Showaddywaddy
History
The band was formed in 1973 by the amalgamation of two groups, Choise and The Golden Hammers. This led to an eight member band, with the unusual feature of having two vocalists, a couple of drummers and two bassists. Their first single, “Hey Rock and Roll” (written by the band), was released in April 1974. It reached number two in the UK Singles Chart. Showaddywaddy then went on to have a further 22 UK hits from this point until late 1982. They had most of their biggest hits with covers of songs from the 1950s and the early 1960s. These cover versions included “Three Steps to Heaven” (originally by Eddie Cochran in 1960), “Heartbeat” (originally written and recorded by Buddy Holly), “Under the Moon of Love” (originally a U.S. hit for Curtis Lee in 1961 and co-written by Tommy Boyce), “When” (originally by the Kalin Twins), “You Got What It Takes” (originally by Marv Johnson) and “Dancin’ Party” (originally by Chubby Checker). The above six singles were all produced by Mike Hurst (a former member of The Springfields, who had also previously produced Cat Stevens).
Following “Dancin’ Party” the band produced themselves with more cover versions including “I Wonder Why” (originally by Dion and the Belmonts), “Blue Moon” (based on The Marcels’ interpretation) and another Curtis Lee original “Pretty Little Angel Eyes”, again co-written by Tommy Boyce. Their most recent chart single was “Who Put the Bomp (In the Bomp-A-Bomp-A-Bomp)”, a minor number 37 hit in 1982.
In total they had ten Top Ten singles, a solitary number one (“Under the Moon of Love” in 1976), and spent 209 weeks in the UK Singles Chart.
At the peak of their popularity, this tally included having seven, successive Top Five entries. Their biggest selling single was the aforementioned “Under the Moon of Love”, which sold 985,000 copies.
Despite the hits drying up nearly three decades ago, Showaddywaddy have continued to tour, and still do around 100 dates a year all around Europe.
Cherry Red Records began to release Showaddywaddy’s extensive album back catalogue on CD from 2000 onwards on their ‘7Ts’ imprint. The reissues feature rare bonus tracks (B-sides and non-album singles); sleeve notes by Mark Brennan (Captain Oi!) and Steve Thorpe; pictures of rare and foreign single releases and memorabilia. They are as follows (released between October 2000 and April 2008):
Showaddywaddy (originally Bell Records 1974)
Step Two (Bell Records 1975)
The Bell Singles Collection 1974-76
Trocadero (Bell Records 1976)
The Arista Singles Collection Volume 1
Red Star (Arista Records 1977)
Crepes & Drapes (Arista Records 1979)
Bright Lights (Arista Records 1980)
The Arista Singles Collection Volume 2 Plus…
Good Times (Bell Records 1981)
Living Legends (RCA Records 1983)
Jump, Boogie & Jive (President Records 1991)
Early in 2008, the band finished recording their album, The Sun Album (I Betcha Gonna Like It), released on Voiceprint Records that spring. A special limited edition box set (500 copies only) will be available, comprising the CD, a DVD, special packaging and extended sleeve notes.
Band members
The original Showaddywaddy line-up was:
Dave Bartram – Vocals – (born David Bartram, 23 March 1952, Leicester, England).
Buddy Gask – Vocals – (born William Gask, 18 December 1948, Leicester).
Russ Field – Guitar – (born James Lewis Russell Field, 1 September 1949, Berwick Upon Tweed).
Trevor Oakes – Guitar – (born Trevor Leslie Oakes, 9 September 1946, Leicester)
Al James – Bass – (born Geoffrey Betts, 13 January 1946, Leicester).
Rod Deas – Bass – (born Roderick Sinclair Deas, 13 February 1948, Scarborough, North Yorkshire).
Malcolm “Duke” Allured – Drums – (born Malcolm J Allured, 27 August 1945, Leicester).
Romeo Challenger – Drums – (born 19 May 1950, Antigua, West Indies).
Malcolm Allured left the group in 1984, followed by Russ Field in 1985, and Buddy Gask in 1987. Al James retired from the band in 2008, playing his last gig with the band at The Cheese & Grain in Frome, Somerset, on 20 December 2008. In early 2009, Trevor Oakes decided to take a break from the band due to ill health but in the Spring of 2009, Oakes left the band and officially retired from 1st May 2009, meaning his last gig was also at The Cheese & Grain. Danny Willson also left the band during 2009 to join Martin Turner’s Wishbone Ash and his last gig was in Denmark on 8th August. Danny had been in the band since 1995 and had replaced Ray Martinez who had a 10 year stint in the band, having replaced the departing Russ Field in 1985.
The remaining originals, Bartram, Deas and Challenger, continue to perform, along with guitarist Paul Dixon and David Graham who plays saxophone, keyboards and rhythm guitar.
Gask retired to Spain in the early 2000s and is in ill health, whilst Field runs a guest house with his wife in Beadnell, Northumberland. Allured owns a nightclub called MFN at Shipley Gate, Eastwood, Nottinghamshire.
In popular culture
On the UK panel show Mock the Week, comedian Hugh Dennis uses Showaddywaddy as a recurring joke in the “Scenes we’d like to see” round which is an impersonation of Jimmy Savile.
See also
List of performers on Top of the Pops
List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
List of artists who reached number one in Ireland
List of bands from England
List of British pop musicians of the 1970s
Royal Variety Performance
External links
Official Showaddywaddy Website
Interviews from the Leicester Mercury, on the Leicester Bands website
Showaddywaddy discography at MusicBrainz
References
^ a b c d Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 497. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
^ Official Showaddywaddy Website
Categories: Musical groups established in 1973 | 1970s music groups | English musical groups | People from Leicester | 1980s music groups | Glam rock groups | Rockabilly musicians | Leicester musical groups
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