BREED, THE

Lead Vocals: Paul Adams + Harmonica (2)Alan Galbraith (3)Derek Goodfield

Vocals, Keyboards: Alan Barnes am 66 (2)George Prevett

Guitar: Chris Dellar

Guitar: Ray Kimberley

Bass: Mick Potter

Drums: Graham Nottingham (2)Francis Bialik

“The Breed came together when three guys from Cherry Hinton started rehearsing around the parents’ house of guitarist Ray Kimberley," said Potter. "At this stage I did not know them. They then pulled in drummer Graham Nottingham, who lived in Trumpington, and just by chance, I spoke with him one evening at the local recreation ground. He talked about the band forming and that they needed a bass player. It just so happened that I had purchased a Hoffner red bass guitar (£39 I think?), but had to admit that I couldn’t play a single note. He didn't seem worried by this and I went along to a practice. Ray really helped me to get started, after which I quickly got into it and basically taught myself.

The band had already christened themselves The Komodos, and the funny thing was they had already booked their first gig which was around six weeks away at The Racehorse PH, Cambridge on 19 September 1965. The night came and I was very nervous, I only knew about six numbers but mimed the rest. I can distinctly remember a guy coming over to say ‘Turn the bass up, I can't hear it’. It was an interesting evening and the band moved forward from there."

In late 1965 the band played Sudbury Town Hall and a competition was organised to rename them. Potter recalls, "We weren’t that happy with our name, it was a lizard but people just didn’t get it. On the night of the gig the teenagers could enter a competition to rename us. The winning name was The Breed, which we really liked and decided to stick with it.”

The band was managed by Stuart Dingley of Maximum Entertainment, Cambridge and they were kept busy playing in and around the county “The band changed as we became more serious,” said Potter. “Francis came in on drums; we added Barney Barnes on keyboards around 1966 and we had our new singer Alan as well.”

In December 1967 the band were spotted by a representative of Polydor records while playing in Ipswich and were invited to London to record some demos. “The band had changed again by this point,” Potter points out. “George had come in on keyboards, and Derek Goodfield had taken over lead vocals” Galbraith is believed to have moved onto The Yum Yum Band by this point.

The band was retained by Polydor with the view to releasing a single and the group set about recording more demos for them. Potter explains the ups and downs of this major step in their career. “It was all going well. We were supporting bigger acts and also playing our own headline gigs. As a semi pro band we were playing four to five times a week, often getting home at around 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning. We had new management in the shape of Brian Harper, based in Wimbledon. We never had any money but were having great fun. We drove from gig to gig in Derek’s Jag and with the thought of an imminent single release convinced ourselves to take the final step and go professional.”

The band turned professional in late 1968. “I was an apprentice draughtsman at Pye and my father very reluctantly signed me out of the apprenticeship, as did the fathers of other band members. From here things slowed down, Polydor just couldn’t find the right track to release and our parents became impatient. Members were forced to leave the band; I think the phrase put to them was, ‘Get a proper job’. The band folded around August 1969 without releasing a record. Our singer was determined to succeed though and turned solo, travelling up North before changing his name to Derek James and becoming a stage singer in the West End.”

Discography:

RtR:  Regent Sound Studios, London 1968

Unknown Track / I Can't See Nobody (B&R Gibb) / I Think We’re Alone Now

Sitting In The Middle Of The Grass / This Little Boy

Earnest Of Being George / Come See About Me

7Actd This Little Boy (one sided) Regent Sound Studios, London 1968

Potter believes other acetates exist of the RtR tracks.

Residencies:

The Deep Night Club, St Helier, Jersey 196? (date required)

Tours:

UK South Coast 196? (date required)

Selected advertised supports:

12/01/66 The Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge - Dusty Springfield

03/03/66 The Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge - The Small Faces

12/05/66 The Dorothy Ballroom - Alan Price Set

29/08/66 Heacham Common, Norfolk: Open Air Session -

The Small Faces, Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band

The Birds, The Herd, The Versions

25/01/67 The Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge - The Move

15/02/67 The Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge - Jimi Hendrix

11/03/67 Newmarket Memorial Hall - The Knack

29/05/67 Cambridge Football Club: Beat Gala -

The Spencer Davis Group, The Yardbirds, The Family

Indigo Mood with David Essex

07/09/68 Baston Playing Field, Baston - PP Arnold