Email to Bristol Evening Post

BRIAN K Jones was born in Bristol in 1934 and evacuated to Cornwall in 1940, returning home after the war.

It was here during the Sixties he made his mark in the local pop scene managing Bristol groups including the Comets, the Cadillacs, the Corvettes, Chet and the Triumphs and the Colin Anthony Combo. He also created the legendary Groups Galore shows at Bristol's Colston Hall.

The first of those, in December 1960, was a ground-breaking event, the first time ever that semi-pro groups appeared at the city's major concert venue.

Brian – who now lives in the village of Newton-with-Scales, Lancashire – recalls: “In 1960, while managing The Comets, we travelled to London to audition at the 2 Is Coffee Bar, as did hundreds of other semi-pro groups from all over country, playing for the chance of being 'spotted'.

“The bar manager was Tom Littlewood, who wasn't exactly renowned for having a good reputation. He was interested in the fact that we came from Bristol and made me a proposition – how would I like to book Colston Hall on his behalf and promote a concert there using his own groups (virtually unknown other than one, Paul Raven, who a few years later adopted the name of Gary Glitter)? The added bait was the possibility of putting the Comets on the bill.

“I was delighted, and made a provisional booking – only for Tom Littlewood then to ask how many seats I could guarantee to sell!

“Obviously, there was no way I could give such a guarantee, and the matter closed.

“It was then I thought, if I could book the hall on behalf of someone else, why not book it in my own name and promote a show featuring six of Bristol's top groups?

“I made plans and I booked the hall for December 18, 1960.

“One person who wasn't impressed was the late Charles H Lockier, for many years the West Country's foremost concert promoter, who was outraged that local groups would be appearing at the hall for what he called an 'amateur show' and he forecast that it would be a big failure.

“We needed to sell out this 2,000-seater venue. So instead of paying the groups a fee, we offered them half of all ticket sales they made – and sales boomed.

“The rest, as they say, is history.

“The big day came around and it was an outstanding success, the talk of Bristol and the forerunner of shows like Groups Galore Again over the next few years.”

By [sfeeley]
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Hello Neil
Not sure if you'll get this but I saw an old post you mafde regarding the corvettes. I remember your Mum and dad, my dad was Dave Box who played the drums with the corvettes. Did you ever find any photos? My dad passed away recently and we're looking for some old band photos.
Best wishes
Nic

Hi Nic and Neil if you're still around. I joined the corvettes as lead guitarist after Dave Fahy and Ray Truscott left for richer rewards. Steve Thynne had taken over as singer and rhythm guitarist. Geoff Fothergill played bass and Dave " Bocker" Box was on drums. We played most of the halls round Bristol and the villages within a fifty mile radius. Didn't do much for my uni studies but it was fun. Strictly a covers band, but weren't they all back then. Alan B Williams drove the van and acted as roadie. He was chronically late, and we always told him that we were starting an hour before we really were. Geoff tried to teach me to drive in his Morris Minor, though without much success.

When Steve moved on we got Alan Dale in as singer and Mike Morley( I think, memory is not what it used to be) on rhythm guitar. We discovered that Alan could sing a strong falsetto and started to do three part harmonies: Beach boys, Four seasons. It was a point of difference given that there were so many bands doing the same stuff.

I was transferred to London and left the band in the mid-sixties. Kinda lost touch with the guys after that. In 1973 I moved to Perth in Western Australia with my Aussie wife. Played in several bands over the years. For the last four years I've played lead in a sequenced trio, still doing the old fifties and sixties stuff. At 75 years of age it gives me an interest and keeps me off the sreets.

Sorry I have nether photos nor memorabilia of the band but the memories remain undiminished.

Dark Haloun