On This Day 10/04/1965 Bobby Vee

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On this day, 10 April 1965, American singer Bobby Vee played Sophia Gardens. Also featured on the bill were, Dusty Springfield, The Zombies, The Searchers, Tony Jackson & The Vibrations, Heinz & The Wild Boys, Echoes.

Dusty Springfield and Bobby Vee

Known primarily as a performer of so-called "Brill Building pop" material,[6] Vee went on to record a string of international hits in the 1960s, including "More Than I Can Say" (1961, UK number 4), "Run to Him" (1961, US number 2; UK number 6), "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes" (1963, US number 3; UK number 3) and "Come Back When You Grow Up" (1967, US number 3).

On the recording of "Come Back When You Grow Up", Bobby Vee and The Strangers are credited. However, that was merely the record label giving a name to the studio musicians working that day. Bobby's original band, The Shadows, backed him on the road; upon learning of the UK band The Shadows who backed Cliff Richard, the band changed its name to The Strangers. In 1961 Vee recorded a version of the song "Lollipop", originally by Ronald & Ruby, which also became a success. Vee had a total of ten hit singles in the UK, ending with "Bobby Tomorrow" (UK number 21) in 1963.

In 1963, American Bandstand signed Vee to headline Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars national U.S. tour, scheduled to perform its 15th show on the night of November 22, 1963, at the Memorial Auditorium in Dallas, Texas. The Friday evening event was cancelled after U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated that afternoon while touring Dallas in an open car caravan.

Vee was also a pioneer in the music video genre, appearing in several musical films and in the Scopitone series of early film-and-music jukebox recordings.

On This Day 12/03/1969 Engelbert Humperdinck

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On this day, 12 March 1969, British singer Engelbert Humperdinck played Cardiff’s Capitol Theatre. Support was provided by comedian Ted Rogers with special guest the Welsh songstress Mary Hopkin.

Starting as a performer in the late 1950s under the name "Gerry Dorsey", he later adopted the name of German composer Engelbert Humperdinck as a stage name and found success after he partnered with manager Gordon Mills in 1965.

His recordings of the ballads "Release Me" and "The Last Waltz" both topped the UK Singles Chart in 1967, selling more than a million copies each. Humperdinck scored further major hits in rapid succession, including "There Goes My Everything" (1967), "Am I That Easy to Forget" (1968) and "A Man Without Love" (1968). In the process, he attained a large following, with some of his most devoted fans calling themselves "Humperdinckers". Two of his singles were among the best-selling of the 1960s in the United Kingdom.

In early 1967, the changes paid off when Humperdinck's version of "Release Me" topped the charts in the United Kingdom and hit No. 4 on the US Billboard 100. Arranged by Charles Blackwell in an "orchestral country music" style, with Big Jim Sullivan and Jimmy Page as session musicians and a full chorus joining Humperdinck on the third refrain, the record kept the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever"/"Penny Lane" from the top slot in the United Kingdom (for the first time since 1963).

The B-side of "Release Me", "Ten Guitars", continues to be enormously popular in New Zealand. "Release Me" spent 56 weeks in the Top 50 in a continuous chart run, and was believed to have sold 85,000 copies a day at the height of its popularity. The song has remained at the core of Humperdinck's repertoire ever since. Humperdinck's easygoing style and good looks soon earned him a large following, particularly among women. His hardcore female fans called themselves "Humperdinckers". "Release Me" was succeeded by two more hit ballads: "There Goes My Everything" and "The Last Waltz", earning him a reputation as a crooner, a description which he disputed. As Humperdinck told Hollywood Reporter writer Rick Sherwood:

"f you are not a crooner it's something you don't want to be called. No crooner has the range I have. I can hit notes a bank could not cash. What I am is a contemporary singer, a stylised performer."

On This Day 15/01/1968 The Herd

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On this day, 15 January 1968, rock band The Herd played Cardiff’s Top Rank.

The Herd were founded in 1965 in south London, and recorded three unsuccessful singles with Parlophone. In 1966 three members in succession (Terry Clark, Louis Cennamo and Mick Underwood) quit the group and the group got the line-up that made it famous.

The singer, Peter Frampton, was 16 when he joined the group in 1966 and had just left school. The other members were a few years older. Parlophone did not want to go on with them, but Fontana were willing to give them a try. They also sent their manager Billy Gaff away and brought in the songwriters/producers Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley instead. This pair had been largely responsible for a string of hits by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich.

In October 1967 they supported the Jimi Hendrix Experience at The Saville Theatre, London. Their greatest success came with "I Don't Want Our Loving to Die", (March 1968) a number five UK hit single.

With his boyish photogenic looks, Frampton was dubbed "The Face of ’68" by teen magazine Rave.

