CLAYTON SQUARES:

Terry Hines (vocals)

Peter Dunn (organ, guitar)

Les Smith (sax, flute)

Arthur Megginson (bass)

Mike Evans (sax)

Bobby Scott (drums)

(1964)

February Named after Clayton Square in their native Liverpool, the band is formed by jazz enthusiast, singer Terry Hines with sax players Les Smith and Mike Evans, drummer Bobby Scott and former Flintstones guitarist Peter Dunn. Geoff Jones (b. 16 May 1947, Liverpool) replaces Megginson early on after playing local dates with two school friends in The Georgians.

April (12) The newly formed group plays at the famous Cavern club in Liverpool with the Kirbys, The Hideaways and The Escorts.

May (18) The band plays at the Cavern club in Liverpool with Billy Kinsley’s New Group, The Centremen, The Mastersounds, The Hideaways, The Nashpool Four, Freddy Starr & The Flamingoes, The Spidermen, The St Louis Checks, The Georgians, The Blackwells, The Coins and The Schatz.

November (6) The Clayton Squares appear at the Cavern club in Liverpool with The Notions.

 

(1965)

January (16) The Clayton Squares play another show at the Cavern club with St Louis Checks, The Victor Brox Blues Train, The TTs with Amos Bonny, The TL’s Bluescians, The Jensons and The Gibsons.

February (4) Denny Alexander (b. 10 March 1946, Liverpool) joins from The Kinsleys (and before that Tony and The Chequers), replacing Hines who leaves to form The Terry Hines Quintet. The Clayton Squares lean increasingly towards Atlantic and Stax-styled soul music and maintain their regular appearances at the famous Cavern club where they play three to four times each week.

(9) The new line up plays a show at the Cavern.

(13) The band plays at the Cavern with Kris Ryan & The Questions, Earl Preston’s Realms, The Black Nights, The Factoms, The Hideaways, The Notions and The St Louis Checks.

(15) The Clayton Squares appear at Parr Hall, Warrington with The Screaming Lord Sutch Showband.

March (27) Returning to the Cavern, the band plays a show with The Mike Allen Group.

April (10) Heading south, the group appears at the Shoreline club in Bognor Regis with The Untamed.

(18-19) The group joins Earl Preston’s Realms, The Hideways and others for an unusual booking – playing on the River Mersey Dame Cruise Mt Royal Iris.

June (17) The Clayton Squares appear at Litherland Town Hall with The Spidemen and The Coins.

July The musicians travel south for a theatre tour that takes in the Odean, Southend and the Winter Gardens in Margate.

September (20) The band performs at the Plaza Ballroom, St Helens with The Masterminds and The Richmond Group.

(23) The same groups appear at the Tower Ballroom, New Brighton, joined by The Escorts and The Hideaways where they support The Walker Brothers.  

October (8) The Clayton Squares’ debut single, a cover of Farrell’s Come and Get It backed by Mike Evans’s And Tears Fell, is released on Decca Records but does not chart despite being a strong mod rocker. The single is subsequently issued in the States on MGM.

(9) The group plays at show at the Cavern in Liverpool with Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, David John & The Mood, The Hideaways, The Klubs, The Blue Angel and The Richmond Group.

 

(1966)

January The Clayton Squares appear at the Teenbeat Rock Club in Redhill Market Hall, Redhill, Surrey.

March (7-10) Having travelled to Germany, the group appears at the Storyville club in Hamburg sharing the bill with Beau Brummell & The Noblemen. During the festivities, Alexander dresses up as The Noblemen’s singer who is famous for his 18th Century attire, while the South African singer responds by dressing up in Alexander’s clothes. Alexander will reunite with Noblemen bass player Bryan Stevens and keyboard player Mike Ketley in June 1967 when he joins their group, The Penny Peeps.   

(11) The musicians move on and perform at the SB-51 club in Offenback.

(12) The Clayton Squares appear at the SB-51 club in Frankfurt.

(15) Back in the UK, the group makes its debut at the Marquee in London, supporting The Yardbirds. Having signed to Don Arden’s management, the group records a cover of Otis Redding’s I’ve Been Loving You Too Long, which his produced by Andrew Loog Oldham, but it is subsequently shelved. Further sessions produce two tracks, a cover of John Sebastian’s There She Is backed by group composition, Imagination, is released as a second single but does not chart.

April (26) The Clayton Squares return to London for a show at the Marquee, opening for The Action.

May (3) The band makes another appearance at the legendary club, the Marquee, once again opening for The Yardbirds.

(17) The Clayton Squares return to the Marquee after a two week lay off, supporting visiting US soul act, Patti La Belle and her Belles.

(20) Supported by The Creation, the band appears at Links International Club, Boreham Wood.

(24) The group returns to the Marquee the following week, opening for The Alan Price Set.

(31) The Clayton Squares see out the month at the Marquee, supporting soul legend, Ben E King.

 

June 

(4th) The group play an all nighter gig at The "70s" Club in Folkestone.

(21) The group returns to London to play another night at the Marquee, opening for The Yardbirds.

July (26) The Clayton Squares return to London to start a regular Tuesday night residency at the Marquee starting with a show opening for The Troggs.

August (2) The group returns to the Marquee the following Tuesday for a show with Joe Tex and his American Band.

(9) The Clayton Squares play at the Marquee with Gary Farr and The T-Bones.

(16) The band returns to the Marquee, opening for newly formed supergroup, Cream.

(23) The group appears at the Marquee with The Action.

(30) The Clayton Squares play their final show at the Marquee with Jimmy James and The Vagabonds. Barry Womersley from R&B Inc and The Big Three replaces Dunn on guitar while Albie Donnelly takes over from Les Smith.

October (15) The band flies to Germany for some tour dates but splits up by year’s end. Mike Evans subsequently finds fame with The Liverpool Scene while Alexander joins London group, The Thoughts. Long after the band breaks up, German label, Eva releases an EP featuring three tracks by The Clayton Squares recorded live at the Cavern – Watch Your Step, Hey, Good Looking and Tell Me How Do You Feel, with tracks by The Hideaways on the B-side.

 

(1967)

March (9) Alexander’s group, The Thoughts open for Pink Floyd at the Marquee in London. In June the singer joins southcoast band, The Penny Peeps, which features a pre-Jethro Tull Martin Barre and records for the Liberty label.

 

 

SOURCES:

 

London Live by Tony Bacon

Music Echo & Merseybeat, week ending 13 March and 18 September 1965

Music Echo, week ending 12 March 1966

The Cavern, The Most Famous Club in the World by Spencer Leigh, SAF, 2008

The Tapesty of Delights Revisted by Vernon Joynson, Borderline Productions, 2008

Valentine, 26 March 1966 and 17 September 1966  

 

Many thanks to Axel Söhndel for the pics of the Come and Get It/ And Tears Fell single.

 

Copyright © Nick Warburton, 2008, All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any from or by any means, without prior permission from the author

 

I have tried to ensure the accuracy of this article but I appreciate that there are likely to be errors and omissions. I would appreciate any feedback from anyone who can provide any additions or corrections. Email: Warchive@aol.com Visit: www.nickwarburton.com