Birmingham Beatsters Family Tree
One of the most successful pop groups to come out of Birmingham in the 1960s in terms of British chart success, they were also the hardest to categorize musically as their style ranged from pop to psychedelic, progressive, heavy metal, 1950s style rock ‘n’ roll and even country and western. Above all, it was Roy Wood’s talent as a highly original songwriter that propelled the band on an extended chart run. Many songs that Roy Wood composed for The Move in the first few years were considered by some to be drug inspired but in reality, a lot of his early lyrics were written while supposedly attending classes at the Moseley School of Art while he was there as a student. Despite the groups’ controversial reputation and almost constant inner turmoil, The Move laid the foundations of what was to become one of the biggest and most successful rock bands of the 1970s.
The Move was formed in December of 1965 by Roy Wood from Mike Sheridan and The Nightriders, Carl Wayne, Chris “Ace” Kefford and Bev Bevan from the Vikings and Trevor Burton from the Mayfair Set. The original plan formulated by Burton, Kefford, and Wood was to start a group consisting of Birmingham’s supposedly best musicians and create a look and sound similar to The Who. The Cedar Club on Constitution Hill hosted late night jam sessions and it was there where the future Move members first got together on stage. Veteran Brum vocalist Carl Wayne was invited to be the front-man and Bev Bevan was chosen as drummer (see Carl Wayne and The Vikings).
After a debut gig at the Belfry Hotel in Stourbridge and further bookings in the Birmingham area, Moody Blues manager Tony Secunda saw them and offered his services. Tony Secunda was one of the more controversial pop managers of the 1960s and his tactics were likely a big influence on future Sex Pistols’ manager Malcolm McLaren. Material performed on stage by the Move at this time included many covers of American west coast groups such as The Byrds and Moby Grape as well as various Motown and rock ‘n’ roll classics. Although Carl Wayne handled most of the lead vocals, all the band members shared harmonies and each were allowed at least one lead vocal per show.
Tony Secunda secured The Move a season at London’s famous Marquee Club where they became known for their wild stage act which included flash bombs, smoke, and Carl Wayne using an axe to hack apart effigies of political figures and smashing up old TV sets. The ensuing notoriety soon helped to gain The Move a recording contract with Deram, a subsidiary of Decca Records and publicity-seeking Secunda made sure that newspaper reporters were present when the band signed the contract on the back of a topless female model.
It was Tony Secunda who also pushed Roy Wood into writing songs for the band. Although his only previously published composition was a single B-side by the Nightriders, Roy came up with the inventive Night Of Fear for the Move’s first single. The song borrowed the catchy riff from the classical 1812 Overture and was released late in 1966 to reach No. 2 in the U.K. charts by early 1967. This was soon followed by two more Roy Wood originals; the driving I Can Hear The Grass Grow (chart position No. 5), and the ultimate paisley-pop anthem Flowers In The Rain (chart position No. 2) which also had the honour of being the first record played on the BBC’s new Radio One pop station.
The Move’s success ensured them regular radio and TV appearances. However, an ill-advised publicity stunt meant to capitalize on a current news tabloid scandal, resulted in promotional postcards being manufactured that had a cartoon of prime minister Harold Wilson shown in a compromising position with his secretary. The PM was not amused and he took the group and their manager to court, suing for libel and winning the case. This resulted in the song-writing royalties for Flowers In The Rain being confiscated and donated to charities of Wilson’s choice.
The Harold Wilson episode strained and ultimately ended the relationship The Move had with Tony Secunda and the band secured Don Arden as their new management. Don Arden already had a reputation as one of the toughest managers in the music business and one whose methods were regarded as quite controversial, although he had pushed a number a groups to success such as The Nashville Teens, The Small Faces, and Amen Corner.
In November 1967, The Move undertook a U.K. package tour that also included The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Pink Floyd and Amen Corner (the Move supplied backing vocals to the Jimi Hendrix Experience album Axis Bold As Love on the track You Got Me Floatin’). The Move also released their first album and it reached No. 15 in the charts. Despite the success of their latest single Fire Brigade (chart position No. 3), all was not well in the band. Ace Kefford left The Move in early 1968, reportedly owing to nervous exhaustion and mental breakdown. He later formed his own band (see The Ace Kefford Stand ). Trevor Burton took his place on bass guitar and The Move now reduced to four members, continued recording and touring. (Note: a version of Fire Brigade was also recorded by the Brum group The Fortunes).