The last months of 1968 were tempestuous times for the group. Steele left the group, to be replaced by Henry Spinetti. The group dumped their managers Howard and Blaikley, and briefly found a new mentor in Harvey Lisberg who after three months found himself so bogged down with their personnel problems that he politely withdrew his services. Most songs on their first and only album Paradise Lost were written by Peter Frampton and Andy Bown, just like their next single, "Sunshine Cottage".

Dissatisfied with mere teen idol status, and disappointed with the failure of "Sunshine Cottage", Frampton left by the end of 1968 to form Humble Pie with Steve Marriott.

On This Day 24/02/1968 Tom Jones/Frank Sinatra

On This day, 24 February 1968, it was reported that one of America’s biggest stars was showing interest in Welsh singing sensation Tom Jones.

In America last week it was reported that Tom had spent 30 minutes on the phone to Sinatra followed by a 10 minute conversation between Sinatra and Jones’s manager Gordon Mills.

Mills said on his return to the UK ; “Sinatra’s taking an interest in Tom’s career. He may even adopt the boy like he does with some artists.”

Mills denied however, that there would be any business tie-up between Sinatra and Jones. Sinatra has invited Millsa and Tom Jones to visit him in Los Angeles.

Jones said “ Sinatra sounded like a guy and a half and certainly didn’t sound like a man just out of serious injury. He asked me about my opening at the Copa and how people had received me.”

Jones’s new single ‘Delilah’ was being released this week.

On This Day 10/02/1970 Badfinger

On this day, 10 February 1970, Welsh rock band Badfinger played Cardiff University with support provided by Rainbow People.

The story of Badfinger is a sad one, with band leaders Pete Ham and Tommy Evans disillusioned by the sheer difficulty and stress of turning their musical talents into hard cash.

Originally signed to the Beatles' Apple Records as the Iveys, Pete Ham, vocals, Mike Gibbins, drums, Tommy Evans, guitar, and Ron Griffiths, changed their name following the release of two unsuccessful singles.

Swansea-born Griffiths left in September 1969 and was replaced by Joe Molland of Liverpool.

The new line-up had a transatlantic hit with Come And Get It, written by their famous label boss Paul McCartney.

Their song No Matter What was another Top 10 hit, followed by critically acclaimed albums No Dice and Straight Up.

By the beginning of the 1970s, Badfinger was something of an Apple house band and even appeared on three solo Beatle recordings (All Things Must Pass, It Don't Come Easy and Imagine) as well as appearing at George Harrison's Bangla Desh benefit concert.

In 1972 Harry Nilsson enjoyed a huge transatlantic chart topper with Without You.

But Pete Ham found it difficult to penetrate the financial jungle which surrounded the music business.

He found himself working in a factory to make ends meet, hearing his song Without You playing on the radio as he toiled away.


In 1975 personal and financial troubles got too much for him and Ham hanged himself.

In November 1983, history repeated itself in the most bizarre fashion when Tom Evans committed suicide by hanging at his Surrey home.

Like Pete Ham, he had been suffering from depression and financial worries.

Following the discovery of some home-recorded tapes, these were finally issued as two complete albums of Ham's songs in the late 1990s.

Although the quality of the tapes was poor, they indicated a great songwriter with a marvellous grasp of pop melody and compounded the tragedy of his early death.

Badfinger ( line-up)

• Tom Evans

• Mike Gibbins

• Pete Ham

• Joey Molland

On This Day 18/01/1968 I’m Backing Britain Campaign

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On this day 18 January 1968, it was reported that the government’s I’m Backing Britain was getting support from the country’s movers and shakers amongst the country’s musical fraternity including comments from two Welsh pop exports, Spencer Davis and Amen Corners Andy Fairweather Low.

A group of Surbiton typists began it all in December 1967 when they agreed to stay and work an extra half hour a day for free at a firm called Colt Heating. Within days they had become front-page news and many thousands followed their lead – in the face of great opposition from Trade Unions.

The media and establishment picked up their idea. Robert Maxwell took out “Buy British” ads in the papers and people were encouraged to sport T-shirts and badges emblazoned with “I’m Backing Britain” over a union jack.

The Duke of Edinburgh even lent his support saying it was “the most heartening news I’ve heard in 1967”. The campaign was made that much easier because – post devaluation – the pound now bought less overseas.

When asked about whether they’d be Backing Britain, Spencer Davis replied, “I’ve been backing Britain for a long time. I think the pop scene can definitely help the economy. All the groups could play a mammoth charity show for ten years to help the trade gap. Quite frankly the trade gap is being helped by The Beatles and the Stones selling so many records abroad. A lot of people don’t realise that when they put down groups because of their long hair and clothes. Anyway think how much long hair helps the shampoo manufacturers!

Andy Fairweather Low replied, “One can’t distinguish whether this is an intensified campaign boost the government’s sagging image, correction… Harold Wilson’s sagging image or, if it is genuine, and a few misguided people feel they can help. It’s been proved ants can’t move rubber tree plants. If everyone owned up, the truth would be that each individual puts his interests first. I would sympathise if the movement was backing Wales Home Rule.