the strath
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  • A-Z of artistes
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1965

Jan 1                Caberfeidh Shinty Club

                        Vince Newman and the Veltones

                        The Drovers

Jan 2               Vince Newman and the Veltones 

                        The Drovers



Vince Newman and the Veltones featured on the BBC programme "Come Thursday" on the 6th January along with the Mackinley Sisters.


Tain had Rebel Sounds and the Jet Blacks on Friday and The Copycats and the Jet Blacks on Saturday

Jan 8               Mark Anthony and the Chariots

                        Mark Val and the Valiants

Jan 9               Mark Anthony and the Chariots

                        Mark Val and the Valiants      

Jan 13              Modern Dancing Enterprises presents at the Pavilion, Strathpeffer

                        Dave Berry and the Cruisers

                        (Pop, TV and Decca recording stars)

                        plus

                        The Jacobeats                                            6/6                    9.30 - 1 p.m.

                       
















Modern Dancing Enterprises was the agency run by Elgin based Albert Bonici. He booked Dave Berry and         the Cruisers and the Jacobeats to appear at the Pavilion. The attendance was well over 500 and the crowd gave Dave Berry a huge welcome, with many of the young ladies trying to get on the stage to touch him. His   45 minute set included all his hits and he had male and female dancers in the palm of his hand. The picture     above shows Pavilion manager Steve Shepherd (right foreground) trying to hold back the crowd of Dave     Berry's admirers,both male and female! The shadowy figure on the left is Dave Berry.  


The Edinburgh based Jacobeats, in full highland dress outfits, equally impressed with their rocking sound     and the whole evening augured well for future midweek dances.

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The Jacobeats hailed originally from the Buckie area. They were Kenny Lawson and Margaret Riddoch on vocals, Douglas Maclennan on lead, John Rennie on rhythm and Ian Young on drums. The bass player's name is not known yet.

Jan 15              Johnny Law and the MI5

                        Simon’s Gentlemen

Simon’s Gentlemen came from Wishaw and were making their first appearance at the Pavilion.

Jan 16              Johnny Law and the MI5

                        Simon’s Gentlemen    

Simon's Gentlemen were billed to play on the Saturday but in the event pulled out at short notice. Gerry and the Oreogons stepped in at the last moment and impressed manager Steve Shepherd . They had only been together for a few months when they got their break and were still looking to acquire decent equipment to get the sound they wanted. They continued to play locally at venues like Rosemarkie hall for a Valentines Dance, the Lower Town Hall for Teenagers dances and then their first venture upstairs to Upper Town Hall on February 6th. They began an extended run at the Pavilion on April 16th when they supported the Ardennes.

They were advertised as Jerry and the Oreogons to start with and became simply the Oreogons on June 25th. They played their last date at the Pavilion on March 12th 1966 when their regular support spot was taken over by the Tribe. The Tribe had made their first appearance on the same bill as the Oreogons both groups supporting Hedgehoppers Anonymous on January 21st, 1966.
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Jan 22             The Kwintones

                        The Ardennes

Jan 23             The Kwintones

                        The Ardennes

                        The Kwintones were from East Kilbride.



The Ardennes were from Fife and played a number of dates at the Pavilion. They were Ian Duffin on lead guitar, Alex Mackenzie on vocals and rhythm, Frank Burns on Cembalet keyboard, Hamish Hastie on bass and Brian Buist on drums. James Robertson was also a member at one time.

Jan 29             Dave Hunter and the Arrows

                        The Drovers

Jan 30             Dave Hunter and the Arrows

                        The Drovers



The bass guitarist with Dave Hunter and the Arrows was 19 year old Raymond Pagani, who was the nephew     of Mrs Ian Sutherland, wife of the  Dingwall photographer. Raymond was also the grandson of F W               Urquhart, ex Baillie and celebrated photographer. Raymond's cousin, Eric Sutherland,  was anxious to follow   in his footsteps and had recently formed the group which went on to become The Tribe, making their
debut at the Pavilion on January 21, 1966.


