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Home , Adam Faith, Bad Time, Bob Henrit, Russ Ballard, The Roulettes

SD84 Roulettes.qxp 09/09/2018 11:32 Page 1 SOON YOU’LL BE LEAVING ME SD84 Roulettes.qxp 09/09/2018 11:32 Page 2

More than 50 years after their break-up, All four Roulettes still meet on more than deserve their own a regular basis and EDDY catalogue number in the ’60s pop library, if only for such BONTE was invited to join gems as ‘Bad Time’ and ‘The Long Cigarette’ guitarist Peter Thorp, or self-written floor-fillers like ‘Junk’ and ‘Jackpot’. drummer , Providing a backbone for , they were on par with bassist John ‘Mod’ , while their impressive musical curriculum Rogan and guitarist/ encompasses the likes of Chris Andrews, Unit 4+2, The keyboardist Kinks, Argent, French superstar Richard Anthony and The to reflect on their story and c Shadows themselves. set the record straight SD84 Roulettes.qxp 09/09/2018 11:32 Page 3

Adam Faith and The Roulettes rehearsing at The , 17th September 1961, their first show with him. L-R: John Roberts, Martin Blackwell, Tony Burgess, Peter Thorp, Adam Faith y erroneously commencing The Roulettes’ story in May 1962, websites and encyclopaedia conveniently argue that The Roulettes were put together to provide British pop star Adam Faith with a new sound to cope with “the dawn of ” or “to compete with the beat artists about to overtake the British music scene”. In actual fact, The Roulettes first hit the stage with Adam Faith nine months earlier, when Merseybeat was still a localised underground phenomenon at best and The Beatles pleased the German crowds with ‘La Bamba’B and ‘When The Saints Go Marching In’. Guitarist Peter Thorp tells us what really Besides, in September ’61 Adam Faith ‘Lonely Pup (In A Christmas Shop)’ – happened. “The Roulettes were formed in simply wasn’t preoccupied with changing even if the fans turned it into a #5 hit. September ’61. When at Sutton High his winning formula. The Pizzicato King Faith writes he wanted to be a bad boy, School For Boys I formed a band with was still riding high in the charts while “the one the parents were frightened of ”. various friends called The Strangers. We doubling as a successful film actor. In fact, Taylor kept the golden goose in the played regularly at The Sutton Granada, Faith was immersed in variety, all- golden pen, for instance by withholding a where we met ’s PR man entertainment shows and summer seasons. serious acting offer from Lindsay Leslie Perrin. When Perrin was Adam Faith’s real motives for a new Anderson. Johnny Worth had approached by Adam Faith’s management backing band were of a different nature. provided hit after hit but, to Faith’s to find a new touring band for Adam “I wanted a set of musicians who dismay, he was now scoring with other Faith, who had until then mostly been answered to me and me alone,” he wrote artists too. The cornerstone of the Faith backed by The Seven, Perrin in his autobiography Acts Of Faith. The edifice, however, was John Barry: put our name forward. We passed the singer was getting increasingly frustrated composer, arranger, producer and leader audition. Our last gig as The Strangers with the three people who had so far of Faith’s backing band The John Barry was on Saturday 16th September at successfully steered his career: Eve Taylor, Seven. The man was becoming Sutton Public Hall and the very next day Johnny Worth and John Barry. He increasingly popular in various roles and we became The Roulettes backing Adam regretted he had let himself be bullied and would arrange the James Bond theme in Faith at The Royal Albert Hall! Quite a browbeaten by his manager Evie Taylor ’62. Understandably, a man of his stature jump!” into recording the utterly schmaltzy couldn’t invest all his talent in Faith alone.

