SAM SPADE AND THE GRAVEDIGGERS

SAM SPADE AND THE GRAVEDIGGERS

c 1964

BACK TO THE BAND INDEX

Rugby band playing R & B who came out of The Phantom 5. Sam Spade's real name was Ray Barrett. Hard working, playing all over the area but split 1966. Some members became the Tea Set. "A typical set would include Smokestack Lightening, Hoochie Coochie Man and Walking the Dog. We were dubbed R n B kings of the Midlands by the local press and we were immortalised in Alan Clayson's book about 60's pop groups entitled Beat Merchants. Alan Hayward recalls - "I remember playing with Coventry's Sorrows and being shocked to see them guitarist Pip Witcher using his Stratocaster as a dart board! We travelled down to Soho's famous 2i's club to audition for promoter Larry Parnes and then backing recording star Danny Rivers. Sadly we never recorded ourselves and split after Sam after Sam decided to call it a day in 1966.

Source - Pete Chambers - Godiva Rocked to a Backbeat. Sam Spade and the Gravediggers played -The General Wolfe Thursday 13 1965 according to Peter Clemons.

Also from From Pete Chambers - Backbeat - Coventry Telegraph


" ANDY'S first band were The Phantom 5 who were formed in Rugby 1963 to primarily take advantage of a pop spot concert that was being held at Rugby Theatre.

Though they originally formed as an instrumental band they would take on a guest vocalist having secured a two-week tour (The Merrymakers Tour 63) alongside Rugby's Beat preachers.

They would later come to Coventry to play The Orchid Ballroom and The Locarno, supporting artists such as Beverley Jones, Johnny B Great and The Rockin' Berries.

After 12 months as The Phantom 5 they made a conscious decision to change their direction and the beat sound of the old band had become R'n'B in this new unit they called Sam Spade and the Gravediggers.

The line-up was based on that of Phantom 5, with Dave Varnish on lead guitar, Andy Hayward on guitar and vocals, Bob Bostrum on bass and vocals, Ray Barrett (Sam Spade) vocals and harmonica, while Geoff Anthill would replace Malc Thompson on drums.

"We played hard-driving harmonica-led blues," said Andy. "A typical set would include Hi Heel Sneakers, Smokestack Lightning, Hoochie Coochie Man and Walking the Dog. We were dubbed R'n'B Kings of the Midlands by the local press and we were immortalised in Alan Clayson's book about 60s pop groups entitled Beat Merchants - though we were wrongly called a Coventry band probably because we performed there so often.

"I remember playing with Coventry's Sorrows and being shocked seeing guitarist Pip Witcher using his Stratocaster as a dartboard, and travelling down to Soho's famous 2i's club to audition for promoter Larry Parnes and then backing recording star Danny Rivers. Sadly we never recorded ourselves and split after Sam finally decided to call it a day in 1966.

Andy, however, stayed with Bob Bostrum and Geoff Anthill and with the introduction of guitarist Andy Kerrigan and vocalist 'Little' Joe Conway from Ireland's Miami Showband, the band were ready to rock once again. This new unit were christened the Tea Set, and the R'n'B of Sam Spade and the Gravediggers had given way to a much harder rock sound. They were usually billed Rugby's top group when playing in Coventry.

"We were kitted out in custom-made outfits playing hard rock," Andy admits. "We worked for entrepreneur Reg Calvert - he of Radio London and Fortunes fame. We stood in for stablemates Pinkertons Assorted Colours after they went off touring with their hit Mirror, Mirror, and took over their Nags Head residency in Nuneaton.

"We recorded a self-penned ballad You made me cry, but were probably best remembered as the band on stage at Nuneaton's Co-op Hall when four people were tragically crushed to death on a staircase attempting to get into a packed New Year's Eve ball."

Andy would eventually leave the band to concentrate on marriage, and for two years he did just that.

Many musicians who read this column will tell you that music is in the blood, and the call to rock was beckoning again.

Here's Andy once more: "I joined a new band (this time switching to bass) to form Fagin Quill - all these crazy names were my doing - an explosive three-piece with Graham Wood and Graham Thompson playing blues/rock, performing self-penned songs and with our own lightshow, run by Maurice Murphy.

"We ran a club in our native Rugby but played as far away as London in blues clubs and universities and many times in Coventry where we were once described in an ad "don't miss this fantastic group with a lightshow to end all lightshows" and that was following the incredible Jigsaw.

"Unfortunately we never reached our full potential because work commitments caused us again to call it a day. In 1973 I opened The Bootlace, a club featuring DJ Nicky Steele, regularly pulling in more than 500 punters every week, mainly from the Coventry area. Starting at the Boot Inn near Solihull, we went on to Chesford Grange Kenilworth - this was extended to a folk/rock evening with names such as Gerry Rafferty, Stealers Wheel, Medicine Head and Raymond Froggatt - all booked through Jasper Carrott's Fingimigig agency. It lasted three incredible years until Nicky's departure to BRMB Radio." Andy has now hung up his Telecaster, but still plays his acoustic guitar as he contemplates the writing of his autobiography' now that should make interesting reading, especially for those (like me) keen to discover more information on Rugby's great musical legacy.