The Paramounts

From Wikipedia:

The Paramounts were an English beat group based in Southend-on-Sea, Essex. They had one hit single with their cover version of “Poison Ivy“, which reached No. 35 on the UK Singles Chart in 1964, but are primarily known as the precursor to Procol Harum.

Career

The origin of the Paramounts is unclear. They were either formed as “The Raiders” in 1959 when the members were at secondary school, or were one of the first “manufactured” bands created by the organisers of a band competition at the Palace Hotel in Southend out of the best musicians in the contest. The Raiders had Robin Trower and Chris Copping (guitars), Mick Trower (older brother of Robin, lead vocals) and Gary Nicholls (drums; born 1945, died April 2007). The initial line-up of the Paramounts, from September 1960, was Gary Brooker (piano, ex-Johnny Short and the Coasters), Mick Brownlee (drums; born October 1943, Chiswick, West London, died June 2017, ex-Mickey Law and the Outlaws), Chris Copping (bass), Bob Scott (vocals, ex-Bob Scott and the Clansmen) and Robin Trower (guitar). Scott soon left, and Brooker became the vocalist, but as he was only 14, which made playing in licensed premises difficult, so they started performing in Trower’s father’s cafe, which became The Shades Club.

Copping left in December 1962 and Brownlee left in September 1963. They were replaced by Diz Derrick (bass; born Grahame Derrick, 11 December 1944, Upminster, Essex) and B. J. Wilson (drums). Their musical style evolved from their initial R&B towards soul and, by 1963, they were regularly playing in London, and were signed by Parlophone. In late 1964 and early 1965, they had Phil Wainman on drums (born Philip Neil Wainman, 7 June 1946, Hampton Court), briefly replaced Wilson, who went to Jimmy Powell and the Five Dimensions. The Paramounts’ first single, “Poison Ivy“, produced by Ron Richards, was a cover of the Leiber and Stoller song, which had been a hit for The Coasters in 1959. It became a minor hit for the Paramounts, reaching No. 35 on the UK Singles Chart, and led to them appearing on TV shows such as Ready Steady Go!

Their second and third singles, “Bad Blood” and “I’m the One who Loves You”, both failed to chart, but the B-side of the third single, “It Won’t Be Long”, was the first song written by Brooker and Trower to be released. In search of another hit, subsequent singles were in different styles, but none of them charted. The group became backing musicians on European tours by Sandie Shaw and Chris Andrews and disbanded in 1966.

Brooker concentrated on writing music, collaborating with Keith Reid, and Matthew Fisher (organ), and they recorded “A Whiter Shade of Pale“. To support the record with a tour, Brooker persuaded Trower and Wilson to rejoin the band and augmented them with David Knights (bass). By 1969, Knights and Fisher had left and Chris Copping had rejoined. […]

The Paramounts were among the support acts for The Beatles’ 1965 UK Tour, sharing the bill with the Moody Blues, Beryl Marsden, Steve Aldo, the Koobas, and the Marionettes.

We got along with them very well. They were great – fun to be with. There was a good, sociable atmosphere. When we were setting up we would have a jam and if Paul was around he’d play along on the drums. He liked having a go on the drums. The two outstanding things were one, that the audience just screamed at them all the way through, and two, that they were captives. Their food and anything else they needed had to be brought to their room.

Gary Brooker – member of The Paramounts – From “Beatlemania! The Real Story of the Beatles UK Tours 1963-1965” by Martin Creasy, 2011

paramounts

Robbie Trower and Gary Brooker were responsible for the formation of The Paramounts in 1960. In those days the group numbered five, the other three members having been shanghaied, purloined and poached from other groups in the Southend area.

Robbie (lead guitar) and Gary (piano) are the only remaining members of the original line-up, and when the group’s singer left, Gary also took over the lead vocals. Diz Derrick replaced their bass guitarist early in 1963 and drummer, Barrie Wilson, completed their present line-up later that year.

In the early days their respective jobs restricted their travels to the Essex and Kent areas. But by 1963 bookings were rolling in thick and fast, and The Paramounts were being asked to undertake engagements further afield, so the four boys decided to quit their jobs and become full-time professional musicians.

Since then they have played ballroom and club dates all over the country and appeared on major tours with Jerry Lee Lewis, The Rolling Stones, Sandie Shaw and Adam Faith. In October The Paramounts make their first excursion to the Continent where they are appearing with Sandie Shaw at the famed Olympia Theatre in Paris.

The Paramounts have five records to their credit. The first, “Poison Ivy” released in December 1963, reached the Top Thirty and their second disc, “Little Bitty Pretty One”, also clocked up substantial sales.

Their new disc was released in October on the Parlophone label. Titled “You’ve Never Had It So Good”, it is a contemporary blues-styled number written by P. F. Sloan, composer of “Eve of Destruction” and “The Sins of A Family”. The flipside is a number written by Robbie and Gary called “Don’t Ya Like My Love?”

From the Beatles’ 1965 UK Tour Programme

Tours The Paramounts supported