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Enter The Roulettes. of the charts. You should know that One Look’ and sounded as tough as The After the grand start at The Royal Adam Faith had the most fantastic record Mojos’ ‘Everything’s Alright’. Albert Hall, Faith took his four new lads collection, cases and cases of albums from “I was asked by Adam if I could write a on a two weeks tour of England with The America: James Brown, Booker T, song for his backing group , Irish comic , Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Smokey Roulettes,” recalls Chris Andrews, “and clarinettist Desmond Lane, Johnny Le Robinson & The Miracles, the whole that’s how ‘Soon You’ll Be Leaving Me’ Roy, and a host of other groups and Gordy catalogue. We’d never heard of came about. It was inspired by the entertainers. For the next 18 months, these people!” Liverpool bands I had been working with their life would be one long chain of Ever the business man and a trend at the Star Club in Hamburg. ‘I wrote summer seasons, variety, tours at home follower, he counter-attacked with ‘Bad Time’ in the car in my head, so not and abroad (Singapore, Australia, New efficiency. His first move was to choose a sitting at the piano or playing guitar. I Zealand, Hong Kong), radio and TV new songwriter. From the abundant thought the opening line sounded quite appearances. The line-up changed collection of songs by a young and eager strong and all the rest just followed. I continuously in-between and during tours Christopher Andrews, Faith and his remember I played it to the boys.” as Faith sacked musicians. Within weeks, management cherry-picked the tunes that It should have been huge. John ‘Mod’ he recruited and dismissed saxophonist were in line with the upbeat sound of the Rogan: “Yeah, that’s what we think. I Alan ‘Honk’ Jones and even pushed things day. remember we were recording in Abbey as far as to replace the confident Peter Secondly, he decided to do without an Road studios and Maurice – our manager, Thorp, begging him to return a few days orchestra and enter the studio with his Evie’s husband – came out of the door and later. To Faith, seasoned rhythm guitarist Roulettes instead. From now on, labels, said ‘Bad Time’ is #47 boys!’ and we and keyboard player Henry Stracey of sleeves and posters read, “Adam Faith with thought that was it, something is going to instrumental group The The Roulettes”. Russ Ballard: “The happen. ‘Bad Time’ was definitely a hit Hunters “doesn’t cut it”. Such was Faith’s Roulettes weren’t formed to deal with the record. It was commercial, it was dirty, it status that he succeeded in convincing Mersey sound, but when Merseybeat was of the era, it was exciting and it was newly-recruited Shadows bassist John happened really big it was convenient he well played. That’s the beauty of it, that Rogers (who replaced Jet Harris) to join had a ready-made band to strike out.” we could play well but still have the edge. The Roulettes. The new direction paid off We were extremely good playing artists, To cut a long story short, a steady immediately. Chris Andrews’ ‘The First ’cause we played with a big star and group was in situ by spring ’63: guitarist Time’, credited to Adam Faith with The everything had to be correct, to be Peter Thorp (the only remaining original Roulettes reaches the #5 spot in perfect, so we learned that skill and it member), bassist John Rogers (The Hunters via The Shadows), drummer Bob Henrit and guitarist/keyboardist Russ “When PR man Leslie Perrin was approached by Adam Faith’s ‘The Kiddie’ Ballard (both of Buster Meikle’s Daybreakers). This line-up management to find a new touring band for Faith, Perrin put our name recorded 30-odd episodes of their 15- minute shows for Radio Luxemburg, forward. We passed the audition. Our last gig as The Strangers was on sponsored by Ever Ready batteries. They canned six episodes per session at the Saturday 16th and the very next day we became The station’s own studios, each episode consisting of four songs with Adam and Roulettes, backing Adam Faith at The one without – often an instrumental, be it a hit or a new tune the guys had discovered themselves. Royal Albert Hall!” No sooner did the balance seem to working than John Rogers was killed in a September. With Henrit’s drums opening came across our records. And ‘Bad Time’ car accident on his way to the next gig on and closing the song, the stress on rhythm had that edge.” 5th May. Under pressure to fulfil the rather than lead guitar, strong harmonies Chris Andrews: “I have no idea why it upcoming gigs and with the summer and the vocal call-and-response so wasn’t a hit as the group sang and played it season just weeks away, Faith wasted no prominent in many early Beatles songs, so well. I was at the session when they time in recruiting a replacement. Enter perfectly crafted and faultlessly executed, recorded it, I think I sang some backing John ‘Mod’ Rogan – 19, bass player it’s as good as any other beat hit from the vocals. The Roulettes were all very (amongst other things) and founder period. talented musicians but, as Gordon Mills member of Hartlepool beat darlings The The new strategy now also allowed The once told me, ‘You throw the pennies Hartbeats. This line-up of Thorp, Henrit, Roulettes to release records under their against the wall and hope they come up Ballard and Rogan would last until the own name. True, they had recorded heads.’” band broke up some four years later. ‘Hully Gully Slip ’n’ Slide’ in ’62 but that Soon after the Andrews magic seems to When Adam Faith decided to take up Pye single doesn’t really do them justice. peter out as Faith has to settle for two the challenge posed by Merseybeat as late Sharing both Faith’s label and minor hits in a row (‘If He Tells You’, ‘I as September ’63, he had been absent in his tunesmith Chris Andrews opened new Love Being In Love With You’). The same the Top 10 for about a year. Surprisingly, opportunities. A mere two months after fate befell The Roulettes. ‘I’ll Remember he was quite aware of rock ’n’ roll and ‘The First Time’, the group’s ‘Soon You’ll Tonight’ is pure balladry with innocent R&B. Russ Ballard: “Faith loved all that Be Leaving Me’ was released. lyrics and nice harmonies – a little upbeat, Ray Charles stuff. He used to get very In March ’64 the band was given the clocking in at under two minutes. Several excited about , that’s the thing opportunity to cut ‘Bad Time’, one of groups had done well with soft and slow he really, really loved. His second single Chris Andrews’ jewels. It opens with a songs – think ‘Someone, Someone’ by was ‘High School Confidential’ and he plaintive “If you should walk right out of Brian Poole & The Tremeloes or ‘You’re loved that whole Eddie Cochran thing as that door”, with Henrit’s drums falling in No Good’ by The Swingin’ Blue Jeans – is clear from ‘Made You’ from the movie after a few syllables, underlining the but not so The Roulettes. Still, the . Basically, as luck would have it drama and setting the mood in just a few flipside ‘You Don’t Love Me’ proved again he was given a pop song in seconds. Mod delivers a great vocal here how good they were at rough R&B. style, so he went into Buddy Holly and and the guitar solo is pure R&B. It had as It was rough and tough R&B that ‘What Do You Want’ reached the pinnacle much hit potential as The Hollies’ ‘Just brought them success too – in the USA of

