N' Betweens ~ 1966
1966, the year remembered by most Scotsmen and Germans as the year that England under the guidance of Alf Ramsey brought the football world cup to the home of the game. It was also the year that finally saw Noddy Holder, Jim Lea, Dave Hill and Donald Georgie Powell purposefully together as the four man unit that was to become Slade.
Following a so-so stint in Germany Powell had approached the Mavericks vocalist with a view to joining the band, as both he and Hill had become increasingly disenchanted with the direction they were going in with the members they had. While Holder was considering his options Cass Jones left the band leaving a bass player vacancy to be filled. Auditions were held and the job went to Jim Lea straight out of school. Following Lea's arrival Mick Marson left the band and Noddy Holder joined making the N'Betweens line up Powell, Hill, Lea, Howells and Holder.
Holder was employed as the back up vocalist and he and Howells would share the singing duties, it wasn't working and Howells became increasingly isolated within the quintet. Howells would be the last of the original 'Vendors' to leave the band and by the summer of 66' The N'Betweens were treading the boards up and down the country as the four piece band that later became Slade.
They continued to create a great atmosphere live and soon had a growing and new following around the midlands that outstripped their prevoius popularity. They also were 'noticed' by American music producer Kim Fowley during a London gig and as a result released their first ever single, a cover of a Young Rascals hit 'You Better Run' which gained some local success and is believed to have topped the local Wolverhampton hit parade of the day.
As the year progressed and their light began to shine ever brighter they found themselves much in demand to play alongside some of the more stellar talents the country was producing........
JANUARY/FEBRUARY
THE N'BETWEENS
Date |
Venue |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
1/1 |
Parish Hall, Sedgley |
|
3/1 |
Willenhall Baths |
|
6/1 |
Willenhall Baths |
The Soul Seekers |
7/1 |
Civic Hall, Wolverhampton |
The Searchers-The Roulettes-Nbetweens-Soul Seekers-Ides of March |
10/1 |
Queens Head, Erdington |
|
12/1 |
Mossley Y C, Bloxwich |
The Radio Caroliners |
13/1 |
Ship & Rainbow, Wolverhampton |
Jenny Wren & the Opposite Set |
13/1 |
Express and Star |
Civic Hall Review |
16/1 |
Waggon and Horses, Wall Heath |
|
17/1 |
Langley Baths,Oldbury |
Eight Feet 4 |
23/1 |
Waggon and Horses, Wall Heath |
|
24/1 |
Civic Hall, Wolverhampton |
Hells Bells |
27/28 /1 |
Express and Star | Ad for new bass player carried (Link) |
28/1 |
Civic Hall, Wolverhampton | The Barron Knights-Peter Jay & the Jaywalkers-Tommy Quickly-The ‘Nbetweens-The Soul Seekers |
29/1 |
Express and Star | Civic Hall Review |
29/1 |
Civic Hall, Brierley Hill |
|
31/1 |
Willenhall Baths |
|
1/2 |
The Woolpack, Wolverhampton |
|
2/2 |
Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton |
The Soul Seekers |
5/2 |
Town Hall, Bilston |
The Atlantics |
12/2 |
Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton |
Phil Ryan and the Crescents |
12/2 |
Blue Flame Club, Wolverhampton |
Auditions for new bass player. |
16/2 |
Express and Star |
Holder advertises his services |
18/2 |
Mary Dermot Parish Hall, Coseley |
|
19/2 |
Bolero Club, Wednesbury |
|
20/2 |
Garden of Eden, Birmingham |
|
20/2 |
Silver Blade, Birmingham |
|
21/2 |
Assembly Rooms,Tamworth |
Blues Ensemble |
26/2 |
Civic Hall, Brierley Hill |
|
MARCH / APRIL
Date |
Venue |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
3/3 |
Jim Lea asked to join the band |
|
4/3 |
Walsall Town Hall closure announced |
to close 1st April 1966 |
7/3 |
Willenhall Baths |
|
11/3 |
Civic Hall, Wolverhampton |
The Soul Seekers - Sounds Of Three |
19/3 |
Town Hall, Walsall |
The Morgan Fayne Soul Band |
22/3 |
Midland Coffee Bar, Wolverhampton |
|
24/3 |
Ship & Rainbow, Wolverhampton |
|
24/3 |
Mick Marston leaves band announced |
Lea, Powell, Holder, Hill, Howells |
26/3 |
Civic Hall, Brierley Hill |
|
1/4 |
Atlantic Ballroom, Newcastle |
(A long way from Walsall) |
5/4 |
Hen & Chickens,Oldbury |
The Shamed |
11/4 |
Civic Hall, Wolverhampton | Loves Lot |
14/4 |
Willenhall Baths | Tony Rivers & the Castaways-The ‘Nbetweens-The Oppposite Set |
15/4 |
Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton | Zuider Zee |
