Anyone else had some joy? Sorry for my faulty English part of it got lost through age, haha. Such fantastic memories..you will probably remember my brother Tim Gentle of Tim Gentle and his Gentlemen. From the very beginning of me buying records I always looked at the words in brackets under the song titles. We were on a high after this successful night and returned to our accommodation, in which we were sharing one room. we use to go to the broadway pub in them days before we came to tiffinys . Barry had a unique drum style but more importantly he owned an old Austin estate wagon, which was perfect for transporting our few bits of equipment to future gigs. When we arrived on the first day, a very officious commissionaire at the studio gates, checked his artistes list and told us that we were male small partscertainly no good for our street credibility !! my girlfriend. Brian knows I am looking for some visuals and so I hope he wont mind me getting in touch in this way! I remember Lionel from the Estuary Gym, as I trained there. He did however try with Wiggins Teape but I surmise that he never was too comfortable in an office. We were engaged at one point, but I got fed up and went off to the States, lost touch. There is still plenty of Monotones and Treetops memories that sit proudly at their home, so if anyone had anything they may be tucked away that I could get for Dad it would be a pleasure to hear from you (Autographs of the band recently went for 5 on e-bay! Little did we know that some years later we would apply to go on his Radio One show! Bit too much weight for the dear old boy to lift now, though. This caught the attention of the headmaster who informed me that I was probably in the wrong job, he was right and I left. I had forgotten he was the bouncer at the Elm. He had to be taken way in an ambulance as he didnt recover from the one short whack Lionel rendered. Then would then alert the rest of the clubs staff to man their pre-appointed stations. His third single When Im Gonna Find Her was released in 1966 and has since become a collectors item. 167. In the 1960s the band were regulars at The Elms, The Halfway House in Thorpe Bay and the Kursaal Ballroom but we also played all the yacht clubs in the area and many times at the Cliffs Pavilion. Our first group consisted, it seemed, of anyone who could sing, strum, bang or blow an instrument. I think it was at this time that the name Monotones was suggested. A fairly decent snooker player.I never did manage to beat him. Hitparade always in front of it. Problem was, how could a then little known group fill the venue, on a Thursday evening when it was in any case competing with the London? These included Eric Morley and his wife Julia who also organised and ran the Miss World Beauty Pageant. Early Years. As ex-WHSB I too have lots of memories of those days generally, and of our association with the Monotones, mainly Nigel and Brian. We had a guy named Joey Pyle, who was a professional criminal and associate of both The Krays and The Richardsons. We asked if we could borrow their instruments, which to our surprise they agreed to do. Paul, Hello Ian .. great to read your entry.it brought back many memories which at 67 Im finding increasingly difficult to recall! It was originally a cinema I believe in the 50s, then it was a nightclub called the Moulin Rouge. I remember this had 4 strings but an unplayable bottom E. Peter always turned up for practice knowing the bass line of any new song. July 16, 2022 by Alan Esdaile. In one version of the Paramounts, Chris Copping of Southend High was on bass and Mickey Brownlee of Wentworth (or Eastwood) was on drums and he was a cracking little drummer. R.I.P Bash and entertain the great manager in the sky with your rendition of Jezabel. There was not much for me in the English charts then the stuff sounds so dated today! Are you still head chef or retired? The Elms was our local haunt Tuesdays and Thursdays and every other Saturday as I recall 1 shilling and sixpence om Tuesdays and two bob on Thursdays. The Paramounts, of course: who totally eschewed whatever was In and continued with their focus on R & B. Places like Tiffanys are sadly missed but great memories. We then decided it was time to move on. The answer came along in the form of Ron Brown who was proficient as a drummer and had a fine voice. Blimey! At the school actually more or less. Does your group ever play down this neck of the woods, would be great to meet and hear you. Brian had brought a penny whistle with him and was playing Tom Hark a popular chart tune by The Ted Heath Orchestra. Hanging around with bands in my German school days was logical. Not much singing required in sculpture and pottery: fortunately. Colombia DB8934 1972 Gypsy/Life Is Getting Better. I cannot use a computer and I do not text but my contact details can be found on the Moody Blues website. There were of course many other groups around the town, including Sounds Around, The Avengers, The Mustangs, Dave and The Classics, Micky Law and The Statesmen, Tim Gentle and The Gentlemen, and many others. Like many other contributors, I also attended Westcliff High School for Boys (from 1954-61) and, apart from being lead singer with the Mustangs from 1962-65 (see Mick Reads email of 11th January) Im also the older (and much smaller) brother of Lionel Thomas who, around the time he was a bouncer at the Elm Hotel with Terry Latter, was Britains strongest youth, with an 18 inch collar size and 46 inch chest. Our stage was set into a cave with a door at the back leading to the dressing room. I still have his recording of Someones In The Kitchen With Dinah Keep well, Jim. Hi Mike, Its been a while since I looked at the site as I have just returned from Australia on a visit to my daughter and family. I dont go to South end very often now but was there last year and showed my husband some of my old haunts and told him about the White all and the London inn. His talent undeniable His humour ceaseless His resistance immeasurable Towards his cruel illness, Thats robbed us of an artist A gentleman,a friend A memory thats endless, A song without end. Every time I drive past the Elms I remember you all and the wonderful times we had. Hi Pete, I was interested in your comments about our supposed recording of When will I be Loved and as I am pretty much house bound at the moment due to the snow etc. Thus, for a couple of gigs, (Whitehall off of Clatterfield Gardens, Westcliff and the community hall, in Snakes Lane Eastwood, I became the Monotones Bassist. It also meant we were chosen to play at many prestigious gigs. but great reading all the forums,also we use to go to orchid ballroom purley. Incidentally,I remember I Remember [apologies] was chosen as an A side by The Three Bells,a UK soul girl trio but have had no luck in tracing it. Cinderella Rockerfellas. You were my English teacher. That certainly brings back memories. J s. As regards Nigel/Mark I used to work at an air cargo company at Southend Airport in fact I am still in the air cargo business even at 65 but Nigel was always looking for a bit of extra cash and he used to drive our van to collect cargo from all over Essex on various occasions. It was a surprise when at around three in the morning, we were awoken by heavy banging on the door. Following our successful audition as The Monotones for the residency at the new Tiffanys in Wimbledon, the grand opening night was set for mid April 1966. 1424 Lower Main St, Wailuku, Maui, HI 96793-1918 +1 808-249-0052 Website Menu. Cant tell you too much about him except that I was told he became a car dealer in South London. Im not a good flyer but perhaps one day Christine and I will take a slow boat ! Charles Lewis Tiffany's passion for acquiring rare and unusual gemstones paved the way for Tiffany & Co.'s longstanding legacy of discovery and exploration, establishing the company's reputation as a world-renowned jeweler. I particularly remember his versions of Judy In Disguise ( a number by John Fred and His Playboy Band ) and Somethings Got a Hold of My Heart by Gene Pitney. Just a final few memories to add of my time at Alexanders before I got a proper job. Also I apologise to Jim for asking about Pam as my last message on here was before Mark told me that she had sadly passed away. Im pleased to say that all members of the Mustangs are still alive and kicking a third playing reunion of the original band members was held at the Creeksea Ferry Inn on Wallasea Island on 14th August 2010 and, as Mick Reads indicated, our present Rayleigh-based band (called Full Circle for obvious reasons) which I joined as lead singer on my early retirement from international banking in 1995, includes two, and occasionally three, members of the Mustangs, Mick, Keith Chesher and myself. Brian stopped playing with the group as his businesses were commanding so much more of his time. About the same time it was suggested that we should add a female vocalist to our line-up and we started a series of auditions to find one. This was the first of four releases on the Pye label. http://www.southend.gov.uk/news/article/432/exhibition_to_showcase_southends_rich_musical_heritage . The timber hit someone on the head on the opposite side of the stage rendering him temporarily unconscious.this was Nigel. He was a great guy and my memories of the nights at the Elms are still as strong as they ever were. I still have all my group equipment and occasionally, especially if Ive had a couple of wines, take great pleasure in doing a session of sixties songsjust for my own amazement! If you are ever in Australia look me up the only Payze in NSW! knew right away that it had been Brian Alexander of the MONOTONES but even he never heard of that title. I hope you can help. Part of the then right of passage seemed to be TV work: and naturally, becoming a Pop Star. Look forward to your reply. All but Elvis who did not come. Gigging paid for my motor bike and first car. Toeing the line in all white, players find ways to stand out at Wimbledon. My fellow band-mate Jim is at present comprising a brief history of the band and should be posting that soon. and alongside the country dancing and dog training display! Tiffany's, Carter's Five-and-Dime. i wonder if you remember me, Malcolm Wilkins, often known as Max? It was designed to be a demo studio and we quickly gained a reputation for quality recordings. It later became the Cat's Whiskers club, the Ritzy then Caesars Nightclub. Hi Jim, Somewhat belatedly I found your reply to my posting as a result of hearing of Nigels untimely death. I read your information above What about your final rendition every evening MONEY !! Once again, sincere thanks to Chris Bishop for his website which allows us all a wander down memory lane. Are you able to act as agent or alternatively give me his email address ? I remember the floor was packed with youngsters, who all melted away when the band returned. I havnt got your Instamatic memory but you certainly rattled my recollection-box. . We rehearsed a lot of easy listening music to impress the Mecca directors, who would not have appreciated too much heavy material. I was a good friend of Gary Brooker at Westcliff High School and remember sitting in on a couple of The Paramounts rehearsals. Share. Our visionary founder, Charles Lewis Tiffany . Could have done with Lionels help to simply carry the amp around! It turns out to be a demo recorded before their first Pye 45, released in the U.S. without the groups knowledge! And my eight year old son Theo, has started playing guitar and already has done a few small gigs with another eight year old drummer Sam, and is very proud of being thrown out of a pub we were playing in, because he was still there after 9 oclock, he feels very Rock & Roll, such fun. Jim Eaton and Tony Edwards turned up at one of our gigs, and after auditioning the wall of sound, offered me a residency at Alexanders Club, playing four nights a week, sometimes five. I now recall cutting both sides as a demo in 1963 at the Regent Sound Studio in Londons famous Denmark St. (also known as Tin Pan Alley due to the large number of studios, record publishers and musical instrument shops. I regularly see Pete Stanley and try to visit Mark in Sydney every year. I bought a blanket coat in the sales for 20.00 = ok. (20.00 that was a heck of a lot of money then and oh how I remember that coat. Jonas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqgESu4A_E4. September 1967 saw the birth of Radio One and Radio Two. The other big event of 1967 was the formation of The Treetops Appreciation Society where the membership fee of 5 shillings would provide you with information about the band for a period of 6 months..so it would appear the secretary,Joyce Bell,was not anticipating a long and successful career for the band! He was not only a great singer musician but had so many other talents. Tony Blackburn, a popular DJ on the pirate Radio Caroline sang several songs with us. However, on the positive side that we can now afford reliable equipment we could only dream about in the early 60s, when much of our gear was home-made, including the bass guitar built by Pete Stanleys dad, which Mick subsequently replaced with the Burns Vista Sonic Bass he still plays today. If you get this message you can contact me on awbarcelona@yahoo.com All the best. Dave Brown was an amiable person who loved reggae and soul. You must be 107. Thankfully, we could no longer be called Les Garcons and as there was an upstairs bar in the club called the treetop bar, we decided that The Treetops was an appropriate name. The only Treetops record to be recorded in another studio, was California My Way which we did at the De Lane Lea Studios in 1968. Typically, we were required to record five numbers in a three- hour session. Please contact me at rchrisbishop@gmail.com if you can loan or donate original materials. The Premiers, who played in the interval at the old Kursal ballroom, when the Howard baker strict tempo band took a break. Am not at all surprised that he was commercially successful. I have only just forgiven him for this, Maxine, where are you now? Its surprising what you suddenly remember at 3 in the morning whilst spending a pennyand not always the good things.in fact a bit of a nightmare from a performance at The Elms!! Both were popular . Went to his house. since my name is Jonas(Jonah). I guess he would want to forget this. We were travelling in a convoy of three VW mini-vans each carrying about six pupils. The drummer and