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Stackin’ up. The Roulettes and extended family. Clockwise from top left: The Roulettes plug the virtues of Vox amps in Beat Monthly, June 1963; Adam Faith/Roulettes sheet music, ’64 LP and press ad; ‘Bad Time’ writer Chris Andrews enjoys solo success; Bob Henrit, Peter Thorp, Russ Ballard, John ‘Mod’ Rogan and Adam Faith take some time out; the group is informed of the death of original bassist John Rogers, May ’63; surprise US hit ‘It’s Alright’; ‘The Long Cigarette’ sheet music; Adam and The Roulettes appear on Five O’Clock Club, June 26th ’64; the group’s sole album, ’65’s Stakes And Chips SD84 Roulettes.qxp 09/09/2018 11:33 Page 6

all places, a market that been both Faith instantly identify with the lyrics and Roulettes-proof, or picturing a common scene of teenage life: not. Paradoxically, Faith himself delivered Hit The Jackpot tinkering about uncertainty and the vocals. ‘I Love Being In Love With insecurity, especially nagging doubts You’ hid a wild Andrews song ‘It’s THE ROULETTES’ white-hot about your lover’s loyalty and Alright’ on its flipside. A blend of sped-up faithfulness. Moreover, ‘The Long rock ’n’ roll with R&B earthiness and mod-jazz B-sides investigated Cigarette’ showed an unusual structure. haunting harmonica, it didn’t sound like Its ballad format is sustained by a strong anything Faith and The Roulettes had y 1965 The four Roulettes were able to write beat throughout while being cut several recorded before. Several months after its as a group and to improvise in the studio, times by the same short guitar sequence, initial UK release in May ’64, it took off Bwhich is how their three crowning resulting in a repetitiveness that sounds Stateside, eventually making it to a instrumental B-sides ‘Junk’, ‘Jackpot’ and menacing as the anger and anxiety about respectable #31 in the , ‘Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow’ came about, with a cheating lover grows. triggered by two appearances on the a little inspiration from one Booker T. Brian Parker (1940-2001) is no longer American television show Shindig! for John ‘Mod’ Rogan: “Those B-sides were pretty with us, but Shindig! located Tommy Faith sans The Roulettes. Chris Andrews: good. ‘Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow’ technically Moeller in Australia. He did well in the “I think there was only one take. I played is a very good tune. These three are an all-together music world after Unit 4+2 folded and piano on this one, hitting a wrong chord thing, but they would come from Russ’s responded most favourably when asked on the intro, but no one seemed worried instigation.” some questions about his pop past. so it stayed in! It was so new I was still Peter Thorp: “If there was a keyboard, Russ “Brian and I wrote so many songs back learning it myself in the studio – that’s my would play around with ideas. He would probably then,” he recalled, “usually when I got excuse.” write the tune and we then added our parts.” back from touring since he was no longer The first Adam Faith With The Bob Henrit: “We didn’t start on these until we in the band for health reasons. I recall Roulettes LP, September ’64’s On The got in the studio and that’s because of the Brian and I writing the song – I wrote the Move, also reflects the first signs of a Wurlitzer piano in ’s music room at lyrics – as a bit of fun, imagining a guy musical gap developing between Faith and EMI.” hoping he wasn’t being stood up, the group. All 14 songs are penned by Russ Ballard: “I remember we were in Studio 3 nervously chatting to the barman. I wasn’t Andrews, with one side each allotted to doing ‘Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow’, which is at the recording session, but Brian played the group and The Johnny Keating Booker T really, and our A&R manager John ‘The Long Cigarette’ to The Roulettes Orchestra! Moreover, Faith entered the Burgess came in. He said, ‘What’s it called, what is and I was only too pleased to hear their studio without The Roulettes to cut it about?’ and I replied we didn’t have a title and he version and thought it was certainly Bacharach & David’s ‘A Message To said, ‘How about ‘Yesterday Today and chartworthy. I’m not sure but I think it Martha’ (AKA ‘Kentucky Bluebird’). He Tomorrow’?” had minor joy in Italy. The Roulettes was rewarded with a #12 hit. The Bob Henrit: ‘I know that ’Junk’ is revered – if were a very underrated band and deserved Roulettes turned to the music they loved that’s the correct verb – revered amongst dance greater recognition. I regarded it a best and preferred to play on stage when people and I don’t know why. They play it in the privilege to subsequently have Bob and performing without the boss: American clubs and I still don’t know why. I do know it was Russ join Unit 4 Plus 2.” R&B, Motown, soul. Regretfully, the well-played by us, but we wouldn’t have spent too Whatever its merits, ‘The Long impeccably-selected ‘Stubborn Kind Of long on it in the studio ’cause we wouldn’t have Cigarette’ spent a mere two weeks in the Fellow’ and ‘Tracks Of My Tears’ didn’t that much time to spend on a B-side. Maybe it took Melody Maker charts peaking at #40. It’s improve their chart profile. half an hour.” little consolation, but the band are sure These flops were counterbalanced Peter Thorp: “I think ‘Junk’ probably is one of they know why. Peter Thorp: “Because somewhat when the second the best instrumentals, it has so much going for it. of the cigarette thing, the BBC wouldn’t Faith/Roulettes album Faith Alive! went I’ve always thought it should’ve been the opening play it.” Top 20 in September, proving that rough song of a detective series or something. That At any rate, Bob Henrit and Russ and tough does pay off. It’s a live-in-the- would have been fantastic, because it’s a great Ballard would remain semi-official studio recording mixing classic R&R and song.” members of the Unit, eventually joining R&B – ‘Hi Heel Sneakers’, ‘Heartbreak Russ Ballard: “I remember the influence was that group after the demise of The Hotel’ – with five songs by Chris ‘Aw Mercy’, the B-side of Booker T’s ‘Green Roulettes. Andrews (credited as an artist on the back Onions. It had a Wurlitzer on it and they had a November saw the release of the sole sleeve), a Beatles cover (‘I Wanna Be Your Wurlitzer in the Abbey Road studio.” Roulettes album, Stakes And Chips. Man’) and two songs written by group Despite its iconic cover photo of the members. group hunched over a roulette table, the Shortly afterwards, the old Cheshunt “I think ‘Junk’ probably is record proved something of a missed network would lead to that other opportunity, with new material vying for milestone in the Roulettes catalogue, attention among previously released single their single ‘The Long Cigarette’. This is one of the best instrumentals, it sides. how it came about. One-time folk group Its lack of success proved a bitter pill to Unit 4+2 was formed by ex-Hunter Brian has so much going for it” swallow, though not altogether Parker, who’d been in The Roulettes for a unexpected. Bob Henrit attributes some week or so depping for Peter Thorp, and of the blame to the group’s reticence to Buster Meikle, formerly of The speak out and air their feelings. “A&R Daybreakers. Parker and Meikle asked ex- and management would show us a song Daybreakers Bob Henrit and Russ Ballard and we did it. Afterwards, they’d send us to “help them out” on a new song being home and they’d mix it and it’d be out written by Parker and bandmate Tommy three weeks later. It sounds like exact Moeller, the monster hit ‘Concrete And science. Well, I suppose it was exact Clay’. Parker and Moeller wouldn’t repeat science.” that feat, but The Roulettes happily Second, their manager’s attentions accepted their new composition. Released remained primarily focussed on Adam in November ’65, ‘The Long Cigarette’ Faith. Thorp: “We were never promoted was applauded by reviewers and deejays on our own. The only time we were alike. For one thing, the listener could promoted on our own was probably one

