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The
Melody Maker Fumble File - Melody Maker, Sept 17, 1973 |
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DESMOND
RUSSELL HENLY: Guitar, vocals
BORN: Weston-super-Mare, 15 July 1947.
EDUCATED: Walliscote Road Infant Junior and secondary
Schools, Weston Art School.
MUSICAL TRAINING: Lessons on guitar.
MUSICAL CAREER: Played with Mario and other musicians
in the Iveys (1965-1966) while at college, then Balloons with Sean
Mayes, Barry Pike and Mario Ferrari from 1968.
OTHER OCCUPATIONS: Window Cleaner, labourer.
MUSICAL INFLUENCES: Presley, Beatles, all the 50's
greats.
PERSONAL COMPOSITIONS: "Hanging On," "Mama
I Can't Tell You" (written with Mario, recorded by Fumble.
SONGWRITING INSPIRATIONS: Good and bad times, love,
irony of life.
FAVOURITE SINGLE:
"Blowing In The Wint." Bob Dylan
FAVOURITE ALBUM: "Times They Are A Changin',"
Bob Dylan.
FAVOURITE SONNGWRITERS: Bob Dylan, Lennon-McCartney,
Cole Porter, Gershwin.
FAVOURITE MUSICIAN: James Burton, Scotty Moore, Jerry Lee
Lewis.
FAVOURITE SINGER: Paul Rodgers (Free), Peggy Lee.
RESIDENCE: Is single and has a house in Harrow and
a flat in Weston-super-Mare.
INSTRUMENTS: Gretsch Country Gentleman guitar, with
Gretsch rock'n'roll medium gauge strings. Yamaha acoustic guitar with
D Angelica strings and Barcus Berry pick and pre-amp. Orange 120 watt
"Graphic" amp with two 4 x 12" Orange cabinets. |
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MARIO
ANGELO FERRARI: Bass guitar
BORN: Weston-super-Mare, 26 Jan 1947.
EDUCATED: Sacred Heart College, Droitwich Spa
MUSICAL TRAINING: Piano from the age of 6-16, self
taught on bass from 15.
CAREER: Played with Des Henly and his brother Remo
in the Iveys. Four years in Balloons with Des Henly, Barry Pike and
Sean Mayes.
OTHER OCCUPATIONS: Waiter.
MUSICAL INFLUENCES: Everly Brothers, Beatles, Lovin'
Spoonful, plus early R'n'B.
PERSONAL COMPOSITIONS: "When Love Means So Much
To You," "You're Gonna Lose," "Hangin' On,"
"Mama I Can't Tell You," "Bad Tough Luck Girl"
and various others not recorded, all written with Des.
SONGWRITING INSPIRATION: People, things.
FAVOURITE SINGLE: Changes every week, currently "I
Wanna Hold Your Hand," the Beatles.
FAVOURITE ALBUM: "Buddy Holly Story," all
Beatles for consistency. "Days of Future Past" (Moody Blues)
FAVOURITE SONNGWRITER: Beatles, Cole Porter.
FAVOURITE MUSICIAN: Andre Previn
FAVOURITE SINGER: Ray Charles
RESIDENCE: Is single and lives in Weston-super-Mare
INSTRUMENTS: Fender Precision Bass, over the hill
but faithful for nine years. Rotosound with black plastic covering
for nice "string bass" sound when needed. 120 watt Orange
with 2 x 15" reflector speakers. |
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SEAN
MAYES: Piano
BORN: Stone Allerton, Somerset, 17 March 1946.
EDUCATED: Boulevard Kindergaten, Weston-super-Mare.
Colson School, Bristol. Trinity College, Canbridge.
MUSICAL TRAINING: Classical piano lessons from the
age of 7 until about 16. After that played more by ear, picking things
up from folk records. Played drums in his first group and organ in
his second group.
MUSICAL CAREER: "Hallucinations," "Wilde
Beasties," "Soulbenders" (with Barry Pike) in Cambridge
1966-67, then Balloons (same four people as Fumble) until changed
name in 1971.
OTHER OCCUPATIONS: Barman, bookmaker's assistant,
washer-up (all spare time)
MUSICAL INFLUENCES: Floyd Cramer, Jerry Lee Lewis,
Little Richard, assorted Chuck Berry piano players.
PERSONAL COMPOSITIONS: "Million Seller"
/ "Get Up" (Fumble).