vocalist (also from Selmers) was John Bell. 152. Dear Brian, It was extremely sad to learn of the recent death of Nigel/ Mark Lloyd and my condolences go to his wife,family and close friends.I had only just found this site(as I am not computer literate,haha ),having discussed the monotones in recent months with my sister,looking back at our teenage + years.Many a drunken night was spent at the Elms and other local events.You could say I was a bit of a groupie,but I also helped the roadie Brian on occasions with the moving of equipment when you were supporting, the Who,Manfred Mann,Hermans Hermits and talent show winners Bow Street Runners.The last time we met was on a Thames river evening cruise with the Leigh Young conservatives,as I was then working in hampshire pursueing my career as a Chef.Unfortunately, I was never able to see you as the Treetops in Wimbledon, due to my unsociable working hours,having progressed to head Chef of a restaurant in Chichester, west Sussex. Nice to talk ! This was for The Grand Order Of Water Rats and was attended by a couple of hundred celebrities including pop stars and film and TV actors. The group were Banned: but invited back after a week or two, however the deal was different. We didnt get away from the club until after 1am and had to leave for the studios by 5.30am. We were all very lucky to experience and enjoy the 60s ! . tiffany's nightclub wimbledonbest suny schools for physical therapy. I am also ex-Westcliff High School (1955-1960) and was for a time in the same class as you, Jim, and Andrew Rainbow who has corresponded recently. but her latest show in Florida struck a sour note between the singer and her fans.. Tiffany was onstage Sunday night in Melbourne . I still have a scrap book of all the early Monotones press releases and pictures and will publish this if you really want to be embarrassed? We would usually finish with our version of Who Wears Short Shorts by Freddie and the Dreamers, at the end of which we all dropped our trousers. I last saw Mark when I was travelling by train from Lowestoft to London in 1986. Take care Rod, hope for contact soon, Jim. I have surfed the tinternet for a similar image in vain. Sorry about the confusion with Gus Chesney, my memory must be playing tricks on me or the Watney Manns IPA was, at the time, too strong for a young lad like me. At my first month in Bournemouth I saw THE BEATLES at THE GAUMONT for two shows a day for five or six days. The following year Pete Stanley of the Monotones sold me his homemade bass guitar. I bought a blanket coat in the sales for 20.00 = ok. (20.00 that was a heck of a lot of money then and oh how I remember that coat. In April 1966 we opened the new Tiffanys club and started a new phase in our career with a new name, The Treetopsbut thats another story to follow. But I do know we each received a handsome reward of 25 guineas [for young viewers a guinea was 1 and 1 shillingfor younger viewers thats 1 and 5 pence! Best regards, Jim. This record enjoyed limited air play as Radio One didnt start until 1967. Now based in Peterborough with an amazing wife and an eccentric German Shepherd. Mark had been living in Sydney, Australia where he ran a successful event/management company. More less. After a few months I noticed all the dust on my band trousers, it was gradually falling apart and that was the end of our Hawaiin session. Would it be possible to have that transferred to a CD, as I know we would love to add it to our collection. I am in the process of putting together a history of the Monotones/Treetops to include a few funny things that happened to us all along the way.Dont hesitate to contact me if you need to know anything about your great uncle. Sadly the opportunity never arose. They of course smashed the real thing, something we couldnt afford to do. Brian said he would check this point and took the girls for a drink at the end of the day. miami building collapse update victims / timothy o'donnell chicago / timothy o'donnell chicago This was great opportunity for us and many other artists to be heard on national radio. We live in Surrey but my wife hails from Exeter and her sister is a keen dancer and regularly attends Rock n Roll evenings at Beverley Park, Torquay. My excuse is that it adds to the nostalgic atmosphere and if like me you lament the passing of visual, hands-on music collections, at least you will have a solid version to hold and feel ! She destroys her apartment and throws her cat against the wall. This of course meant giving away some of my earnings, clearly a situation that could not go on. Since I play by ear, these gigs could be tricky, remembering each set! From . Took her dog for a walk round the cemetery. We new them well and played alternative nights at The Elms in Southend . The club was built in the 1920s as the UK's first purpose-built