Gregorian Chant
Post for related bands - Gregorian Chant / Boots / Children / Canyon / Joker.
David Bown (Vocalist) has kindly supplied a great history of the band and sent me quite a bit of material to share here. I will cross reference this material on the entry for the other bands too.
The A side of the single - You Better Run - - a Young Rascals song and the B side written by the band A to D below on the Youngblood label 1970. Produced by Mike Berry of Sparta Music Florida.
Children with Steve Palmer on drums (brother of Carl Palmer ELP) at the Coventry Arts Umbrella booked by Al Docker and Trev Teasdel
Joker on stage at Canley College
The Draw - Don Wright's band.
Dennis Burns (of Flood)- "Mike went on an A&R visit to see Boots (ex-Gregorian Chant) at a gig at Wolvey Village Hall in the summer of 1970. Mike liked Fresh Maggots so much that he signed them up." " I guested with ex Gregorian Chant and Boots guitarist, Don Wright's band - The Draw, a few weeks a go. " comment from 2007.
Terry Bown was in Smackee
Melody Maker Photo when the Boots single came out.
The Mosquitoes Rick Medlock on drums.
As Children - the band played the Coventry Arts Umbrella Club, 18, Queen Victoria Rd on Friday September 25th 1970. Booked by Al Docker. Other places they were advertised Gigs in 1971 included The Village (Colin Campbell) on Fri 1st January, The Walsgrave Tues 12th Jan 1971 and Warwick University Arts Fest. Sunday 7th March.Gregorian Chant - the full history from Vocalist Dave Bown
Formed in 1967 by Singer David Bown & Guitarist Don Wright and a very enthusiastic Terry Bown – Dave’s brother. Terry had played piano but never played guitar he pick up bass very quickly. Terry & Don were still at school, Dave was midway through an apprenticeship. After a few months of rehearsal with a local pub drummer Brian Bludell the band recruited a younger drummer Paul White and established drummer who had learned his skills with the TA band. The four of them really worked well together, all four had studied music to various standards, Don was practically well versed and his understanding of musical theory really helped the band in its early days.
They played together for four years, in clubs, pubs, dance halls and open venues in and around the Midlands, built a real following and reputation, firstly playing pop standards and gradually developing their own style of music, influenced by bands like Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall, Cream, Jeff Beck, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath.
A young bunch of very enthusiastic semi pro musicians writing their own songs, striving to make a career in music, to try and move things along a bit Terry wrote a letter in answer to an ad in Melody Maker, a reply came back asked for a demo tape. The band booked a recording studio in Birmingham and recorded and number of songs, the real to real tap recording on was sent it back, as a result of this they met A & R man Mike Berry of Sparta Florida Music in their offices in Oxford Street London.
Berry arranged a demo session for the boys in Luxembourg Studios behind the Park Lane Hilton Hotel, as a result of which
he arranged for them to record and release the Young Rascals song “you better run” (which incidentally was on the YOUNG BLOOD label and the follow up to their hit record Indian Reservation by Don Fardon, Don was also from Coventry). The B side to “you better run” was A to D, originally a rock number written by the band and indeed much more in keeping with the type of material Gregorian Chant were now playing.
Again, however, Berry steered the boys, led by a recent comment of John Lennon’s who said “If the Beatles recorded the telephone directory it would make number one” Berry got the boys to play the original music track they had written and then had Dave read and sing numbers and addresses from the London A to D telephone Directory in one take. Berry topped this by adding dial up time recorded service beeps.
BOOTS
This was a really exciting time for them but also meant some hard decision. Berry didn’t like the name Gregorian Chant and insisted that the band’s name be changed to Boots, which the boys were not too keen on but went along with it.
Opportunities were opening up, there was a lot of hard work to looked forward to all of which indicated that they were heading for a full time career, unfortunately at the time Paul decided he didn’t want to do that, but wanted to stay in his chosen carrier as an accountant, which he did and has been very successful to this day. At the same time as the record was released Dave & Terry’s Mum, who had always managed the band and spend all her spare time getting them gigs and making sure the four boys were well looked after, decided that the next stage of their carrier was a step too far for her.
So brothers Dave & Terry and Don Wright had to find a new drummer and put their faith in Mike Berry! They firstly found a power house of a drummer from Birmingham Les Fortnam, a really well accomplished drummer (ex Bob Cats of Blue Peter 1966 fame) Les played very much in a John Bonham style and could really lay down a solid beat. Les was a great drummer and a whole bunch of fun. Unfortunately he was only to stay with the band for only a few months, due to a number of things, Mike Berry being the main one, he didn’t like Les’s style of drumming, it was far too heavy for Berry, so sadly Les had to leave the band.
The boys were unhappy with how things were progressing; their style of music was being influenced however with Les on drums they had added to their sound and style getting a little heavier, a style which they all enjoyed. Some of the gigs they played at this time really did get good reviews; needless to say “You Better Run” was not always in the programme.
As a point of interest, when Mike Berry came to the Midlands to see Boots perform he also met a number of the bands friends who were in bands, this resulted in his relationship with both the bands Ning and Fresh Maggots. The guys in all three bands were school friends.
