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THE VIKINGS Bill Traynor & the Teanbeats: Northern Skiffle: Accrington The Vikings Antoria Guitar   Brian Cox: Lead Guitar. Peter Stocks: Bass Guitar. Peter Gradwell: Rhythm Guitar. Colin Danson: Rhythm Guitar. Eric Fletcher: Drums. Norman Byrom from Great Harwood and John Taylor from Clayton - both Lead Vocals     "I started with a group in Ramsbottom in 1959, Bill Traynor and the Teanbeats, Northern Skiffle at Darwen Co-oporative Hall. We moved to Clayton-le-Moors where I started playing with The Vikings around 1960.       We played Knowlmere Street Club every Monday, Mercer Hall, Blackburn every Saturday and Nelson Imp' several times, Taylors of Burnley, Burnley Mecca week before it burned down. We also played at a rock competition in Bradford at the Textile Hall and won.. That was around 1963.     Pete Hibbert was around together with The Dappers Tommy Franks at the same time. The Warriors were also up and coming at the time.   Around 1976 I returned from working abroad and joined Tommy Franks, Pete Hibbert, Gus? as The Dappers of that time. I have been in touch with Brian Cox who is in Cyprus and I have contacted Tommy through a third person in Baxenden where he lives." Colin Danson: April 2011

 

 

*BILLY BEAN & THE DAPPERS The Sundowners: Accrington Billy Drinkwater:

 

RED HOT RAY & THE SCORCHERS Gideons Ways Accrington Raymond Parsons: Vocals. Dave Robinson: Bass Guitar. Ian Smith: Rhythm Guitar: Jim Payne: Drums. Trevor Gardener: Lead guitar.   "I started playing with The Scorchers when I was 14 years old. The newspaper cuttings are from The Accrington Observer and The Lancashire Evening Telegraph except the one from The Daily Mirror entitled 'The Beat Scene'.             At the Cavern Club.       Dave Robinson and Jim Payne: Rhyddings Park Oswaldtwistle.   The Kinks Mick Avory's Ludwig Super Classic kit: James Payne is in heaven.     When we played with The Kinks, Mick Avory let me use his drums. I'd always wanted a Ludwig Super Classic kit - I just couldn't afford one when I was 14 - so I asked him if I could borrow his kit as we were on first. He said yes, no problem. A really nice guy, I don't think that would happen these days.     GIDEONS WAYS The Scorchers Accrington Jim Payne: Drums, Ian Smith Rhythm Guitar. Dave Robinson: Bass Guitar.  Trevor Gardener: Lead Guitar. Derek Rimington: Lead Vocal.     Gideons Ways were actually The Scorchers with a different vocalist. We played the usual gigs at Nelson Imperial and Rawtenstall Astoria, Wigan Casino, endless cricket and rugby clubs in places like Blackburn, Newton-Le-Willows, Burnley, Nelson and Colne. Barnoldswick Majestic was always a good gig as were Burnley Mecca, Blackburn Mecca andthe MajesticBallroomin Accrington.                     The cuttings are from The Accrington Observer. The Walker Bros gig was a bit crazy, the girls really went nuts. They wore crash helmets (honest) to get on and off the stage, although not when they were singing. They also had a terrific backing band called Johnny B Great & The Quotations.       I wish I still had my Ludwig kit, I also got one in 1967 silver glitter from Mary's Music shop in Accrington. It lasted for 11-12 years of constant hard slog, from Gideons Ways and all the northern bands, to playing at Tiffanys in Oxford Street, Manchester (three hours a night in four 45 minute sets, six nights a week and two four-hour rehearsals every week for nine months). Then Accrington Stanley in London.   Mike Hurst & The Trekkers with Gideons Ways     When that finished I embarked on a long drumming career in London, very diverse. The Ink Spots, The National Head Band, then a prog- rock band called Jonesy who did three albums. Then back again six nights a week, this time at a night club in Mayfair called Gullivers, great house band. We backed a lot of people, Dudley Moore was perhaps the strangest and Graham Bond of The Organisation was the saddest - he died about 6 months later. Back on the road with The Foundations around 1975-76, and then, when I joined Big Jim Sullivan in 1977-8 in another prog-rock band called Tiger, my bass drum cracked badly, around the rack tom mount and the whole kit was beginning to fall apart.     That's a lot of punishment for a drum kit, and and also a lot of travel. Germany many times, Austria, Switzerland, France, Channel Islands. Not to mention being dragged all over the UK. I really did get my moneys worth!"       After I left Gideons Ways I joined a band from Burnley called Kudos. I think they used to be called The Reflections but the members changed and the band morphed into Kudos.   THE REFLECTIONS Kudos Burnley   We were managed by a guy called Mr Hirst. His son David? used to sing in the band. The guitarist was called Dave Almond. I'm afraid I can't remember anyone else. The band was a bit short lived as I recall. After that I joined The Atlantics, another Burnley band.     THE ATLANTICS Burnley     John Thomas: Lead Guitar. Pete Sowrey: Keyboards. Colin Edmondson: Lead Vocal. Andy Russell: Bass Guitar: Jim Payne: Drums.   The ad for the gig in Nelson is from the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, also on at the the gig were Ways N' Means, Sounds 18, and Harmony Grass with Tony Rivers.      We played everywhere, from Nelson Imperial, Burtonwood US base, Clockwork Orange - Chester, Nantwich Civic Hall, Uncle Toms Cabin - Bolton, Bury FC, Scampton RAF base, Salford Tech, Shades - Sheffield, The Swan - Sheffield, and many more.   At Nelson Imp' we supported, The Troggs, Love Affair, Manfred Mann. At Rawtenstall Astoria we supported, The Nashville Teens, The Pretty Thing and The Kinks amongst others.       We also supported Chicken Shack, The Who, and a great band called Pete Browns Battered Ornaments (he wrote a few songs for Cream) at Manchester University. A club called The Dolphin was popular, I think it was somewhere around Nelson Way. James Payne: December 2010

 

*TAKE FIVE

Blackburn

1965: Take 5 at Burnley Mechanics Institute

 

Tony Jordan: Rhythm Guitar – Vocal. Phil Singleton: Lead Guitar – Vocal. Bernie?: Lead Vocal. Pete Taylor: Drums – Vocal. Norman Halton: Bass Guitar - Vocal.