Feb 5               The Veltones

                        The Syndicate

Feb 6               The Veltones

                        The Syndicate

Feb 10              The Merseybeats

                        The Jacobeats                                    7/-



Following on from the good midweek crowd which turned up to see Dave Berry and the Cruisers Elgin             promoter Albert Bonici booked the Pavilion once again, this time for the Merseybeats, from Liverpool.             Previous hits on the Fontana label had included "I think of you" and "Love that really counts". Their current   number was a slow song called "Last night I made a little girl cry".
This was the first time prices had been increased to 7/6 and manager Steve Shepherd let it be known that     he was extremely unhappy with the situation. He said " I would like it  known that the admission price was       completely outwith my control. The charge was far too high for midweek and I'm sure it kept a lot of               regulars away". In fact the event was almost cancelled because Mr Shepherd disagreed with the high             price set by Mr Bonici but relented in the end to avoid disappointing the group's fans. He added that it was   "the youngsters themselves who had put the Merseybeats where they are today". He admitted that he did     not mind prices being increased on a Friday if necessary but that he would not see his patrons being fleeced   at a  midweek dance and if he ever brought big names to the Pavilion on a Wednesday the price would be       tailored to suit teenagers' pockets.
This grainy photo of the Merseybeats, proudly posing beside their car, was taken at the rear of the Pavilion.   When they appeared here they had just undergone a change of personnel. The photo shows Aaron Williams     (guitar), Tony Crane (guitar and vocals), John Banks (drums) and Billy Kinsley (bass and vocals). Tony Crane       and Billy Kinsley went on to form the Merseys in 1966 and had a huge hit, getting to number 4 in the charts   with "Sorrow".



Feb 12              Bobby Patrick and the Big Six (Has backed Brenda Lee on tours)

                        The Drovers

Feb 13              Bobby Patrick and the Big Six

                        The Drovers



Bobby Patrick and the Big Six backed American singing star Brenda Lee on her European tours. The band,       consisting of two guitars, organ, saxophone, trumpet and drums, had a residency at the Star Club, Hamburg as well as making regular TV appearances and recording on the Decca label.

Feb 19              Mark Val and the Valiants

                        The Boyfriends

Feb 20             Mark Val and the Valiants

                        The Boyfriends



February 19th was the date originally pencilled in for the appearance of the Radio Caroline Show. As well as presenting a 5 piece London group called Bubbles and Coy it was to have featured Radio Caroline DJs Rikki Stein and Roger Vincent who were to give away prizes and t shirts to dancers. But "star" of the show was to be Chris Sandford, formerly of Coronation Street. Chris was the actor who played the singing window cleaner Walter Potts, who was promoted by Dennis Tanner. He made a record called 'Not too little, not too much' which went to number 17 in the charts in early 1964. In the event the dance featured Mark Val & the Valiants, supported by The Boyfriends.
                    
Feb 26             The Ardennes

                        Eric and the Vikings

Feb 27             The Ardennes

                        Eric and the Vikings

Mar 5               The Senate Showband

                        Rue and the Rockets

Mar 6               Rue and the Rockets

                        Mark Val and the Valiants

March 5th and 6th were dates advertising the appearance of the Maurice Lynch Showband. However due to "some confusion over contracts in the South" the band did not even leave Ireland. The band led by trumpeter Maurice, formerly of the Jack Parnell Orchestra, had played a date at Dingwall Town Hall several years previously and got a terrific reception. In the event they never made an appearance at the Pavilion and on this occasion the Senate Showband stepped in at short notice.

Mar 12             Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen

                        Magic Moments (from Newcastle)

Mar 13             Magic Moments

                        The Drovers

Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen appeared at the London Palladium on Sunday 7th March and then at the Pavilion just 5 days later. Over 1100 patrons heard the band play two spots of one and a quarter hours each during which they played all their hits. The 10/- admission charge was necessary because of the fee charged by the band but according to Steve Shepherd well worth the financial risk. Support for beat aficionados was provided by the Magic Moments from Newcastle.



​On their visits to the North the Drovers usually stopped for
petrol at the West End Garage in Dingwall. On one occasion they heard from Margaret Moyes, who worked there, that a motorist had knocked down and killed a dog belonging to her 10 year old daughter Yvonne. After a visit to a stray animals' home in Glasgow they duly arrived with a replacement puppy for Yvonne who promptly named it 'Drover'.

Yvonne featured in the North Star with a photo of her and her
new puppy "Drover".

Mar 19             Vince Newman and the Veltones

                        The Montanas (from Birmingham)

Mar 20             Vince Newman and the Veltones

                        The Montanas

Mar 26             Johnny Law and the MI5

                        The Kimbos

Mar 27             Johnny Law and the MI5

                        The Kimbos

Apr 2               The Painted Rhythms

                        The Drovers

Apr 3               The Painted Rhythms

                        The Drovers

Apr 9               The Vikings

                        The Syndicate

Apr 10             The Vikings

                        The Syndicate



The Vikings counted Drew Larg (vocals) and Donny Coutts (drummer / vocals)  among their members, along with Alan Gorrie. As The Vikings they recorded the single 'Bad news feeling' in the sixties. Along with guitarist Jimmie Glen, Drew and Donny are still doing gigs in the Dundee area with Phil Robertson.
This info was kindly sourced from http://www.rockingscots.co.uk

                      
Apr 16             The Ardennes

                        Jerry and the Oreogons

Apr 17             The Ardennes

                        Jerry and the Oreogons

Apr 23             The Ardennes

                        Jerry and the Oreogons

Apr 24             The Ardennes

                        Jerry and the Oreogons
               

Apr 30             Vince Newman and the Veltones

                        The Drovers

                        Jerry and the Oreogons

May 1               Vince Newman and the Veltones

                        The Drovers

                        Jerry and the Oreogons

May 7              Wayne Gibson and the Dynamic Sounds

                        Johnny Law and the MI5

                        Jerry and the Oreogons

May 8              Johnny Law and the MI5

                        Jerry and the Oreogons

May 14             Bobby Dean and the Dynamos

                        Jerry and the Oreogons

May 15             Bobby Dean and the Dynamos

                        Jerry and the Oreogons

May 21             Garry and the Hi-Landers (formerly known as the Erle Blue Stars)

                        Jerry and the Oreogons

                        + The Miss Pavilion 1965 contest

May 22            Mark Val and the Valiants

                        Jerry and the Oreogons

                        See the note for the Earl Blue Stars for August 11th 1961.  Gary and the Highlanders were                             formed from this band. Gary, on lead guitar, was a panel beater from Perth.

May 27            Thurs 27th May 1965   Highland Cabaret        8.30 p.m.          5/-

                        Argo Cameron              Margaret Macdonald               Johnny Bogan

                        Ben Wyvis Troupe of Highland Dancers

                        Strathpeffer Scottish Dance Band

                        Compère Charlie Bulloch

Not advertised in the press but making their first appearance at the Cabaret later in the 1965 season were the Wyvis Folk Trio. The three members, Angus MacLellan, George Geddes and Charlie Fraser, were all Post Office workers, who had recently formed and played their first public date in May. They provided their own
accompaniment on guitar, banjo and mouth organ. Also on the bill were Dorothy Gollan's Ben Wyvis Highland Dancers two of whom, Sheila Buchanan and Edith Macleod, regularly got a terrific reception for performing their version of the Cakewalk.



May 28            The Persuasions (From London)

                        Jerry and the Oreogons

May 29            The Persuasions

                        Jerry and the Oreogons

Jun 4               The Veltones

                        The Drovers

                        Jerry and the Oreogons

Jun 5               The Veltones

                        The Drovers

                        Jerry and the Oreogons

Jun 11              The Ardennes

                        The Drovers

                        Jerry and the Oreogons

Jun 12              The Ardennes

                        The Drovers

                        Jerry and the Oreogons

Jun 18              The Federals

                        20th Century Sounds

                        Jerry and the Oreogons

Jun 19              20th Century Sounds

                        Jerry and the Oreogons

An advert appeared on the 19th June 1965, which boasted the first disco in Scotland! It even spelt the word Discotheque phonetically with Dis-ko-tek appearing in brackets. It was to be held in the Cluny Hill Hotel, Forres, with dancing to the Big Sound of SEEBURG MUSIC commencing on 22nd June  and continuing Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday each week thereafter. Dancing was from 8.00 - 11.00 and the cost was 3/6.

Jun 25             The Mark V (this is a band that walked from Edinburgh to London to make their first                                       recording)

                        The Oreogons

Jun 26             The Mark V

                        The Oreogons

Jul 2                The Ardennes

                        The Oreogons

Jul 3                The Ardennes

                        The Oreogons

Jul 9                The Veltones

                        The Drovers

                        The Oreogons

Jul 10              The Veltones

                        The Drovers

                        The Oreogons

Jul 16              The Syndicates

                        The Oreogons

Jul 17              The Syndicates

                        The Oreogons

Jul 23              The Mark V

                        The Oreogons

Jul 24              The Mark V

                        The Oreogons

Jul 30              Mark Val and the Valiants

                        The Drovers

                        The Oreogons

Jul 31               Mark Val and the Valiants

                        The Drovers

                        The Oreogons

Aug 6               The Ardennes

                        The Oreogons

Aug 7               The Drovers

                        The Ardennes

                        The Oreogons

Aug 13             The Veltones

                        The Oreogons

Aug 14             The Veltones

                        The Oreogons

Aug 20             The Drovers

                        The Pathfinders

                        The Oreogons

Aug 21             The Drovers

                        The Pathfinders

                        The Oreogons

Aug 27             20th Century Sounds

                        The Oreogons

Aug 28             20th Century Sounds

                        The Oreogons

                         20th Century Sounds were a popular band who had already made several TV appearances.

