The Luvvers
Encyclopedia
The Luvvers were a Scottish
rock
group
. They are best known as the backing group to Lulu
on her debut chart
single
, "Shout" (1964). They subsequently had a low-key career of their own before disbanding in March 1966.
as one of the vocalists. Until their chart breakthrough they played a brand of R&B
influenced music regularly in Glasgow
's clubs
, specifically the Lindella, where they were discovered by Tony Gordon, owner of the Phonograph disco. The original line-up was Alex Bell (vocals), Ross Neilson (lead guitar
), Jim Dewar (rhythm guitar
), Tommy Tierney (bass guitar
), David Mullin (drum
s) and Jimmy Smith (saxophone
).
They moved to London
to be managed by Gordon's sister Marian Massey, and at this point Smith left and was not replaced. After the group recorded their first album
, Mullin was replaced by Henry Wright from The Blues Council, and they continued to tour the UK
, Ireland
and Europe
. Two package tours followed, one with The Honeycombs
and Gene Vincent
, and another one with Gene Pitney
with The Rockin' Berries
. They were compered by the then unknown duo of Syd Little
and Eddie Large
. They recorded a single, "The House On The Hill"/"Most Unlovely", for the Parlophone label in 1966.
The pressure of touring made Dewer decide to leave the group, after a performance at The Place in Edinburgh
. Bell took over on rhythm guitar, now making the band a four piece. About the same time Neilson also departed to be replaced by Dave Wendels, previously of Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers
. At this time they also joined the Harold Davidson Agency, and travelled to Europe where they played at the Olympia
with The Animals
, Marianne Faithfull
and The Moody Blues
, and also at the Big Apple Club in Munich
with Gerry & the Pacemakers
.
Despite their promising debut, subsequent record sales were disappointing even although their third release, "Here Comes The Night", which preceded the hit
version by Them
by several months, received considerable attention. The group split in March 1966, when Lulu became a soloist. However, before this they toured Poland
with The Hollies
, becoming one of the first groups to perform behind the Iron Curtain
, and recorded their debut single
, "House on the Hill" b/w "Most Unlovely". After the single was recorded, Wendels left to join Tom Jones
, to be replaced by Billy Bremner
, later of Rockpile
and The Pretenders
. As bookings dried up, Wright also left, but the rest of the band continued for a while before eventually splitting up.
Although their time in the spotlight was relatively short, The Luvvers
were able to claim that they had met or played with most of the top artists of the time, not least The Beatles
, The Rolling Stones
, The Kinks
, The Yardbirds
and P. J. Proby
.
Until recently, Bell continued to perform with other musicians as The Luvvers
before retiring to Spain
to run his own diving company with his son. Wright moved back to Glasgow, having run The Rufus Stone Soul Band in Southampton
for twenty years. Wendels lives in Palm Springs
, California
and still plays, as does Neilson who is a jeweller in London. Mullin moved to Canada
, Tierney to Oslo
and Bremner to Sweden
. Dewar, having found success as a member of the Robin Trower Band
, died after complications with an anesthetic.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
. They are best known as the backing group to Lulu
Lulu (singer)
Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...
on her debut chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Shout" (1964). They subsequently had a low-key career of their own before disbanding in March 1966.
Career
Before they changed their name to The Luvvers for the release of "Shout", which became a big UK hit single in the early summer of 1964, the band were called The Gleneagles, with LuluLulu (singer)
Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...
as one of the vocalists. Until their chart breakthrough they played a brand of R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
influenced music regularly in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
's clubs
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
, specifically the Lindella, where they were discovered by Tony Gordon, owner of the Phonograph disco. The original line-up was Alex Bell (vocals), Ross Neilson (lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
), Jim Dewar (rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
), Tommy Tierney (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), David Mullin (drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s) and Jimmy Smith (saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
).
They moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to be managed by Gordon's sister Marian Massey, and at this point Smith left and was not replaced. After the group recorded their first album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Mullin was replaced by Henry Wright from The Blues Council, and they continued to tour the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Two package tours followed, one with The Honeycombs
The Honeycombs
The Honeycombs were an English beat/pop group, founded in 1963 in North London. The group had one chart-topping hit, the million selling "Have I the Right?", in 1964. After that song the interest in the group ebbed away, and they split up in late 1966...
and Gene Vincent
Gene Vincent
Vincent Eugene Craddock , known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly...
, and another one with Gene Pitney
Gene Pitney
Eugene Francis Alan Pitney, known as Gene Pitney , was an American singer-songwriter, musician and sound engineer. Through the mid-1960s, he enjoyed success as a recording artist on both sides of the Atlantic and was among the group of early 1960s American acts who continued to enjoy hits after the...
with The Rockin' Berries
The Rockin' Berries
The Rockin' Berries are a pop group from Birmingham, England, who had several hit records in the UK in the 1960s. A version of the group, emphasising comedy routines as well as music, continues to perform to the present day.-History:...
