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BRIAN POOLE & THE TREMELOES
If you want to know the real story ...
More than forty years after Brian Poole & The Tremeloes had the beat generation, (as they were called), rockin' and rollin', they are once more going to tour, starting in September 2006. The band will be the most original 60's line up ever, because the only person missing is Alan Blakley, who sadly passed away in 1996. This version of Brian Poole & The Tremeloes is all four members of the mid-1960's line up with Brian Poole, Chip Hawkes, Dave Munden, Rick West, augmented by the talents of Joe Gillingham (20 yrs a Tremeloe) and Jeff Brown ( 3 yrs a Tremeloe).
Though they were idols in the 60's, they are now in their 60's, and although all of them have been successfully working in their own right for 4 decades they have not lost their passion for the music.
Brian Poole has been working, not only with his band Electrix but also in many countries along with other stars of the 60's, such as Dave Dee, Mike Pender, Tony Crane, Dave Berry and Wayne Fontana recently in a show called Reelin and a Rockin. The Tremeloes have been touring with Marmalade and very successfully in their own right, with appearances in various world arenas with their own brand of hits.
Chip Hawkes has been touring with his band The Chip Hawkes Band and also with other artistes on the "60's Story Book". His latest venture being the successful Class of 64.
INFO (The True Story)
Brian Poole and Alan Blakley, two school friends, first decided to form a band in 1956 at Park Modern Secondary School in Barking, Essex. They would go on holiday together with their parents and fantasise about being on TV, even telling young friends in Devon that they were already famous. Armed with a few Buddy Holly and Everly Brothers songs, and two acoustic Hofner guitars, they enlisted Alan Howard who after trying the saxophone graduated to tea chest bass and then the real thing, a Hofner bass guitar. Doing their party piece at parties, they got to know Dave Munden, who like them was a fan of all American and English rock and roll music (1957-59). Dave was hastily shown around the small kit of drums in Alan Blakley's house and then went on to have great kits such as the early Trixon and Gretch ensembles. So this was how it started.
Soon Alan Blakley, Dave Munden and Brian Poole found that they could harmonise any song they wanted to and developed a style of their own, with all of them singing and playing and Alan Howard on bass guitar.
With Alan B, Alan H and Brian attending Park Modern School in Barking and Dave at another school in Dagenham, they would get together nearly every night to 'practice'. Totally dedicated to their music but also taking GCE or RSA exams they were even given a classroom to rehearse in after school honing their talents for the future. At this time they did not have a name but soon opted for Tremilos after the sound on the new amplifiers which they could not yet afford.
When an older lad at Park Modern School, Graham Scott, suggested that he should join them they welcomed him because he had a Hagstrom electric (solid body) guitar and a very basic amplifier. Also his dad was willing to take over from their first manager, Brian Kirkland from Ilford Essex, who suffered with Muscular Dystrophy, but was a constant source of fun and ambition - remembered to this day with fondness. Ted Scott, Graham's dad, would even drive them and their home-made amplifiers to and from their rehearsals.
This was the age of Rock & Roll and soon local people wanted them to play at small venues in the area. The group then was Alan Blakley, Alan Howard, Dave Munden and Brian Poole and Graham Scott and they were mostly playing Buddy Holly & The Crickets songs which suited their developing style. Three chords suddenly became four and even 6 and Dave Munden was flourishing as a drummer / vocalist.
Cinemas such as Odeon, Gaumont, Granada and ABC would ask them to play during the intervals between films and soon they were on the American camp circuit along with the others newcomers such as Geno Washington (1959-1960).
Playing their predominantly Buddy Holly & The Crickets set, with Brian Poole wearing his glasses they soon had many local fans and as word spread further afield, almost before they realised it they became one of the top dance hall attractions in Great Britain.
With this semi fame came the knowledge that they would have to buy better equipment, so they frequented Jim Marshall's Drum Shop in Uxbridge Road, West London encouraging him along with other local bands to build amplifiers for their needs. Also because of their American connection with the camps and Buddy Holly's Manager, Norman Petty, with whom they corresponded, they had access to some of the first Fender amps and guitars.
