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Post by moorlock2003 on Sept 7, 2018 10:37:54 GMT
A couple of years back my partner got tickets to the Beach Boys. Me in my infinite wisdom blurted out they are not the real Beach Boys and only contain one real BB and another who was a sometimes BB. She got kinda shirty on me about doing that as I seemed to do to all the old bands we went to see. Learnt my lesson and now keep my mouth shut about such things. I also did that about the Hollies when we went to see them. Don't do it anymore. In the mid-80s a "British Invasion" package tour came to New York, where I resided at the time. There was a band billing itself as "The Mindbenders". Not only did Wayne Fontana fail to show up, none of the original Mindbenders did either!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2019 10:47:17 GMT
I see The Tremeloes (as opposed to "The Trems") are joining next year's Sixties Gold tour, something I'm looking forward to: www.thetremeloes.co.uk/tour-datesInteresting video message by Chip Hawkes here, warning people that "The Trems" are just a tribute band! www.thetremeloes.co.uk/
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Post by johnt on Nov 21, 2019 15:04:26 GMT
I see The Tremeloes (as opposed to "The Trems") are joining next year's Sixties Gold tour, something I'm looking forward to: www.thetremeloes.co.uk/tour-datesInteresting video message by Chip Hawkes here, warning people that "The Trems" are just a tribute band! www.thetremeloes.co.uk/Interesting. I see Rick Westwood is back in the line-up but no Dave Munden, who apparently has retired due to ill-health. Rick had supposed to have retired due to loss of hearing. It must have come back! Let us know how they perform, Peter.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2019 15:36:04 GMT
I'll be seeing The Trems in April and The Tremeloes in November, so it will be interesting to see and hear how they compare!
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Post by moorlock2003 on Nov 21, 2019 15:56:30 GMT
The Tremeloes, both with and without Brian Poole, are maddeningly inconsistent. Some gems here and there but a LOT of worthless covers. Their LPs typically have several really great tracks mixed in with some utter dreck. The Brian Poole led group had 2 great tracks ("I Want Candy" and "(Do the) "Uncle Willie") but I am hard pressed to find anything else I really like. The Tremeloes on their own made some great singles but were still doing '50s covers as late as 1968. I think their original tune "Sing Sorta Swingle" would have been a hit, but it got overlooked.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2019 16:20:12 GMT
The Tremeloes on their own made some great singles but were still doing '50s covers as late as 1968. The Rolling Stones and The Who were doing them in 1969/1970/1971 (Little Queenie, Summertime Blues, Let It Rock, etc). This is why the so called "rock and roll revival" of the late 60s/early 70s was just hype, as some bands never needed to revive it.
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Post by baz on Nov 21, 2019 16:46:22 GMT
The Tremeloes on their own made some great singles but were still doing '50s covers as late as 1968. The Rolling Stones and The Who were doing them in 1969/1970/1971 (Little Queenie, Summertime Blues, Let It Rock, etc). This is why the so called "rock and roll revival" of the late 60s/early 70s was just hype, as some bands never needed to revive it.
Well The Who recorded a studio version of "Summertime Blues" as early as 1967, plus had performed Johnny Kidd's "Please Don't Touch" on the final edition of RSG! though I suspect that might well had been in tribute to Johnny Kidd who had been killed a few weeks earlier. Then they also dressed as rockers when they performed "I Can See For Miles" on TOTP! As for The Tremeloes, I have to agree with Moorlock2003 in various ways as they're a band that frustrate me enormously as they sure were capable of turning in some fine stuff but also some of the most banal things of the era. They were a bit like The Hollies in that image wise, they didn't have much going for them and in 1969 like The Hollies were doing the smart suits and even issuing a "Live In Cabaret" album and as The Hollies tried to get more serious, so did The Tremeloes adopting a shaggier appearance and turning in one of their gems "Call Me Number One". Unfortunately, they blew it big time in 1970 with that infamous interview/article where they made disparaging remarks about their fans and they never really recovered from that. A pity as I'm sure they could have enjoyed more hits into the 1970's. My fave Tremeloes track? "Gentlemen Of Pleasure" - much prefer it to the A side!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2019 18:22:14 GMT
It always makes me laugh when people accuse The Dave Clark Five of jumping on the rock & roll revival bandwagon for issuing those 1969/1970 medleys, but even during 1965-1967 they were releasing pre-Beatles era songs such as 'Reelin' and Rockin'', 'Over and Over' and 'You've Got What It Takes' as hit singles.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2019 18:40:09 GMT
Back to The Tremeloes, I really wish someone would write a book on them. All key members apart from Alan are still around, and they're approachable and friendly!