A new Move single Wild Tiger Woman, which had controversial lyrics, was released in July 1968 but did not chart thus becoming the group’s first failure. However, their next single, the majestic Blackberry Way, released at the end of 1968, got to No. 1 and became one of the classic songs of the era. In spite of this, Trevor Burton quit the band after an argument on stage with Bev Bevan during a show in Sweden. Burton was quoted as saying he “hated” Blackberry Way and was fed up with playing disposable pop songs. Burton joined a new line-up of the Birmingham band The Uglys with whom after the addition of Denny Laine and Steve Gibbons became known as Balls (see Balls). His place was taken by Rick Price from the Birmingham band Sight & Sound.
The next Move single, Curly, was not as strong as Blackberry Way but still made it to No. 12 in the charts and in late 1969, the band embarked on their first tour of the USA. The tour was not a big success, mainly due to lack of planning and promotion, for although The Move had a more serious ‘underground’ following in America, record sales there were small with the only airplay on alternative or college FM stations. On their return to the UK, they went, like many West Midlands bands before them, on the lucrative ‘cabaret’ circuit which was a likely cause of friction between vocalist Carl Wayne and the rest of the band. By this time The Move was again under new management from pop manager Peter Walsh who specialized in cabaret acts and had bought the group’s contract from Don Arden.
There were also disagreements within the band over who should sing lead vocal on the Move’s singles and after the inevitable arguments, Carl Wayne left for a solo career. He went on to enjoy success as a cabaret singer and TV actor, even appearing on ITV’s Crossroads series and in various theatrical productions; a far cry from smashing televisions on stage with The Move. In 1999 Carl Wayne became lead vocalist for Manchester’s world-famous band The Hollies as replacement for Allan Clarke in that group. Carl Wayne passed away on August 31, 2004 after a battle with cancer .
The Move once again came under Don Arden’s management and Roy Wood, now firmly in artistic control of the band, asked his friend Jeff Lynne from The Idle Race to join as Carl Wayne’s replacement (see The Idle Race). Lynne had previously been asked after Trevor Burton’s departure but had declined although this time he accepted the offer and the first Move single recorded with him entitled Brontosaurus, was released in April of 1970. To promote Brontosaurus, The Move appeared on TV with Roy Wood featuring outrageous clothes and facial make-up and thus pre-dating the “Glam Rock” era by a few years. The resulting publicity helped the single gain a No. 7 chart position.
Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne had an idea to form a new band that would incorporate classical instruments and create a sound similar to what the Beatles had achieved on their innovative recording of I Am The Walrus. Wood and Lynne with the financial backing of Don Arden, set about recording an album based on this concept and also discontinued playing live shows but in the meantime were required by contract to continue releasing and promoting records by The Move.
The recording of the new “classical” album continued at a slow pace. Bass guitarist Rick Price left the group to join Mongrel after The Move stopped touring, but new Move singles Tonight and China Town were hits and the group continued to make appearances on TV shows like Top Of The Pops. After a final Move album Message From The Country, The Move’s last single California Man was released and reached No. 7 in the Charts in May of 1972. A b-side Do Ya, composed by Lynne, also became a minor hit in the USA, oddly the only Move record to have any impact on the American charts. Finally, the new Roy Wood/Jeff Lynne/Bev Bevan album was finished and released under the name of The Electric Light Orchestra (name derived from the Midland Light Orchestra). A single from the album, 10538 Overture, made the top ten in the British charts and a national tour along with radio and TV appearances to promote the new band followed. The group by this time also included Richard Tandy (previously with The Uglys) on bass guitar, Bill Hunt (from Breakthru) on piano and french horn, cellists Andy Craig and Hugh McDowell, and Wilf Gibson on violin. The album was a critical success, but sold poorly due to the experimental nature of most of the songs. Jeff Lynne would later remark that much of it sounded like “a load of old dustbins falling down the stairs” though he has since acknowledged it as ground-breaking and innovative for that time.
