PLANETS, THE

Lead Vocals: Barry Lee

Lead Vocals: John Jarvis lnr

Guitar: Mike Dyball

Guitar: Tony Dyball

Bass: Roger Reynolds

Drums: Angus Jarvis

unplaced musicians:

Geoff Coghlan (Keys) / Pete ?? (Sax) / John Read (??)

 
The group’s lineup was an amalgamation of The Wildcats and The Vikings, and in coming together in March 1963, reunited all the members of Aylsham trio The Teenbeats from 1960. They practised above The Stonemasons Arms PH, Aylsham, run at the time by the parents of Mike and Tony. The band soon incorporated their broad sense of humour into the act, which at the time meant systematically learning the pop chart of the week and incorporating any new numbers into their set.

A trip to Tony Pike’s Tepee studios, Putney, in late 1963 produced the group’s first demo. Despite the poor quality of the recording, the two original compositions, the up-tempo You Belong To Me and the ballad Just Goodnight, highlighted the band’s songwriting potential. Reynolds also points out, “One of the things we noticed early on was the natural harmonies produced by our ranges, my alto, Tony’s soprano, and Barry’s tenor. Barry had a choral background and a full range; this made it much easier as the harmonies were just there!”

In late 1963 John Jarvis left the group because of work commitments; however, he was soon enticed back to the scene, joining Five By 5. In 1964 the band entered the Ready Steady-Win! contest and recorded the ballad So Much In Love, which was screened on Ready Steady Go! in July 1964. The eventual winners of the competition were The Bo Street Runners - see Mike Patto. The track was also featured on the now much sought-after Decca compilation Ready Steady-Win, produced by Mickie Most.

Headlines at the beginning of January 1965 must have raised a few eyebrows when the group’s booking agent Hilary Mitchell announced that the band had signed a seven-year recording contract with Pye after talks with London agency Capable Managements. This report was speculative, to say the least. The London agency had been approached, but that is where the story ends.

The group capped the first half of their careers when they were crowned winners of The NM&J Great Beat CompA3at the Royal Norfolk Showground on 1 July 1965. The competition had been a high-profile event, and the band walked away with a cheque for £150. In Oct 1965, with their diary almost full for the rest of the year, the group decided it was time to turn professional and signed to the Hunstanton agency Arthur Howard.

One of their first successes as a professional band was beating 38 acts to win a talent contest held at Silver Blades ice rink in Streatham. It was noted that for the first time in the competition’s history, the winning act were awarded maximum points. In early 1966 the boys recorded a version of the Beach Boys’ You’re So Good To Me at Bob Booth’s Bayes Recordium studioA3 with the intention of it being their first single. This idea was shelved when the Beach Boys released the track as the B side to Sloop John B. In May 1966, the band moved to AB Entertainments,A3along with the group’s spokesman, ex-boxer Butch Tyler. The same month with the lineup fully intact, the band’s agency announced that the group’s move into cabaret would mean a change in their name, and they became known as The Barry Lee Show. Their first performance under this new mantle was in Doncaster in May 1966.
    
Discography:
RS Tony Pikes Std, Ldn - c63
7Act You Belong To Me b/w Just Goodnight (p145/62)

12”Ct Ready Steady Win ~ So Much In Love
Decca LK4634 [r] ??/??/64 (p145/63)
re-released on CD I Can See For Miles ? SEECD202 92

RS Bayes Recordium, KL - ??/05/66
You’re So Good To Me (untr)

Selected advertised supports:
15/12/63 Olympia BR, Crmr - Gene Vincent & The Shouts
04/01/64 Gala BR, Nch - Terry Topping + Linda Laine & The Sinners
09/02/64 Olympia BR, Crmr - Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders
12/06/64 Hoveton VH, Nfk - The Overlanders
13/06/64 Gala BR, Nch - Grant Tracey & The Sunsets
30/07/64 Royal Htl, Crmr - The Undertakers
19/09/64 Heacham Public Hall - The Rockin’ Berries
29/05/65 Banham Pav - Wayne Gibson & His Dynamic Sounds
26/06/65 Gaiety BR, Ramsey - Peter & Gordon
19/04/66 Federation Club, Nch - Dave, Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Titch

