BEACH BLANKET BINGO

Lead Vocals: Chris Williams

Guitar: Dave Wisbey

Vocals, Guitar: Ritchie Taylor 93-99

Vocals, Guitar, Keys: Martin Elsey 01-03

Vocals, Bass: Mark Shaw

Drums: Lee Marshall

Beach Blanket Bingo formed in 1993. This was the result of two Ely-based bands, Crossland and The Color Factory, having recently split up. The original line up included: Williams, vocals; Taylor, guitar and vocals (1993–1999); Marshall, drums (all ex- Crossland); Wisbey, guitar and vocals (ex-The Color Factory) and Shaw, bass and vocals and from 2001 onwards: Elsey, guitar, keyboards and vocals (ex-The Traceys).

The band spent 1993 establishing themselves locally and recording demos at Flightpath Studio in Cambridge with engineer Tim Harding. In 1994 they entered the 10^th Cambridge Rock Group Competition at The Junction which they were eventual finalists in. As a result of winning one of the individual prizes in the competition they were awarded a support slot with Oasis on their first national tour at the Cambridge Boatrace venue in May ’94. They released their debut cassette album entitled BBB later that year.

The following year they re-entered the Cambridge Rock Group competition, along with over 100 other acts, which they won this time in March of 1995. Part of their prize was a cheque for £1,000 – a not inconsiderable amount at that time. With this prize money they were able to record at Purple Rain Studio (later Purple Studio when it moved to Trowse, near Norwich) with Richard Hammerton producing. One of their tracks called Sinking Stone was recorded at Purple and appears on the Under Wild East Anglian Skies 3 compilation.

They released their debut cassette EP Two Fat Ladies in 1996 which was reviewed in the weekly music magazine Melody Maker. In May of that year they hosted their own club night at The Maltings in Ely together with (then) BBC Radio 1 Steve Lamacq who DJ’d. In December ’97 they headlined their own show at the Cambridge Junction in order to promote the release of their debut album on CD, Topsy Turvy, which received positive local critical acclaim. By 2001 Ritchie Taylor had been replaced by Martin Elsey. After a spate of gigs and writing new material the band’s last gig, at this point, was another headline slot at The Maltings in Ely in April 2003.

Nine years later it would be this line-up that reformed for a few shows during 2012/13, two of which were fundraising events in memory of local fellow musician Mick Gillett who had sadly passed away in 2011. BBB released their final CD (a ‘5-track mini album’) entitled Going Back which was recorded at Blue Barn Studio in Little Downham, Cambridgeshire with Chris Taylor engineering/producing. The album was released to coincide with their final performances, one of which was on 31 August 2013 in Ely’s Cherry Hill Park as part of an event called Party On The Hill alongside other acts including Atomic Kitten and Blue.

Chris Williams, Mark Shaw and Lee Marshall went onto perform with Starlings from 2004–2006. Martin Elsey is currently writing and releasing material with Tribes of Europe (Integrity Records). CW 18/05/2021

(Wisbey - The Color Factory) Crossland <> (Williams - ??)

Releases
Cover	Title	Studio	Label	YoR
	BEACH BLANKET BINGO			1994

Compilations
Cover	Title	Label	YoR
	UNDER WILD EAST ANGLIAN SKIES 3	VIGILANTE PUBLICATIONS	UNDATED
Position	Track name		Studio
B7	SINKING STONE