THE Tremeloes
When UK chart-toppers Brian Poole And The Tremeloes parted company
in 1966 few would have wagered that the backing group would outdo
the lead singer.
Remarkably, however, the re-launched Tremeloes went on to
eclipse not only Poole, but the original hit-making group. At the time of their reconvening in 1966, the line-up comprised
Rick West, Alan Blakely, Dave Munden and Alan Howard.
In May
of 1966 Howard was replaced by Mike Clark, however, a mere three
months later his spot was taken by Len 'Chip' Hawkes whose lead
vocals and boyish looks gave the group a stronger visual identity.
In order to keep up with the times, the group abandoned their
stage suits in favour of Carnaby Street garb and fashionably
longer hair. Their second-generation debut was a song called Blessed,
which was not a hit.
Seeking more commercial material they next covered Good Day
Sunshine from The Beatles. In spite of radio play it too
failed to chart, but their third release, Here Comes My Baby
(a Cat Stevens composition) smashed into the Top 10 on both sides
of the Atlantic.
An astute follow-up with Silence Is Golden, previously
the flip-side of The Four Seasons single Rag Doll, proved
a perfect vehicle for The Tremeloes soft harmonic style and gave
them their only Number One.
Having established themselves as a hit act, they notched up an
impressive run of hits during the late 60s including Even The
Bad Times Are Good , Suddenly You Love Me, Helule
Helule and My Little Lady.
At the end of the decade, the group seemed weary of their role
in the pop world and broke away from their usual Tin Pan Alley
songsmiths to write their own material. Their first attempt,
(Call Me) Number One, was an impressive achievement, arguably
superior to the material that they had recorded since 1967.
When it reached number two in the UK charts, the group
convinced themselves that a more ambitious approach would bring
even greater rewards.
Overreacting to their dream start as hit writers, they
announced that they were 'going heavy' and in a suicidal move they
alienated their pop audience by dismissing their earlier
record-buying fans as 'morons'.
Their brief progressive phase was encapsulated in the album Master,
which won no new fans but provided a final Top 20 single, Me
And My Life.
Thereafter, they turned increasingly to cabaret where their
strong live performances were always well appreciated.
In 1974 Chip Hawkes went to Nashville, USA, to pursue an
ultimately unsuccessful solo career.
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