Meanwhile Dave Sutch started a career in Politics, forming The 'Sod Em All Party' after the "Profumo Affair" in mid’ 63, and then recruited a new set of Savages including future movie actor Paul Nicholas.
It is often rumoured that Nicholas would have replaced "Freddie Fingers Lee" in the Savages after the latter had fallen into an orchestra pit during a Sutch's show and was in hospital for a while. This is a story inspired by what it happened to the previous piano player, Andy.
In fact Rick Brown, who had fallen out with Cyril Davis and also passed briefly through the ranks of the John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, reludanctly returned to Dave Sutch as soon as his previous band left him and toured Germany on their own. He remembered well the local act that opened for them at Wembley Town Hall the previous year and then recruited the 3 remaining Dreamers, Paul Nicholas then known as "Paul Dean" on piano, Stuart Taylor on guitar and Pete Phillipps on drums. The sax player "Toots" being with The Raving Savages in Germany and the bass player Ray Randall with the Tornados of "Telstar" worldwide fame.
They starred at London’s Greatest Ever Pop Festival, sharing the bill with American star Del Shannon and UK Chart Toppers Gerry & The Pacemakers and then took a slot on the first pop all-nighter on July 5, 1963 at Alexandra Palace, London, along with The John Barry Seven and... Cyril Davies & his R&B All-Stars.
At this time, Carlo Little (1) was the last original All-Star as Nicky Hopkins had to leave due to illness - staying in the hospital for 18 months with stomach trouble - and Bernie Watson had joined John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers 5 months after Rick Brown.
When Little was sacked by Davies after he had suggested to make the sound of the band slightly more up-beat (2) , Sutch naturally appealed to him and then Phillipps was ousted from The Savages in August 1963.
At the end of the year, Ray Randall poached Stuart Taylor to replace Alan Caddy in the Tornados, so Paul Nicholas left and re-united with Phillipps, teaming up with the 2 remaining Raving Savages Ronnie Harwood and Geoff Mew to become the band groomed by Michael Black at the Astor Club in Berkeley Square, London. At the time Harwood had switched to bass.
Note:
(1) Carlo Little filled in for Derek "Degsy" Sirmon on two occasions.
(2) Carlo Little was probably inspired by the recent success of The Rolling Stones he'd just seen on TV performing their debut single "Come on" less than 3 months after he and Rick Brown had stood-in for them at an audition for BBC radio
Read more about Paul Dean & The Dreamers
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