My Story - Pete Taylor

MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS

In 1959 at the age of 16, I worked as a telegram boy in the G.P.O. and of course was into all the music of the day.

One day a guy named Geoff Profitt brought his guitar into work. During our lunch hour all the other junior postmen gathered in the canteen to hear him play. Knowing most of the songs I joined in and sang along. Geoff said that he didn’t know that I could sing (neither did I) he then asked me if I would like to sing some songs that night in a youth club next door to Granada studios in Quay street.

I jumped at the chance, and we had a good night. He asked me to join the group, which of course I did. We worked together for some months, playing in youth clubs, but eventually drifted apart. Sadly, I have no pics or names of other members of this group.

I started going into pubs in the Manchester area, where I knew that they had a resident pianist or duo - The Parkside, The Robin Hood, The Claremont (I lied about my age). I used to get up on stage and give a couple of songs.

In North Manchester one night - The Bottom Derby as it was known, I was asked to join a couple of guys and form a trio, which I did, and we became known as The Treetones. We gigged around for some 18 months doing pubs, clubs, and private parties. The two other guys were brothers. The eldest, Alan, played lead and his brother Brian played bass, and they hailed from Clayton.

In 1961 I found myself with yet another group, we never got round to giving ourselves a name, and I can’t remember the names of one single member, how sad is that? We did a few gigs but nothing of any consequence, and eventually we split up.

In 1962 I answered an ad in the paper for an audition for a singer, to be held at  The Three Coins coffee bar in Manchester.  After the audition I was offered the job which I accepted.

The group consisted of lead & bass guitar with drummer. I am unable to name one of them. They all originated from Rhyl, but were now based in Bolton. The group was called The Persuaders and they worked for Danny Betesh at Kennedy Street Enterprises.

We worked well together and were doing some great gigs, when we were called in to see Danny. He told me that he had a problem with one of his acts - a singer called Deke Rivers, who I knew quite well. It seemed that Deke's band The Big Sound had walked out on him and he needed a new group. Danny wanted me to drop out of The Persuaders, who would then become The Big Sound.

None of the group was very happy about this situation, but it was their bread, and butter, and I had a fulltime job at the time. We parted the best of friends, and the group told me that I could keep the name The Persuaders for when I would form another group, which happened a lot sooner than I expected.

Within a matter of weeks I was asked to join another group.

The rhythm guitarist was an acquaintance of mine called Midge because of his small stature. The names of the other two members escapes me now, but the group was called The Javelins.  This all happened at the end of June 1962.

The work was rather good and regular for such a new group and everything went well until late November of that year, when I decided to bleach my hair blond for effect, as the rest of the group were dark haired. This was at the time a thing that was happening on the group scene, black haired singer, blond group, or reverse. It took hours to get my hair sorted, and it was wet for the whole period, resulting in me catching pneumonia, and being ill for many weeks. The group were doing very well and were losing work because of my illness, so they had to take on a new singer.

In February of 1963 I was introduced to a group called The Aztecs and became their singer.

After a couple of months we changed our names to Pete and The Persuaders - a change of name a change of luck. The line up was Peter Taylor (vocals), Sidney Overett (lead guitar), Brian Valentine (rhythm), Martin Sleater (bass) and Dennis Ashton (drums). We worked very hard and with lots of practice, auditions, talent comps, and the like, we became very popular in the Manchester area. We had a chance to audition for the Decca record company which we were all very excited about. On Friday 23rd August 1963, we had a gig at a pub called The Queens Arms in a small village in Doveholes in Derbyshire. That same night, The Beatles were appearing about three miles away in Buxton and naturally we expected to be playing to an empty house but this was not the case.  We had a full house and lots of fun but this was not to last.

We left The Queens at about 12:15am on the 24th August, with a friend of the group at the wheel but we didn’t reach home.

Our van left the road and hit a cottage killing Sid Overett (19yrs old), and Brian Valentine (17yrs old). The rest of the group were seriously injured and hospitalised in the Stockport Infirmary.

The next few months were, at the least, traumatic.

We had, of course, lost our van and most of our stage equipment in the crash and due to help from The Beatles, Danny (Mr Moonriver) Williams, Karl Denver and many other Manchester artists, also many clubs in the area putting on charity shows for us, we were eventually able to reform the group, under the name of Pete Taylor and The New Persuaders with two new members whose surnames I cannot recall, the lead guitarist was Vic and the rhythm was called Peter.

Unfortunately, due to our past experience, I was unable to settle and I was not happy with the sound that we were getting, so I left the group in the middle of 1964 and for the next 18 months or so I didn’t do anything in the entertainment business.

Late in 1965 I was asked by a group called The Pulsators to join them - which I did.

The Pulsators - Mick, Pete, stand in drummer, Laurence and Graham - at The Fusiliers

Our line-up was Mick Cavanagh (lead), Laurence and Graham Myers (brothers—lead & rhythm), Pete Taylor (vocals) and during our time together we had two drummers whose names I am not sure of. We had some good work in pubs and clubs until mid 1967, when Laurence decided that he wanted to quit and concentrate on his fulltime job.

Within a couple of weeks we had found another rhythm guitarist, Dennis, but by this time our drummer was feeling unhappy and so we parted company.

Fortunately within days we were approached by a drummer called Brian Rogers. His group The Sioux had split up and he wanted us, if we got together, to change our names to The Sioux because he already had the name painted on his bass drum, and so we did.