16/4 |
Ye Olde Moat House Club,Birmingham |
|
19/4 |
The Woolpack, Wolverhampton |
|
21/4 |
Civic Hall, Wolverhampton |
The Moody Blues-Sounds Incorporated-The ‘Nbetweens-The Ides of March-Reg Bradley & his Band |
23/4 |
The Garden of Eden Club, Birmingham |
|
23/4 |
Mecca Roller Rink, Birmingham |
|
28/4 |
Band to test for Polydor |
|
29/4 |
The Cascade Club, Birmingham |
|
MAY / JUNE
Date |
Venue |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
11/5 |
Parish Hall, Sedgeley |
|
12/5 |
The Marlbrook, Birmingham |
|
13/5 |
St Michaels YC |
|
16/5 |
Queens Head, Erdington |
|
19/5 |
Express and Star |
Howells to leave N'Betweens announced |
20/5 |
The Woolpack, Wolverhampton |
|
21/5 |
The Disco Volante Club,Trysull |
|
30/5 |
South Perton Farm |
N 'betweens-Prim & Proper-The Ambassoders |
31/5 |
The Woolpack, Wolverhampton |
|
4-10/6 |
400 Ballroom,Torquay |
|
11-17/6 |
Blue Lagoon, Newquay |
|
19/6 |
Park Ballroom, Plymouth |
|
20/6 |
Village Hall, St Merryn |
|
23/6 |
Park Ballroom, Plymouth |
|
25/6 |
Locarno Ballroom, Swindon |
Davey Sands and the Essex |
25/6 |
John Howells leaves the band |
|
26/6 |
Silver Blades, Birmingham |
|
JULY / AUGUST
Date |
Venue |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
7-15/7 |
Star Palast, Kiel |
|
16/7 |
Carlton, Birmingham |
The Little People |
24/7 |
Bel Air Club, Sutton Coldfield |
|
27/7 |
Tyburn House, Erdington |
|
29/7 |
The Coach House, Coleshill |
|
1/8 |
Queens Head, Erdington |
1000 -The Anxious |
5/8 |
Civic Hall, Wolverhampton |
Downliners Sect-Blues Ensemble-M.I.5-Tony Barry and the Sounds of Three-Gerry Byrnes and the Invaders-The ‘Nbetweens |
6/8 |
Parish Hall,Sedgley |
|
7/8 |
Garden of Eden, Birmingham |
|
8/8 |
Silver Blades,Birmingham |
|
12/8 |
The Woolpack, Wolverhampton |
|
13/8 |
The Connaught Hotel, Wolverhampton |
Tierneys Fugitive |
15/8 |
The Caves, Dudley |
|
22/8 |
Civic Hall, Wolverhampton |
The Ambasadors |
27/8 |
The Golden Torch,Tunstall,Staffs |
The Tony Merrick Scene |
29/8 |
Tiles Club, London | Crispian St Peters |
31/8 |
Tybourne House, Erdington |
|
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER
Date |
Venue |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
1/9 |
Queens Head, Erdington |
|
16/9 |
Civic Hall, Wolverhampton |
The ‘Nbetweens-Blues Ensemble-Soulseekers-Our Generation |
24/9 |
Town Hall, Walsall |
The Soul Seekers |
25/9 |
The Blue Flame, Wolverhampton |
|
25/9 |
Garden of Eden Club, Birmingham |
|
4/10 |
Carlton Club, Erdington |
|
7/10 |
Civic Hall, Wolverhampton |
The Applejacks |
8/10 |
Tito’s Club, Handsworth |
|
8/10 |
Carlton Club, Erdington |
|
9/10 |
Garden of Eden, Birmingham |
|
16/10 |
Garden of Eden, Birmingham |
Shirley the Beautiful |
20/10 |
Willenhall Baths |
Cream-The ‘Nbetweens-Listen-The Factotums |
21/10 |
Silver Blades, Birmingham |
|
21/10 |
Security / Evil Witchman released in USA |
(Express & Star article 27/10) |
29/10 |
Club Pandora, Birmingham | |
31/10 |
United Services Club, Bilston |
|
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER
Date |
Venue |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
2/11 |
George Hotel, Walsall |
|
11/11 |
Mary Dermot Hall, Coseley |
|
12/11 |
Tiles Club, London |
The Peddlers-The N’between-The Equals |
14/11 |
Holly Bush, Quinton |
|
16/11 |
Tyburn House, Erdington |
|
27/11 |
Bolero Club, Wednesbury |
|
30/11 |
Bulls Head,Yardley |
|
1/12 |
Carlton Club, Erdington |
Erskine the T-Normie Rowe-The ‘Nbetweens |
2/12 |
You Better Run/Evil Witchman Released |
|
2/12 |
Ettington Park Hotel,Stratford upon Avon |
|
3/12 |
Cliff & Halifax,Snowhill,Wolverhampton |
Personal appearance 'You Better run' signing |
4/12 |
The Connaught Hotel, Wolverhampton |
The Zero Five |
5/12 |
Baths, Willenhall |
Outward Bounds |
10/12 |
The Golden Torch ,Tunstull | Sonny Childe and the TNT |
11/12 |
Bolero Club,Wednesbury | |
14/12 |
The Woolpack, Wolverhampton |
The Soul Seekers |
15/12 |
Baths, Willenhall | The Alan Price Set-sThe Measles-The CobraThe ‘Nbetweens |
18/12 |
Bolero Club, Wednesbury |
|
19/12 |
Civic Hall, Wolverhampton |
The Atlantics-Parchment People |
22/12 |
Queens Head, Erdington |
|
24/12 |
Le Metro Club, Birmingham |
|
30/12 |
School Hall, Regis |
|
This information is presented here in its most basic form, for those of you wishing to flesh in the bones of the story of these early days then simply follow the link to Michael Parkers excellent pages on the subject.