"Article 19 (RiD) are a current Coventry based band open for bookings. In 2007, Dave Cooke
(rhythm guitar and songwriter) and Ricky Hogan (male vocals) formed the band which has gone through several changes over the last 11 years but now has its strongest line up ever with Vicky Stakelum (female vocals) James D Nelson (lead guitar) Terry French (bass guitar) and Phil Chantrey (drums). The new line up are currently working hard on our new live set and the second album which will be released in the summer of 2018. Live gigs will start towards the middle of April. Updates will follow as we progress this year."
Circa 1969 (Jan 23rd 1969 to May 24th 1969 - Line up; Paul Kennelly (vocals), Dave Sutton (guitar), 'Lil' (bass), Granville Barber (drums). Previously called The Motion, Kennelly and Barber formed Natural Gass.
Sources Broadgate Gnome and Paul Kennelly and Sabu - Allen Parsons.
After Sabu - Allen Parsons left The Motion, Paul Kennelly took his place and after one gig they changed their name to Revolution (because Paul pointed out another meaning to "Motion". In the seventies Allen Parsons reformed Revolution and called it Revolution 69 and the had a residency at the Plough on a Sunday. The line of the Revolution 69 was -
Allen Parsons, Paul Ashfield, Barry Frost
In the photo : Bob Hopkins ( keyboards ) Dave Sutton ( Guitar ) Paul Kennelly ( Vocals ) Granville Barber ( Drums ) Reg Galland ( Bass Guitar ).
Revolution renamed from The Motion 23rd January 1969 and split up 24th May 1969 when Dave Sutton left. Relaunched as Natural Gass with Martin Lucas on guitar.
Paul Kennelly recalls -
" We relied on a member of the band's family to bus us around in an old Bedford Utilabrake. This was very unsatisfactory as , on occasion, he would just refuse to take us ! Luckily , Bob Hopkins got in touch , he was looking for a band and also he had a van ! Thus we became a five piece."
Below is a video from Sabu - Allen Parsons from the early 70's at the Plough - London Road Coventry with Allen Parsons, Paul Ashfield, Barry Frost. Not the original Revolution but Revolution 69.
Walking the Dog - Revolution
Cuttings from Paul Kennelly of the original Revolution.
THE REEVERBS 1966 L to R Ken Davenport ( drums) Terry Hyde ( Bass) Paul Kennelly ( vocals ) Tony Talliss ( Lead Guitar) Bob Hopkins ( Rhythm Guitar ).
Before long, it became obvious that my bass playing was being left behind. We brought in a friend of Bob's , Terry Hyde , who bought my Vox Bassmaster off me. I bought a new P.A. and a Reslo mike and became the lead singer. On October 10th 1965 we changed our name to " REEVERBS "
Parge tell us... "We have been together since December 2008 and have supported some half decent acts. We have self released an EP and are going to be releasing our second EP before the end of 2011. My favourite Cov band is Indian Summer, I don't think we've got anything that good at the minute... But perhaps we have (in a different style)... Current favourite Cov acts are Charles Dexter Ward and The Imagineers, The Moonbears, Invitation To Love and guys like Cliff Hands (new Bob alert!), Wes Finch and Al Britten. "
Genre Post-folk-alterna-rock-psyche-blues (or something) Members Casey / Parge / Miles / Whitehead / Edgar Hometown Coventry, UK. Record label La Nouvelle Mode Records About Five schmohawks combining their musical powers to fight against good and evil. Description We aren't going to list a load of superlatives about our music. You can download our first EP through soundcloud here http://soundcloud.com/resurrection-men-uk/sets Either way they are free downloads. Great driving music for nothing. Biography "...imagine a troop of marching zombies in the desert, rising out of the Wild West like alternative gypsies- riffing and licking blues-rock in the dirt" (Under The Influence magazine).
Artists we also like Harry Partch and Burzum. Influences Everything and nothing.
Jim Pryal tells us "Another great Coventry band of this time was Reno, championed by Kid Jensen and Radio 1. Many people thought that they were going to take off but sadly they didn't. I don't remember any of their names but they were great musicians with brilliant vocal harmonies."
Reno were formed in the great 70's and consisted of band members Mick Broadhurst, Pete Brazil, Paul Price and late Dave Simpson and Pete Oliver (Guitar).
Played Ryton Bridge Hotel and in Birmingham, the Nags Head in Nuneaton and Coventry.
Bill Philipson "Coventry, guitarist John Shepherd and I felt like sawing our guitars up after watching them."
Mike Aucott "Pete had the great ability of putting a solo together that could make your hair stand up.
They played live on BRMB - Birmingham radio - Robin Valk show.
"Steve Edgson was originally in “Analog” between 1974 and 1975. Quoted in HOBO as being ‘Rock’, they were a regular band at the HOBO Workshop. The band were described as a “new and truly original Coventry rock band"
The Hobo Workshop was an offshoot of Hobo (Coventry's Own Music and Arts magazine) and the Worshop gigs were run by Trev Teasdel and Bob Rhodes and the Hobo Workshop Collective).