Sept 3             The Staceys

                        The Oreogons

Sept 4             The Staceys

                        The Oreogons

Sept 10            The Frenzie Beats

                        The Oreogons

Sept 11            The Frenzie Beats

                        The Oreogons

Sept 17            The Drovers

                        The Oreogons

Sept 18            The Drovers

                        The Oreogons

Sept 24           The Roadhogs

                        The Oreogons

Sept 25           The Roadhogs

                        The Oreogons

Oct 1               The Deputies

                        The Oreogons

Oct 2               The Deputies

                        The Oreogons

Oct 8               Johnny Law and the MI5

                        The Oreogons

Oct 9               Johnny Law and the MI5

                        The Oreogons

Oct 15             The Chevlons

                        The Oreogons

Oct 16             The Chevlons

                        The Oreogons

Oct 22             The Drovers

                        The Oreogons

Oct 23             The Drovers

                        The Oreogons

Oct 29             The Frenzie Beats

                        The Oreogons

Oct 30             The Frenzie Beats

                        The Oreogons

Nov 5               The Drovers

                        The Oreogons

Nov 6               The Drovers

                        The Oreogons

Nov 10             The Fabulous Pretty Things (stars of Radio and TV with their hits ‘ Don’t bring me down’ and                             ‘Cry to me’)

                        The Oreogons

Pavilion manager Steve Shepherd returned from his recent holiday to find that Inverness's only ballroom at the Caledonian Hotel was soon to close. He said that when he heard about this he decided to give Inverness teenagers the chance to come to Strathpeffer on a Wednesday, adding that they came in their hundreds at the weekends. However he understood that many of the dancers who attended the Caley were married couples and he intended to have 2 bands each week to play dance music to suit all ages. Free transport was to
continue to run from Inverness and all other usual places. The first Wednesday dances had already been held earlier in the year under the auspices of Modern Dancing Enterprises but the Pretty Things / Oreogons dance  was the first one run by the Pavilion. Mr Shepherd's good intentions were short-lived however and, while there can be no doubting the quality of artistes like the Poor Souls, the Honours and the Wick Scottish, the Wednesday initiative only lasted a few weeks.


Nov 12             The Hi-Fi Combo

                        The Oreogons

Nov 13             The Alien Sect

                        The Oreogons

Nov 17             Special attraction The Wick Scottish Broadcasting Band

                        The Oreogons

Nov 19             The Drovers

                        The Oreogons

Nov 20             The Drovers

                        The Oreogons

Nov 24             The Honours (first time in the North) 8.30 – 12.30    4/-

                        The Oreogons

Nov 26             The Lairds

                        The Oreogons

Nov 27             The Lairds

                        The Oreogons

Dec 1               The Poor Souls (stars of BBC TV show Stramash)

                        The Oreogons

Dec3                Brian Poole and the Tremeloes


                                    The Hi-Fi Combo

                        The Oreogons

                 
Picture
Brian Poole and the Tremeloes were a huge hit at the Pavilion with over 1200 dancers crowding                       into the ballroom to scream, stamp and shout to their hits. The dance ran from 9.00 - 2.00                             and entry was fixed at 10/-. Mr Shepherd said he hoped that fans of the group would find the                       extra charge worth it. He said that if there was a good response then even bigger names                                 might find their way to the Pavilion. In this grainy pic you can just make out Brian in the                                   centre. Note the swords and crest behind the stage!

   Dec 4            The Hi-Fi Combo


                        The Oreogons


Dec 10             The 10 + 1

                        The Oreogons

Dec 11              The 10 + 1

                        The Oreogons

                        The 10 + 1 was described as being a surprise package which would surprise and delight the                               Pavilion crowds. The eleven piece band was reputed to be one of the best ever to come to the                           Highlands.

Dec 10             Caberfeidh Water Ski Club

                        Pre Christmas Hop in the Public Hall Muir of Ord 9 p.m.

                        The Keynotes and The New Breed     

                        Hot dogs and refreshments     4/-


Dec 17             20th Century Sounds

                        The Oreogons

Dec 18             20th Century Sounds

                        The Oreogons

Dec 24             From Top of the Pops The Mo-Jos and the Sensational Tony and the Traders supported by

                        The Oreogons

Dec 25             Tony and the Traders

                        The Oreogons

Dec 31              Grand Hogmanay Dance                                   6/-

                        The Drovers and The Oreogons

 updated on 15th July 2020     contact: craigvar@talk21.com         © arthur scott