This story is the work of Bruno Ceriotti. Help in putting this together has been provided by Tony Bacon, Nick Warburton, Redditch Indicator, to whom I'm most grateful.
THE NEAT CHANGE #1 (OCT 1966 - 1967)
THE NEAT CHANGE #1 (OCT 1966 - 1967)
1) Stephen Smith bass
2) John Lumley Saville keyboards
3) Brian Sprackling lead guitar
4) James Arthur 'Jimmy' Edwards vocals, rhythm guitar
5) Bob Chandler drums
October 18, 1966: Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, UK with Lee Dorsey, DJ John Dimble
November 1, 1966: Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, UK with The Action, DJ John Dimble
November 22, 1966: Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, UK with Tom Jones and The Squires, The Question, DJ John Dimble (cancelled)
November 26, 1966: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK "Audition"
November 1, 1966: Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, UK with The Action, DJ John Dimble
November 22, 1966: Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, UK with Tom Jones and The Squires, The Question, DJ John Dimble (cancelled)
November 26, 1966: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK "Audition"
November 29, 1966: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with Manfred Mann
The Neat Change filling in (uncredited) for The Longboatmen (billed on the Marquee programme).
December 10, 1966: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Herd
December 24, 1966: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Herd
December 31, 1966: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Bunch
January 7, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with Robert Hirst and The Big Taste
January 14, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Ultimate
January 21, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Bunch
January 7, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with Robert Hirst and The Big Taste
January 14, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Ultimate
January 21, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Bunch
February 4, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Mirage
February 11, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with Robert Hirst and The Big Taste
February 18, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Love Affair
February 25, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with Robert Hirst and The Big Taste
March 2, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Bunch
March 10, 1967: Top Rank, Cardiff, Wales with The Who, The Herd, The Rubber Band, Ronnie Keene & His Music
March 14, 1967: The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire, UK with The Summer Set
March 31, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Children
May 8, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Five Proud Walkers
May 22, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with Nite People
June 22, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with Timebox
THE NEAT CHANGE #2 (1967 - ca. MAY 18, 1968)
1) Stephen Smith
2) John Lumley Saville
3) Brian Sprackling
4) Jimmy Edwards
5) Ian McLean drums
October 14, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Iveys
October 21, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Open Mind
October 28, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Third Eye
November 4, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Open Mind
October 21, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Open Mind
October 28, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Third Eye
November 4, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Open Mind
November 11, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with John Morgan Blues Band
November 18, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Sensory Armada
November 25, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with Herbal Mixture
December 2, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK
December 2, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK
December 9, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with Mabel Greer's Toyshop
December 16, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with Herbal Mixture
December 23, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Open Mind
December 30, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with Mud
December 30, 1967: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with Mud
January 13, 1968: Impsella Club, Chateau Impney, Droitwich, Worcestershire, UK with Ray King Soul Band
January 25, 1968: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Iveys
February 5 1968: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with Studio Six
February 19, 1968: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Open Mind
May 13, 1968: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Exception
May 13, 1968: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Exception
THE NEAT CHANGE #3 (ca. MAY 19, 1968 - JUL 15, 1968)
1) Stephen Smith
2) John Lumley Saville
3) Jimmy Edwards
4) Ian McLean
5) Peter William Brockbanks lead guitar
June 8, 1968: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with Timebox
July 6, 1968: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with Gun
July 13, 1968: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Iveys
THE NEAT CHANGE #4 (JUL 16, 1968 - AUG 1?, 1968)
1) Stephen Smith
2) John Lumley Saville
3) Jimmy Edwards
4) Ian McLean
July 20, 1968: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Groop
July 27, 1968: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Open Mind
August 3, 1968: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK
August 10, 1968: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with The Boots
August 17, 1968: Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street, Soho, central London, UK with Yes!
The Neat Change were advertised on the Marquee programme but supposedly the band broke up few days earlier and they were replaced by Joe Cocker and The Grease Band tonight.
Great days, great bands and great music. The sixties would not have been as good without the efforts of John Gee and Jack Barry who were passionate about and who ran The Marquee Club.
ReplyDeleteI was 16, went to Marquee 3 times a week, first band I saw was the Neat Change and I still remember those glory days in the late 60’s, no alcohol, just Fanta, coke, milk and mars bars. Loved it and wonderful memories 💕
DeleteSteve Smith the bass player was even more of a soul fanatic than me and somehow unearthed Have More Time as the B side of Time Stopped which definitely passed me by.
ReplyDeleteExplosive live versions of Have More Time and First I Look At The Purse and Baby I've Got it
were some of the standout tracks in their live repertoire.
In my opinion the best mod covers band (bar The Action obviously) of the 60s especially because Steve sought out the more obscure tracks and steered clear of the predictable Motown and Memphis material others were covering.
"The Change"as documented here (and in "London Live" by Tony Bacon) had a 1967/68 residency at The Marquee and played forty gigs there which speaks for itself. I was there myself for at least 25 of those gigs and they played once at The Flamingo in Wardour Street and at Salesian College Battersea in 1968. I know they played other gigs outside London but probably the only person who could now confirm is Brian Spackling who I got to know a little bit after they split up. I also got to know Jimmy Edwards for a while also but sadly he passed away quite a few years ago.
I have never across anyone else who remembers them but even with the mists of time and perhaps through rose coloured glasses they were brilliant
very few white skinhead styled bands then bar Ambrosia Slade,The Jook,and this lot.
ReplyDeleteI remember them. I was the drummer after Bob Chandler left until they split. ian.mclean@planning-leads.info. Happy to chat about "the good old days" there is lots to tell - all good.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to talk about the band with you Ian! I will asap!
DeleteI played with Jimmy Edwards for many years after Neat Change split up and I left The Love Affair. We produced many artists together too. RIP Jimmy
ReplyDeleteI am looking for brian sprackling i am an old friend pls help frances.igoe@btinternet.com
ReplyDelete