From Broadgate Gnome 1970
Children / Canyon
Les was eventually replaced by a very young, more technical Steve Palmer from Birmingham (younger brother of Carl Palmer of Emerson Lake & Palmer fame) at the same time they drifted away from Mike B and started writing and performing more of their own material and less covers. Luckily there was no strong contract in place so the new band had the freedom to move forward. With the help from John Tully “Inter City Artists” Birmingham they started getting some really prestigious gigs. After a split with Berry they changed the band’s name to Children, but after a few gigs felt it to be a bit soft, so changed again it to Canyon.
“Canyon” was the result of five years hard work” and for 18 months they played some great gigs all around the country, as well as supported a lot of top rock bands of the early 70’s, and the band were also offered a number of deals, John Tully really worked hard for them, however when the time came for a contract to be signed with a major company Steve, who was then under 18 could not sign and his family decide it was too early in his carrier to get into anything permanent, another fork in the road, but this one hurt.
The original three were looking for a new drummer again, finding a drummer to replace Steve was very hard, Terry and Steve had developed a very solid musical relationship, they were so tight and it gave Don so much freedom, 3 months after Steve Palmer left the band Canyon split. (colour photo above of Canyon)
Steve joined a band called Heaven and has had a great career in music to this day, Dave went back into engineering and didn’t join a band again for two yrs, then only a local act, Don & Terry joined Love Machine but that only lasted a few months. Don then chose to go to teachers training college; the only original Gregorian Chant band member who made a full time career in music was Terry. Terry played in numerous groups both in the U.K. & Germany including Coventry’s own Smackee and Khayyam. Eventually Terry moved to the U.S.A lived and worked in and around the Los Angeles area for almost 20 years.
Don, Paul and Dave did get together again 3 years after the original band split, be it semi pro working discos and clubs in
and around Coventry in a covers band - “Dave and the Sun” this was a band Dave had originally joined called The Sun after a few changes this band became “Dave & The Sun” and evolved into “JOKER” a very popular covers band that played all over the UK and had an eventful trip to Denmark & Norway.
The guys in the original Joker line up were David Bown vocals and guitar, Rob McKenzie vocals and bass guitar, Don Wright Lead Guitar and Jim Ferris Drums, the band did go full time, when they did Don & Jim unfortunately left the band and Chuck Elliott came in as Lead Guitar and Ricky Medlock replaces Jim as the Drummer, prior to the trip to Denmark/Norway Chris Jones was added to the band line up as a second guitarist. When they came back to the UK and the band split. Photo of Joker above Joker, final line up. L to R Chris Jones, Rob McKenzie, Dave Bown, Chuck Elliot, Ricky Medlock
Dave Bown, still play’s and sings but nothing permanent. He love’s his drum machine!!
Don Wright is still playing and has had a long standing local band call The Draw
Terry Bown is back from the USA now but is currently not playing
Paul White no longer plays, but was playing local gigs until 3 years ago.
Les Fortnam, still plays in and around Birmingham.
Steve Palmer, has had a great career, you can check him out on the internet.
Rob McKenzie, went on to have a fantastic carrier in entertainment as one of the senior managers with “Circ de Soleil”, lives between Canada & the West Indies now (someone has to do it)
Jim Ferris, has a very successful drum school in Exmouth; Jim has also had a great musical carrier as I understand it mainly with big bands
Ricky Medlock, is still playing and is currently working in an around Coventry with various bands, he had a brilliant time in the industry playing with Barbara Dixon and many others.
Chris Jones, Khayyam (with Rick Medlock - toured Europe - Jazz rock - residencies at Earlsdon Cottage - Coventry and Ronnie Scotts in London. Chris is still playing in his own band in and around Leamington, Warwick
Chuck Elliott - Side Effects with Chris Jones - jazz funk - backed various visiting Talma Stars in the late 70's.
The Draw - Don Wright's band.
Terry Bown was in Smackee
The Mosquitoes Rick Medlock on drums.
Comments from the old Hobo vox / Typepad blog
This is excellent. Cheers Trev and Dennis. Boots were great!
Posted by: Jim Pryal | 07/29/2007 at 09:43 PM
[this is good]
I guested with ex Gregorian Chant and Boots guitarist, Don Wright's band - The Draw, a few weeks a go. I'll confirm the rest of the two band's line ups with him and will post here. Dennis
Posted by: Dennis Burns | 07/30/2007 at 09:51 AM
Band that played at the Colin Campbell
Lead Guitar - Don Wright
Drummer - Paul White
Bass - Terry Bown
Vocalist - Dave Bown
Posted by: Dave B | 06/25/2013 at 04:45 PM
[this is good]
I guested with ex Gregorian Chant and Boots guitarist, Don Wright's band - The Draw, a few weeks a go. I'll confirm the rest of the two band's line ups with him and will post here. Dennis
Posted by: Dennis Burns | 07/30/2007 at 09:51 AM
Band that played at the Colin Campbell
Lead Guitar - Don Wright
Drummer - Paul White
Bass - Terry Bown
Vocalist - Dave Bown
Posted by: Dave B | 06/25/2013 at 04:45 PM
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