TORINOS, THE

Guitar: Peter Cassius Kley Dec62-Jan65 (2)John Nobby Clark Jan65-??

Guitar: John Turner to Bass

Vocals, Guitar: Keith Ched Thompson

Bass: Tony Clark

Lead Vocals, Drums: Neville Buster Turner  

In June 1964 the group came joint first in Wisbech’s Fenland beat contest judged by London DJ Pete Murray who said he was impressed by the quality of the bands and also notes to his astonishment at how good the acoustics were of the vacant potato store that the competition took place in!

The group shared the £25 first prize money with the Kings Lynn, Trojans. Only one month earlier the group had taken first prize in both sections of the [competition details required] beat poll in 1964

Discography:

RtR recorded at Bayes Recordium, King's Lynn

Reelin’ & A Rockin’ / Heartbeat/Route 66 / Gonna Send You Back To Georgia  30/07/1964[ ]

Mediography:

Upwell boys lead way in our beat group contest AP 07/05/1964[ ](P)

<> (Sounds Familiar)

In 1962 the Turner brothers John and Neville (Buster) from Upwell decided to form a group, Buster on drums and vocals John on guitar with Tony (Tiddles) Clark on bass, practicing in "The Hut" behind the bungalow where they lived with their Mum and Pidley the cat, in retrospect i must thank Mrs Turner for being understanding and putting up with us for years. John was a very good at repairing radios and televisions, he worked at Nichols and Peed and in his spare time he built our guitar amps and echo chambers.

At this time i worked for Dagless Ltd building luxury yachts and in my spare time i had built two acustic guitars, one for me and one for my mate John Brady but John decided he liked football more so his guitar was sold.

At a dance in Upwell village hall Buster asked me if i was interested in joining the group so the next week i went to the hut with my home made guitar and little or no idea how to play it but John was kind and started to show me a few chords and so it went on praticing three nights a week. After a while i realised that i needed a better guitar and part exchanged my home made one at Clarks Music in Wisbech for a italian Wandre, later i sold this for a Guild Srarfire II, and have been a Guild fan ever since.

At this time Tony decided get married and hung up his bass so we needed a new bass player, as  luck would have it i had got to know my old mate Keith (Ched) Thompson who could play guitar well and was interested to join the group. He needed a base so i made him a copy of a Fender six string bass ala Jet Harris, i did the woodwork and John did the electrics.

After a while we decided it would be better if John went on the bass and Ched on the lead guitar so John bought himself a Fenton Wiel bass and Ched an italian EKO 700 trading in the homemade bass at Clarks (thank you Miss Kington) i think she had a soft spot for us.

Now practicing four nights a week it began to come together to the point where the first gig was in sight so we needed a name, i saw Torino Horns for sale in a motorcycle magazine so thats where the name came from.

Our first gig was at The Globe Inn, Upwell and after that it just went from strength to strength doing all the local village dances, tuesday nights at The Trumpet Hall, Rose and Crown Wisbech and regular dates at The Kit-Kat, Hunstanton. We played all over East Anlia; Norwich, Peterborouh, Boston, Cambridge, Kings Lynn and Wisbech.

We won two two Beat contests 1964, it was a great time. In the begining of 1965 a tour of France and Germany was planned but John and Buster were not keen on the idea so i decided to go back to boatbuilding and and got a job at J.G. Meakes Marlo on the Thames. John Nobby Clarke took my place in the band and think they went on for a couple of years before John and Buster formed Sounds Familier with Ian Notley and they are still going today. My old Mate Ched Thompson died on 16,08,16 and John Turner died 20,03,13.  Later Ched Played with the Nigel Portass Band. source: Peter Kley