Bands – WYCOMBEGIGS.co.uk

20 June 1979 – After Science –Nag’s Head

Four years before Howard Jones would make his breakthrough in the UK charts with his synth based pop, his three younger brothers had formed a band and began gigging in the High Wycombe area. Their first outings came under the name of After Science, with an appearance at The Nag’s Head on Wednesday 20^th June 1979 being one of their first ventures.

After Science/The Runs
Nag’s Head – 20th June 1979
Flyer from my own collection

Brothers Roy Jones (20, vocals), Martin Jones (21, guitar) and Paul Jones (17, drums), were joined by friend Majid Ahmed (19, bass) for the gig billed to be in aid of Friends of the Earth. The self-made flyer was the only form of advertising for the gig but that and word of mouth amongst their music loving friends drew a decent crowd to the London Road venue.

I’m grateful for Roy Jones confirming, shortly before this article was published, that he had previously gained experience playing with local band ‘prog rock’ band Beowulf, which featured Sabir Ahmed (brother of Majid on bass), plus High Wycombe Royal Grammar classmate Paul Ferguson on drums. Ferguson went on to perform with Pink Parts during the 1977 ‘punk’ explosion.

By 1979, the ‘post-punk’ scene was in full swing and Ferguson had teamed up with a fledgling West London based Killing Joke. Meanwhile, Roy had begun collaborating with his younger brothers – all boasting natural music talent – and bringing a relatively fresh sound to the local scene and one that was in stark contrast to the bands harking back to the ‘full on’ punk days of 1976 and 1977.

Drawing influences from the likes of XTC, Joe Jackson, Elvis Costello, Talking Head and Public Image Limited; After Science quickly built up a local following playing the smaller local venues but seemed to struggle to make the step into the larger venues.

Later in 1979 they would change the band name to The Jones Boys and start to record tracks at The Boiler House studios in High Wycombe (Sands) along with engineer Derek Timms. By the end of 1979 they had built up enough material for an album and were gaining interest from record companies.

Roy Jones commented: “We used to rehearse two nights a week for four hours in the evenings after work. Then we used to play live in local venues like The Nag’s Head in High Wycombe. We even got record company interest from CBS who sent an A&R man down to see us play live.”

Roy also recalls that during one of their Nag’s Head appearances in 1979 brother Howard would join the group on stage. It would be the only time that all four brothers ever played live together before an audience.

After Science / The Jones Boys
Majid Ahmed plus Martin, Roy and Paul Jones
Picture taken circa November 1979 in High Wycombe – photo Jim Rendell

In 2014 Roy Jones would re-visit the tracks recorded at The Boiler House and issue a retrospectively titled album, ‘Endless Waiting Game’, via download and streaming platforms.

The tracks featured were:

Con 79
Endless Waiting Game
Talking
Goodtime Music
Disco-O
It’s Science
Falling Apart
Television Hum (featuring Paul Ferguson)
Crazy Rhythm
Chinese Takeaway Experiment
Visit to Earth
Yes No Running

The tracks were essentially the material performed live by After Science and The Jones Boys up until early 1980, when the chaotic events at a planned support slot for Killing Joke and Joy Division at The Town Hall, High Wycombe provided the catalyst to move to London and make another name change, this time to Red Beat – and finally a breakthrough to play the bigger stages in London and beyond.

For your listening and viewing pleasure

Jones Boys/Red Beat – Endless Waiting Game – 1979 remastered in 2014 by Roy Jones

References and further reading:

http://dredzilla.com/bio/

https://www.facebook.com/RedBeatWorldwide/

https://twitter.com/roybakerjones

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3 May 1968 – Rainbow FFolly release debut album on Parlophone

Rainbow FFolly, High Wycombe’s pop band in the making, debut album ‘Sallies Fforth’ hit the record shops on Friday 3^rd May 1968. With heavy pop and psychedelia influences from the time, the band were looking to hit the big-time, with 21 year old vocalists and lead guitarist Jonathan Dunsterville stating (with tongue in cheek) that his ambition from fame would be to own a ‘gold plated house’. His dream didn’t quite work out but the album has since become a collector’s item and prompted the band to reform and release a follow-up some 38 years later!

Sallies Forth – 1968 Parlophone release from High Wycombe’s Rainbow FFolly

Rainbow Ffolly consisted of Jonathan Dunsterville, 21 years old (lead guitar), Richard Dunsterville, 23 (guitar), Roger Newell, 19 (bass) and Stewart Osborn, 21 (drums). The band had originally formed in early 1967 under the name ‘Force Four’ and had played many of the local smaller venues, including High Wycombe’s Needham Bowl and Townfield House.

Band ‘leader’ Jonathan Dunsterville was a former student at ‘High Wycombe College of Technology and Art’ and designed the cover for the album which had been partly recorded in the front room of Stewart Osborn’s house in London Road, High Wycombe – however, the main recording had been carried out at John Jackson’s legendary studio in Rickmansworth. The recordings were intended as demo tracks for distribution to record companies but EMI were so impressed they agreed to issue the recordings ‘as is’ on their Parlophone sister label – the same label the used at the time by The Beatles.

During my research for this article I found several mentions of the band in the 1968 editions of the Bucks Free Press. An article from 3 May 1968 – the day the album was released reports that a reception for the album was held at the EMI offices in London the week before its release. The BFP feature says the group made their way to the occasion using their ‘trusty ambulance’. It also reports the fact that fans of the group had gathered in Hazlemere (at the home of Manager John Sparrowhawk) earlier that day to wish them off on their trip to London. The ambulance they used for transporting their gear to gigs had been decorated with a clockwork key on the roof, rainbow coloured wheel hubs and cartoon caricatures of the group on the windows. The band themselves wore what was their usual regalia – an assortment of Edwardian clothes, embroidered silks and silver jewellery.

