Original history
Originally from Stamford, Lincolnshire, the band were at first called The Ends [1] (no relation to The End).
The group scored two Top 40 hits on the UK Singles Chart in 1968. "Yesterday Has Gone", originally a hit for Little Anthony and The Imperials, [1] reached No. 4 in July of that year, and "My World" went to No. 33 in October. [2] The lineup on both of these records was Terry Rice-Milton on lead vocals, Wyndham George on guitar, Laughton James on bass, Garfield Tonkin on keyboards and Roger Gray on drums.
After "My World" was released, the band realising they could not achieve commercial success with mainstream music forever changing, disbanded in October 1968. A few months later, in early 1969, Rice-Milton and Gray reformed the band with Bernie Lee on guitar and Gordon Haskell on bass and released their only album to date.
In 1970, lead singer Terry Rice-Milton the vocalist on the hit singles left, replaced by John Lynch and then Martin Cure. Rice-Milton had his third hit with "You're My World" in 1970 (a song that had previously been a hit for Cilla Black), [1] while bass player Gordon Haskell later joined King Crimson. [1]
The band continued to tour without Terry and until early 1972 still featured Roger Gray, who left the band to spend more time with his wife and daughter. [3] After Gray left, the band still toured without any of its original members.
By 1978, the band began writing and recording heavier rock songs. These were performed under a different name, initially '4 Wheel Drive', which they soon changed to 'Chevy', to avoid alienating Cupid's Inspiration fans. They recruited Steve Walwyn, later of Dr. Feelgood to give a "twin guitar" sound. As 'Chevy' they toured supporting bands such as Alvin Lee, Hawkwind and Gillan. [4] Chevy recorded two BBC In Concert Programmes, issued three singles: "Too Much Loving" / "See the Light", "The Taker" / "Life on the Run" and "Just Another Day" / "Rock On" and one album The Taker, released in September 1980. [5]
The band's hit single, featuring Terry-Rice Milton, "Yesterday Has Gone" (written by Teddy Randazzo [6] and Victoria Pike) has featured on many compilation albums, including Sixties Power Ballads – The Greatest Driving Anthems in the World... Ever! (2007) as well as their original album Yesterday Has Gone (1969).
Wyndham George died in 2022.
Seperate bands
In more recent years, there were two bands that toured as "Cupid's Inspiration", one that featured original drummer Roger Gray and another that featured original singer Terry Rice-Milton and bassist Laughton James: [7]
One of these bands was formed in 2010 by Paul Shanahan, Bob Poole (both members of the band in the 1970s), with Paul Thomas and Rick Medlock, Medlock then being replaced by original member Roger Gray in 2014, who toured until 2021 when Gray retired. However he gave his blessing to Shanahan, Poole and Thomas to hire a new drummer and keyboards member to carry on the band.
Another Cupid's Inspiration band, formed by original members Terry Rice-Milton and Laughton James, was formed in the mid 2010s and lasted for a few years. Rice-Milton now sings solo, performing the songs of Cupid's Inspiration.