 

"Take Five were formed in 1963 from humble beginings playing in local pubs and Working Men's Clubs the group evolved into a very competant five-piece band. By 1965 they had developed a very tight close harmony vocal sound.

 

1964: Sound proofing the rehearsal rooms with egg trays.

"We rented the rooms above the Lauderette at Furthergate Blackburn."

  

  During 1965 the lead vocalist Bernie decided to quit the group and move back down South. The remaining four members kept the name Take Five and soon the groups manager, Geoff Baier, negotiated a contract with a national agency with the result that as well as still playing around the north of England a lot of engagements were in Cheshire and North Wales. The group also successfully auditioned for the Mecca Ballroom Group and were now playing on the Northern Mecca Circuit.

 

  Lead guitarist Phil Singleton left the group in 1966 to go to university and was replaced by

Phil Kubilius.

 

  Unfortunately a serious road accident in 1967 on the way back from a booking near Wrexham signalled the begining of the end for the group and although no one was seriously hurt the van was a write off and most of the equipement was badly damaged.

 

       

  

Pete Taylor and Tony Jordan went onto join The Electones who later became Weather and won the Top Group of the North Competition on T.V. Phil Kubilius went onto be a music teacher and myself, I went on to play in several line-ups around Merseyside and the north of England.

 

Below: Take 5 became four but they still retained their stage name.

 

 

Notable Venues include: 

KING GEORGE'S HALL BLACKBURN

MERCER HALL  GREAT HARWOOD

BURNLEY MINERS WELFARE

NELSON IMPERIAL BALLROOM 

 

At The Imp' we were one of the supporting groups to The Small Faces when we stood in for another group at very short notice.

Norman Halton: December 2010

 

*TREADWHEELS

& SON

Kyte:

Accrington

Roy Taylor:

 

*THE SOUNDCASTERS

Accrington

Glen Ainsworth: Lead Guitar. Maurice Blezzard: Bass Guitar. Tony Cooper: Lead Vocal.

Dave Hull: Drums. Gary Hull: Keyboards.

 

 

*BILLY BEAN

& THE DAPPERS

The Sundowners:

Accrington

Billy Drinkwater:

 

 

THE CYCLONES

Accrington

Mick Stirzaker: Bass. Alan Bradshaw: Drums. Graham Lowe: Lead Guitar.

Ian Spencer: Rythmn Guitar.

 

In the 1970's Mick Stirzaker went on to join Wigan band Copper Kettle.

 

 

THE JAMES BOYS

The James Turner Four: The J.Turner Band: The Jay Turner Band: Gideons Way:

Accrington

James Turner: Lead Vocal. Noel Smith: Drums.

 

BORIS

& THE DANZACS

Accrington

 John Cunliffe: Vocal. Geoff Greenwood: Lead Guitar.

Rishton John: Bass Guitar. Malcolm Whittaker: Drums.

 

Ex-Accrington Grammer School and Oswaldtwistle Technical Shoolboys. Academic studies thwarted their early musical ambitions.

 

ACCRINGTON STANLEY

Accrington

Dave 'Wammy' Walmsley: Guitar - Vocal. Rod Hill: & Dave Foster: ex-Warriors.

Jim Payne: Drums - Gideon's Way. Brian Johnstone:

 

The band Accrington Stanley formed in 1970 and were around for a couple of years. Playing 

the top London venues like The Marquee Club. They were set to be signed to The Rolling Stones' record label, but for some reason they didn't sign and they were soon to split up.

 

 

The

ABRAM BANDS

Wigan

 

Abram is a small outlying district to be found on the eastern side of Wigan's border with Leigh. Its recent history owes much to the industial revolution of the 19th Century. Cotton, coal and Canals and a not inconsiderable piece of the action from the immence rise of the Railway Industries. Springs Branch Shed employed many rail worker's in fruitful addtion to full employment in the the mines and mills. High density housing stock prolifereated in back to back cobbled streets and sneaking inbetween the were silent running trolley buses and the rag and bonemans horses and carts.

 

  This urban backdrop was however was social normality to its resident proud and upright working-class citizens. in other words, the perfect breeding grounds for an accompaniment of fledging rock 'n roll music. Considering it's size the Abram district probably produced more bands to the square acre than any where else in Lankyland - apart from perhaps Liverpool?

 

  Up to the time of writing unfortunately little is known about the sixties bands featured here and any additional information will be more than welcome.

Bill Hart: November 2010

 

 

Abram Methodist Skiffle Group

 

Bill Lane: Accordian. David Jones: Harry Pennington: Beard & Bass Fiddle. Arthur Archer: Harold Stevens: Bert Rogerson: Big Drum & Hand Brush. David Bishop:

 

   Abram Methodist Skiffle Group were formed in 1960. We toured and played at the variouschurches along with our own.

Bill Lane: November 2010

 

 

 

 

The Tropics 

   

The Kaytones

 

 

The Reverbs

 

Danzig 4

 

 

Many thanks go towww.wiganworld.co.uk in loaning these pictures to Lanky Beat.

 

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