PEPPERMINT CIRCUS
circa 1972 Source - Broadgate Gnome
Paul Thomas
"The founding members of Peppermint circus were me, Paul (Tommy) Thomas - lead singer and John Roddis (RIP) lead guitar. Both ex Sons of Son and The Sporting Life. Pete O'Keiffe - keyboards. Alan Tallis - bass guitar (RIP) and Paul (Twanky) Langer - Drums (RIP) soon followed. Pete left and was replaced by John Rivers. He in turn left and was replaced by Clive Hartley. I left the band a while after the release of "Let me go" after discovering that management had done a bunk with a lot of money, which destroyed me. So John Roddis and I had been in the band through all the singles, radio and TV shows, though on some "Popographies we appear to have been whitewashed out. Just setting the record straight. Good news is that Clive Hartley and I are playing together again in "The Firm" t/w old friends Bob Poole, Paul Shanahan and Martin Burt."
Barry Mansel-Edwards says " I was the Roadie for Ultra Sound, and I recall us being on
the same bill as Peppermint Circus at some time prior to December 1969. I am very certain of this, as by then I had left Ultra Sound to pursue other interests. "
Line up: Clive Hartley - keyboards, Alan Tallis - bass, James Curtis - vocalist/songwriter, Paul Langer - drums, Barry Naylor - Guitar
Peppermint Circus used an ex-Airport double-decker bus painted black, white and orange. They had it fitted with beds, lights, heating and a cooker. Clive Hartley played the first time on a television programme "LIFT OFF" when their previous organist dropped out suddenly. Had a Continental hit with "One Thing Could Lead to Another" in Holland reaching no.9 in the hit parade. Booked via Village Promotions.
Barry Mansel-Edwards also comments " The information about the converted bus is certainly accurate, and I well remember it being regularly parked in Earlsdon, roughly opposite The Hen and Chickens."
the same bill as Peppermint Circus at some time prior to December 1969. I am very certain of this, as by then I had left Ultra Sound to pursue other interests. "
Line up: Clive Hartley - keyboards, Alan Tallis - bass, James Curtis - vocalist/songwriter, Paul Langer - drums, Barry Naylor - Guitar
Peppermint Circus used an ex-Airport double-decker bus painted black, white and orange. They had it fitted with beds, lights, heating and a cooker. Clive Hartley played the first time on a television programme "LIFT OFF" when their previous organist dropped out suddenly. Had a Continental hit with "One Thing Could Lead to Another" in Holland reaching no.9 in the hit parade. Booked via Village Promotions.
Barry Mansel-Edwards also comments " The information about the converted bus is certainly accurate, and I well remember it being regularly parked in Earlsdon, roughly opposite The Hen and Chickens."
Singles
All the King's Horses 1968
All the King's Horses
A refreshing blast from the past with Peppermint Circus; PEPPERMINT CIRCUS were a local unit that had hits on the continent and released a total of five singles. In spite of this they remained almost unknown in their home country, so now's the time to shed some light on this enigmatic band.
MANY believe that Peppermint Circus were another incarnation of Cov band Peppermint Kreem - they definitely weren't.
This five-piece included Alan Tallis on bass, James Curtis singer and songwriter, Paul Langer on drums, Barry Naylor on guitar and Clive Hartley on keyboards.
Although the band would be known as a Coventry outfit, only Clive actually came from the city, with Alan coming from Solihull and Paul from Kineton in Warwickshire.
The mid-60s was to prove an interesting time for Clive and co. Not least for the mode of transport they became known for. Many bands had gimmicks, Peppermint Circus had a real big one and chose to excite the press with an ex-airport double-decker bus. It was painted black, white and orange and included all mod-cons such as beds, lights, heaters and even a cooker. Rumour has it that it also contained a 10-gallon barrel of cider - not for the driver though!
Fan club secretary Stephanie Beddard had this to say about the bus in a 1971 copy of the girls' magazine Jackie: "It was an incredible vehicle, like something out of a nightmare on the outside and all mod-cons inside. They were planning to have a telephone installed, when the bus broke down and they found it would cost the earth to have it repaired.
"They were heartbroken when they had to sell it and buy an ordinary van, I think it had become a second home."
Transport aside, the band were all proficient musicians and had no problem in creating some great songs and records.
Their first single was released on the Swedish label Olga in April 1968, (because of the Scandinavian connection many believed them to be a Swedish group). That single was All the King's Horses, a Bee Gees' cover that failed to set the charts alight.
So they switched labels to Polydor and released the ska-influenced song I Won't be There, and then the very commercial Please be Patient. Once again their brand of music was lost on the record-buying public, so they simply got on their bus and signed for the mighty A&M record label.