The Wizzard: After reportedly falling-out with Jeff Lynne from differences in opinion over musical direction and coupled with the difficulties in reproducing the Electric Light Orchestra sound live on stage, Roy Wood left the group in early 1973. He soon formed a new band called Wizzard (see Mongrel) which included former Move member Rick Price, drummers Charlie Grima (see The Ghost) and Keith Smart (see The Uglys), saxophonists Mike Burney and Nick Pentelow, and fellow ELO defectors Bill Hunt on piano and Hugh McDowell on cello. After a successful debut at London’s Wembley Stadium, Wizzard shot to the forefront of the “Glam Rock” movement and released several top selling singles including two No. 1 hits in 1973; See My Baby Jive and Angel Fingers as well as the seasonal favourite I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday. Roy Wood’s chart success continued until the late 1970s and after several years of writing and producing for other artists, continues to perform today with his own Roy Wood Big Band as well as making regular appearances on local TV and radio.
Meanwhile, the Electric Light Orchestra (or ELO) now under Jeff Lynne’s control, along with remaining original Move member Bev Bevan, went on to become one of the most successful bands of the 1970s, achieving hit records and multi-million selling albums worldwide. Managed by Don Arden, ELO’s spectacular success, particularly in the USA where they toured consistently and played to packed stadiums, continued into the 1980s. The group produced many classic recordings, all composed by Jeff Lynne, such as Evil Woman, Telephone Line, Mr Blue Sky and Don’t Bring Me Down amongst many others. ELO disbanded in 1985 but Jeff Lynne continued to have behind-the-scenes success as songwriter and producer, helping to revive the careers of George Harrison, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty. He also formed the highly-acclaimed Traveling Wilburys with Harrison, Orbison, Petty and Bob Dylan and realized many a producer’s greatest ambition when he produced John Lennon’s Free As A Bird for the Beatles controversial “reunion” in 1995. He continues to be much-in-demand as a producer and songwriter of considerable talent and reputation. Jeff Lynne also finally went out on the road again in 2001 with a new ELO line-up and album.
After a brief stint in the legendary Brum heavy metal band Black Sabbath, drummer Bev Bevan formed the Electric Light Orchestra Part II in the late 1980s which included some former ELO members and featuring songs on stage made famous by the 1970s version of ELO. The group toured worldwide for about 10 years until Bev Bevan’s departure to become a part-time radio DJ and session player. Still based in Birmingham, he has since performed with his own band and is currently touring with a new line-up of The Move that also includes original member Trevor Burton.
The Move:
Carl Wayne lead vocal (left 1970) Roy Wood vocal, lead guitar, bass, cello, oboe Ace Kefford vocal, bass guitar (left 1968) Trevor Burton vocal, guitar/bass (left 1969) Bev Bevan drums and vocal Rick Price vocal, bass guitar (joined 1969 – left 1971) Jeff Lynne vocal, piano, guitar (joined 1970)
January 22, 1966 Carlton Club, Erdington, ENG (with The Hellions)
January 30, 1966 The Plaza, Old Hill, ENG
February 1, 1966 Club Cedar, Birmingham, ENG
February 1, 1966 Carlton Club, Erdington, ENG
February 3, 1966 Club Cedar, Birmingham, ENG (with Little Stevie Wonder (replaced P J Proby), The Sidewinders, The Sombreros & The Matadors)