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Post by baz on Nov 21, 2019 18:44:39 GMT
It always makes me laugh when people accuse The Dave Clark Five of jumping on the rock & roll revival bandwagon for issuing those 1969/1970 medleys, but even during 1965-1967 they were releasing pre-Beatles era songs such as 'Reelin' and Rockin'', 'Over and Over' and 'You've Got What It Takes' as hit singles. Exactly. Rock and Roll never really went away! Think also to when Brian Epstein did his Savile Theatre venture in 1967... who was he booking? Chuck Berry and I'm sure there were some other rock and roll acts in some of those shows. Wasn't there a riot at one of those involving teddy boys? So at the height of the hippy flower power era, rock and roll was still there for those less convinced by the weirder way out sounds that were going down. And hang about, what were The Hollies doing recording "Sweet Little Sixteen" in March 1966?
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Post by cameron on Nov 21, 2019 19:17:14 GMT
I think the Tremeloes have some "TREMendous" output! My personal favourite is the exciting 'Live In Cabaret' LP. Those guys were every bit as tight as the Hollies musically and vocally in a live setting. I love that album, it's one of my favourite live albums. It's been issued once on CD, quietly tucked away on disc two of the 'Suddenly You Love Me - The Complete 1968 Sessions', which is odd as I believe it was actually recorded in 1969. I agree, I absolutely loathe that 'World Explosion 1958 - 1968' LP that they did, other than that brilliant cover of 'Ain't Nothing But A House Party'. The first two CBS albums are hit and miss, I think I prefer the debut to the second LP.
However, their albums did get better. Although they complained that it was never officially finished, 'Master' from 1970 has some superb tracks on it. The Sanctuary CD with appropriate bonus tracks and rarities is absolutely worth getting, even if you're just a casual Tremeloes fan. You can delve into what I think is the golden era of their career in terms of quality. It has the full album, the hit singles from 1969/70 plus their own recording of 'Yellow River', which Jeff Christie put his own vocals to the Tremeloes backing track and had that monster hit with it as Christie. The Tremeloes' biggest mistake of their career (other than calling their fans "morons" in 1970...) was not sticking with that song and issuing it as a single. The Tremeloes' version is better; Dave Munden is a much more confident singer than Jeff Christie and it also has the backing vocals on it, which the Christie version doesn't. Back to the 'Master' CD issue, it also has a couple of outtakes from the sessions, including a nice re-working/early version of 'Wait For Me' which I love. And the sleeve notes are great.
Moving on a bit, in 1974 they recorded 'Shiner' minus Ricky Westwood (who had hearing issues around that time) and that album is consistent and well recorded. Ricky Westwood's replacement was Bob Benham, who is every bit capable of filling Ricky's shoes. There's also 'Don't Let The Music Die' from 1975, which was officially attributed to the group Space, but features Dave Munden, Ricky Westwood, Bob Benham + another guy who I'm not sure of his name, and it was produced by Alan Blakley. Although it's absolutely awful, the track 'Windows Are Nice' intrigues me for reasons I don't understand! It didn't do anything on the charts and was re-released a year later with an alternative sleeve and branded as the Tremeloes. Both LPs are pretty underrated and overlooked when discussing the Tremeloes' output.
Also, there's the mega-obscure unreleased psych-out 'May Morning' album from 1969, which was intended for a film of the same name but not used at the time. A couple of the songs wound up re-worked on 'Master', but everything else is new. The Tremeloes recorded it in Italy, with a little help from a Mellotron that Alan Blakley had just bought from a certain chap in the Idle Race who goes by the name of Jeff Lynne... This was issued for the first time in 2000 on CD only, and it's a fascinating late psychedelic relic of that era, mostly filled with rocking instrumentals, Ricky Westwood's wah-wah pedal and Alan Blakley's mellotron.
My personal "Top Five" Tremeloes tracks have to be:
1. 'Call Me Number One' (1969) - their magnum opus, this is the finest thing that they ever recorded. Everything about it is superb. It blows my mind that they sat on the recording for over a year before releasing it!