ballroom. I would first like to acknowledge your kind message on behalf of his family and friends. Unsubscribe Description. It was a flop. This obviously could not continue and it became necessary to find another drummer/vocalist. Thanks for all the memoriesthat was great! Jim, I still remember fondly all those happy nights at The Elms ( and sometimes The Halfway House ) If you remember, I used to stand in for Mark occasionally You always wanted me to sing Only Make Believe and that blasted Trains and Boats and Planes. The venue had also enjoyed success as a cinema but also in turn a skating rink and dance hall, until 1971, when the Gaiety ballroom closed and in 1972 it reopened as Tiffany's nightclub. Theres 3 of us Monotones still alive and kicking ( rocking ? ) I have surfed the tinternet for a similar image in vain. Even after all these years Monotones/Treetops memories are still going strong. Just discovered your blogsite here and its amazing. This was to prove important in the future as he was adept at seeking new opportunities and with Pete as lyricist wrote several of our initial recordings. The last re-union saw Dad and Jim guest play at my Sisters wedding in 2007, where they grabbed the live bands instruments and rocked for a couple of songsyouve still got it fellas! Whilst I am thankful for my time in the Monotones professional full time musicianship was not for me. hehehehe ) Also ,I would be very interested in your compilation CD of the Monotones/Treetops/Mark Lloyd,as my partners son wants to know the music of my teenage years.He used to attend the Arts Education school in Chiswick and is now studying politics at Canterbury Uni. The Atalanta Ballroom, Woking. Can anyone remember a 7-piece group with two girl singers that used to do Four Seasons and Beach Boy covers? He is going to the Dr. tomorrow cos he cannot breathe properly nor swallow.Fi phoned. He heard our run through and suggested that perhaps he could play the piano on the recording, which he did. When we came home the local paper ran articles about The Monotones successful tour of Europe together with several photographs of us. Jim Eaton. Unfavorite. Phil Thomas and myself still perform in the Rayleigh based band Full Circle and Keith Chesher occasionally deputises on drums. I was fortunate to meet up with Jim again at The Elms the day after Nigel died. Di daerah ini terdapat Pasar Minggu yang terkenal sebagai pasar buah-buahan, sehingga nama Pasar Minggu diberikan kepada kelurahan beserta kecamatannya. There were a number of BBC studios we used including The Paris Theatre in Regent Street, The Aeolian Hall in Bond Street and the huge Maida Vale Studio. Atlanta, GA. 239. Great to find your site, which I stumbled on accidently. The reason for doing it now is that my application for the evening event to be part of the Wirksworth Festival has to be in by May 2nd. He said that he had survived for seven years with the illness and a few more weeks would be no problemsadly he didnt make it. 67 years old and still cannot act my age, Hi Ian I am putting on an evening with Brian in Derbyshire in September and am wondering if you have any publicity-style piccies for Monotones/ Treetops. The original bass player was, I believe, Graham Davidson (or Graham Dee), a friend of mine. In the article about the band for The Southend Standard Jim Eaton also noted their appearance on Ready Steady Go, Thank Your Lucky Stars and Juke Box Jury, clips Id love to see if they still survive. Lionel subsequently joined the Essex police force, reaching the rank of Inspector and, during his early years of service, became national police weight-lifting champion; not such an overweight lump after all! My name is Judi and I was a waitress at Tiffanys. he manages some of the greatist performers in australia. Mark Loyd, 1964Postscript, February 2011: Jim Eaton: I have just returned from Australia where I caught up with Mark Loyd who was for many years part of The Monotones before he pursued a solo career. Tiffanys was a nightclub that was at the end of the road from where I lived. Got home at 6.30.Phoned J and Bev.Sam phoned at 6.40. Could this have been the U.S Monotones ? This was a radical change, as we decided to replace Pete with a Hammond organist who played pedal bass.welcome to Tony Edwards. Student Athlete at Dartmouth College majoring in Psychology and Brain Sciences. This gave another string to our bow as I sang most of the current pop songs, our drummer Ron sang the Andy Williams type ballads, and Dave covered the soul and reggae. Stole (inherited?) He is frontman for a local group in Dorset who,s genre is punk/heavy metal/rap (OH,IT MAKES ME FEEL SO OLD!!! I also manage a band called The Hitmen http://www.thehitmen.eu with Mick Avory drummer from the Kinks and Eric Haydock original bass player with The Hollies. nthony R got battered by Terry