February 3, 1966 Elbow Room, Aston, ENG
February 5, 1966 Club Cedar, Birmingham, ENG (with Doris Troy & Fantastic Bluesology Incorporated)
February 10, 1966 Club Cedar, Birmingham, ENG
February 10, 1966 Carlton Club, Erdington, ENG
February 12, 1966 Marquee and Whisky A Go Go, Birmingham, ENG
February 13, 1966 Club Cedar, Birmingham, ENG (with Jeremy & The Heartbeats)
February 15, 1966 Club Cedar, Birmingham, ENG (with Inez and Charlie Foxx & Jeremy & The Heartbeats)
February 16, 1966 Club Cedar, Birmingham, ENG
February 19, 1966 Club Cedar, Birmingham, ENG (with Monopoly)
February 20-21, 1966 Club Cedar, Birmingham, ENG (with Doris Troy & Bluesology Incorporated)
February 22, 1966 Club Cedar, Birmingham, ENG (with Deke Arlon BACKED DEKE ARLON FOR A WEEK)
February 24, 1966 Hereford Lounge, Yardley, ENG
March 5, 1966 Marquee Club, Birmingham, ENG (with The Shakedown Sound)
March 5, 1966 Plaza Ballroom, Handsworth, ENG
March 7, 1966 The Belfry, Wishaw, ENG (with John Bull Breed & The Sombreros)
March 16, 1966 Plaza Ballroom, Handsworth, ENG
March 24, 1966 Carlton Club, Erdington, ENG
March 26, 1966 Le Metro Club, Birmingham, ENG
March 29, 1966 Carlton Club, Erdington, ENG
April 2, 1966 Plaza Ballroom, Handsworth, ENG (with William’s Conquers)
April 5, 1966 Chalet Country Club, Rednal, ENG
April 9, 1966 Le Metro Club, Birmingham, ENG
April 18, 1966 Club Cedar, Birmingham, ENG (with Cleo Laine & Danny King)
April 19, 1966 Tito’s Club, Handsworth, ENG
April 20, 1966 Lyndon, Sheldon, ENG
April 23, 1966 Ritz Ballroom, King’s Heath, ENG (with The Steampacket Show)
April 26-27, 1966 Club Cedar, Birmingham, ENG (with Dakota Station & Johnny Patrick Trio, who replaced Dee Dee Warwick)
April 28, 1966 Hereford Lounge, Yardley, ENG
May 1, 1966 Plaza Ballroom, Handsworth, ENG (with The Craig)
May 1, 1966 Ritz Ballroom, King’s Heath, ENG (with The Craig)
May 2-3, 1966 Club Cedar, Birmingham, ENG (with Julie Grant, Danny King and Deep Feeling)
May 6, 1966 West End Club, Coalville, ENG (with Listen)
July 10, 1966 Dereham Tavern, Dereham, ENG (with Ian & Danny Eves with Sounds Reformed)
July 16, 1966 Birdcage, Eastney, ENG
July 22, 1966 Birdcage, Eastney, ENG
August 2, 1966 Birdcage, Eastney, ENG (with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds)
August 13, 1966 Birdcage, Eastney, ENG
August 18, 1966 Marquee, London, ENG (supported by Sands)
September 3, 1966 Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, ENG (with Zuider Lee & Ray King Soul Band)
September 11, 1966 Nottingham Boat Club, Nottingham, ENG
September 16, 1966 Jigsaw, Manchester, ENG
September 17, 1966 Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, ENG
September 19, 1966 Ricky Tick, Hounslow, ENG
September 23, 1966 Birdcage, Eastney, ENG
September 30, 1966 Birdcage, Eastney, ENG
October 7, 1966 Birdcage, Eastney, ENG
October 14, 1966 Birdcage, Eastney, ENG
October 15, 1966 Leeds University, Leeds, ENG
October 21, 1966 Birdcage, Eastney, ENG (with The Action)
October 21, 1966 Fairfield Hall, Croydon, ENG (The Marquee Show, with The Spencer Davis Group, Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, Wynder K Frog, The Herd & The VIPs)
October 22, 1966 Corn Exchange, Chelmsford, ENG
October 28, 1966 Birdcage, Eastney, ENG
November 5, 1966 Hull University, Hull, ENG
November 6, 1966 Jigsaw, Manchester, ENG
November 9, 1966 Orford Cellar, Norwich, ENG
November 19, 1966 King Mojo, Sheffield, ENG (with Ben E King)