SONGWRITING INSPIRATION: Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry,
America (not the group), the Fifties, being on the road.
FAVOURITE SINGLE: "The Last Time" Rolling
Stones
FAVOURITE ALBUMS: "Daydream" (Lovin' Spoonful),
Beatles (Double album), "Times They Are A-Changin'"(Dylan)
FAVOURITE SONNGWRITERS: Chuck Berry, Lennon McCartney
FAVOURITE MUSICIAN: Jimi Hendrix
FAVOURITE SINGER: Elvis Presley
RESIDENCE: Is single and has been living in Weston-super-Mare,
but his family are currently moving to a house near Richmond.
INSTRUMENTS: Grand Piano. On gigs he uses a collapsible
Lindner (irish) acoustic upright piano stripped out of its casing.
He uses a special american Barcus-Berry piano pick-up (two conract.
mikes) plus pre-amp into a Burns 120 watt miked into the P.A. |
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BARRY
DEXTER PIKE: Drums
BORN: Reading, 7 Nov 1948.
EDUCATED: Netherhall Secondary Modern and Cambridge
Technical College.
MUSICAL TRAINING: Self-taught at the age of fourteen
by looking and listening
CAREER: Various small bands, two of which were "Wilde
Beasties" and "Soulbenders"
OTHER OCCUPATIONS: Postman, office clerk, shop assistant.
MUSICAL INFLUENCES: Early R & B, the Beatles
and his brother
FAVOURITE SINGLE: "My Generation" The Who
FAVOURITE ALBUM: "White Album" (The Beatles)
and K-Tel 25 (Greatest Hits of The Fifties)
FAVOURITE SONNGWRITER: Bob Dylan
FAVOURITE MUSICIAN: Alan Haven
FAVOURITE SINGER: Paul McCartney, Bill Haley
RESIDENCE: Is single and lives in a house in Harrow.
INSTRUMENTS: Slingerland
drum kit with 24" bass drum, 13" x 9" tom-tom, 16"
floor tom-tom, Ludwig 14" x 6" snare drum, Hayman Hi-hat
and drum pedal, 20" ride, 18" crash and one pair of 14"
H H Avedis Zildjian. |
EVOLUTION: The Iveys with Des and Mario, and the Soulbenders
with Sean and Barry, were splitting up. Sean knew Des and Mario and
suggested they get together as a "good time band" called
the Baloons. They played all over Europe and England for four years
until audience reaction to their versions of old material pointed
to a fresh direction and a new start. Mario thought of the name Fumble
and the band took two months off the road to work on a new act.
PERSONAL CHANGES: None
ORIGIN OF NAME: Mario thought of it whilst lying
in hospital with a broken leg from skiing.
FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE: Leicester College of Education,
September 1971.
FIRST BROADCAST: Sounds of the 70's, 1972
FIRST TELEVISION: Old Grey Whistle Test, December
1972.
RECORDING COMPANY: Sovereign/EMI, 18 Lancaster Mews,
Lancaster Gate, London W2
MANAGEMENT AND AGENCY: John Sherry Enterprises, 27
Dryden Chambers, 119 Oxford St. London, W1
RECORD PRODUCERS: John Sherry, Rod Lynton, Fumble.
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PUBLICIST: Rod Lynton Associates, 114 New Bond St., London
W2. Rod Lynton-Press Liaison, 38 Dryden Chambers, 119 Oxford St.,
London W1
MUSIC PUBLISHER: Big Ben Music, 18 Lancaster Gate,
London W2
FAN CLUB: None. All mail to John Sherry Enterprise.
BRITISH TOURS: David Bowie, January 1973
AMERICAN TOURS: David Bowie, January 1973
TRANSPORT: Garner Conversation Transit for equipment
and Cadillac for the band.
STAGE MANAGERS: Tubs Turner (mixing), Chris Turner
(stage).
SINGLES: "Hello Mary Lou" c/w "Hanging
On" (Nov. '72), "Million Seller" c/w "Get Up"
(April '73), "Alexandra Palace" c/w "Mama I Can't Tell
You" (Aug. '73)
ALBUM: "Fumble" (Sovereign/EMI)
PA SYSTEM: 800 watt Hiwatt consisting of 4 x 200
watt slave apms. 4 2 x 15in bass cabinets and 4 2 x 12in treble cabinets
with mid-range JBL horns. A 100 watts system for monitors. Hiwatt
10 channel mixer. Binson Echorec. Unidyne mikes. |
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