Post by Athenais on Feb 1, 2005 21:06:18 GMT -5
Paul Young
"In 1964, after performing at a scout hut in Sharston, Wythenshawe, Manchester, I was approached by Frank Renshaw and Graham Smith. They were due to compete in a TV show called "Ready, Steady-Win!" and needed a vocalist. The Toggery Five seemed to be going places and looked the part, very rarely seen in the same clothes twice, which was not surprising since they were backed by a guy who owned a clothes shop that sold the very latest in men's fashion wear. Even the Beatles and The Rolling Stones bought their clothes from there! So when they offered me the ex-singers stage clothes I jumped at the chance".
The Toggery five was formed in 1963. Paul Young replaced Bob Smith the original lead vocalist in 1964, "not Mike Rabin of "Mike Rabin & The Demons fame", which many music guides wrongly cite! The band took it's name from the famous "The Toggery" clothes shop in Mersey Square, Stockport, Cheshire, the North's answer to London's Carnaby St, and owned by the bands manager, Michael Cohen of "Kennedy Street Artistes Ltd", who also managed "The Hollies".
Their first recording on June 22nd 1964, secured them a record deal with EMI/Parlophone, a controversial track titled "I'm Gonna Jump" written by Frank Renshaw. The record was released in September two days after their appearance on Granada TV's "Ready, Steady-Win!" A contest were six undiscovered bands battled it out for the 1st prize (£1000 worth of musical equipment and a recording contract with Decca), 2nd prize (£750 Commer van), and 3rd prize (£250 worth of clothes). The judges were non other than "Beatles" manager Brian Epstein, Bill Haley of the Comets fame, radio DJ Brian Matthew, and Brian Jones of the "Rolling Stones". The contestants, the "Bo Street Runners", "The Thyrds", "Harbour Lights Trio", "Jimmy Royal And The Hawks", "The Olympics" and "The Toggery Five".
Frank Renshaw
"As the first prize was a recording contract with Decca, they couldn't let us win, so much to the disgruntlement of the TV people we had to come second. Better for us anyway as our van was knackered and we needed a new one. Brian Jones from the Rolling Stones was one of the judges, and he gave us maximum points in every round".
Alan Doyle, who joined The Toggery Five after "Ready, Steady-Win!" tells an interesting story regarding the outcome of the contest in Olaf Owre's, "I'd Much Rather Be With The Togs" (The Toggery Five Story).
Alan Doyle
"I met Brian Epstein in Torremolinos, Spain in 1967 when I was working there with The Derek Joys Show band, and a Spanish girl singer called Carina. Epstein told me he had voted The Toggery Five winners of the contest, and they would have come first if it wasn't for the first prize being £1000 worth of gear and a recording contract with Decca! The Toggery Five had already signed with EMI/Parlophone while the competition was going on, and even though the group had won every single heat from the beginning, they simply couldn't win the final! A big cover-up was used and the group ended up with second prize. It was never proved that the record company had pulled the wires, but Brian Epstein couldn't understand it at the time, and was very disappointed.
www.paul-young.org/biography.htm
"In 1964, after performing at a scout hut in Sharston, Wythenshawe, Manchester, I was approached by Frank Renshaw and Graham Smith. They were due to compete in a TV show called "Ready, Steady-Win!" and needed a vocalist. The Toggery Five seemed to be going places and looked the part, very rarely seen in the same clothes twice, which was not surprising since they were backed by a guy who owned a clothes shop that sold the very latest in men's fashion wear. Even the Beatles and The Rolling Stones bought their clothes from there! So when they offered me the ex-singers stage clothes I jumped at the chance".
The Toggery five was formed in 1963. Paul Young replaced Bob Smith the original lead vocalist in 1964, "not Mike Rabin of "Mike Rabin & The Demons fame", which many music guides wrongly cite! The band took it's name from the famous "The Toggery" clothes shop in Mersey Square, Stockport, Cheshire, the North's answer to London's Carnaby St, and owned by the bands manager, Michael Cohen of "Kennedy Street Artistes Ltd", who also managed "The Hollies".
Their first recording on June 22nd 1964, secured them a record deal with EMI/Parlophone, a controversial track titled "I'm Gonna Jump" written by Frank Renshaw. The record was released in September two days after their appearance on Granada TV's "Ready, Steady-Win!" A contest were six undiscovered bands battled it out for the 1st prize (£1000 worth of musical equipment and a recording contract with Decca), 2nd prize (£750 Commer van), and 3rd prize (£250 worth of clothes). The judges were non other than "Beatles" manager Brian Epstein, Bill Haley of the Comets fame, radio DJ Brian Matthew, and Brian Jones of the "Rolling Stones". The contestants, the "Bo Street Runners", "The Thyrds", "Harbour Lights Trio", "Jimmy Royal And The Hawks", "The Olympics" and "The Toggery Five".
Frank Renshaw
"As the first prize was a recording contract with Decca, they couldn't let us win, so much to the disgruntlement of the TV people we had to come second. Better for us anyway as our van was knackered and we needed a new one. Brian Jones from the Rolling Stones was one of the judges, and he gave us maximum points in every round".
Alan Doyle, who joined The Toggery Five after "Ready, Steady-Win!" tells an interesting story regarding the outcome of the contest in Olaf Owre's, "I'd Much Rather Be With The Togs" (The Toggery Five Story).
Alan Doyle
"I met Brian Epstein in Torremolinos, Spain in 1967 when I was working there with The Derek Joys Show band, and a Spanish girl singer called Carina. Epstein told me he had voted The Toggery Five winners of the contest, and they would have come first if it wasn't for the first prize being £1000 worth of gear and a recording contract with Decca! The Toggery Five had already signed with EMI/Parlophone while the competition was going on, and even though the group had won every single heat from the beginning, they simply couldn't win the final! A big cover-up was used and the group ended up with second prize. It was never proved that the record company had pulled the wires, but Brian Epstein couldn't understand it at the time, and was very disappointed.
www.paul-young.org/biography.htm