2. 'Let Your Hair Hang Down' (1967) - the B-side to 'Silence Is Golden', but it couldn't be more of a contrast! Fast moving, pounding bass, rolling drums, vocal drones... this is top drawer psychedelia.
3. 'Try Me' (1970) - I feel like this should have been a bigger hit than it was, it's a very catchy song. It also features a layered guitar solo from Ricky Westwood, that seemingly inspired Brian May's whole career - the sound is exactly the same!
4. 'Blue Suede Tie' (1972) - This is Chip Hawkes' Elvis moment, but what a fantastic song. I feel like this sat a bit out of sync. Had it been released a year later when Glam Rock took off, it would have been a big hit.
5. 'Anything' (1969/70) - an outtake from the film 'May Morning' this is something of a psych-out rock opera which shows just how tight the band were.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2019 20:02:34 GMT
Great analysis Cameron! Must confess, I'm more familiar overall with their Brian Poole-era recordings, though I obviously need to dig deeper. Incidentally, in the 2014 interview below, Dave Munden cites the 'Big, Big Hits of '62' album as a fave. Featuring various medleys and recorded before they'd found chart success, it's actually quite impressive (if the band sounded this good at their Decca audition I too would've signed them instead of The Beatles!). The Brian Poole and The Tremeloes BBC 2-CD set is currently my most-played album. somethingelsereviews.com/2014/06/12/something-else-interview-dave-munden-of-the-tremeloes/
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Post by thejanitor on Nov 21, 2019 20:34:23 GMT
I guess I like The Tremeloes as a casual fan. Every now and then I get a kick out of the 1967-71 singles (plus 1983's "Words") and my favourite track of theirs would probably have to be the brilliant and energetic country rocker "Right Wheel, Left Hammer Sham".
However, I've found it rather difficult in the past to get into a full album of theirs, plus I haven't really got round to listening to much of their early material with Brian Poole either, but I am open to all of that changing someday. ☺
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2019 20:41:16 GMT
Every now and then I get a kick out of the 1967-71 singles (plus 1983's "Words") and my favourite track of theirs would probably have to be the brilliant and energetic country rocker "Right Wheel, Left Hammer Sham". Great track! I really can't think of a better singing drummer than Dave Munden.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2020 9:48:09 GMT
I see that Rick Westwood has now quit the band (again): www.thetremeloes.co.uk/newsA disappointment, as the reunited band of Dave (who quickly left due to ill-health), Rick and Chip, is now in effect just 'Chip Hawkes and Friends'. I'm still looking forward to seeing them in November though.
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Post by gee on Mar 3, 2020 20:02:42 GMT
It was Alan Blakley who made the 'morons' remark re their pop fans that horrified the rest of the band !
the other deputy Trems on 'Don't Let The Music Die' were Paul Carmen and Paul Issac - Rick Westwood was not credited on the cover but those two with Dave Munden and Bob Benham
the band get some very unjust 'flak' for - unknowingly - beating The Beatles to the Decca contract in 1962 when Mike Smith wanted to sign up BOTH groups but was told he could only take one....so signed the local band from Dagenham as opposed to the less confident on the audition day Beatles from distant Liverpool in pre-motorway Britain
The Tremeloes already had done radio work and could play more instruments than the fab four including keyboards and saxophone !
they performed live on BBC's 'Blue Peter' with Brian Poole when most groups did a mimed to the record version
their single 'Someone Someone' was one of their best with Brian Poole for Decca
Ricky 'West' Westwood and Alan Blakley were great guitarists - however their music somewhat lacked direction with unwise comedy tracks and oldies covers eclipsing some wonderful harmony pop numbers - the hits and songs like 'Negotiations in Soho Square', 'I'm With You All The Way', etc, and surprisingly powering guitar featured tracks at times such as 'Runnin Out' and 'Instant Whip', 'Try Me' etc
they did early covers of Paul Simon and Cat Stevens songs plus the then unknown Ray 'Gilbert' O'Sullivan's early songs 'You' and 'Come On Home'
they had a country tinge with steel guitar, fiddle and banjo on 'Hello Buddy' their final UK hit in 1971
- from 'Twist and Shout' in 1963 they had achieved UK hits both with Brian Poole and thereafter all through the sixties up to 1971
Blakley-Hawkes developed into a decent songwriting team and like The Hollies some of the 'B' sides such as 'All The World To Me' were as strong as their A side hits
Rick Westwood's hearing troubles robbed them of his soaring falsetto high harmony vocals - Len 'Chip' Hawkes did an 'Alan Jardine' and gamefully took those on later...
