I spent a fun morning with Mrs Beanphoto today scouring the car boot sales and trash 'n' Treasure fairs in the area.
As well as picking up some nice old flash guns, bulbs, lenses, some tasty looking exposed (but unprocessed) rolls of 120 film, and some unexposed 120 film, some old kodak camera manuals and other stuff (£2 the lot!), I picked up a pile of lovely looking wedding photographs, all postcard size and very sweet (again, £2 the lot). Hidden amongst them was another photo, postcard sized) of a 1960's - looking band. Flipping it over I found the band were called "The Anteeks", and it is signed "To Happy" by all 5 members of the band pictured.
Doing a little research I found the band were better known as "The Anteeeks" (with three e's) and released a double A sided single in 1966. I checked it out on You Tube - they sounded great!! My research shows they came from Scotland (Ayrshire in fact) and had connections with David Bowie, Deep Purple, Georgie Fame, Alex Harvey and The Everly Brothers! However the line up in the photo I have appears to be different from that listed anywhere, most significantly the lead singer is recorded everywhere I can find as Frank Knapp, and here it appears to be "Linda" (surname unknown). Whether this is pre or post 1966 I know not, but I'm guessing post by those clothes, so maybe they changed their name?
It's a great photo, interesting too as I can see only one other photo of the band anywhere on the web.
Here it is, and also both sides of their fab 1966 'freakbeat' release "Ball and Chain" c/w "I Don't Want You". Check it out!!
And here's the reverse of the photo...
An intriguing find made even better by a really good tune. Let's face it this great tune does not reflect the prissy photograph.. they coulda been really crap but they aren't !
ReplyDeleteAnd the drummer.. looks like a filthy Rock N Roll animal. Actually its a young Sid Little with young Eddie Large on bass.
I think that maybe there are some crossed wires here and that the people in the photo and the Band on the disc are not connected.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I think it's pretty fair to say the recording is by a different band altogether. Either a different band with the same name or the ones in the photo are a later reincarnation (it looks like early 70's to me).
DeleteHowever the line up in the photo I have appears to be different from that listed anywhere, most significantly the lead singer is recorded everywhere I can find as Frank Knapp, and here it appears to be "Linda" (surname unknown). Whether this is pre or post 1966 I know not, but I'm guessing post by those clothes, so maybe they changed their name?
ReplyDeleteI believe the photograph is of a different band, These people are from Crewe in cheshire
Cheers Ivor, most certainly a different band to the one in the recording, but I'm interested to know where Crewe comes into it?
DeleteJonathan, The photo was taken at the Queens park Crewe in front of the old pavilion which burnt down in mysterious circumstances some years later.
ReplyDeleteFrom the left The Bass Is Richard Evans, Guitar Dave Prince, Linda MacFarlane later to become Chiplin. And George Arrowsmith guitar His father was a gents hairdresser. The only one I'm not sure of is the drummer, Ian.Will find out later. I only came across this site and Photo because sadly, Linda passed away last week and many of my friends were at the funeral on Monday.I now live in Australia.
I know for sure that Linda and George lived in Crewe. Around 1978 I had the pleasure to stand in for the drummer of a band called Smitty Two close friends were Bass and Keyboard and Linda was singer. The other Guys in The Anteeks would live either in crewe or in the surrounding area.
Lets sort the Anteeks out. I'm Dave Prince, 2nd from left in picture. Today Richard Evans, extreme left, and me have been to George Arrowsmith, 2nd right's funeral in Crewe.
DeleteThis Anteeks has nothing to do with Scottish band. Name picked because it went with "Annette" who was our first girl singer, incidently our final girl singer in mid seventies was also "Annette". Band formed by George, Rich and me in mid sixties. Picture taken by Crewe Chronicle photographer Gordon Davies in 1971. Band very popular in north west clubs, we seem to forget nowadays that some would seat 1000 to 1500 so you had to be good!!. Drummer in picture was Ian Gourlay who we have lost touch with.
The mystery we are trying to solve is what happened to the tracks we recorded for Decca in 1971. One of them "Come To Me" was played on Radio 2 obviously to guage response and we never heard from them after that. Up until his death last week George was still trying to get hold of them, so if anyone at Decca''s library can find them for us??!!
Thanks for this Dave, and I'm sorry to hear of George's recent passing. I hope the recordings show up.
DeleteThanks for the clarification Ivor, and sorry to hear of Linda's passing.
ReplyDeleteThis photograph is not the Anteeeks who recorded I Don't Want You/Ball and Chain in 1966. The band were from Kilmarnock Scotland. This was their only recording. Drummer George Butler and guitarist Billy Gray went on to play and record with the likes of David Bowie,Georgie Fame,Elvis Costello,Everly Brothers and many more. They changed line ups frequently. Billy went to Italy and was in a band there who charted there. As far as I know, drummer George was still playing around Notting hill in London until a few years ago. He has an interview on You Tube where he talks about bands and people he has performed with over the years.
ReplyDeleteHello I'm Richard Evans bass player with The Anteeks like Dave Prince says we have both been to lead guitarists George Arrowsmiths funeral we have lost two members of the group within the space of months so I guess a reunion concert is now out of the question. As Dave said the photo in question was taken in Queens Park Crewe and was one of a collection that he took the one that you have I had not a copy of but have copys of the others taken. Some of the pics were featured in the local press around Cheshire and Staffordshire we also had requests for pics at gigs obviously Happy was a fan sorry but don't remember who he was. We played our first gig in 1964 and continued to play regularly till the band disbanded in the mid to late 70's sometimes being out sometimes five nights a week having residencies in more than one place per week. I would describe ourselves as a very hard working band who had loads of good no great times and would like to think that our audience had enjoyed the evening spent with us. My one regret is that I have no recordings of any of our music so I would love as Dave says a copy of those Decca masters that were done in 1971. So if anyone out there knows or has contact with The Decca library myself and Dave would be very grateful. By the way the Drummer Ian Gourlay went on to a member of the motor racing marshalls.
ReplyDeleteHi Richard, thanks for your update. I knew nothing of the band, just liked the picture! I'm sorry to hear of George's recent passing, and yes would be great if this helped in some way to turn up the Decca recordings. Thanks, Jonathan
DeleteI think I may have put my comment in the wrong box, so we'll try again. If you google the Anteeks Kilmarnock, you will find a photo of the original band. They were friends of mine in the 60s and there was great excitement when they went to London and made a record. I still have my original copy and played the other night when we had drinks with Jim's (bass guitarist) brother. Brought back some great memories.
ReplyDeleteMargo Wilkie, Tobermory, Isle of Mull
Hi, Alan Dafoe here from Canada. I went to school with Frank Knapp (vocals Ball and Chain)at Kilmarnock Academy. Chummed about with him 63/64. I was born in Crosshouse moved to canada and back to Kilmarnock in 1961.
DeleteI can absolutely tell you for certain, as others have here, that this band is not the Scottish Anteeeks, please note the three e's. I can 100% guarantee it. I am the photographer on other internet photos you may have found of the anteeeks from Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland, who later traveled down to London. and yes, became somewhat famous, billy having played with the spiders from mars, bowie; and George having played in a paul McCartney video, along with a 2nd drummer by the name of ringo, yes! both of them on one video! Malcolm decided to leave the music biz and traveled back home to Scotland, and jim I lost touch with but George told me he's somewhere in Canada.
ReplyDelete