|
Bookmark this
page
|
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich
Hailing from the same West Country region of England as The
Troggs (Salisbury, actually) this group started life as Dave
Dee and The Bostons and went in search of the gold-paved streets
of London, via the obligatory stint in Hamburg (a season at the
Top Ten Club). Their stage act featured rock & roll mixed with
comedy routines, costume-loving theatricalism, and risqué patter
from their frontman.
The ludicrously-named band were taken on by The
Honeycombs' managers Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley, who secured
a Fontana record contract for Dave and the lads in short order,
and went on to steer the group to spectacular success, writing all
13 of their best-selling singles. In 1966, the team gained more UK
chart entries than anyone else - including The
Beatles.
Despite startling TV appearances on Ready
Steady Go, the first two singles did not take off. No
Time (January 1965) was a curious waltz featuring whistling
and Teutonic overtones, while All I Want - though a ballad
- was nearer to what they were to become.
1966's first release, Hold Tight, with its football
chant rhythm and fuzzy guitar, squeezed into the British charts at
Number 4, precipitating three stellar years for the band and their
mentors, Messrs Howard and Blaikley. During this period, the
band's sound evolved with singles beginning to feature girlie
choruses, brass bands, sound effects and string sections.
Strategically released at the tail-end of 1967s hot flower
power Summer Of Love, Zabadak swept effortlessly into the
UK Top 3. Most critics consider Zabadak and its two chart
successors to be the band's most inspired phase, though much of it
was executed in a very slap-dash manner. Apart from backing vocals
and whip noises (an empty beer bottle zoomed down a guitar
fretboard while two bits of plywood were smacked together!), The
Legend of Xanadu was recorded live in the last half hour of an
otherwise chaotic afternoon session with a novice studio engineer.
Geared for the singles market, the group's three albums tended
to be regarded as collections of individual tracks rather than
complete entities, padded as they are with A and B sides in no
logical order. Despite their enormous popularity in Britain the
group were unable to impress the US market, and in 1969 they ran
out of steam.
Dave Dee (born David Harman) left for an unsuccessful solo
career and ultimately moved to the administrative side of the
music business as head of A&R at WEA's UK division when his
solo career failed to take off, while his old mates pressed on
through the 90's in cabaret and on the nostalgia club circuit
(though largely based at their own club in Marbella, Spain). They
continue to gig to this day.
TRIVIA NOTE
David Harmon (Dave Dee) was an ex-police cadet and was among
the police called to the scene of Eddie
Cochran's fatal car crash in April 1960.
Video Clips
|
Email
this page to a friend
Dave 'Dee' Harman
Vocals
Trevor 'Dozy' Davies
Bass
John 'Beaky' Dymond
Guitar
Mick Wilson
Drums
Ian 'Tich' Amey
Guitar
Official
Website
|
