Tony Martin and his Echo Four

Tony Martin and his Echo Four

Line Up

Tony Lucas known as Tony Martin - Vocals

Mac Watts - Lead guitar

Rod Simpson - bass

Alan Gee - Rhythm Guitar

Malc Jenkins - Drums

With a line up change and some other developments (see Leah D' Archy's article linked below), the core of the band formed the later band The Pickwicks. 

Echoes of the past for band's guitarist

IF you were part of the local scene in the early 60s the name Tony Martin and the Echo Four will be a familiar one.

By Pete Chambers

IF you were part of the local scene in the early 60s the name Tony Martin and the Echo Four will be a familiar one. Always gigging and always getting a huge crowd, they were a big deal back then. Today we talk to the band's guitarist Mac Watts about his life, his musical career and a lost guitar!

MAC was born on August 9, 1943, in a small Town in Scotland called Forres.

His father was working at the time repairing the aircraft after they had been bombing over Germany. At about two years old he moved to a small village called Yelvertoft, not far from Rugby.

He said: "From there we moved to Coventry where my parents had acquired a council house in Radford. My first school was Hillfarm then on to Barkers Butts.

"At the age of 15 I went to work at Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft in Baginton, stayed there until it closed, then worked for a short time at East Midlands Electricity before turning professional with the group.

"My brother Roy, who was in the Fleet Air Arm serving on HMS Victorious at the time, stopped off at Gibraltar and he bought me my first guitar. The action was about an inch high, but that was OK, it was a start.

"After seeing Bert Weedon on the TV, I decided that his guitar was the one for me, so a few days later I went down to Crane's in Far Gosford Street and ordered my Hofner Committee Deluxe Club 50 which I had to wait six months for."

Mac began guitar lessons, and it was here he would meet band-member-to-be Alan Gee.

The pair, along with their teacher Ken, formed a makeshift band, trying to emulate their guitar heroes of the time The Shadows, The Ventures and Chet Atkins.

"One evening two fellows came up to us and asked us if we would like to form a group," reveals Mac. "And of course we said 'yes'. These two fellows were Tony Lucas (later Martin) and Rod Simpson. As we had no drummer we decided to put an advert in the Evening Telegraph. I think we had about three or four applicants.

"One drummer was a big fellow who put cloths over his drums to quieten them down, after persuading him to remove them we realised at once that was our man, which was Malc Jenkins. So then we practised and practised got a few gigs until Mick came along. After Mick came we had so many gigs we had to turn pro. The Tony Martin and The Echo Four were up and running.

"A few funny things happened to us," said Mac. "One evening we did a comedy number called Who Wears Short Shorts by Freddy and the Dreamers, where we would drop our trousers on the stage. Underneath we had on Bermuda shorts that Malc's mother had made for us. On this particular night a young girl came to the front of the stage to stroke Alan Gee's legs. I guess she did it for dare because she wasn't looking at what she was doing, she was looking at her friends. Suddenly, Alan's eyes almost popped out of his head and the girl disappeared with a very red face into the crowd - I guess her hand must have gone up too high!

"Another memory was the time while doing a gig with Screaming Lord Sutch at the Coventry Flying Club. Lord Sutch, as part of his shock stage act, put a hole in Malc's bass drum skin with a knife. It was all part of his show and he, of course, paid Malc the money for a new skin, but his guitarist told us after he was thinking of leaving Sutch or asking for danger money.

"On the same evening I went into the back into the changing rooms to get something when I noticed someone opening a window to let some gatecrashers in, so I was just about going to tell them to clear off when someone tapped me on the shoulder and said 'I wouldn't if I were you, that fella there is the Midlands Middleweight Boxing Champion'. He did look big, so I decided to let them in.

"We had a great time in the bands," reveals Mac. "It was so sad when Tony died of cancer. I live in Germany now, but I would like to say a big hello to everyone in Coventry and Warwickshire and a special hello to any of our old fans who remember Tony Martin and the Echo Four.

"One big regret is selling my guitar. I would dearly love to own it again. It was a Hofner Committee Deluxe Club 50 with blond curls in the woodwork; semi-acoustic with F slots, mother of pearl set into the fingerboard and machineheads. It had a Bigsby tremolo arm from the USA, with the name Mark Guido engraved on the plec' guard. It was similar to the one used by Bert Weedon. If you have this guitar or have seen it somewhere, maybe in a second-hand shop or lying in a loft, even if it's damaged, I would still like to buy it back. Please contact me in Germany on 0049 7121 311616, or get in touch with Pete Chambers."


PopTrivia

- TONY MARTIN AND THE ECHO FOUR

* THE band took part in the now legendary gig at the Coventry Theatre, January 12, 1964, supporting Brian Poole and the Tremeloes. Also on that night were other local acts such as The Matadors, The Mustangs, The Mighty Avengers and Lynn Curtis.

* TONY MARTIN was a former printer, he began his career in a skiffle band, he became part of the Pickwicks, then later joining Roger Lomas in the Clouds

Article by Pete Chambers 3rd June 2008 Coventry Live, an online edition of the Coventry Telegraph.

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In the past it has been said or implied on various sites that Tony Martin and the Echo Four became The Pickwicks. Leah D'Arcy, a granddaughter of John Miles points out that - 

"Many articles surrounding the band have stated that they were originally Tony Martin and the Echo Four but that is in fact false information as only three members were in the Echo Four. The fourth member was actually called Malcolm Watts but during 1964 the year of their formation Watts left to be replaced by John Miles and join the band too then go on and become The Pickwicks. Dressed in top hats and long waist coats as if they had come straight out of the Pickwick Papers they began their journey. Both bands were under the management of Larry Page during 1964-1965"

See Leah D'Arcy's full article on her granddad John Miles and The Pickwicks HERE

More on Tony Martin's Echo Four and The Pickwicks here from Pete Clemons and The Coventry Telegraph. HERE along with some youtube.

Pete Clemons writers in the above article -

"During 1963 Tony Martin and the Echo Four played well over 100 gigs in our region alone. The earliest dates I can find being at The Binley Oak in Paynes Lane which was one of the earliest venues to regularly put on 'rock and twist' nights. The band soon found their popularity growing and quickly got themselves on the circuit that included venues such as The Baginton Oak, The Craftsman, The Heath Hotel, Coventry Flying Club and many others.
Tony Martin and the Echo Four were highly rated for their musical ability and, after around a year or so, came to the attention of Larry Page who, at that time, was in control of entertainment at The Orchid Ballroom. I am guessing though that he had his own ideas about them and in what direction they should take.

One mystery that I do have concerns the discovery of a few dates I have made by a spin-off band called The Bandits who apparently featured Tony Martin. These gigs occurred toward the end of 1963 at the Flying Club and The Parkstone Club. Apart from those dates I know very little about this group and I am curious to know a bit more about The Bandits along with the other musicians who made up this group.

By March 1964 and, under his guidance, Larry Page reshaped The Echo Four and re-launched them as The Pickwicks. Firstly Mac Watts, who left the band, had been replaced by Johnny Miles and Tony (Martin) Lucas took on bass guitar duties as well as doubling up on vocals because Rod Simpson had also left the band."

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