The 'new' sound was loud and exactly what their new fans wanted. Graham Scott was replaced on lead guitar by Ricky West who was at the time, with another local band Joe & The Teens, and by 1960 they were turning professional by accepting a 21 week engagement at Butlins Ayr. At the same time some fans from Southend on Sea, Essex pestered the BBC to give them one of the first regular 'Saturday Club' spots with Brian Mathew etc. on BBC Radio. Dave, Brian and Alan Blakley were also being used as a backing vocal session group by Decca Records on many hit records of the time including Tommy Steele, Delbert McClinton, Jimmy Savile, US Bonds, Jet Harris & Tony Meehan and the Vernon Girls amongst others. This period came just before the famous Decca audition so was fully instrumental in their subsequent signing by Decca.
A meeting with Decca recording manager Mike Smith, at a local coffee bar frequented by musicians, resulted in them being auditioned and then signed.
Brian Poole & The Tremeloes career at Decca was a highly successful period for the band with top ten hits such as 'Do You Love Me' No.1, Twist & Shout No. 3, Candy Man, Someone Someone, I Can Dance, I Want Candy, Three Bells, Good Lovin' and many more, see Discography.
| Singles |
| April 1962 |
Twist Little Sister / Lost Love |
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| July 1962 |
That Ain't Right / Blue |
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| Sept. 1962 |
Meet Me Where We Used to Meet / Good Year for Girls |
| Jan. 1963 |
Keep on Dancing / Run Back Home |
#11 |
| July 1963 |
Twist & Shout / We Know |
#3 |
| Sept. 1963 |
Do You Love Me / Why Can't You Love Me |
#1 |
| Nov. 1963 |
I Can Dance / Are You Lovin' Me At All |
#13 |
| Jan. 1964 |
Candy Man / I Wish I Could Dance |
#4 |
| May 1964 |
Someone Someone / Till The End of Time |
#2 |
| Aug 1964 |
Twelve Steps to Love / Don't Cry |
#13 |
| Jan 1965 |
Three Bells / Tell Me How You Care |
#8 |
| April 1965 |
After A While / You Know |
#20 |
| July 1965 |
I Want Candy / Love Me Baby |
#10 |
| Nov 1965 |
Good Lovin' / Could It Be You |
#14 |
| EP'S |
| 1964 |
Brian Poole and Tremeloes Vol 1 |
| 1965 |
Brian Poole and Tremeloes Vol 2 |
| 1980 |
Brian Poole and Tremeloes Hits |
| Albums |
| 1962 |
Big Big Hits of 62 |
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Twist & Shout with Brian Poole and Tremeloes |
| 1965 |
It's About Time |
| 1967 |
Remembering Brian Poole and Tremeloes |
| 1982 |
Twist & Shout |
| CD's |
| 1970 |
Brian Poole & The Tremeloes (Deram Label) |
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All the Hits (Tring) |
| 1996 |
World of Brian Poole & The Tremeloes - Spectrum |
After a couple of successful world tours with the band, comprising Brian Poole, Dave Munden, Alan Blakley, Ricky West and Alan Howard, bass, who left to start his own business in 1965-1966.
Mick Clarke replaced Alan Howard on bass guitar but after a year or two left to form the Rubettes, and whilst producing a band called Davey Sands and the Essex for Decca, Alan Blakley and Brian Poole asked the bass player Len Hawkes to join the Tremeloes (spelt this way by Decca on first single).
Thus the band was complete and with superb vocals by Chip Hawkes added to Alan Blakley, Brian Poole, Dave Munden and Ricky West they were to tour in the many countries where they had No.1 hits.
