for Sunday 30th April 1967

A promising start last week saw the Searchers coming straight in at #27, neck-in-neck with the Five Americans. Now both versions of Western Union have slipped down to #36. This Dutch picture sleeve of the Searchers is courtesy of Willy de Ruyter. The Five Americans were a Dallas-based band led by Michael Rabon, who had enjoyed a Top Ten hit in the US Hot Hundred. They reformed in 2002 and have their own website.

Thirty-five years later, the 2002 line-up of the Tremeloes was to be found on a UK tour called Call Up the Groups, with (naturally) the Barron Knights, Fortunes, Marmalade and legendary guitarist Bert Weedon. Between them, the musicians performed over thirty of their million-selling hits. Silence is Golden is often sung a capella with members of various bands joining the Tremeloes.

Shotgun Express was a band which existed for only a short while in '66 and early '67. Rod Stewart had joined as a vocalist after leaving Steampacket. He featured on I Could Feel The Whole World Turn Round, the first Shotgun Express single, which reached #16 on the Fab for 16th November '66. However, he had left to join the Jeff Beck Group before this second single was recorded.

Other members were Beryl Marsden (vcls), Peter Green (b Greenbaum) (gtr), Peter Bardens (org), Dave Ambrose (bs), Mick Fleetwood (drms).

Beryl Marsden was no stranger to the Fab, having been there in March '66 with the She Trinity's version of the Bobby Fuller Four's I Fought the Law – She Fought the Law, and again in July '66, when Will the Man Who Took the Valise off the Floor at Grand Central Station at Noon reached #13. Mick Fleetwood was already familiar to the Fab, as his only single with the Bo Street Runners, Baby Never Say Goodbye, had been at #28 on 8th August '65.

After Shotgun Express, Peter Green and Mick Fleetwood were briefly with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, (version #108, according to Pete Frame's Rock Family Trees) before forming Fleetwood Mac. Dave Ambrose headed for The Brian Auger Trinity and Peter Bardens went to The Love Affair. Mint copies of Funny 'Cos Neither Could I are now very collectable, fetching £45.

Ashore this week

May 5th
Keith Skues interviewed the Beach Boys at the Finsbury Park Astoria. The interview, originally intended for the Coffee Break, became a one-hour special. The Beach Boys appreciated that airplay on the offshore stations was the reason for their massive popularity in the UK and they expressed disappointment that their tour schedule did not permit them the time to visit the Galaxy.

Besides climbers that were played at the time of the broadcast of the Sunday Fab Forty, Alan kept a note of others he heard later in the week and incorporated them into his list.