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Pop pin-ups at last! Fab magazine, September ’65

kept on playing, of course). Henrit and “Our manager said ‘Bad Time’ is #47 boys!’ and we Ballard joined Unit 4+2 permanently, then co-founded Argent. Henrit eventually joined for their thought that was it, something is going to happen. It was commercial, it ’80s tours and Ballard embarked on a solo career combined with writing songs was dirty, it was of the era, it was exciting and it was well played. for others. Their legacy? Rogan mentions That’s the beauty of it, that we could play well but “versatility”, Henrit “musicianship” and Ballard thought they were an exciting live still have the edge” band. Fans will judge the group by a different standard: that wonderful run of TV appearance, if we released a single. We few months later. It needed to be ‘Adam singles and the album Stakes And Chips, were always second to Adam, who was Faith With The Roulettes’ in order to sell one of the archetypes of the beat era. our manager Evie’s shining light.” Bob records, because all these groups were They never shifted huge amounts of Henrit: “Lou Grade came to see Evie making waves. In that sense, we never product, but their beat and R&B sounds Taylor and said, ‘Listen I’m looking for a progressed. Otherwise we’d have been true, honest and infectious, even now. band for America, what about The bigger than Adam and we’d have left.” Few acts of the era can boast a catalogue Roulettes? And she allegedly said, ‘Sorry, They didn’t, but it wouldn’t take long containing such gems as ‘Bad Time’, ‘The The Roulettes are Adam Faith’s band.’ before Faith left them. Long Cigarette’, ‘It’s Alright’, ‘Jackpot’ What happens next is that The Dave The partnership between Faith and The and ‘Junk’. Clark Five became the next big thing in Roulettes was over once their boss went As interview time is about up, Mod America. We don’t have any proof of that, into repertoire. Faith’s teen idol years throws up the most serious subject of the but it does make sense that she would’ve were definitely over. Free at last, The morning – a comparison with The done that.” Roulettes did surprisingly little to profile Beatles, no less. John ‘Mod’ Rogan: The Roulettes also put the blame on themselves as an autonomous unit. In “Could The Beatles have backed Adam themselves. Peter Thorp: “We were a bit hindsight, their body of work was Faith? I mean backed him like us?” To self-indulgent to be absolutely honest, complete. Instead, they continued as a Peter, Russ and Bob, the answer is a clear showing off. We used to like to do stuff backing band, now for one of France’s “No”, the latter conforming with “I don’t with Russell on the piano, we didn’t want most popular soft-rockers, Richard think they had the experience.” All four be a Mersey band thing. We were above Anthony, with whom they toured France agree on one possible exception. Bob it.” and several European countries. Henrit: “The Shadows?” John ‘Mod’ John ‘Mod’ Rogan: “We should have The Roulettes switched to Fontana for Rogan: “The Shadows maybe, but there’s put out ‘Twist And Shout’ as a single. I two final singles in a more modish style, not many people.” sang ‘Twist And Shout’ on stage and it’s but neither made any ripples. They Followed by three nods... the song I did when I auditioned for The broke up in late ’67 in the face of a Roulettes. But we decided not to and that shifting music scene and six years of Sincere thanks to all four Roulettes: Peter was a big mistake, because Brian Poole did hard slog having taken its toll. Peter Thorp, Bob Henrit, John ‘Mod’ Rogan and it and he had a #4 hit. Also, we should Thorp, who had been with the group Russ Ballard. Also to Chris Andrews, Tommy have done ‘Do You Love Me’. Again we from day one (literally) and Mod, who’d Moeller, Fran Leslie, Garth Newton, Geoff didn’t do it and Brian Poole had a #1 a joined last, left the music business (but Leonard, Stan Laundon and Ronnie Pollock

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