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Posted by Mark Goodwin on March 10, 2009, 4:03 pm, in reply to "MORE FROM ENGLEBERT SHOW 1969"
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Hi Guys
I have been so busy lately juggling s*** and trying to keep it all in the air, that I have missed the pleasure of this forum. So glad to see everyone still participating.
Re the Humperdink show in 1969. I have tried to watch the clip but it appears that it has been taken down, so great disappointment. That was the year I met Ondrea my wife she was one of the Pam Devis Dancers also on the show. If my memory serves me the bass player was a guy called Bobby Hayes. Bobby was not the greatest bass player but was more of a stand-up solo act. I'm not sure why Lonnie hired him although he was a nice enough and quite talented chap.
There was great friction between him and Les. Mainly, I think, because Bob had not grown up with the skiffle/rock thing, and didn't really understand the history of the band and especially the history and pedigree of Les. So there was much lack of respect. Whereas I had grown up listening and playing the music and was quite in awe of Les in the early days. Les and I got on very well and became very good friends, I miss him dearly.
Bobby was only in the band for a short time, he was then replaced by Pete Huggett who came back for a spell, that was one of the bands I really liked, boy could it swing! From Pete, occasionally Oakman would join us, who could just step into the band at any time no matter what year it was, or what arrangement we were playing, and just play as if he had never been away, a fine musician!
The final bass player in the band when I was there (up until 1973) was Melt Kingston. Melt was another fine player and also played euphonium and valve trombone. I remember there were a couple of numbers where he would play Fender bass with his left hand and trombone with his right! Melt joined us from the New Vaudeville Band whom we met in Vegas in 69/70.
BTW if anyone has another link for that Humperdink Show I would be very pleased to see it.
Keep on the sunny side!
Mark
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