Donovan – the original Cat in the Hat – climbs to #5

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Several sources state that there were two bands called Sons Of Fred (one from London and one from Great Yarmouth) and that SOF later evolved into Odyssey, the band that took How Long Is Time into the Fab 40 in July 1966. On investigation, it seems likely that these are two pieces of misinformation that have come to be regarded as gospel and are now regularly repeated. These 'facts' appear to have originated from a band listing posted some years back on the (now-defunct) website Tapestry of Delights and this also seems to be the place where the questionable link with Odyssey arose. In my original Fab Forty notes, when I had found not a single shred of evidence for the existence of either a Yarmouth SOF or a SOF connection to Odyssey, I wrote, "The truth is out there, and no doubt we shall unearth it eventually." We have! Sons Of Fred's bass player Pete Sears, has now set the record straight.

Dear Mary and Chris,

First I would like to compliment you on a wonderfully intricate, clear and easy to navigate Radio London web-site.

Some time ago I put the name of my old band Sons of Fred, my first pro band, into your site's search engine and was amazed to see a playlist containing our first single 'Sweet Love', as well as a well-researched overview of the band's personnel. I was a young sixteen-year-old musician at the time, and being my first pro musical endeavor, I will always have a soft spot for the band and its crazy memories. We toured all over the UK in a variety of beat-up old vans, playing six or seven nights a week. The Sons of Fred was the beginning of a long and windy road in music for me.

I am still a professional keyboard and bass player today. I have been a US permanent resident living in the San Francisco Bay Area of California since joining the original Jefferson Starship way back in 1974 (right after recording piano on 'Smiler', my fourth and last Rod Stewart album).

I have just got back to the US after visiting my family in England for the month of March 2008. While I was there, Radio 2 played 'Sweet Love' on their Sounds of the Sixties programme. It was quite a surprise, especially when they failed to mention my name when reading out the band personnel! Brian Matthew said that Alan Bohling was the bass player. Alan (we called him 'Boh') played rhythm guitar. I actually played bass on everything the SOF did, including all live shows and recordings. This is the correct line-up:

Lead vocals: Ray Redway
Vocals and Rhythm guitar: Alan 'Boh' Bohling
Lead Guitar: Mick Hutchinson
Bass Guitar: Pete Sears
Drums: Tim Boyle

Singles released on EMI:
'Sweet Love' - performed live on Ready Steady Goes Live, date unknown (B-side 'I'll Be There')
'Baby What You Want Me To Do' (released 1966. Lip-synced on Thank Your Lucky Stars 5th March 1966) B-side 'You Told Me'.

'I-I-I (Want Your Lovin') / 'She Only Wants a Friend'

Our agency was Chapel Music in London.

I think you have correctly deciphered the reason that this mysterious Great Yarmouth 'SOF' appeared out of nowhere. Tapestry of Delights somehow got the town of Great Yarmouth involved with the band. Our 'Sons of Fred' (the only one, I suspect) was based in Dulwich and Beckenham, where the singers Ray and Boh lived, with Mick Hutchinson and Tim Boyle coming from Chislehurst, and I came from Hayes, near Bromley. Ray Redway and Boh already had the band name by the time I joined and we went pro soon after. I never did get a good answer about where the name came from.

The Sons of Fred had no connection with any band called Odyssey either.

I enjoyed listening to Brian Matthew and his show. It was nice to have some of the old music playing again, but I have no idea where SOTS got their information from when your site is one of the first to come up if you Google the Sons of Fred.

Thank you for your time and interest in all the old music, from a time when Rock 'n' Roll was still in its infancy. Radio London and its courageous DJs and staff was a vital and amazing radio station, which helped instill a sense of independence and individuality in an entire generation, not just in music, but in free thinking as well.

All the best, Pete Sears

www.petesears.com

The 'Sons' played live on Ready Steady Go! after the programme had outlawed the original concept of artists miming to records and had rechristened itself 'Ready Steady Goes Live'. The exact date of the appearance is not known, but it must have been around this time (i.e. June 1965) to coincide with the release and promotion of Sweet Love. The band appeared on Thank Your Lucky Stars on Jun 19th 1965 to mime alongside fellow Fab 40 acts Peter and Gordon and Gene Pitney. According to the now-defunct Thank Your Lucky Stars Tribute Site, The Yardbirds were banned from the same show after turning up late for rehearsal. Tut tut! SOF were back on TYLS on March 5th 1966, to promote I-I-I (Want Your Lovin'). More about Thank Your Lucky Stars on Television Heaven.

Odyssey, make their Big L Fab Forty debut here.