As Pet Clark says, 'It's a Sign of the Times' that Angela & the Fans are in the Fab 40 at #36 with 'Love Ya Illya' while 'Illya' himself – David McCallum (right)– arrives at #30 with 'Communication'. In 1966, those Men from U.N.C.L.E. were mega-stars who even inspired a Knees Monthly spoof, 'The Knee From A.N.K.L.E.'!

According to the Record Collector Rare Record Price Guide, the single She Can Build a Mountain/A Day Gone By, credited to Paul Dean and the Soul Savages, first appeared on Polydor (NH 59102) in 1964, and is thought to have remained unreleased. This could account for the discrepancy over the credits. The sharp-eyed viewer will notice that this matrix number is almost identical to the later Reaction number, 591002. The connection between Sutch's Savages and the Soul Savages, is covered in detail on Forgotten Bands of the 50s and 60s. (Click on the picture for an Amazon link to more information about the Record Collector Rare Record Price Guide)

Episode Six: Chapter 2 – Trumpets still blowing in 2010!
Harvey Shield, the former drummer with Radio London's favourite band Episode Six, kindly sent this photo of a band reunion gig in 2010. He said:

"Last summer Roger Glover, Tony Landon and I played together for the first time since 1967. We originally formed a group together (The Madisons) in 1961. Here we are Uxbridge Golf Club. And yes, that's Sheila Dimmock on stage too!"Harvey now lives in Los Angeles and is a member of Doo-Wop group The Mighty Echoes.

The band, signed to the Philip Birch Agency, was heavily promoted on Radio London, and made many Fab Forty appearances, but their singles never charted nationally. Deep Purple's Ian Gillan and Roger Glover were founders and also Knees Club Members.

In December 2015, Episode Six celebrated its 50th Anniversary with a reunion gig in London.

Episode Six spent December 1966 and January 1967 in Beirut. They brought gifts back for all the Big L staff and Keith Skues became the proud owner of a 'camel scarer'. This object made a sound like a a vintage car horn and when he began using it during his shows, listeners would write and request a personalised 'honk' from the camel scarer. (Photo courtesy of Brian Long.)

Del Shannon's version of The Big Hurt, arranged by Leon Russell and produced by Russell and Snuff Garrett, was a remake of Toni Fisher's US #3 from 1959. Seven years later, Del's cover was complete with the famous phasing effect that had enhanced the original, which had happened thanks to a studio error that the producers liked and decided to keep. Toni Fisher's recording is thought to be the first time this effect was used.

In the UK, in 1960, Toni Fisher's original made #30, but lost out to competition from a non-phased UK cover by Welsh songstress Maureen Evans, who took it to #26.

(Top left) The Big Hurt released on an overseas EP.

(Right). Toni looks somewhat miffed with Maureen

WXYZ's Detroit Sound Survey for this week in 1966, placed the Del Shannon version at #16. It featured on at least 10 US local radio playlists , but #16 was its highest placing. Nationally, it remained in the lower ten of the Hot Hundred for just 2 weeks before vanishing.

Later in 1966, Radio London engineers Dave Hawkins and Russell Tollerfield experimented with their own phased versions of No Milk Today and other singles on the Big L playlist. The effect became popular on later recordings, such as the Small Faces' Itchycoo Park, Nirvana's Rainbow Chaser and the Supremes' Nathan Jones.

The Big Hurt is on This is My Bag, /Total Commitment a compilation of the first two Del Shannon albums that were released on the Liberty label.

Del Shannon tribute site

On Tuesday, April 25th, Wycombe Town Hall. Neil Christian, promoting present chart action from That's Nice signed up to the Knees Club as member #218. His backing group were the Crusaders: Jimmy 'Tornado' Evans (#219), Tony Marsh (#221), Avid Andersen (#222) and Ritchie Blackmore (#220). Manager, Ron Watell also joined (#224). The group members wrote fictitious names in the Knees Club Book as a prank. Our only assurance that the individuals listed above were the members of the Crusaders at that time, comes from Pete Frame's 'Rock Family Trees' book. (For more info, click on the Amazon link, left). The book lists the band line-up (its sixth) in April '66. Thus, the club acquired Ritchie Blackmore, the first of 5 founder members of Deep Purple to join. (See 'The Knees Club Deep Purple Connection'.)