Just
been looking at your web page Roll Back The Years. I was the girl from Sharlston
,Joan Scott, who joined the Trevels after Glynis (left) my married name is
Burnley. After leaving the group I went on to get married to Danny and we
have 2 boys. I didn't sing for over 20 years then got up in my local club,
Wakefield City Club, where I've sung Friday and Saturday night ever since
. Friday I sing with a keyboard player and Saturday with the Kalahari Bushmen
who Eric Brookes plays with, Eric was the bass player with the Trevels. I
also used to sing with Tony Costello and with Frank "Heppy" Hepworth
at the Wakefield Arms. Also I used to get up with The White Eagles Jazz Band.
All this time enjoying myself as a guest singer and will be doing so for many
years to come, don't know if any of this information helps but just thought
I would send anyway.
sent
in by Joan Burnely (formerly Scott) - what a great piece of archive material,
ed.
Hi
Pete
Came across your website and got quite a shock to see my name 'on the web'.
I'm the Trevor Bell mentioned. The group formed in 1961 and were:-
Lead guitar - Trevor Bell
Rhythm guitar - Maurice Nixon
Bass guitar - Graham Morris
Drums - Eddie Holland
Vocals - Norman Trevelyan
Vocals - Glynnis Brooks
The group disbanded in 1974 and had obviously had changes of personnel in that
time.
Will get back to you with some photos (when I've dug them out) and maybe a couple
of tracks from our practice tape if you are interested.
Best regards
Trev Bell
The following is an account from Maurice
This is Maurice Nixon ( note not Morris) who played in the Trevels. We first
got together in around 1960 at Trev Bell's house when his brother Malcolm told
me his brother also played guitar. We decided to form a band. The first members
were Maurice Nixon, Trevor Bell, Graham Morris, Norman Trevelyan and Jimmy Alexander
who only had a snare drum. Norman was the singer, Graham played bass on a normal
guitar with bass strings, Trev played lead and Maurice played rhythm. We came
up with the name of Trevels from the link with Trev and Trevelyan.
We first practised at the Sharlston Hotel. After a while we decided we wanted
a proper drummer and so we advertised for one in the Wakefield Express.
We had a few to audition, one lad who was only fourteen was called Tony Law
and he was very good. He played with us for a short while and left to do better
things. He ended up playing in a band on the cruise ships and later worked at
the Mecca in Wakefield. Years later he was landlord of a public house in Leeds
Road. After Tony we got Ian Hall to play drums, he came from Crofton.
By this time we were playing in the local clubs and got a regular booking at
Garforth Community Centre every Saturday night. Our equipment was very ordinary
in those days but still cost us so much a week. During our time at Garforth
we changed drummers Eddie Holland turned up one night and asked if he could
set his drums up and play a few numbers with us. Well he was fantastic and we
signed him up on the night. Poor old Ian realised he couldn't cope with Eddie.
Shortly after we bought some new outfits, red jackets grey trousers, shoes,
shirts and ties to match, Norman had a blue jacket we looked great. Also at
this time we were playing at Normanton Baths on Wednesdays and it was here that
Glynis Brook asked if she could come and audition with us. We all got together
at Eddies and Glynis was brilliant and we took her on - she was 13 years old.
She could sing all the Dusty Springfield numbers, Motown, ballads she really
great and went down a wow in the working mens clubs.
By now we had six in the band with two singers and were doing very well in the
clubs.
In 1963 we entered a competition at the Queen's Hall in Leeds ( the old tram
shed ) with lots of others bands we got to last 12 but performed badly in the
final. (other bands included The Grumbleweeds - 6 zany young lads from Leeds,
Bob Taylor and the Strangers, The Ramblers, )
Sometime about now Trev decided he wanted to leave and we were devastated he
was brilliant on all the Shadows numbers ( and still is ). However, he left
and I'm sure we got Pete Bradley to play lead for us. This went on for a few
months until Pete injured his hand at work and couldn't play. Trev in the meantime
realised he had made a mistake in leaving and was only too eager to come back.
He stayed and Pete left us.
During 1964 Norman left us and we got one of Eddies old mates from Patti Brook
and Diamonds - Eric " Ricky " Brooke to join us as a singer (he was
also a bass player ). Eric was very good on harmonising and taught me and Trev
to harmonise on numbers. The band improved no end.
By now we were playing in clubs in Dewsbury, Doncaster, Castleford, Leeds, Liversedge,
etc.
By about 1966/67 Graham left the band and Eric started to play the bass and
sing as well.
It was at Meanwood working mens club that Glynis met a lad and went out with
him, after a while they got married. He didn't like her singing in the clubs
and persuaded her to pack up singing. She was 18, maturing and becoming a really
good entertainer.
This meant a new female singer was required, a young girl from Sharlston was
eventually taken on (I can't remember her name )
At this time we were struggling to find a suitable female singer to make up
for the loss of Glynis.
In August 1968 Maurice left the band to concentrate on night school studies
and a keyboard player was recruited take his place, Phil ........ ?
After this date I only used to go and watch the band when they were at the local
clubs, hopefully Trev will remember some more details.
I still have a house full of guitars, banjo, keyboard. Me and Trev ( Graham
in the early days) played in a country dance band from 1975 until 1990 - Dudley
Nightshade, Hoe Downs etc. Great fun.
I amuse myself now playing a Technics keyboard with full band /orchestra backing.
I have some old photos of the Trevels which I will have re-take on my Digital
Camera and email them to you.
All the best for now
Maurice Nixon.
Here's some additional info from Trevor
As
promised I am enclosing some photos of the group
with various line-ups, including one of us in 'instrumental' action at the Queens
Hall competition mentioned in Maurice's (very detailed) account of the group
to 1968. Incidentally, I have kept in touch with Maurice over the years and
agree with him that our time with Dudley Nightshade was a hoot!
The singer who replaced Glynis was Joan Scott who stayed a year, and the keyboard
player was Phil Goodwin. Phil left in 1970 and he was replaced by Mick Larrad
on rhythm guitar, and I recently made contact with Mick (who still plays regularly)
and enjoyed a long chat about old times with him.
Other changes included vocalist Yvonne Phillips, she was excellent and turned
professional in 1973 singing with a band who toured the Mecca circuit. I heard
she now runs a bar in Florida.
After Yvonne left we had two further girl singers (the late Ann Wallis and Carole
Pickett) but the heart seemed to have gone out of the group and we disbanded
in early 1975.
I will attempt to send you a couple of tracks (with Yvonne on vocals) from our
40 year old practice tape - you will have to allow for deterioration in quality
of sound. Also, as no instrumentals survived on the tape I will send you a couple
of tracks which I recently recorded alone (with the aid of a drum machine and
4 track recorder) to give a flavour of the all-round sound The Trevels had.
And
you'll find the tracks here
Thanks very much to Maurice and Trevor