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FREQUENCY BAND, THE

Last updated: 06-11-2022
FREQUENCY BAND, THE
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Basic Information

Area:
  • Norwich, Norfolk, Uk
Genre:
  • Originals - Pop
Active Years:
C1977 - C1981

Musicians

Record Labels

Related Bands

Lead Vocals: Sallyanne Francis nee Macdonald-Crawford 77-80 (2)Michael Barratt aka Mick Betts 79-81

Vocals, Keys: Claire Homerston 77-81/83

Vocals: Tracy Whiffen 77-79

Guitar: Ray Hale 77-81 (2)Tom Smith 83

Bass: David WOL Bates 77-81

Drums: Paul Francis 77-81 (2)Mike Unsworth 83

 

"All members of the band wrote original songs and did not play any covers. The groups manager was Clive Hall (ref Hex records ??) A high quality rehearsal recording from 1980 does exist and it currently being re-mastered for the 40th anniversary. Mike Unsworth tested out for the band towards the end of 1981 at a house on Boundary Lane in Thorpe St. Andrew, but alas the band did not perform live again as Paul Francis had left the band and following this "Wol" (David Bates) just disappeared from music also leaving the band. A sad end to a band surely on the road to success." [Stuart Francis 18/11/2019]
 
 
Paper reports and gig reviews support Homerston performing with Smith and Unsworth and others as The Frequency Band as late as 1983 in an attempted comeback.

 

The band hit the road again with a new line-up in January 1980 when vocalist Mick Betts aka Mick Stevens joined as the groups new frontman. Betts had previously been playing in the duo Stevens & Lemmon but prior to that had fronted top Norwich outfit RAM.

 

EEN ??/08/78: Advert says lead voaclist required to form new line up of Frequency Band contact Norwich

EEN H&N 09/02/81: Snippet says drummer Paul Francis has left the group.

 

 

Chris Grey: I joined them for a while after the Stingrays split, but didn't actually gig with them. I think they were the first band to be interviewed on the new Radio Norfolk, Wally Webb Sunday show in 1980....a weekly local band feature....the Stingrays were on the following Sunday.....and I still have a tape of the interview...very embarrasing...!!!

M.Barrett: Hey Chris! It's all coming back to me now! Yeah I remember you. As for names - Back - Yours truly(vocals), Claire Homerston (keyboards,vocals). Wol (?) (bass) ----- Front - Paul Francis (drums), Ray Hale (guitar).

 

 

M.Barrett: I've been trying to find Paul - if anyone's got any tapes of the band, he has.
M.Barrett: I've got 3 sides of the 2 singles - just missing 'Shadow of the Past' - the crappiest track anyway!
Jeremy Rees: Thanks very much! I actually saw Claire within the last 10 years in The Wildman during a rare visit to Norwich. Had a chat but we were both pretty pissed. There was also a Tracy Wiffin (? Whiffen? something like that ...) doing back-up vocals at one time, not pictured. I knew her cos she was at the art college with my mate ...
    • M.Barrett: Yeah, I've seen Claire a year or 2 back - she lives in Brighton, but still got family up here.
    • Jeremy Rees: Is she still making music, Michael?
      Jeremy Rees: Used to be paricularly fond of seeing you at Gundry Whites. Saddest loss of a good venue in Norwich IMHO
      M.Barrett: Jeremy, please forgive my dementia, but can you remind me of your connection with the band? My memory of those days is a bit patchy - WTF! my memory of last week is patchy! Yes, used to love White's - I think Claire is doing the occasional 'alternative' type gig - saw her playing at the Ten Bells, Norwich solo some years back - she didn't notice me at first, then got a bit embarrassed as she 'd nicked one of my songs - 'It must Be Nice to Be Normal'
      M.Barratt: I think Tracy was Wol's girlfriend. Don't know what happened to him - he just freaked out and quit.
      M.Barratt: I remember the interview with Wally Webb - it was a Sunday afternoon and we'd all been down the pub and for a smoke in the carpark. During the pre-broadcast 'chat' Wally was a very worried as we were being a bit silly - 'it's going out LIVE' he said. But I think we behaved ourselves in the event - anyway, probably a 2 figure audience!
 

 

(Barratt - Ram) <>

Releases
Cover Title Studio Label YoR
FREQUENCY BAND, THEBACK ON THE ROAD PRIVATE PRESSING 1979
FREQUENCY BAND, THEMORNING PRIVATE PRESSING 1980