November 25, 1966 The Thing, Oldham, ENG
November 26, 1966 Durham University, Durham, ENG
December 4, 1966 Belle Vue, New Elizabethan, ENG (with The Klyx)
December 11, 1966 Dungeon Club, Nottingham, ENG
December 15, 1966 Speakeasy, London, ENG (OPENING NIGHT)
December 31, 1966 Roundhouse, London, ENG (Psychedelicamania, New Year's Eve All Night Rave, with The Who & Pink Floyd)
1967
January 1, 1967 Upper Cut, London, ENG (supported by The Mack Sound)
January 8, 1967 Starlite, Greenford, ENG
January 18, 1967 Locarno, Stevenage, ENG
January 26, 1967 City Hall, Salisbury, ENG (with Soul Foundation)
February 2, 1967 Pavilion, Worthing, ENG
February 3, 1967 Tiles, London, ENG (with The Gods)
February 4, 1967 Watford Trade Hall, Watford, ENG
February 5, 1967 Flamingo, London, ENG
February 6, 1967 Bath Pavilion, Bath, ENG
February 9, 1967 Locarno, Coventry, ENG
February 10, 1967 Top Spot, Ross on Wye, ENG
February 11, 1967 Manchester University, Manchester, ENG
February 12, 1967 2X2 Club, Halifax, ENG
February 13, 1967 Town Hall, High Wycombe, ENG
February 14, 1967 Lotus Ballroom, Forest Gate, ENG
March 4, 1967 Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, ENG (with Tracy’s Circles)
March 5, 1967 Saville Theatre, London, ENG (withdrew)
March 13, 1967 Adelphi Ballroom, West Bromwich, ENG
March 17, 1967 Tiles, London, ENG (with Tiles Big Band & The Knack 1ST BIRTHDAY PARTY)
March 26, 1967 Oasis, Manchester, ENG
March 26, 1967 Drokiweeny, Manchester, ENG
April 8, 1967 Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone, ENG with The Couriers
April 9, 1967 Cadillac Club, Brighton, ENG
April 14, 1967 Brighton, ENG (Brighton Arts Festival, with Paul Jones, Mike Stuart Span, Geno Washington, Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and others)
April 15, 1967 Birdcage, Eastney, ENG (with The Academy)
April 24, 1967 Belfry, Wishaw, ENG (with Monopoly & Orange Pips)
April 29, 1967 Wellington Club, Dereham, ENG (with Rubber Band & Deep Purple OPENS THE CLUB)
May 3, 1967 Bromel Club, Bromley, ENG
May 7, 1967 Silver Blades, Streatham, ENG
May 12, 1967 Town Hall, Cheltenham, ENG (with Gopler & Mark Raymond Sound)
May 26, 1967 UFO, The Blarney Club, London, ENG (supported by The Knack)
May 27, 1967 Hastings Pier Ballroom, Hastings, ENG (supported by The Flashbakks)
June 17, 1967 Toft’s, Folkestone, ENG
June 19, 1967 Trinity and St John’s Oxford, ENG (with Manfred Mann, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, John Barnett & His Band & West Indian Steel Band)
June 25, 1967 Royal Aquarium, Great Yarmouth, ENG (2 shows 6.30 & 8.45 Sunday Special)
July 2, 1967 Royal Aquarium, Great Yarmouth, ENG (2 shows 6.30 & 8.45 Sunday Special)
July 9, 1967 Royal Aquarium, Great Yarmouth, ENG (2 shows 6.30 & 8.45 Sunday Special)
July 11, 1967 Marquee, London, ENG
July 16, 1967 Royal Aquarium, Great Yarmouth, ENG (2 shows 6.30 & 8.45 Sunday Special)
July 23, 1967 Royal Aquarium, Great Yarmouth, ENG (2 shows 6.30 & 8.45 Sunday Special)
July 24, 1967 Locarno, Stevenage, ENG (with Cortinas)
July 30, 1967 Royal Aquarium, Great Yarmouth, ENG (2 shows 6.30 & 8.45 Sunday Special)
August 2, 1967 Flamingo, Redruth, ENG (with The Onyx)
August 6, 1967 Royal Aquarium, Great Yarmouth, ENG (2 shows 6.30 & 8.45 Sunday Special)
August 13, 1967 Royal Aquarium, Great Yarmouth, ENG (2 shows 6.30 & 8.45 Sunday Special)
August 20, 1967 Royal Aquarium, Great Yarmouth, ENG (2 shows 6.30 & 8.45 Sunday Special)
August 27, 1967 Royal Aquarium, Great Yarmouth, ENG (2 shows 6.30 & 8.45 Sunday Special)