Things took a turn for the better, A&M put its considerable clout behind them and their fourth single, One Thing Can Lead to Another, began storming up the European charts. This song is very much deja-vu-pop, unrecognisable by its title but immediately remembered when it's heard. It's an infectious piece of bubblegum soul, with some impressive vocal harmonies.
Don't go looking in the UK chart books for it though, because it was never a hit in this country. On the other hand Germany and Holland went for it in a big way, it reached number 35 in the Netherlands and number nine in Germany.
As previously mentioned the band even had their own fan club, run by Stephanie Beddard, who was 18 at the time. For just 25p per year you received a picture of the band, a badge and lifelines on each member of the Peppermint Circus. Apparently they were a friendly bunch who liked to meet their fans.
With A&M records happy with their continental success, a huge push was made for the follow-up and that was to be Let Me Go, released in January 1970. Produced by Mike Batt, the single was released in Germany, Spain, France, Portugal, the Netherlands and America.
Despite pulling out all the stops the label, and indeed the band, were never rewarded with a second hit. What happened to the band (and the fan club secretary) is not known, though they left behind a legacy of five very collectable pop singles and sunk back into a peppermint haze of mystery.
I Won't Be There / Keeping My Head Above Water - 1968 Single above.
One Thing Can Lead to Another / It’s So Easy 1969
School Days / Let Me Go 1970
I Won't Be There
Keeping My Head Above Water
One Thing Can lead To Another
School Days
Let Me Go
From the Coventry Telegraph Pete Chambers 2006
A refreshing blast from the past with Peppermint Circus; PEPPERMINT CIRCUS were a local unit that had hits on the continent and released a total of five singles. In spite of this they remained almost unknown in their home country, so now's the time to shed some light on this enigmatic band.
MANY believe that Peppermint Circus were another incarnation of Cov band Peppermint Kreem - they definitely weren't.
This five-piece included Alan Tallis on bass, James Curtis singer and songwriter, Paul Langer on drums, Barry Naylor on guitar and Clive Hartley on keyboards.
Although the band would be known as a Coventry outfit, only Clive actually came from the city, with Alan coming from Solihull and Paul from Kineton in Warwickshire.
The mid-60s was to prove an interesting time for Clive and co. Not least for the mode of transport they became known for. Many bands had gimmicks, Peppermint Circus had a real big one and chose to excite the press with an ex-airport double-decker bus. It was painted black, white and orange and included all mod-cons such as beds, lights, heaters and even a cooker. Rumour has it that it also contained a 10-gallon barrel of cider - not for the driver though!
Fan club secretary Stephanie Beddard had this to say about the bus in a 1971 copy of the girls' magazine Jackie: "It was an incredible vehicle, like something out of a nightmare on the outside and all mod-cons inside. They were planning to have a telephone installed, when the bus broke down and they found it would cost the earth to have it repaired.
"They were heartbroken when they had to sell it and buy an ordinary van, I think it had become a second home."
Transport aside, the band were all proficient musicians and had no problem in creating some great songs and records.
Their first single was released on the Swedish label Olga in April 1968, (because of the Scandinavian connection many believed them to be a Swedish group). That single was All the King's Horses, a Bee Gees' cover that failed to set the charts alight.
So they switched labels to Polydor and released the ska-influenced song I Won't be There, and then the very commercial Please be Patient. Once again their brand of music was lost on the record-buying public, so they simply got on their bus and signed for the mighty A&M record label.
Things took a turn for the better, A&M put its considerable clout behind them and their fourth single, One Thing Can Lead to Another, began storming up the European charts. This song is very much deja-vu-pop, unrecognisable by its title but immediately remembered when it's heard. It's an infectious piece of bubblegum soul, with some impressive vocal harmonies.
Don't go looking in the UK chart books for it though, because it was never a hit in this country. On the other hand Germany and Holland went for it in a big way, it reached number 35 in the Netherlands and number nine in Germany.
As previously mentioned the band even had their own fan club, run by Stephanie Beddard, who was 18 at the time. For just 25p per year you received a picture of the band, a badge and lifelines on each member of the Peppermint Circus. Apparently they were a friendly bunch who liked to meet their fans.
With A&M records happy with their continental success, a huge push was made for the follow-up and that was to be Let Me Go, released in January 1970. Produced by Mike Batt, the single was released in Germany, Spain, France, Portugal, the Netherlands and America.
Despite pulling out all the stops the label, and indeed the band, were never rewarded with a second hit. What happened to the band (and the fan club secretary) is not known, though they left behind a legacy of five very collectable pop singles and sunk back into a peppermint haze of mystery.
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