CONTOURS, THE

Lead Vocals: Brain Freeman aka Garry Freeman 62-

Guest Vocals: Johnny Thompson

Lead Vocals, Guitar: Roy Bell

Vocals, Guitar: Alistair Thorn > Bass

Vocals, Bass: Roger Pymer -Sept63 (2)Patrick Barriskill aka Pat Harrison Sept63- (3)Ronnie Day > Keys

(4)Barry Fats Dean

Sax: John Byles ??65-Sept65

Keys: Ronnie Day (2)Clive Frindle aka Clive Clare

Drums: Tony Russell (2)Hilson Hatley   

Golden Years Reunion

Lead Vocals: Brain Freeman aka Garry Freeman

Guitar: Dave Basham (2)Pete Watt

Bass: Mick Betts ( )Matt Hook ( )Martin ?? ( )Trevor Leeder

Keys: Graham Fulcher

Drums: ?? (2)Trevor Lincoln (3)Malcolm Fish

The Contours were formed in early 1962. Thorn and Bell were neighbours in Carnarvon Road, Nch, while Bell and Pymer’s fathers worked together as ‘clickers’ in the shoe trade. The boys had practiced together since the age of ten and sometimes met up on family holidays. Bell and Thorn had previously fronted The Royaltees and later The Thunderbirds and it is thought the start of The Contours could have been under the title of The Royaltones [The Roy-Al-Tones]; this set of events does fit our gig guide research but is not fully recollected by the remaining band members.

Russell had previously been with function band The Flamingos and was looking to play more contemporary material and introduced himself to the trio who lived close by. Pymer recalls the band’s early look, “We all wore Maroon suits with white shoes. We also all played custom hand-made Emile Grimshaw guitars with the same blonde body finish, I remember ordering mine and borrowing around £100 off my mum to pay for it. Emile Grimshaw Jnr delivered it in person. He came by train to Thorpe Station and met us in the waiting room, as it was then. We handed over the money and he handed over the guitar. He then got the next train straight back to London. I don’t recall any other band at that time having an all Grimshaw front line. We looked so smart.”

Bell was the group’s original lead vocalist but local celebrity Johnny Thompson would sometimes guest with the band. Their fortunes picked up in 1962 when city vocalist Brian Freeman joined from The Checkers. Initial gigs as Brian Freeman & The Contours earned the group their first TV appearance, when they performed on Anglia TV’s Rehearsal Room on 21 March 1962, followed by a second appearance on 2 April.

Brian Freeman then became Garry Freeman, Brian explains, “This was the work of an over imaginative promoter in Newmarket, Suffolk who had decided that Garry Freeman rolled off the tongue far better than Brian and advertised the gig as such. When we turned up I was annoyed...which amused the rest of band, this annoyed me more. I told the promoter and he said, ‘You’ll never get anywhere as Brian’, and so the name stuck. Today everyone, even my family call me Garry.”

In September 1963 they took the decision to turn professional. This proved easier for some, than others. Freeman had already been making his living from the band and so was unaffected by the proposal but bassist Pymer was holding down a good job so he decided to move on and joined The Classics. His replacement was art student Barriskill, who had been playing with The CBO Incorporated. Bell quit his van driver/salesman job, Russell his position as a draughtsman and Thorn his role in a shoe factory.

In March 1964 The Contours won the local heat of the National Walls Beat Group Contest (appx2) held at The Samson & Hercules BR, Nch; the final was held at The Hammersmith Palais, Ldn on 2 April but they do not win. “We were up against some seriously good bands,” said Garry. “Bands with keyboards and brass sections. We were tight but still had some way to go at that time.”

In mid 1965 the group added saxophone player Byles and recorded at Jack Jackson’s studio in Rickmansworth. The result was the often undocumented There’s A Riot EP, which is noted for its Flames style arrangement of James Brown’s I’ll Go Crazy, featuring Byles. The demo You Know Honey was also recorded at the studio but not pressed up. Further interest from Larry Page’s Penny Farthing label in late 1965 saw another demo disc recording, this time of the Nash, Gary track Lets Move & Groove Together but once again was not released. Despite label interest no offers had been made to retain the band and in September 1965 Byles left the group, instigating another reshuffle.