August 28, 1967 Pynkney Hall Blues Festival, Fakenham, ENG (with Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, Alan Bown, Family and The Workshop)
September 2, 1967 UFO, Roundhouse, London, ENG (supporting Pink Floyd, with Soft Machine & Denny Laine)
September 2, 1967 Traverse Theater, Edinburgh, SCOT
September 4, 1967 Silver Blades, Streatham, ENG
October 1, 1967 Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, ENG (with Jo Jo Gunne)
October 15, 1967 Drokiweeny, Manchester, ENG
October 16, 1967 Pavilion, Bath, ENG
October 21, 1967 Gaiety Ballroom, Ramsey, ENG (with The Trax and Soul Security Corporation)
October 24, 1967 Town Hall, High Wycombe, ENG
1968
January 20, 1968 Roundhouse, London, ENG (sponsored by Brunel University, supported by Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, Fleetwood Mac, Fairport Convention, Louise, Paper Blitz Tissue, Geranium Pond & Family)
January 27, 1968 Hastings Pier Ballroom, Hastings, ENG (supported by The Shades of Black)
February 3, 1968 Plaza Ballroom, Handsworth, ENG
March 6, 1968 Town Hall, High Wycombe, ENG
April 8, 1968 Silver Blades, Streatham, ENG
April 12, 1968 Carlton Club, Warrington, ENG (with Bits)
May 3, 1968 City Hall, Sheffield, ENG (supporting Gene Pitney, with Simon Dupree & The Big Sound, Status Quo, Don Partridge, Lucas & The Mike Cotton Sound & (compere) Tony Brandon)
May 4, 1968 Imperial Ballroom, Nelson, ENG
May 6, 1968 Palazzo Dello Sport, Rome, ITY (Primo Festival Internazionale In Europa Di Musica Pop)
June 3, 1968 Whittlesey, Peterborough, ENG (Two-Day Barn Barbecue Concert And Dance. Due to appear on the Sunday as headliners but never turned up)
June 14, 1968 Middle Earth Covent Garden, London, ENG
June 21, 1968 Burton Constable Hall, Skirlaugh, ENG ('Midsummer Nights Dream', with Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band, Marmalade, Fairport Convention, Family, Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera, Spooky Tooth, Tramline, Savoy Brown Blues Band, Mandrakes & Angel Pavement)
June 21 or 22, 1968 Houtrusthallen, The Hague, NED (The First Holiness Kitschgarden For The Liberation Of Love And Peace In Colours)
July 7, 1968 Royal Albert Hall, London, ENG ("Sounds '68," with co-headliners The Byrds, The Easybeats, Bonzo Dog Band, Joe Cocker and The Alan Bown)
August 13, 1968 Town Hall, Torquay, ENG
August 31, 1968 Ford Farm Hayles Field, Isle of Wight, ENG (Great South Coast Bank Holiday Pop Festivity, with Jefferson Airplane, Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Pretty Things, Tyrannosaurus Rex & Fairport Convention)
September 2, 1968 Chateau Impney Grounds, Droitwich, ENG (Bank Holiday Bluesology Festival, with The Breakthru', Chris Farlowe with Wynder K Frog, Fleetwood Mac, Skip Bifferty, Rebellion, Family, The Freddie Mac Show & DJ John Peel)
September 21, 1968 Starlight Room, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, ENG (with Yes & Forever Changes)
September 21, 1968 New Centre Hall, Manchester, ENG (with The Impact)
September 25, 1968 Town Hall, Tavistock, ENG
October 11, 1968 Kew Boat House, Kew, ENG
October 11, 1968 Coronation Hall, Kingston Upon Thames, ENG
October 26, 1968 Guildhall, Plymouth, ENG (with Frozen Tear)
November 1, 1968 King’s College, London, ENG (with Lemon Tree & Heart ‘N’ Souls)
November 8, 1968 Hotel Metropole, Brighton, ENG (Rag Charities Ball, with Spooky Tooth, Wynder K Frog, Honeybus & Chicken Shack)
