![]() ![]() "Don said that Noddy was too good of a singer to be in a back-up group" They had also acquired a good bass guitarist in Dave "Cass" Jones and a smart image by wearing velvet jackets and cuban heeled boots. A regular Monday night residency for the band was at The Plaza in Kings Heath, Birmingham with the group by this time, playing almost every night and thus deciding to give up their day jobs. These disks represent their earliest known recordings.īy the end of 1964, the group name was changed to "The 'N Betweens" and they had signed to the Wolverhampton based Astra Agency who secured them bookings throughout the Midlands. One of the numbers titled 'Don't Leave Me Now' was an original composition by John Howells and Dave Hill. ![]() In 1964, The Vendors recorded four songs that were pressed onto an extremely limited number of disks at Domino Sound Studios in Wolverhampton. After he joined, they concentrated more on blues and R&B type material with John Howells playing harmonica and the group projecting an image on-stage similar to that of The Rolling Stones. The Vendors were impressed by Dave's raunchy guitar style. They lasted until its members left school to start jobs with Dave finding a position as an office boy but he also hung out with local musicians and maintained an ambition to one day "turn professional". I persuaded him to take the box off and we learned some chords from a guitar manual."ĭave Hill took lessons from local jazz guitarist Brian Close and soon formed a band with his friends called "The Young Ones". Dave said "It had a special box on the fretboard with buttons to push to get chords easily. He was not well regarded by his teachers at school and his disruptive energy would not be channelled until he was twelve when his father bought him a guitar.ĭave's interest was sparked by one of his friends who had a plastic "Elvis Presley Guitar". Before a reliable bass guitarist could be found, Johnny Shane left to re-form his old band and was replaced by David Hill.ĭave Hill was born on Apnear Kingsbridge in Devon with his family moving to Wolverhampton by the time he was a year old. The group would perform at youth clubs, weddings, and private parties. The music performed by The Vendors at this time was songs byīuddy Holly, Eddie Cochrane, and Gene Vincent along with Chuck Berry style rock 'n' roll. Because Shane was a superior guitarist, John Howells gave up the guitar to become the lead singer and front-man of the Vendors. Guitarist Johnny Shane joined next from Johnny Shane and The Cadillacs. He couldn't get into playing so rather than let the drum kit go to waste Dave said I could borrow it whenever I wanted to." When Don left school he got a job at a foundry and soon bought his own drum set on hire-purchase. He learned to play drums while in the scouts and later met Howells and Marson who were already performing together.ĭon recalled "I couldn't afford to buy my own kit but when I was fourteen I had a mate called Dave Bowdley and his dad bought him an Olympic drum kit. Donald Powell was born in Bilston, West Midlands on September 10, 1946. The origin of The 'N Betweens dates back to 1963 when singer/guitarist John Howells and guitarist Mick Marson along with drummer Don Powell, formed a band called "The Vendors". "We just played together, the four of us, for the first time and it was really exciting" The line-up were well known locally as an exciting live act who performed throughout the West Midlands during the 1960s. ![]() The 'N Betweens were based in Wolverhampton, having band members originating from various locations within the industrial "Black Country" west of Birmingham. ![]() This band would form the foundation of what became one of the most famous and successful UK groups of the 1970s. Jim Lea bass guitar, piano, vocal (joined 1966) Noddy Holder lead vocal, guitar (joined 1966) John Howells lead vocal, harmonica (left 1966) ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |