Sixties City - Bringing on back the good times

These turned out pretty good so we started to promote ourselves. We answered an advert in the NME for bands wanted for an agency. The agent came to see us playing and we were signed up by The Associate Entertainment Agency, a couple of nice jewish blokes who had fingers in all the right pies. Then followed gig after gig on the college circuit.
In late 1965 we took over a gig for another band we knew called 'Harry Bates and The Strangers' (they were a bloody great band!) at a members only club called The Sphinx in Beak Street, just off Carnaby Street. We were unsure of how we would go down as we played rather different music to the Strangers' four part harmonies, Beach Boys numbers etc. Anyway, people could hear us from outside and banged on the door wanting to get in. The owner loved it, opened the doors and charged a fee to get in. We were there for five months! In 1966 our local rag, The Hackney Gazette, ran a top ten East London group chart and, for sixteen weeks, we were No.1 in front of The Equals and The Riot Squad, who both had records in the top ten.

In 1966 we had to change the band's name as there was an American girl recording group with the same name. The 'Unsuited Medium' was born, and it was under this name that we became most popular. Another happening in 1966, Radio London hosted a night at The Lyceum in The Strand to raise money for the Thalidomide appeal. We were the top band, supported by the resident big band and The Mike Morton Congregation (they had a record in the charts at the time called Burning Bridges). This was held in late May. Also at the gig were Dave Cash, Susannah Leigh (the only british leading lady to have starred with Elvis) and Joyce and Lionel Blair. They were good fun and it was a brilliant night.

Two weeks prior to that gig we had taken part in an advertising stunt in Oxford Street. We set our gear up outside Pontins Continental Holiday Shop, which was roughly in the middle of Oxford Street. Then along came about twenty models wearing clothes designed by the London College of Fashion, parading about in front of us while we sang 'Dancing in the Street'. This caused a massive traffic jam and the police were called to sort it out, but they enjoyed it as well. I mentioned earlier the Sphinx Club in Beak Street, well there was an absolutely gorgeous croupier there who took a bit of a shine to us and she kitted us out with the latest mod clobber and got us an audition for a residency at, of all places, the Marquis of Salisbury pub which had, by then, become a popular music venue with brilliant bands such as The Peddlers playing there.
At the audition were five bands including us. We had to play three numbers each as I remember. We were offered the job providing we got rid of our singer, Tommy, who the manager didn't much like, but we told him that we couldn't do that as we were friends. Shame, the gig was for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights for the foreseeable future. We would have made a lot of money from that back then. Bloody hell, two weeks later he left anyway!

We soon got another singer, Chic Fraser, who couldn't sing very well but the girls loved him. When I left school I got a job in the photographic department of the London Press Exchange in St. Martins Lane in the West End of London. Everything was happening in that area at that time and I loved it. I saw an advert in the PJF for a photographic assistant to a photographer named Lewis Morley. If you haven't heard of him, he is the one who took those iconic pictures of Christine Keeler sitting astride the chair! I got the job. His studio was at 18 Greek Street above The Establishment Club (then owned by Peter Cooke) and, joy of joys, the offices of Private Eye Magazine were just across the landing inhabited by Peter Cooke, Dudley Moore, Lance Percival, John Bird and others that I can't remember. I met loads of actors and models including Goldie Hawn, Michael Caine, Charlotte Rampling, Patti Boyd, Jean Shrimpton, Chrissy Shrimpton, Imogen Hassel and Marsha Hunt (left) , who offered me £25 to marry her as her work permit had run out and she wanted to stay here.

Great times!!

Group pictures are by courtesy of, and are copyright of, Larry Evans 2010

** The New Bond Street studios were originally owned by Oriole Records and was where Embassy Records recorded their cover (tribute) versions of current hits, produced and manufactured by Oriole Records for F.W. Woolworth & Co.Ltd. from late 1954 until 1965, when the Oriole company was sold to C.B.S.
You can see images of these studios and get more information HERE.

The Ready Steady 60s Show
The band consists of five members, two of whom were in popular 60s bands that played at The Marquee, The Sphinx, Le Carnaby, The Lyceum in the Strand, and clubs and colleges all over England. Now augmented by a new female vocalist, bassist & drummer, each with lots of band experience, they have come together to bring the great 60s sounds to lovers of that era and also to new audiences. They are dedicated to giving their clients the best 60s night experience, with great tunes, smart suits, mini dresses( for the girls that is) and a 60s light show. The show consists of two one-hour sets, or however the client wants the 120minute show split.

For more information or bookings contact Larry Evans by clicking on the image.

Set List includes:

When You Walk In The Room
Baby Come Back
Woolly Bully
River Deep
123
Spooky
Do You Love Me
Midnight Hour
Peter Gunn theme
Da Doo Ron Ron
Glad All Over

Loui Loui
Gimme Some Lovin'
Where Did Our Love Go
I'm Into Something Good
Hi Ho Silver Lining
Twisting The Night Away
I'll Never Get Over You
Shout
I Saw Her Standing There
Saturday Night At The Movies
Mustang Sally

Build Me Up Buttercup
Do You Love Me
Walking Back To Happiness
Nights In White Satin
Shadows medley
Shoop Shoop song
The Locomotion
Sweets For My Sweet
Venus
Proud Mary
My Boy Lollipop

Son Of A Preacher Man
Lets Dance
Have I The Right
Rock & Roll medley
Do Wah Diddy
I Only Want To Be With You
Dancing In The Street
Please Please Me
Mony Mony
Knock On Wood
...... and many more!