November 15-16, 1968 Grande Ballroom, Detroit, MI(cancelled. With The Steve Miller Blues Band)
1969
January 31-February 1, 1969 Fillmore East, New York City, NY (Cancelled after bassist Trevor Burton quit. Replaced by Porter’s Preachers, supporting Iron Butterfly & Led Zeppelin)
February 3, 1969 Silver Blades, Streatham, ENG
February 14-15, 1969 Kinetic Playground, Chicago, IL (Cancelled after bassist Trevor Burton quit. Replaced by Mother Earth, supporting Tim Hardin & Spirit)
February 20, 1969 Royal Albert Hall, London, ENG (Imperial College Carnival Concert, with The Spencer Davis Group, Status Quo, Nashville Teens & East of Eden)
February 20-23, 1969 Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA (Cancelled after bassist Trevor Burton quit. Replaced by Albert King, supported by Cold Blood & Sons of Champlin)
February 26, 1969 Club Fiesta, Stockton-on-Tees, ENG
March 16, 1969 Empire Pool, Wembley, ENG ("Pop World 69", with Fleetwood Mac, Gun, Harmony Grass, Barry Ryan, Sharon Tandy & Fleur de Lys, Gary Walker & Rain)
March 23, 1969 Redcar Jazz Club, Redcar, ENG (with Ruby James & The Sound Seekers)
May 10, 1969 Notts County Football Ground, Nottingham, ENG (Nottingham Pop & Blues Festival, with Fleetwood Mac, The Tremeloes, Marmalade, George Fame, Love Sculpture, Pink Floyd, Keef Hartley, Status Quo, Duster Bennett, Dream Police, & Van Der Graaf Generator)
June 14, 1969 Baston Playing Field, Peterborough, ENG
August 24, 1969 Hastings Pier Ballroom, Hastings, ENG
September 6, 1969 Boston Gliderdrome Starlight Room, Boston, ENG (with The Applejacks)
September 21-24, 1969 Ungano's, New York City, NY
September 25-27, 1969 The Boston Tea Party, Boston, MA (supporting J. Geils Band & Lonnie Mack)
October 3-4, 1969 Grande Ballroom, Detroit, MI (with The Stooges & Teegarden & Van Winkle)
October ?, 1969 Los Angeles, CA
October 16-19, 1969 Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA (supporting Joe Cocker & Little Richard)
October 31-November 1, 1969 Fillmore East, New York City, NY (Cancelled. 2 shows each night 8.00 & 11.30, supporting Mountain & Steve Miller Blues Band. When neither their US record company nor promoters showed any interest in the band, they even had to make their own accommodation & travel arrangements, the remaining proposed tour dates in New York were cancelled and the group returned home to England)
1970 The band toured Ireland and Germany (Lynne narrowly avoided serious injury at his debut show when a faulty microphone touched his guitar strings and blew up).
May 17, 1970 Eisstadion, Düsseldorf, GER (Joint Meeting 1970)
July 11, 1970 Eton Park, Burton upon Trent, ENG
August 23, 1970 Wesley House, Knighton, WAL (Knighton Rock Festival, supported by Pete Brown and Piblokto, Roger Bunn's Enjin, Forever More, Clark Hutchinson, James Litherland Brotherhood, Alexis Korner, Killing Floor, Paper Bubble, Persian War, Magi & DJ Pete Drummond)
August 5, 1972 Wembley Stadium, London, ENG (Rock & Roll Show, with Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Haley & The Comets, Bo Diddley, The Move, Screaming Lord Sutch, Wizzard, Gary Glitter, Linda Gail Lewis, Billy Fury, Joe Brown, Heinz, Emile Ford & the Checkmates & The Houseshakers. The Platters, The Drifters, The Coasters were unable to perform due to work permit issues)
April 28, 1981 Loccarno, Birmingham, ENG (one off reunion involving Wood, Bevan, and Kefford. Several other Birmingham bands of the era also reunited for the event, which was a charity fund-raiser)