. They were compered by the then unknown duo of Syd Little
Syd Little
Syd Little is an English comedian and straight man in the double act Little and Large, with Eddie Large....
and Eddie Large
Eddie Large
Eddie Large is the stage name of Edward Hugh McGinnis, a British comedian. He is best known as a partner in the double act Little and Large, with Syd Little....
. They recorded a single, "The House On The Hill"/"Most Unlovely", for the Parlophone label in 1966.
The pressure of touring made Dewer decide to leave the group, after a performance at The Place in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. Bell took over on rhythm guitar, now making the band a four piece. About the same time Neilson also departed to be replaced by Dave Wendels, previously of Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers
Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers
Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers were a 1960s British rhythm and blues, soul and beat group who had two Top 10 hits with "One Way Love" and "Got to Get You into My Life" ....
. At this time they also joined the Harold Davidson Agency, and travelled to Europe where they played at the Olympia
Paris Olympia
The Olympia is a music hall in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Located at No. 28, Boulevard des Capucines, its closest métro/RER stations are Madeleine, Opéra, Havre – Caumartin and Auber....
with The Animals
The Animals
The Animals were an English music group of the 1960s formed in Newcastle upon Tyne during the early part of the decade, and later relocated to London...
, Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Evelyn Faithfull is an award-winning English singer, songwriter and actress whose career has spanned five decades....
and The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues are an English rock band. Among their innovations was a fusion with classical music, most notably in their 1967 album Days of Future Passed....
, and also at the Big Apple Club in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
with Gerry & the Pacemakers
Gerry & the Pacemakers
Gerry and the Pacemakers were a British beat music group prominent during the 1960s. In common with The Beatles, they came from Liverpool, were managed by Brian Epstein and recorded by George Martin. They are most remembered for being the first act to reach number one in the UK Singles Chart with...
.
Despite their promising debut, subsequent record sales were disappointing even although their third release, "Here Comes The Night", which preceded the hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
version by Them
Them (band)
Them were a Northern Irish band formed in Belfast in April 1964, most prominently known for the garage rock standard "Gloria" and launching singer Van Morrison's musical career...
by several months, received considerable attention. The group split in March 1966, when Lulu became a soloist. However, before this they toured Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
with The Hollies
The Hollies
The Hollies are an English pop and rock group, formed in Manchester in the early 1960s, though most of the band members are from throughout East Lancashire. Known for their distinctive vocal harmony style, they became one of the leading British groups of the 1960s and 1970s...
, becoming one of the first groups to perform behind the Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
, and recorded their debut single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "House on the Hill" b/w "Most Unlovely". After the single was recorded, Wendels left to join Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
, to be replaced by Billy Bremner
Billy Bremner (musician)
William "Billy" Bremner is a guitarist best known for his work in the band Rockpile and on many of Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds' albums...
, later of Rockpile
Rockpile
Rockpile were a British rock and roll group of the late 1970s and early 1980s, noted for their strong rockabilly and power pop influences, and as a foundational influence on new wave...
and The Pretenders
The Pretenders
The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
. As bookings dried up, Wright also left, but the rest of the band continued for a while before eventually splitting up.
Although their time in the spotlight was relatively short, The Luvvers
The Luvvers
The Luvvers were a Scottish rock group. They are best known as the backing group to Lulu on her debut chart single, "Shout" . They subsequently had a low-key career of their own before disbanding in March 1966.-Career:...
were able to claim that they had met or played with most of the top artists of the time, not least The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
, The Yardbirds
The Yardbirds
- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
and P. J. Proby
P. J. Proby
P.J. Proby is an American singer, songwriter, and actor, who has portrayed Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison in musical theater productions as well as enjoying a successful recording career in his own right....
.
Until recently, Bell continued to perform with other musicians as The Luvvers
The Luvvers
The Luvvers were a Scottish rock group. They are best known as the backing group to Lulu on her debut chart single, "Shout" . They subsequently had a low-key career of their own before disbanding in March 1966.-Career:...
before retiring to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to run his own diving company with his son. Wright moved back to Glasgow, having run The Rufus Stone Soul Band in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
for twenty years. Wendels lives in Palm Springs
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and still plays, as does Neilson who is a jeweller in London. Mullin moved to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Tierney to Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
and Bremner to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Dewar, having found success as a member of the Robin Trower Band
Robin Trower
Robin Leonard Trower , known professionally as Robin Trower, is an English rock guitarist who achieved success with Procol Harum during the 1960s, and then again as the bandleader of his own power trio.-Biography:...
, died after complications with an anesthetic.