The Velours

[Ian Parker]

https://www.hemsbyrocknroll.co.uk/events.html

Would this be the very same group known to us ? ie: I'm gonna change

[Speedlimit]

looks like same group they where a massive doo wop group in the 50's early 60''s before recording im gonna change they came to england and changed thier name to the fantastics " something old something new "

[Guest aaaaa]

i noticed that a while ago when getting the hemsby flyer, didnt think it was the same group , allways a top weekend tho and not far off hembsy 50 not a lot of weekenders can say that,

[Ted Massey]

looks like same group they where a massive doo wop group in the 50's early 60''s before recording im gonna change they came to england and changed thier name to the fantastics " something old something new "

and posing as the drifters and temptations

[Guest JIM BARRY]

and posing as the drifters and temptations

didn't the invitations pose as the temptations on a u.k tour ?

[Ted Massey]

Not sure Jim but i went to the Plaza in handsworth birmingham on a reg basis in the late 60's and remember seeing them as both acts within a few months of each other. i remember the lead singer when they were the temps saying thanks for making this a big hit for us then proceeding to sing My girl

Edited February 19, 2012 by Ted Massey

[Chalky]

didn't the invitations pose as the temptations on a u.k tour ?

Posed as the Drifters i think, theres a flyer on site somewhere for the tour/show.

[boba]

My friend went to high school (I think in Brooklyn, but maybe the Bronx) with Fantastics member Richard Pitts. I think Richard sang lead on the Strangers "night winds" on WB before the velours formed.

[Guest JIM BARRY]

My friend went to high school (I think in Brooklyn, but maybe the Bronx) with Fantastics member Richard Pitts. I think Richard sang lead on the Strangers "night winds" on WB before the velours formed.

yes my copy credited as "featuring ritchie pitts"

[Steve L]

Doesn't Ritchie Pitts live in sheffield?

[Ian Dewhirst]

And Don Haywoode from the Velours/Fantastics used to live in Leeds. I used to go out with his daughter Emma and his other daughter was Syd Haywoode who had in the UK with the song "Roses".........

Ian D

[boba]

Doesn't Ritchie Pitts live in sheffield?

i think he moved to the UK with the fantastics

[Soulman]

Ritchie lives in Sheffield and works at Huddersfield University in the music department.

[Robbk]

My friend went to high school (I think in Brooklyn, but maybe the Bronx) with Fantastics member Richard Pitts. I think Richard sang lead on the Strangers "night winds" on WB before the velours formed.

Do you mean before that iteration (or particular lineup) of The Velours got together? I thought we established in an earlier thread about them that The MGM mid-sixties Velours were the same group (albeit with some lineup changes) as The R&B/Doo Wop Velours who had recorded with Onyx, Orbit and Cub (they were still under contract from Cub when switched to MGM (same as occurred with The Wanderers).

[boba]

Do you mean before that iteration (or particular lineup) of The Velours got together? I thought we established in an earlier thread about them that The MGM mid-sixties Velours were the same group (albeit with some lineup changes) as The R&B/Doo Wop Velours who had recorded with Onyx, Orbit and Cub (they were still under contract from Cub when switched to MGM (same as occurred with The Wanderers).

I think 3 members of the MGM group were in the onyx group and that the MGM group was a reformed version of the group. Richie Pitts wasn't a member of the onyx group, but he was a member of the Newtones on Baton, and later the Strangers on WB. I assume the MGM group was a reformed version of the Velours. However, I have no idea what actually happened, maybe there was a Velours group that continuously existed and Pitts joined when on MGM. It doesn't matter that much (to me at least).

[pikeys dog]

Doesn't Ritchie Pitts live in sheffield?

Yep, he lives in the flat nextdoor to my mate.

[Robbk]

I think 3 members of the MGM group were in the onyx group and that the MGM group was a reformed version of the group. Richie Pitts wasn't a member of the onyx group, but he was a member of the Newtones on Baton, and later the Strangers on WB. I assume the MGM group was a reformed version of the Velours. However, I have no idea what actually happened, maybe there was a Velours group that continuously existed and Pitts joined when on MGM. It doesn't matter that much (to me at least).

You may well be right. There was quite a recording session time gap between their last Cub and fisrt MGM session (unlike the Wanderers' case).