The boundaries widened and the world was their stage for a while then in 1967-68 Brian Poole left to start his own record company Outlook Records and spend more and more time in his family's rapidly expanding meat packing business then coming back to full time music with his band Electrix in the mid 70's. After Brian Poole left the band, they went on to have their own hits as follows:
1966 Blessed/ The Right Time
1966 Good Day Sunshine/ What A State I'm In
1967 Here Comes My Baby/ Gentlemen Of Pleasure #4
1967 Silence Is Golden/ Let Your Hair Hang Down #1
1968 Helule Helule/ Girl From Nowhere #14
1967 Even The Bad Times Are Good/ Jenny's Alright (sic) #4
1967 Be Mine/ Suddenly Winter #39
1968 Suddenly You Love Me/ As You Are #6
1968 My Little Lady/ All The World To Me #6
1968 I Shall Be Released/ I Miss My Baby #29
1969 Hello World/ Up Down All Around #14
1969 Once On A Sunday Morning/ Fa La La La La Le
1969 (Call Me) Number One/ Instant Whip #2
Chip Hawkes eventually left the Tremeloes to pursue his own solo writing and performing career along with his thriving record pressing and manufacturing business but he
was soon back with his fans as the Chip Hawkes Band playing the hits which he wrote with Alan Blakley for the Tremeloes and getting himself a faithful fan base which he has to this day.
Dave Munden and Ricky West never stopped touring all this time and adding a member or two have kept the good name of the Tremeloes in the forefront of British music till the present day and more by playing their many hits live and real.
For Brian Poole, the past 30 years have been successfully spent touring sometimes with his band Electrix and sometimes solo with the on-going and highly acclaimed production show Reelin'n'Rockin show during the years 2001-2006.
Trivia
- 1. Brian Poole & Trems were the first band and also the last band to appear on Ready Steady Go
- 2. Gold discs in the 60's were for over 1.000.000 copies sold. That's quite a few million overall for the lads.
- 3. First 60's band to tour Australia and Ireland paving the way.
- 4. Brian Poole's glasses were the real thing, as they are now. Sometimes this fact has been mixed up with the great late Freddie Garrity from Freddie & the Dreamers who wore lens less frames.
- 5. Left handed Dave Munden, plays a right handed kit left handed.
- 6. Alan Blakley's daughters are famous actress Claudie Blakley and singer Kirsten Blakley.
- 7. Brian Poole's daughters were Alisha's Attic. Karen is now songwriter for Kylie, Will Young, Sugababes and many more, whilst Shelly is carving a successful singing career with her own songs whilst writing for Janet Jackson and Jamalia.
- 8. Chip Hawkes' son is Chesney Hawkes, the successful singer songwriter and actor who had a No. 1 record with 'The One and Only' and is also the dare devil high diver from the TV reality show, The Games.
- 9. Ricky West plays banjo, steel guitar, country violin amongst other instruments, and has appeared on many records as a session musician.
- 10. Dave Munden has been a full time musician for more than 45 years with the Tremeloes.
- 11. Over 40 years since Brian Poole, Dave Munden, Rick West and Chip Hawkes toured together.
- 12. Brian Poole & Trems are all still all married to their wives for 36-40 years, not bad going eh.
- 13. Jim Marshall - Brian Poole & The Tremeloes were one of the first customers at Marshall Amps.
- 14. Dave Munden sung on various hits over the years
- 15. Brian Poole's son-in-law Ally McErlaine, lead guitarist with the chart topping band Texas.
- 16. Brian Poole, Dave Munden and Alan Blakley appeared as backing vocals on one of the first package shows with Gary US Bonds and Clyde McPhatter.
- 17. Brian Poole & The Trems used to model latest London fashions on the tv show, Ready Steady Go.
- 18. Brian Poole appeared in Royal Variety Performance 1986, A Royal Gala.
- 19. Dave Munden, Brian Poole and Alan Blakley sung vocals on Jimmy Savile's only record 'Ahab the Arab'.
- 20. Nobody ever played or sung on Brian Poole & The Trems records but Brian Poole & Trems.
- 21. The Tremeloes produced and sung vocals on million selling hit 'Yellow River' for Christie, whose drummer was Michael Blakley, Alan's brother.
- 22. A charity gig for the Tsumani appeal in January 2005, arranged by the Barron Knights, got Brian and the Tremeloes back together for the first time in over 40 years
Additional information can be found here.
For any further information, please email thebrianpoole@yahoo.co.uk.
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