cyclones)
Nov 23 Johnny Law and the MI Five plus Evie
Nov 29 The Fabulous Falcons with Cal Phillips and the Mackinley Sisters
Nov 30 The Fabulous Falcons with Cal Phillips and the Mackinley Sisters
Dec 6 Johnny Little and the Giants
Dec 7 Johnny Little and the Giants
Founder member, drummer Nick Lauder, had formed the band Johnny Little and the Giants in 1963. Johnny Little was Jock Taylor from Perth and the band included Lindsay Thomson, formerly of the Cyclones. Their second date was January 24th and due to the A9 being blocked by snow the band had to make a detour. They left Perth at 5, aiming to be at the Pavilion in good time, but had to go by way of Crieff and Glencoe. The ferry at Kinlochleven was not running, and at that time there was no bridge, so they went the long way round. When they arrived around 10 they had to carry their equipment through the audience. They were glad to see that the Strathpeffer Dance Band, who were also on the bill, had filled in for them till their arrival. That night the dance was extended.
The Pavilion was their favourite venue and this was the opinion of other groups I have spoken to. This was a 2 night engagement, away from home, where they did not have to pack up at the end of the night, they were given lodgings and food, they had the next day for some shopping in Dingwall (Woolies was a favourite place to visit) or a rehearsal but best of all was the fantastic welcome they got from the appreciative audience. The band played from 9 till 1 with a short break and their set consisted of cover versions of standards and hits of the day by the likes of Marty Wilde, Cliff Richard and Elvis. They remember sleeping in the bedroom with the sloping roof above the restaurant.
Personnel (from left to right)
Lindsay Thomson (lead),
Alan Dalton (bass),
Jock Taylor (aka Johnny Little – vocals),
Nick Lauder (drums),
Archie McConnell (rhythm).
The band also had a series of promotional shots taken on the Pavilion stage.
Dec 7 Johnny Little and the Giants
Founder member, drummer Nick Lauder, had formed the band Johnny Little and the Giants in 1963. Johnny Little was Jock Taylor from Perth and the band included Lindsay Thomson, formerly of the Cyclones. Their second date was January 24th and due to the A9 being blocked by snow the band had to make a detour. They left Perth at 5, aiming to be at the Pavilion in good time, but had to go by way of Crieff and Glencoe. The ferry at Kinlochleven was not running, and at that time there was no bridge, so they went the long way round. When they arrived around 10 they had to carry their equipment through the audience. They were glad to see that the Strathpeffer Dance Band, who were also on the bill, had filled in for them till their arrival. That night the dance was extended.
The Pavilion was their favourite venue and this was the opinion of other groups I have spoken to. This was a 2 night engagement, away from home, where they did not have to pack up at the end of the night, they were given lodgings and food, they had the next day for some shopping in Dingwall (Woolies was a favourite place to visit) or a rehearsal but best of all was the fantastic welcome they got from the appreciative audience. The band played from 9 till 1 with a short break and their set consisted of cover versions of standards and hits of the day by the likes of Marty Wilde, Cliff Richard and Elvis. They remember sleeping in the bedroom with the sloping roof above the restaurant.
Personnel (from left to right)
Lindsay Thomson (lead),
Alan Dalton (bass),
Jock Taylor (aka Johnny Little – vocals),
Nick Lauder (drums),
Archie McConnell (rhythm).
The band also had a series of promotional shots taken on the Pavilion stage.
Dec 13 Kay, Terry and the Invaders
Dec 14 The Invaders with Kay and Terry
Dec 20 Phil and the Flintstones (Liverpool sound)
First time in the North
Dec 21 Phil and the Flintstones
Dec 24 Grand Carnival Dance
Cal Phillips and the Fabulous Falcons
Johnny Law and the MI Five
Evie
Dec 27 Promoted by the North of Scotland Vigilantes Association
Beat Unlimited winners of many competitions
Dec 28 Beat Unlimited
Dec 14 The Invaders with Kay and Terry
Dec 20 Phil and the Flintstones (Liverpool sound)
First time in the North
Dec 21 Phil and the Flintstones
Dec 24 Grand Carnival Dance
Cal Phillips and the Fabulous Falcons
Johnny Law and the MI Five
Evie
Dec 27 Promoted by the North of Scotland Vigilantes Association
Beat Unlimited winners of many competitions
Dec 28 Beat Unlimited