In fact three early members of the Reluctant Stereotypes were in Analog - they were Steve Edgson, Mick Hartley and Paul Brook.
More can be read about Analog on this blog under A in the index and here is a photo of Analog from the Coventry Evening Telegraph September 1974 at the Hobo Workshop - Holyhead Youth Centre in Coventry with three later member of The Reluctant Stereotypes in the band.
Above - Analog (jazz rock) on stage at the Hobo Workshop gigs summer 1974 - it was their first gig and they played a second time for us in October 74 and were mentioned in Hobo magazine earlier in that year.
At the back with long blond hair is Trev Teasdel who ran Hobo next to Phil Knapper in the stripped shirt - older brother of Stu Knapper, later of punk band Riot Act and youth worker / co-organiser Bob Rhodes at the side of the stage left. At this stage Charley Anderson, Desmond, H and Neol Davies were rehearsing in the basement of the Holyhead - early Ska sounds.
You can hear some great tracks on Sound Cloud by Analog recorded at Snitterfield studios in 1974 HERE
According to Steve Edgson there were two main line ups of The Reluctant Stereotypes - "Around 1978/79, “Reluctant Stereotypes” Mk1 were formed. As well as Steve, the line-up included Martyn Bates, Paul Sampson, Steve Haddon, Mick Hartley and Chris Dunne. Their music was described as “Avant Garde / Jazz angular pop”. Success was not far away, and their first single “The Lull” was record of the week in Anne Nightingales Daily Express Column. They were swiftly signed to Oval Records.
Mk2 of the Reluctant Stereotypes arrived towards the end of 1979. Only Steve Edgson & Paul Sampson remaining from the original line-up, they were joined by Paul King, Tony Wall and Colin Heanes. A change is musical direction occurred .... as their description of “a Theatrical Pop Ska Reggae Band” suggests !
During the next 18 months, they played over 200 gigs nationwide. They enjoyed a Friday Night residence at The Marquee (London), supported Paul Young (Q-Tips) on tour, played the main stage at the Reading Festival and appeared on the Old Grey Whistle Test (with Adam & the Ants ). They were signed by WEA during ‘80 and 81, and their album “The Label” sold over 10,000 copies." Singles
The Lull / The rounds/Come quickly - 1979 Oval
She has changed (not you)/Ben shirtman- 1980 WEA
Confused action / School life - 1980 WEA
Plans for today / Subway - 1980 WEA
Nightmares / Factory wit - 1980 WEA
Albums
The Label
1. Factory Wit 2. Side With Him 3. Back To The Greek 4. Plans For Today 5. Sunday Tears
1978 - Bung (an avant garde Jazz rock band) consisted of Paul Sampson on guitar, Bill Keller on bass Gary Kirton on drums, Dave Budd on saxophone with an alternative Saxophonist Ed? and Amanda Pask on Flute.
1979 - ENS - Steve Haddon and Peter Bosworth formed the avant garde jazz outfit Ens. Ens also consisted of John on drums who was replaced by Paul Brook from Analog who brought along Mick Hartley (bass) and Steve Edgson (Clarinet /guitar) from Analog. Shortly afterwards Paul Sampson replaced Peter Bosworth on guitar, later, brilliant as he was, Paul Brook was replaced by Chris Dunne on drums owing to Paul's other musical commitments. Peter Bosworth (who was a John McLaughlin look/sound-alike) had contributed so much to the band, that it was decided to change the name - Enter The Reluctant Stereotypes Mk 1. (Tragically Peter Bosworth passed away in his mid 20's).
1979 (towards end of) - RELUCTANT STEREOTYPES Mk 1Steve Haddon had wanted the new band to be instrumental but they decided that a vocalist might add a extra dimension. Paul King (later to form the band KING in the mid 80's) was the first vocalist. He was a former Police cadet and was training to be an actor at the Brooklands Annex in Coventry. Steve Haddon comments that he wasn't considered to be a good singer and seemed to be looking for a ready made band and it didn't last more than a few weeks. Paul King was replaced by Martyn Bates (who went on to form Eyeless in Gaza) and who had been to lots of their gigs and came along with lyrics already written to some of their instrumentals and had a very unique voices and style. The line up now was Martyn Bates, Paul Sampson, Steve Edgson, Steve Haddon, Mick Hartley and Chris Dunne - with Paul Brook playing drums on their first single. Their music was now described as "Avant Garde / Jazz Angular Pop". Their first single - The Lull (coupled with The Rounds and Fetch Mr Clifford, the Political Boys are On Us - which was Anne Nightingale's Record of the Week in her Daily Express column and they were swiftly signed to Charlie Gillet's Oval Records in 1979. Pete Chambers adds " All were deliciously different quirky jazz influenced pieces The Rounds remains one of my all time favourites with Martyn Bates (or Salvador Dali as he was often known) delivering a vocal line that was original as the music. It was all so inspired. The band took part in a special Oval Records night at Dingwall's in Camden and began clocking up some great press."