Mediography:
Norfolk beat group get into big TV contest EDP 08/07/64
Norfolk groups are in the news NM&J 06/11/64 [p]
Planets sign seven year recording contract EEN 15/01/65
Planets on their climb UP 02/07/65
Beat contest winners now professional EEN 02/10/65
The Planets quit jobs EEN 02/10/65 [p]
Planets getting closer to the stars EEN 24/12/65
Barry Lee changes group name EEN 14/05/66
Change of name for cabaret UP 13/05/66
TV:
A-R: Ready, Steady - Win! ~ So Much In Love
Track pre-taped on 14/07/1964 and aired as Episode six of the ready steady win competition in most regions on 27/07/64.

NB: Just prior to this group appearing in our diary both Vic Sutton & The Planets and Gerry Temple & The Planets were seen playing regularly in the area. Is there a connection?

Ad Hoc festival [more information required]

Mercury Beat Contest

The band won their round held at the Olympia on the 17th May 1965 beating tough competition in the likes of Ye Highwaymen, Ricky Lee & The Hucklebucks and also John Jarvis’s new outfit 5 by Five. The final was held at the Royal Norfolk Showground on 1st July 1965 and featured 8 of east Anglia’s best bands. The boys walked away with a cheque for £150 as winners. It was this win that started to fill the groups diary, the competition had been run as a high profile event with weekly paper coverage from its launch in March and the winning group

In October 1965 with a full diary for the remainder of the year the group decided it was time to turned professional and signed to the Hunstanton agency Arthur Howes

One of the groups first successes as a professional band was beating 38 acts to win [details of competition required] held at Silver Blades ice rink in Streatham. Taking for the first time in the competition maximum points to win

In early 1966 the group recorded a version of the Beach Boys ‘Your’e So Good to me’ at Bob Booths, Recordium studio with the idea of it being the groups first single, but scrapped the idea when the Beach Boys released the track as the B-Side to Sloop John B

In May 1966 a soured relationship with the Howes agency saw the group move over to the Atkinson Barrie agency ABC managements along with the groups personal spokesman Butch Tyler. The same month with the line-up fully intact the bands agency announced that the groups move into cabaret would mean changing thier name to The Barry Lee Show with the group first performance under the new name being in Doncaster in May 1966

Supports: Bobby King & The Offbeats / The Zephyrs / Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders / Gene Vincent & The Shouts / Sandra Dorne / The Pedlars / Terry Topping with Linda Laine & The Sinners / The Manchester Playboys / James King & The Farinas / Downliner Sect / Shane & The Shane Gang / Wayne Gibson & The Dynamic Sound / Paul Keene & The Sound Of Echoes / The Federal

Discography:

Actd You Belong To Me b/w Just Goodnight [ ]1963

12”Ct Ready Steady Win ~ So Much In Love Decca LK4634[ ]1964

CD Ct Ready Steady Go & Win - So Much In Love  SEECD202[ ]1992

RtR You’re So Good To Me[ ]1966

Mediography:

Norfolk beat group get into big TV contest EDP 08/07/1964[ ]

Norfolk groups are in the news NMJ 06/11/1964[ ](P)

Planets sign seven year recording contract EEN 15/01/1965[ ]

First All-girl group enters NMJ 09/04/1965[ ]

Planets on their climb 02/07/1965[ ]

Beat contest winners now professional EEN 02/10/1965[ ]

Planets getting closer to the stars EEN 24/12/1965[ ]

Barry Lee changes group name EEN 14/05/1966[ ]

Change of name for caberet UP 13/05/1966[ ]

TV:

Ready Steady Go! ITV July 1964[ ]

The Vikings / The Wildcats <> The Barry Lee Show (Jarvis - Five by Five)