User:Hdwright

History of the Luvvers

Before they changed their name to The Luvvers for the release of Shout the band were originally named The Gleneagles with Lulu as one of the vocalists. Until their chart breakthrough they played their brand of R&B-influenced music regularly in Glasgow's clubs specifically the Lindella being managed by Alex Houston whose club it was and where they were discovered by Tony Gordon, owner of the Phonograph disco. The original lineup was Alex Bell(vocals)Ross Neilson(Lead Guitar)Jim Dewar(Rhythym Guitar)Tommy Tierney(Bass Guitar)David  Mullin(Drums)and Jimmy Smith(Saxophone)

They then decided to move to London to be managed by Tony`s sister Marian Massey and what with the name change and this, Jimmy Smith decided it was not for him and he left not to be replaced. Having recorded their first album David Mullen was replaced By Henry Wright from the Blues Council and they continued to tour Britain, Ireland and Europe. They did two package tours which were popular at the time one with the Honeycombs and Gene Vincent and another one with Gene Pitney with the Rockin Berries and compered by the then unknown duo Sid and Eddie later to become Little and Large.

Whilst the pressures of touring built up Jim Dewer decided he had had enough and left after a great night at The Place in Edinburgh where Alex took over on rhythym guitar, now making the band a four piece and around about the same time Ross Neilson also left to be replaced by Dave Wendels from Cliff Bennett and The Rebel Rousers. At this time they also joined the Harold Davidson Agency one of the biggest who handled artists of the level of Frank Sinatra, sending them to Europe where they played at the Olympia in Paris with the Animals, Marianne Faithful and the Moody Blues, also the Big Apple Club in Munich with Gerry and the Pacemakers.

Despite their promising debut, subsequent sales were disappointing even although their third release, Here Comes The Night, preceded the hit version by Them by several months. The group split in March 1966 when Lulu left for a career as a solo pop singer. However, before they did they toured Poland with The Hollies being one of the first groups ever to go behind the Iron Curtain and recorded their debut single House on the Hill b/w Most Unlovely. After the single was recorded Dave Wendels left to join Tom Jones to be replaced by Billy Bremner later of Dave Edmunds Rockpile. Henry Wright also left as bookings dried up and the rest of the band continued for a while before eventually splitting up.

Although their time in the spotlight was a relatively short one, they were able to claim that they had met or played with most of the top artists of the time, The Beatles, The Stones, The Kinks, The Yardbirds, Tom Jones P J Proby just to name a few.Alex Bell continued up until recently to go out as The Luvvers before retiring to Spain to run his own Diving Company with his son, Henry Wright moved back to Glasgow having started and ran successfully The Rufus Stone Soul Band in Southampton for twenty years, Dave Wendels lives in Palm Springs and still plays as does Ross Neilson who is a jeweller in London, David Mullin moved to Canada, Tommy Tierney to Oslo in Norway, Billy Bremner to Sweden and lastly Jim Dewar having had great success as the brilliant singer/songwriter of the power trio Trower, died after complications with an anesthetic.