THE ATLANTICS
Source - Pete Chambers - Godiva Rocked to a Backbeat
" One of the city's first Rock n Roll outfits based around the energetic vocalist Johnny Martin and guitarist - Don Kerr / Mick Calcott - bass / Eddie Milton - Rhythm Guitar / Tony Chambers - Drums. Sorrows guitarist Pip Witcher was later a member. Don and Johnny joined the Reg Calvert venture - Freddie Weir and the Werewolves.
Don came up with the group's name giving an British slant to calling a band after classic cars. In this case the Austin Atlantic A90. Johnny got to back Gene Vincent at the Orchid Ballroom and eventually formed a country band The Big City Boys. Don joined the Brook Brothers. He also played on the hit singles War Paint and Ain't Gonna Wash for a Week. Don joined Staveley Makepeace - (associated with Lieutenant Pigeon)
"The ATLANTICS were also formed during the very early 60s and this band included Johnny Martin on vocals, Don Kerr, Mick Calcott, Eddie Milton and Tony Chambers. Also future members of The Sorrows Phil Packham, who had by now left The Vampires, and Pip Witcher who performed at some point with The Atlantics.
The places they played included: Collycroft Club, Bedworth most Thursdays; Newdigate Club, Bedworth, most Tuesdays; St George’s Hall, Nuneaton, most Saturdays, the Ritz cinema, Longford, on the odd Friday night or Sunday afternoon; the Stag and Pheasant, Lockhurst Lane, Sunday lunchtimes - on the same bill as the Vampires and The Zodiacs."
New Article by Pete Chambers in Coventry Telegraph 2014
Photo below - The Atlantics playing at Rootes Ryton in 1959
The Atlantics, one of the very first rock ‘n’ roll bands to come out of Coventry. I thought now was the time to tell a little more about this trailblazing band.
The Atlantics were formed from the Hepjacks skiffle band at a time when rock ‘n’ roll was still young, (Don came up with the name the Atlantics, giving a British slant to the American trend of naming bands after classic cars – the car in question is the Austin Atlantic A90).
The legendary Buddy Holly was still alive and rag-tag horde of British skiffle bands were all looking to America again for inspiration and were discovering that their ‘do-it-yourself’ music was slowly evolving into full-on rock ‘n’ roll.
It was November 5, 1958 and a young guitarist named Don Kerr had just auditioned for the skiffle band The Hepjacks, he got the gig, and by the time vocalist Johnny Martin joined they had transformed into a real rock ‘n’ roll outfit.
I recall a chat I had with Jonny a long time ago, he told me that he believed they were the first rock ‘n’ roll band in the area as far as he could remember. He was of course talking about a real working band that played shows, not just rehearsed in their bedrooms or whatever.
He recalled that there was The Atlantics from Coventry, The Grasshoppers from Birmingham and The Dolphins from Nuneaton. The band’s personnel at that time was Don Kerr (lead guitar), Johnny Martin (vocals), Mick Calcott (bass), Eddie Milton (rhythm guitar) and Tony Chambers (drums).
The band soon began making a big noise in the area, not just for their stylish rock ‘n’ roll, but also for their manic stage antics that saw frontman Johnny throwing himself down on the stage floor still clutching the microphone, singing like there was no tomorrow.
The Camberley News and Bagshot Observer had this to say about Johnny in the 60s: “Johnny Martin, a tall blond-haired attractive lad, seemed to get some sort of message over to the teenagers. They stood at his juggling feet, gazing in awe at his frenzied acrobatics. Amazingly enough he still kept in tune.”
They secured a residency at the Rootes Ryton club every Wednesday night, this only helped to increase their popularity and bigger gigs beckoned like the Centre Ballroom (now the Aston Court) and the Majestic Ballroom (later the Orchid) in Coventry.
By November 1959 though, Johnny and Don had left the group, as the pair wanted to go pro and move to London to gig.
Ricky Lee replaced Johnny. Don’s space was filled by Pip Witcher, who would eventually become a member of The Sorrows.
Ron Cooke had joined and Mick also left and his replacement was Tony ‘Corky’ Clarke who went on to become a legendary producer for the likes of the Moody Blues.
Al King joined as the sax player. So by then all the originals had gone and had been replaced by new members, though the band went on for another two years at least.
Don and Johnny formed new band “Johnny Martin with Freddie Were and the Werewolves” under the management of Reg Calvert. Because of his dyed blond hair Johnny was immediately christened “The big beat blond bombshell” by Reg. They had a lot of fun with Reg and the Werewolves, but eventually they moved on.
Johnny got to back Gene Vincent at The Orchid Ballroom and he eventually formed a country band The Big City Boys. Don joined the Brook Brothers and played on the hit singles ‘War Paint’ and ‘Ain’t Gonna Wash for A Week’. He joined Stavely Makepeace in the late Sixties.
(Pic The Atlantics on stage -Johnny Martin and Don Kerr)
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