Alan Blakley sadly lost his long battle with cancer by which time Davey Fryer and Joe Gillingham had joined the band
Last I heard Len Hawkes was fighting the illness too per his son Chesney, hope he's o.k. !
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Post by gee on Mar 3, 2020 20:16:34 GMT
from a couple of years later after they had split from Brian Poole
Running Out
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Post by gee on Mar 3, 2020 20:21:04 GMT
and their final UK hit
Hello Buddy - 1971
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2020 20:55:48 GMT
Last I heard Len Hawkes was fighting the illness too per his son Chesney, hope he's o.k. ! He seems to be doing alright now, and enthusiastic about the new line-up of the (erm) original Tremeloes! I saw him perform with both Brian Poole and Dave Munden about 2 & half years ago, and he didn't come out with the other two to sign autographs afterwards as I suspect he was too ill (he was temporarily bald due to chemotherapy), though ironically it is now Brian and Dave who have retired. Probably the first time The Tremeloes entered the charts was as uncredited backing vocalists on this:
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Post by stuball on Mar 4, 2020 14:25:00 GMT
Last I heard Len Hawkes was fighting the illness too per his son Chesney, hope he's o.k. ! He seems to be doing alright now, and enthusiastic about the new line-up of the (erm) original Tremeloes! I saw him perform with both Brian Poole and Dave Munden about 2 & half years ago, and he didn't come out with the other two to sign autographs afterwards as I suspect he was too ill (he was temporarily bald due to chemotherapy), though ironically it is now Brian and Dave who have retired. Probably the first time The Tremeloes entered the charts was as uncredited backing vocalists on this. Worth noting that the backing vocals sound much more professional and polished than the leads!
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Post by gee on Mar 4, 2020 14:39:23 GMT
I haven't been keeping up with them recently, last I knew was when Dave Munden retired and his current line up were to continue billed as 'The Sound of The Tremeloes'
Presumably Rick and Len had returned then left etc and now there are a couple of versions of the band under differing names - yes ?
I heard that Len was working with Brian Poole again but assumed his illness had forced him to step down...
The Hollies and Tremeloes clashed a bit re who would sing 'Cool Jerk', 'I Take What I Want', 'Reach Out I'll Be There' and 'You Don't Know Like I Know' which were in both group's live sets plus later both covered Dylan's 'I Shall Be Released' but overall the two bands were very strong and probably at their best doing their own songs even if they were most famous for the hits others wrote
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Post by gee on Mar 4, 2020 14:46:08 GMT
I Shall Be Released
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2020 14:54:52 GMT
Regarding the last couple of years: Dave Munden left The Tremeloes (after being the sole original for years), with the other remaining members being forced to call themselves 'The Trems'. Initially, Dave left to join Chip and Brian on tour (as 'Brian Poole and The Tremeloes'), but then apparently Rick told Chip that he'd love to see the original surviving members (Dave, Chip, Rick) getting back together. Trouble is, Dave kept falling over (even smashing his new knees), and has now been diagnosed with Parkinsons. Then, the band were offered a couple of lengthy tours, and Rick has decided he isn't quite up to doing them. So, we now have 'The Trems', featuring mostly members that toured with Dave and (in at least one case) Rick and Alan going out as 'The Trems', while Chip Hawkes and friends are 'The Tremeloes'. While all this has been happening, Brian has decided to retire. You can see here the current line-ups for the two groups (already out of date as Rick is still listed): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tremeloes#Members
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Post by gee on Mar 4, 2020 15:00:52 GMT
with left handed blonde guitarist Bob Benham in the later seventies line up
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Post by gee on Mar 4, 2020 15:08:23 GMT
So Alan and Len had / have cancer, Rick a serious hearing problem, and Dave has Parkinsons - talk about a band dogged by ill health !
yet we remember The Tremeloes as such a cheerful outfit
here Rick can only play guitar not sing due to his hearing problems but it's the classic line up
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