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Savoy–ABC Cinema, Pop and Rock gigs 1960s and early 70s

Page added 8th September 2014

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Savoy/ABC history

List of known rock and pop gigs at the Savoy/ABC

Th first live stage show at the Savoy was in 1954 when Peter Brough and Archie Andrews appeared for two weeks after Christmas. From 1955 there were several stage shows per year, but it wasn't until 1959 that first act to be classed as 'rock' appeared when Marty Wilde performed on the 3rd May 1959. The following are a few high light gigs. All photos © Stan and Betty Mallett, were taken at the ABC. I have tried to match the photo with the date, but they may not be correct. Many of the programme images are courtesy of Bradford Timeline.

Savoy May 1959

1 The Wee Willie Harris Show
The Rockets
The Bachelors
Joanne Scoon
compere Tony Marsh
Wee Willie Harris
Interval
2 The Wee Willie aArris Show
Billy Fury
Joanne Scoon
Marty Wilde and the Wildcats

May 1959

The programme for the gig included an early appearance of Billy Fury.

Savoy 4th October 1959

Russ Conway
The Glamarous Kaye Sisters
Peter Crawford Trio
Roberto Cardinali
Eddie Falcon (New Singing Sensation)
Johnny Laycock & Bee
Artie Mayne (Host and Compere)

4th October 1959

Savoy 11th May 1960

Cliff Richard
Peter Elliott
Billy Woods Five
Jerry Lordan
The Jones Boys
Norman Vaughan (compere)

Savoy 10th October 1960

Johnny Le Roy
Chris Carlson
The Honeys
Chris Carlson
Johnny Worth
The John Barry Seven
Adam Faith
God Save the Queen

10th October 1960

Savoy 15th January 1961

Shirley Bassey
Ken Macintosh Orchestra

Savoy 16th October 1960

Adam Faith
Chris Carlsen
Johnny Worth
John Barry Seven
Johnny Le Roy
The Honeys - an all girl American group

Savoy 20th November 1961

Emile Ford & The Checkmates
Ricky Valance
Patty Brook & The Diamonds
Dean Rogers & The Rebel Rousers
John Leyton
Norman Vaughan (compere)

Generic programme for the Cliff Richard Show

ABC 3rd December 1961

Billy Fury
Eden Kane
Joe Brown
The Allisons
Tommy Bruce
Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers
The Viscounts
Don Munday
Terry Hale

Billy Fury. © Stan and Betty Mallett.

The Searchers on stage. © Stan and Betty Mallett.

ABC 8th February 1962

Cliff Richard
The Shadows
Dallas Boys
Patti Brooks
The Trebletones
The Two Tones
Tony Marsh (compere)

Fans present Cliff Richard with a birthday cake. © Stan and Betty Mallett.

ABC 25th February 1962

Adam Faith
John Barry Seven
Desmond Lane
Brad Newman
Johnny Le Roy
Dave Reid (compere)

ABC 1st April 1962

Billy Fury & the Outlaws or Tornados
John Leyton (not all shows)
Marty Wilde (not all shows)
Eden Kane
Karl Denver Trio
Shane Fenton & The Fentones
Joe Brown & The Bruvvers
Jackie Lynton
Ricky Stevens
Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers
Don Munday (compere)

Adam Faith with the manager of the ABC, Robert Parker (right). © Stan and Betty Mallett.

ABC 25th October 1962

Everly Brothers
Frank Ifield
Ketty Lester
Dean Rogers
Terry Young Five
Vernons Girls
Norman Collier (compere)

Frank Ifield. © Stan and Betty Mallett.

Phil Everly – his brother did not appear due to drug problems. © Stan and Betty Mallett.

ABC 25th October 1962

Terry Young Five
Terry Young
Te Vernons Girls
Norman Collier
Frank Ifield
Dean Rogers
Ketty Lester
The Everly Brothers
God Save the Queen

ABC 30th November 1962

Red Price Comb
The Vernons Girls
Billy Burden (TV's Country Yokel)
Rhet Stoller and the Dynamics
The Kestrels (Britain's Ace Vocal Group)
Eden Kane (Decca's Dynamic Disc Star)
Arthur Worsley with Charlie Brown (ventriloquist)
Helen Shapiro
The Queen

ABC 4th March 1963

Cliff Richard & The Shadows
Patsy Ann Noble
The Vernons Girls
Alan Randall
The Trebletones
Frank Berry (compere)

30th November 1962.

Helen Shapiro. © Stan and Betty Mallett.

ABC 28th March 1963

Terry Young Six
Debbie Lee
Tony Marsh (compere)
Tommy Roe
The Beatles
The Viscounts
Chris Montez - had a hit Sheila in 1962.
God Save the Queen

Tommy Roe and Chris Montez. © Stan and Betty Mallett.

ABC 4th March 1963

The Trebletones
Frank Berry
Alan Randall
The Vernons Girls
The Shadows
Patsy Anne Noble
Cliff Richard
God Save the Queen

ABC 24th April 1963

Paul and Paula
Jet Harris and Tony Meehan
Jimmy Justice
Patti Brook and the Jet Blacks
Terry Young Six
Joe Black (compere)

Patti Brook, Paul and Paula. © Stan and Betty Mallett.