Rainbow Ffolly and their clockwork ambulance – picture from www.rainbowffolly.com

The reception included a photo session with Paul Fleviz and Beatle label mate George Harrison was apparently on-hand to watch the boys pose for photos on top of the ambulance. The photo also attracted the attention of nearby office workers, while a female traffic warden was put-off ticketing the ambulance via the gift of a Rainbow FFlolly card. The band then continued their photo session in other well-known locations in London before ending the day by visiting HMV records in Oxford Street to see their album on special display. Back in High Wycombe, local record outlets Percy Prior and W.H.Smith also had picture displays of the band to promote the release.

Rainbow FFolly – montage of press cutting from the Bucks Free Press – 1968 – created for wycombegigs.co.uk

The album was followed by a single release, ‘Drive My Car’ (not The Beatles song). In August 1968 another Bucks Free Press article revealed they were due to play at the famous Star Club in Hamburg – the same venue where The Beatles had made a name for themselves earlier in the 1960’s. The feature also said a tour of Canada had been planned – starting in Montreal and taking in most of the country. Radio and television shows were also said to be planned in Canada. By contrast UK dates appear to be fairly low-key but perhaps exclusive affairs? Following the release of the album they played at a number of London clubs, including ‘Hatchetts’ in Piccadilly, while the BFP article from August 1968 claimed the band ‘have plans for a tour of East Anglia’.

The album also featured on BBC Radio One’s ‘Saturday Club’ show on 13 July 1968, where DJ Keith Skues gave the band close to 20 minutes of airtime. Sadly, for the band, the album and single crept under the radar and they split-up later in 1968. However, over the years the Rainbow Ffolly recordings have acquired cult status. That demand was partly responsible for the band reforming in 2016 to bring out a long-awaited follow-up – aptly named ‘Ffollow Up’.

There are a number of articles on the web relating to Rainbow Ffolly. I’ve listed what I have found below, including a website set up by the band in 2016 at the time of their new album. Do you have connection with the band or remember seeing the band back in 1968? Please get in touch, or post in the comments section. Did they ever get to perform on Canadian TV?

References

http://www.rainbowffolly.com/ – band website launched 2016

https://www.loudersound.com/features/rainbow-ffolly-release-second-album-48-years-after-their-debut – Louder Sound interview with bassist Roger Newell from September 2016

http://www.radiolondon.co.uk/sixties/rainbowff/reccoll/rffstory.html – article from Record Collector magazine published in November 1999 – including comments from Roger Newell

http://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2011/09/rainbow-ffolly-interview-with-roger.html – another interview with Roger Newell from 2011

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Ffolly

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Basta Roc – Band Biography

Basta Roc are one of the best known of the High Wycombe based ‘post punk’ bands. With a gigging history of more than ten years they were regulars down The Nag’s Head, as well as venturing into London for dates at iconic venues such as The 100 Club, Dingwalls, Fulham Greyhound, Kentish Town’s Bull & Gate and The Mean Fiddler.

The origins of Basta Roc can be traced back to 1981 when the remaining members of Xerox Dummies (formed in High Wycombe the summer of 1980) formed a new group with a line-up of John Fleming (vocals), Gareth Jones (guitar), Nathan Adams (guitar), Dominic O’Hara (bass) and Joe Scully (drums) – they were all teenagers at the time.

Basta Roc recorded a debut single (Monument) in October 1981 for the Proto Noise label and this was aired on the John Peel show later that year. Artwork for the sleeve, including the distinctive Basta Roc logo were created by the hidden talents of guitarist Gareth Jones.

Monument – 1981 single from Basta Roc – sleeve design by Gareth Jones

A four track demo containing the tracks ‘Warrior’, ‘Moment of Madness’, ‘I’ve a Feeling’ and ‘Shattered Visions’ was laid down early in 1982 as they began to command a local following through their energetic live shows.

Reviews at the time cited their influences as a heavily related to The Clash and Theatre of Hate while their hairdo’s were often described as ‘stunning’.

Subtle line-up changes, plus vocal and instrument swopping followed though the 1980’s. Pete Colverd joining on guitar in April 1982 in place of Nathan Adams being one of the newcomers.

Key gigs for Basta Roc during that time were a support slot to The Alarm in November 1983 at Aylesbury Friars, support to German post punkers Xmal-Deutschland at High Wycombe College in November 1985. A gig at The Nag’s Head in October 1985 was also filmed for part of a BBC documentary but is believed to remain un-broadcast. However, a Basta Roc clip survives (including the band walking through West Wycombe caves) and can be seen on You Tube.

In 1986 the track Billy Bones was included on the Wycombe Compilation album, while during the same year they shared the headline slot with fellow local band No No Fear for a sell charity gig at the High Wycombe College Main Hall.

John Fleming would eventually leave to join fellow Wycombe band T-Birds (Pete Colverd switching to bass), and there was brief change of name to Bastion before reverting back to their original title.

Dominic O’Hara parted ways with the band later in the 1980’s, with No No Fear lead singer Robin Barker eventually joining the Bastas during a resurgence of success and gigs in late 1989 and early 1990. Popular tracks at the time included ‘Soul Shaker’ and ‘Break for the Border’, with influences this time around including The Cult and Billy Idol. Meanwhile the hairdo’s remained extravagant right up until they stopped gigging around 1993.

In memory of Gareth Jones who passed away in 2016 aged just 53.

Biography by Paul Lewis – first published March 2017. Thanks to Gareth’s Kate, John and Pete for their help. If you have any memories or memorabilia on Basta Roc, please get in touch.

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