B cos Anthony battered Terrys brother in. With thanks to Stephen Gent for this memory of Wimbledon Contact Stephen Gent . Although I was never in a band, I followed the Southend groups around the local venues and it was great to be reminded of them The Elm, The London, The Palace, Whitehall and Snakes Lane, Eastwood. We had our dinner in Solitaire.Sam bought a sketch pad and a Paddington pencil for me.I phoned Sam at 8.15 pm.Bev and J phoned.Had a bath & washed my hair. Nevertheless we had some air time on Radio Luxembourg and the pirate stations Radio Caroline and Radio London. Sam phoned at 3.50 but I wasnt in.I phoned him at 6.00pm.He came round at 7.15 pm & went at 11.15pm. My organist, Tony Edwards was persuaded to leave me and form his own group, which he did. It was on our way home from one of these gigs that we stopped for a burger in The Mile End road, came back to the van to discover that most of our equipment had been stolen. Hi Jim I stumbled on this webpage by accident! It was during this year that Mark and myself did a number of sessions singing radio and TV adverts. Hi, I have just heard off the sad passing of dear Nigel my thoughts are with his family, I worked with Nigel,Jim,Brian at Alexanders night club as well as being a regular at Tiffanys Wimbledon. If youve ever seen Michael Apteds 1964 documentary Seven Up! Latterly consulted for Rover, Honda and Toyota. This is the 9th 7 year update to the original ground- breaking documentary 7UP , of which we are extremely proud to have been a part of , albeit very brief . His memory is better than mine ! Tony Wilson. After Phil left in 1965 we backed Mark Loyd on quite a few gigs. 1955 Grace Bevins, Rogers Pleased that you were able to respond. Thursday evenings were the night: and hundreds of kids in Southend beat a path to the London. Group created on October 11, 2007. Anthony came off worse. Favorited. There were problems at Tiffanys during the first couple of years. June 8, 2022; jorvik folding electric tricycle; which crypto will reach $1,000 . Sam phoned at 3.30 & 5.15 pm. We had been staying at our home in France and the mail and papers had stacked up, meanwhile. All the members of the band have kept in touch and playing re-unions were arranged in 2001, 2007 and most recently in August 2010 which involved Adrian and Bob travelling from Australia where they both now live. With the addition of Martha we could now tackle new material, which now included five part harmonies. Took her dog for a walk round the cemetery. Unlike the Monotones who were all Grammar School boys the Whirlwinds were working class boys from nearby Canvey Island, not the most salubrious of places to live in as it was flooded in 1953 and over 100 people died. We both promised to keep in touch but unfortunately we didnt. Get in touch for any commercial. Hi I used to go to Tiffanys nightclub in Wimbledon Broadway from 1971-1972 and the resident band was The Treetops. I remember Gary always getting out his drum sticks betwen classes and giving a drum solo on his desk. What I clearly remember is that it was him that suggested I stop playing the guitar, adopt a stage name along with Nigel and that the two of us should front the group as lead singers. Much more information about the band came when Jim Eaton and Peter Stanley left detailed comments about the band. I think I had a uke-banjo at the time, but due to Brians enthusiasm graduated to acoustic guitar and then my first semi-solid Selmer. More information was not contained in those days. However, I managed to talk my way into a sales job and eighteen years later in 1998 I retired as managing director of that company. The space at 3260 West 8th Street occupied the first floor of a three-story building. Pete played a tune, possibly Trambone, Chet Atkins style followed by Bash and him doing Jezabel together. We had just began to get together, as he lived just around the corner from me. Mr Brownlee was the boys P. E. teacher then and he spent many hours with me at the school pool and Chalkwell beach trying to take up diving again after I dived in the pool and knocked myself out on the bottom. His funeral was a huge event set up by his lovely wife Debbie with over 400 people attending. As a result of my earlier posting I was contacted by his son in law from the USA who told me that Nigel now lived in Sydney and at that time we lived in Australia too. Through Selmers, I had got dep jobs with bands such as Joe Loss, Dizzy Gillespie, and the infamous Geraldo cruise ship bands. We catch up with Mark in Sydney every couple of years. Jan. 2010. Hi Jim, My memories go back to when I was a teenager at school, and going home, having to pass The Elms, I could hear a group practicing, and having just taken up the drums at that point, stopped and tried to look under the rotating front door of the dance hall at The Elms.