ABC 7th October 1963

Billy Fury
Joe Brown and the Brothers
Karl Denver Trio
The Tornadoes
Marty Wilde and the Wildcats
Daryl Quist
Dickie Pride
Larry Burns
The Ramblers

7th October 1963.

The generic programme for the Big Star Show.

ABC 14th November 1963

The Beatles
The Brook Brothers
The Kestrels
Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers
The Vernons Girls
Rhythm & Blues Quartet
Frank Berry (compere)

The Beatles on stage. © Stan and Betty Mallett.

The press pass for the Beatles concert.

The Beatles back stage. © Stan and Betty Mallett.

Beatles fans scream and scream and scream.

Fans scream at the Beatles in the ABC. © Stan and Betty Mallett.

ABC 4th December 1963

Bobby Rydell
Helen Shapiro
Guest spot (see below)
Spotnicks
Chants
Harlems
Trebletones

ABC 13th February 1963

Gerry & The Pacemakers
Ben E King
The Fourmost
Tommy Quickly
The Dennisons
Sounds Incorporated
Jimmy Tarbuck (compere)

Gerry and the Pacemakers. © Stan and Betty Mallett.

ABC 10th March 1964

Billy J Kramer with the Dakotas
Gene Pitney
Cilla Black "Miss Mersey Beat"
Billy Burden - compere
The Remo Four
The Escorts
The Swinging Blue Jeans "Hippy Hippy Shake"

10th March 1964.

Billy J Kramer & Gene Pitney - the ABC foyer. © Stan and Betty Mallett.

Gene Pitney on stage. © Stan and Betty Mallett.

Billy J Kramer backstage. © Stan and Betty Mallett.

ABC 30th March 1964 - for one week

Ken Dodd
Winifred Atwell
Rosemary Squires
The Barry Sisters (Three in harmony)
The Zio Angels (Dancing to delight)
Jim Couton (The topical comedian)
Larry Macklin & The Orchestra

ABC 7th April 1964

Cliff Richard & The Shadows
Dailey & Wayne
Bob Miller & The Millermen featuring Alan Lee and June Leslie

ABC 20th May 1964

Chuck Berry
Carl Perkins
King Size Taylor & The Dominos
Animals
Swinging Blue Jeans or Bern Elliott & The Fenmen or Gene Vincent
The Other Two
Nashville Teens
Larry Burns (compere)

ABC 26th August 1964

Rolling Stones
Barron Knights
Paramounts,
Julie Grant
Long John Baldry and his Hoochie Coochie Men
Overlanders
Worryin' Kind.
The Coochies with Rod Stewart.

ABC 23rd September 1964

Freddie & The Dreamers
The Hollies
The Four Pennies
Tony Jackson & The Vibrations
Marianne Faithfull
The Toggery Five
Don Dwight (compere)

ABC 28th October 1964

The Beatles
Mary Wells
The Rustiks
Michael Haslam
Sounds Incorporated
The Remo Four
Tommy Quickly
Compere Bob Bain

ABC 18th November 1964

Cliff Richard
The Shadows
Faye Fisher
Johnny Hawkins & His Orchestra
Frank Berry (compere)

ABC 3rd February 1965

Cilla Black
P J Proby (did not appear due to trouser splitting episode)
Tommy Roe and the Roemans
Remo 4
Mike Cotton Sound
Tommy Quickly
Sounds Incorporated - often the Beatles opening act including at the Shea Stadium.
Fourmost - their first two records, written by Lennon/McCartney were Hello Little Girl and I'm in Love.
Bob Bain (compere)

ABC 24th February 1965

Roy Orbison
Rockin' Berries
Marianne Faithfull
Cliff Bennett and The Rebel Rousers
Three Quarters
Untamed
Jon Mark
Frank Berry (compere)

ABC 28th April 1965

The Pretty Things
Billy Fury
Dave Berry
Brian Poole & the Tremeloes
Gamblers (Fury's backing group)
Zephyr's
Kestrels
John Barry Seven
Bobby Pattinson (compere)

ABC 21st October 1965

Cilla Black
Everly Brothers
Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas
Paddy Klaus & Gibson,
Lionel Blair and his Kick Dancers,
Marionettes
The Alan Elsdon Band
Pete Brady - Radio London DJ

Generic programme cover for Star Scene 65.

ABC 2nd November 1965

Gene Pitney
Rockin' Berries
Lulu & The Luvvers
Peter & Gordon
Mike Cotton Sound
The Quiet Five
Syd & Eddie (comperes)

ABC 5th December 1965

Manfred Mann
Yardbirds
Paul & Barry Ryan
Inez & Charlie Foxx
Mark Leeman 5
Scaffold
Gary Farr & The T-Bones

ABC 2nd November 1969

John Mayal
The Keef Hartley Band

ABC 7th May 1971

Mungo Jerry - remembered for their hit In the Summertime.
Comus - progressive / psychedelic folk rock
Jerry Floyd - DJ

ABC 10th November 1971

Family
America

ABC 3rd March 1972

Jethro Tull - second venue of tour promoting their album 'Thick as a Brick'.

Sources: Original posters and flyers, Express and Echo. Thanks to Peter Rice of Destiny One

5th December 1965

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