Ronnie Day: Information required for Ronnie day who was belived to be playing in London pre Contours; at first with Bob Miller & The Millermen and then The Puppets MIR

Clare came in on keys from the Diss based Sonics, there is movement on bass and in January 1966 Russell moved on to fill the throne of Samson & Hercules’ resident band The Tempos with Hatley from Ye Highwaymen replacing him. The same month they roused the interest of Anglia TV music man Peter Fenn, who took on their management and in September 1966 they changed their name to The Anglians.   

Discography:

Jack Jackson Std, Rickmansworth - c65

 7” There’s A Riot EP ~

Riot In Cell Block No’9 / Monkeying Around b/w

I’ll Go Crazy / Send Me Some Lovin’

Jackson Records JRCEP501 released ??/??/65

7Act You Know Honey  c65

7Act Lets Moove & Groove (Together) c65

Selected advertised supports:

18/08/62 Banham Pav - Duke D’Mond & The Baron Knights

14/09/62 Grosvenor BR, Nch - Tommy Bruce & The Bruisers

16/01/63 Grosvenor BR, Nch - Shane Fenton & The Fentones

10/08/63 Gala BR, Nch - Tony Rivers & The Castaways

14/03/64 Heacham Public Hall - The Undertakers

03/07/64 St Andrews Hall, Nch - The Applejacks

05/07/64 Olympia BR, Crmr - Brian Howard & The Silhouettes

02/08/64 Olympia BR, Crmr - Dave Curtiss & The Tremors

29/08/64 Boston Gliderdrome - The Cascades

17/09/64 Gala BR, Nch - The Kinks

12/12/64 Gaiety BR, Ramsey - James King & The Farinas

26/12/64 Gaiety BR, Ramsey - Freddie Fingers Lee & The Shriekers

11/05/65 Floral Hall, Gorleston - The Animals

28/06/65 Floral Hall, Gorleston - The Moody Blues

27/11/65 Marcam Hall, March - The Spencer Davis Group

23/03/66 Tower BR, GY - The Who

01/05/66 Olympia BR, Crmr - Crispian St Peters

Mediography:

City beat group in national final SJ EEN 21/03/64 (P)

Palais pop parade RM DS 02/04/64 (P)

Contours in demand at US bases EEN 03/05/65

Leader of Ye Highwaymen joins Contours H&N EEN 24/01/66

TV:

Anglia TV: Rehearsal Room ~ unk trks aired 21/03/62

Anglia TV: Rehearsal Room ~ unk trks aired 02/04/62

Anglia TV: Unk show ~ unk trks aired 30/10/65 (Talent Spot ??)

Anglia TV: Unk show ~ unk trks aired 08/01/66 (Talent Spot ??)

NB: [1] Crescendo jazz magazine still has Byles playing in the band in December 1965. MIR [2] In mid 1966 another group called The Contours forms in the region at Oakham near Peterborough.

Notes:

The boys had been practising together since the age of Ten.

02/04/64 Final: Hammersmith Palais - The Revellers (London)/The Original Deltones (Kent)/Vibratones(Radlett)/The Alltones(unknown)/Wainwright's Gentlemen(unknown)Garry Freeman & The Contours(Norwich)

Prizes: 1st: £1000 plus record test with EMI / 2nd: £250 + Recording session / 3rd:£100 + Recording Session

Palaise Pop Parade Daily Sketch 02/04/64 (P) by Ronald Miller

Anglia show - 10th October 65 ??

Band not flashy but neat / Bus driver Tony (the one with the corns) unglamourous secondhand Daimler motor coach with bunks / equipment 1200 in value but adding 800

(Freeman - The Checkers)(Baraskill - CBO Inc)(Frindle - The Sonics)(Hatley - Ye Highwaymen)

(Day - The Millermen / The Puppets??) <> The Anglians (Pymer - The Classics)(Byles - ??)(Barriskill - ??)

(Russell - The Tempos)(Day - ??)

Releases
Cover	Title	Studio	Label	YoR
	THERE'S A RIOT GOING ON EP		JACKSON RECORDS	1965
	LET'S MOOVE AND GROOVE (TOGETHER)		JACKSON RECORDS	UNDATED
	YOU KNOW HONEY		JACKSON RECORDS	UNDATED