Nick W

Just in case this is of interest to readers here, I have been going up to the British Library for years going through Melody Maker, the other music press and regional newspapers. These are the tours I've found for Edwin Starr. I understand that Roy Tempest sometimes brought out other artists and promoted them as the real deal so some of these may not have been Edwin: https://garagehangover.com/edwin-starrs-october-1966-british-tour/ https://garagehangover.com/edwin-starrs-early-1967-british-tour/ https://garagehangover.com/edwin-starrs-may-june-1967-british-tour/ https://garagehangover.com/edwin-starrs-january-february-1968-british-tour/ https://garagehangover.com/edwin-starrs-may-june-1968-british-tour/ https://garagehangover.com/edwin-starrs-september-october-1968-british-tour/

This is what I have so far but there will be missing ones 21 October 1966 - Granby Hall with Ike & Tina Turner, Edwin Starr and others. I know The Noblemen played with Edwin Starr (one of the few they did) so someone else backed Alvin Robinson. 22 October 1966 - Blue Moon, Cheltenham - doesn't list backing band 24 October 1966 - Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street (no band mentioned) 25 October 1966 - Location, Woolwich (no band mentioned) 28 October 1966 - Dungeon, Nottingham (definitely with The Noblemen) 29 October 1966 - Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome (definitely with The Noblemen) plus also Burlesque in Leicester (with Noblemen) 30 October 1966 - Jigsaw, Manchester (no band mentioned) 31 October 1966 - Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street (no band mentioned) 1-2 November 1966 - Club Cedar, Birmingham (definitely with Noblemen but called Motivations) 5 November 1966 - Northwich Memorial Hall, Northwich but says with Pinkerton's Assorted Colours. Also The Cavern in Liverpool with the following: Herbie Goins, The Sect, The Johnny Breeze & The Atlantics, The Herb Set, The Interns and The First Lites 6 November 1966 - Club West Indies, Stonebridge Park, northwest London (no band mentioned) There is also a missing Newcastle Uni that Malcolm Tomlinson from Noblemen recalls they did as he remembers they lost him and had to find him. Tempest also set up early hour shows at the Scotch of St James so may be these too This might be useful for the Whisky. Something I pulled together from MM adverts. https://garagehangover.com/whisky-a-go-go-wardour-street-london-1966-gigs/

Hi there Just stumbled across this site. I am the guy who wrote the article on The Noblemen/Motivation who supported Alvin Robinson on that tour. I have updated the Garage Hangover website with some more material on this band, which gives a bit more info. Two members are dead now, singer Jimmy Marsh and drummer Malcolm Tomlinson but I am in touch with the other four, including Martin Barre who went on to Jethro Tull. I have also done a huge article on the group where they talk about their time with Lee Dorsey, Edwin Starr, The Vibrations, Ben E King and The Coasters. This will go online in the next few months but not sure where. I also did the article on The Fantastics with Pip Williams which is on Garage Hangover. I've done some entries on Edwin Starr's British tours and a few others, which readers might find interesting on Garage Hangover. One of the difficulties is that Roy Tempest appears to have shared gigs backing the soul artists with different bands so while some bands may have played most of the gigs on a tour, there may be some provided by different backing bands. Alvin Robinson may be a case in point. Bryan Stevens the bass player in that band says Robinson stayed with them in their Gloucester Road flat so he reckons they did all the gigs. However, Mick Ketley, the keys man doesn't remember playing at the Whisky A Go Go and Alvin played there twice I think. I made a note of the dates. It's quite possible this was The Sovereigns as Pip says. Nick