Problems came when the band needed to record a track for their new single. The band was already pulling in different directions as they had a diverse range to their music. Everyone had a different view as to what should be their next single. Steve Haddon recalls "We didn't fall out but I realised we couldn't all get out of the band what we wanted to so I decided to leave".
Martyn Bates felt the music was too clever and too complex while others like Steve Haddon thought the band weren't too serious at all and had a lot of fun along the way. Whatever the internal disputes were they were not to be resolved.
Mick Hartley, Chris Dunne and Martyn Bates also left leaving just Steve Edgson and Paul Sampson. Martyn went on to form Eyeless in Gaza.
End of 79 RELUCTANT STEREOTYPES Mk 2
Paul and Steve rebuilt the band adding vocalist Paul King back in and Colin Heanes on drums, and Tony Wall on bass. A change of direction occurred as the new label "Theatrical, pop ska reggae band" suggests.
During the next 18 months they played over 200 gigs nationwide. They enjoyed Friday night Live at the Marquee club in London, supported Paul Young (Q Tips) on tour, played the main stage at Reading Festival and appeared on the Old Grey Whistle Test, introduced by Anne Nightingale with Adam and the Ants. They were signed to WEA Records during 1980 / 81 and their album The Label sold over 10,000 copies.
They release their next single "She has Changed Not You" recorded at Horizon Studios (a ska track made as a duo before King, Wall and Heanes were recruited with Paul Samson on vocals) produced by Kim Templeman-Homes.
Pete Chambers comments -
"It was easy to see the musical changes, gone were the innovative Jazz time signatures, replaced by the then trendy Ska sound Paul Sampson admits ' It was a conscious attempt for commercial success. I got fed up with people in the factory where I worked asking when I was going to be on telly "
In 1980 the released three further singles produced by Coventry's legendary Record producer and musician Roger Lomas who had produced the Selecter. These were Confused Action / Plans for Today / Nightmares. They did a seaside tour with The Specials and Bodysnatchers in June 1980.
Pete Chambers adds
" they had all the markings of a chart band, the songs, the style with Sampson throwing himself around and King with his drama school mime, not to mention the ever curious Edgson on a not very rock n roll clarinet. They played the Butts festival against racism in 1981 and played support to the Specials. They went out on top though - their final gig being The Reading festival 1981."
Colin Heanes tells us
"Around the time we signed a deal with WEA Records Jerry Dammers offered to release our first single on 2-Tone. The Specials were just about to release their fifth single Stereotype. You don't have to be Einstein to realise that the publicity generated by this would have been massive for us. That would probably have got us on our way chart-wise. I'm sure Jerry could see this too, but we chose not to jump on the bandwagon. Jerry to his credit didn't push us too hard. Although at the time I'm sure he was too busy to push too hard anyway."
Paul King's Website has the full lyrics to the Album and some interesting cuttings and reviews, AFTER RELUCTANT STEREOTYPES
Steve Edgson and Paul Sampson formed the psychedelic Pink Umbrellas with Robin Hill and Barry Jones. They released one single "Raspberry Rainbow" on the Ready Steady Go label (See entry for Pink Umbrellas for a link to a snippet of audio.).
Paul King, Colin Heanes and Tony Wall would go to form the Raw Screens and later becoming the chart topping band KING in 1985. Sadly Colin Heanes was replaced on drums shortly after they became King.
Paul Sampson went on to be a record producer - for The Primitives and Catatonia and Bhangra acts along with many others. Paul Brook went on to be a producer too with Cold Cut and much more.
Material from Steve Ashwell of The Stoker and Leigh Malin who writes -
"The Relatives were a reggae band in the early to mid 90's I played in. I don't know all of the members surnames, but I can tell you what I remember. This was an original band, with the odd cover chucked in. We played the General Wolfe frequently & all the usual Coventry venues. We also did the Uni circuit too."
Ged 'The General' - lead vocals / guitar CamilleLove - backing vocals Trevor "E.T" 'Rockers' Evans - drums / vocals Jack - percussion Leigh Malin - tenor / baritone sax Mark Burke - tenor sax Dee - alto sax Paul'Goldfinger' Aubertin - bass
Pete Chambers - from Godiva Rocks book 2004
"The Relatives played their own brand of upfront reggae dance... They were the subject of a Channel 4 short film called Just Enough Light. The buzz they created in the 90's seemed to be enough to make them the next big thing from the region. Rightly so, their music was well crafted, these guys took their sound very seriously indeed. Their lover styled beats, smoothed over with tender blues guitar riffs gave way to dynamic walls of urban percussion guaranteed to set any dance hall alight. They played a lot out of the area including London, even had a well-oiled management team. Despite having everything right, a major deal never came their way and the parting of the band was inevitable."