THE SIOUX - line-up mid 1967

Pete Taylor - vocals
Mick Cavanagh - lead
Dennis ?? - rhythm & harmony
Graham Myers - bass
Brian Rogers  - drums & harmony

Late in 1967 I left the group for a short while, until I returned in Feb 68. The line up changed once again to: THE SIOUX - line-up 1968 Pete Taylor - vocals Mick Cavanagh - lead Brian Hunt - rhythm & harmony Collin Priest - bass & harmony Brian Rogers - drums & harmony In late March 68, Brian dropped out leaving us a four man group.  During this time we started ad-libbing comedy which stuck and eventually we worked out a comedy routine whereby I did a full spot in drag. I didn’t want to be taken seriously as a drag artist - the spot was very tongue in cheek but was well received by our audiences. The group went through a lot of changes over the years regarding group members coming and going especially bass guitarists, and it was at about this time that we added “Showgroup” to our name. Incidentally the group was never known as The Sioux Show Band - it was always Showgroup.
1970 Pete Taylor  - vocals Mick Cavanagh - lead John? - bass & harmony Brian Rogers  - drums & harmony Early 1972 Pete Taylor  - vocals Brian Greenwood  - lead (Zac passed away in 1990s, sadly missed) John? - bass & harmony Brian Rogers  - drums & harmony Early 1973 Pete Hobson (Hobbo), a very good friend of Zac, joins as bass. This line-up is puctured below:
Pete Hobson, Brian Greenwood, Pete Taylor and Brian Rogers	The Magnet Trio - Zac, Hobbo and Pete
In spring 1975, the reason escapes me why at this time, Zac, Hobbo and I ended up without Brian and  took the name The Magnet Trio (pictured right). We always joked that our name would draw in the crowds - and the show we gave was well received. We worked a lot in South Wales, The North East, & and the Greater Manchester area.
We were finalists in the Piccadilly Radio talent contest held in Platt Fields Park in the summer of that year. The trio lasted about twelve months, after which Hobbo decided he had had enough, and so gave up playing to concentrate on his family.
	How it happened I don’t really remember but Zac and myself once again ended up back in The Sioux Showgroup with Brian and a new bass guitarist from Hayfield in Derbyshire called Ray, who stayed with us for a little over two years, when he decided to emigrate to Australia. 1978 we were then joined by Bob from North Manchester, who unfortunately had to leave the group due to ill health.
Circa 1976 - Zac, Pete, Brian and Ray
Above: Mick, Pete, Brian, Ray.

In 1979 we were joined by Tony Lingard (above right), who remained with the group until I finally left in late 1980, to remarry and concentrate on a new wife and new career.

My place in the group was taken by a very nice guy called Rob Shelton.

I lost touch with the The Sioux for some time after I left, but years later learned that Rob had sadly passed away, aged 40.

I don’t know what became of some of the people I worked with over the years, but I will always have fond memories of them all. I had some wonderful fun, and remember those days with a small lump in my throat, and would not change a single memory. I just hope that I will be remembered in the same way by mates still with us.

Brian Valentine (Val) passed away 24th August 1963.
Sidney Overett, (Sid) passed away 24th August 1963.
Brian Greenwood (Zac) passed away 1990s.
 
I am still in touch with some of my old group mates.

• Brian Rogers, now Brad Rogers, living in Reddish.
• Peter Hobson (Hobbo) still working, living in Prestwich, and trying desperately to win the lottery.
• Dennis Ashton, living in Worsley, and running his own business.
• Martin Sleator, living in Spain, also happily running his own business.

As for myself, I happily live in Liverpool (I’m a plastic Scouser) I can’t work as I’m now disabled, but still enjoy a good couple of hours now and then, up in my loft, with an old 100 watt p.a, an old CopyCat echo chamber, and neighbours who must all be daft or deaf  - I haven’t got the courage to ask.

PeteTaylor
20/5/09

Memories

Pete, I remember the you and the Persuaders. Sid Overett was a good friend of mine. I played with a group called Barry and the Horizons at that time and Sid was engaged to our drummer's (Dave Thorpe) sister Sheena Thorpe.  He often came to my house with his guitar for a jam and sometimes he would dep for us when one of our lads was ill.  It's the first time I have seen a photo of him.  I went to the funeral and helped carry the coffin. I think I may have some press cuttings stashed away somewhere. I will try to find and upload them.

Douglas Gill
18/6/09

I used to enjoy listening to you sing in the Robin Hood on Lloyd Street. I didn`t dream then that I`d one day play lead guitar myself in two pub bands. Remember Martin Doyle who played piano in the Robin?  I also never dreamt I`d one day live in Ireland.  Martin and his wife Phyllis were from Dublin. 

You were excellent back then and I always enjoyed your singing. Remember Danny Fontana?  Last time I saw and heard him was when he was running the City Road Inn in Hulme, in the Seventies. I was in two pub bands with my son Matthew who now has his own little recording studio over here. He`s written music for years. There`s one of our songs on Youtube called Something Wonderful  - Clearlight Studio if you want to have a look and listen. I write lyrics for him. Glad you`re o.k. 

Best wishes, Alec

Alec Adcock
16/5/10

Hi Pete, I depped for Dennis Ashton (he was on holiday) 2 weeks prior to the tragic accident that took the life of my good mate Sid. You actually played at Doveholes whilst I was standing in for Dennis, fantastic night.  Now living in Adelaide South Australia, been here since 1975. Great to catch up with old mates.

Dave Thorpe 
19/10/11