The CHADS

 

The CHADS

BAND INDEX

Also see http://www.brumbeat.net/chads.htm as the Chads were a Birmingham band but with strong Coventry connections.

circa 1965 Beat group

 Mick Adkins lead guitar, vocal (left in 1965) Keith Harrison drums

Joe Parsons bass guitar, vocal Keith Warrender guitar, harmonica (left in 1965)

John Williams lead vocal, harmonica / sax

Pauline Shepherd lead vocal (joined & left in 1964)

Jeff Lynne lead guitar (joined in 1965)

Margaret Reiss keyboards (joined in 1965)

 

 Margaret Reiss left April 1965 and was replaced by Gordon Hughes, they eventually broke up in July 1965.    The bassist joined Coventry band The Establishment.

 Jeff Lynne also played in the band from early 1965 until the split when he and Williams joined Coventry band The Mad Classix.

 From Pete Chambers - Backbeat - Coventry Telegraph

" The Chads were actually a Birmingham band, but they were to spend so much time playing in Coventry that the locals took them’ as a Coventry band.

Formed in the late 1950s as the Sundowners they were one of the first bands in Birmingham, beginning a fine tradition that would later include Brummie trailblazers like Mike Sheridan and the Nightriders, The Fortunes, Carl Wayne and The Vikings and The Moody Blues.

 After numerous personnel changes the boys hooked up with an artist managed by Reg Calvert going under the name of Robby Hood. They became his merry men and were forced to dress the part including green tights!

After six months, and one disastrous gig, they parted company with Robby Hood and reinvented themselves as the Chads. Coventry agent Vince Martin (Holliday) began work on their behalf and secured them a tour of American Air Force bases in France

 They took a female singer with them who couldn’t actually sing (in the hope she would get better. She didn't) and to make matters worse they ended up making their temporary home in a sleazy hotel full of prostitutes and drunken GIs. Despite the conditions they lasted six weeks and eventually came back to the UK in 1964.

 On their return a certain Jeff Lynne joined the band, this was early 65, and he stayed for a while until he joined The Nightriders that became Idle Race, before going on to The Move, ELO and the mega-stardom Of The Travelling Wilbury’s."

 "Jeff Lynne was also a member of Coventry band The Mad Classix in a stint that lasted just three weeks. It ended when the Mad Classix had their van stolen and all their gear was inside it!

 The Chads agent Vince Martin (Holliday) was himself a member of one of Coventry’s first rock n roll bands, The Vampires.

 More than 30 years later, the Chads are still mates and get together occasionally to record some old blues numbers."

 As this was a Birmingham band with strong Coventry connections the reader is referred to Brum Beat site for fuller information.

 " The Chads had an agent named Vince Martin from Coventry who found some supposedly lucrative bookings for the group in France at U.S. Army and Air Force bases. There was a catch though. The group would have to hire a female lead singer as was a condition for the gigs so after a number of auditions, Pauline Shepherd was selected for the role. Thus in September of 1964, The Chads departed on the ferry to France for their "big adventure" on the Continent. After arriving in Dunkirk, the band spent the night in less than desirable accommodations before setting off the next day in their van for Toul army base near Verdun."