Cupid's Inspiration

Cupid's Inspiration
Origin	Stamford, Lincolnshire
Genres	Pop music, rock music
Years active	1968—1985, 2010—2021
Members	Paul Shanahan Martin Burt Paul Thomas Bob Poole
Past members	Terry Rice-Milton Laughton James Garfield Tonkin Wyndham George Bernie Lee Gordon Haskell Roger Gray David Morris Derek Needham Martin Cure Jim Batty Andy Chaplin Eamonn Carr Paul Brooke Keith Hancock Ted Duggan
Website	Roger Gray's Cupid's Inspiration: http://www.cupidsinspirationuk.com Terry Rice-Milton's Cupid's Inspiration: http://www.cupidsinspiration.co.uk

Cupid's Inspiration are a British pop group, active with various line up changes since 1968 when they had two hit singles. The current version of the band consists of original drummer Roger Gray re-joining the veteran line up of Paul Shanahan and Bob Poole with Paul Thomas on vocals.

Career

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] In 1970, lead singer Terry Rice-Milton the vocalist on the hit singles left, replaced by John Lynch and then Martin Cure, who added several musicians from Leamington to the line-up so none of the hit making band remained after these changes.

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]

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. ^[3] 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. ^[4]

The band's hit single, featuring Terry-Rice Milton, "Yesterday Has Gone" (written by Teddy Randazzo ^[5] 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).

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: ^[6]

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.

Members

• Terry Rice-Milton (born Terence Bull, 5 June 1946, Stamford, Lincolnshire) – lead vocals (1968—1970)
• Laughton James (born James Laughton, 21 December 1946, Stamford, Lincolnshire) – bass guitarist (early—October 1968)
• Garfield Tonkin (born John Sharpe, 28 September 1946, Stamford, Lincolnshire) – keyboards (1968—1969)
• Wyndham George (born Geoffrey Wyndham Hart, 20 February 1947, Stamford, Lincolnshire; died 4 June 2022) ^[7] – guitar (early—October 1968)
• Roger Gray (born 29 April 1947, Stamford) – drums (1968—1972, 2014—present) ^{[8] [9]}
• Bernie Lee (born July 1943, North Wales) – lead guitar (October 1968—1970)
• Gordon Haskell (born Gordon Hionides, 27 April 1946, Verwood, Dorset, England) – bass (October 1968—1969)
• David Morris – electronic organ (1969—1971)
• Derek Needham (born 10 October 1945, London) – bass (1969—1971)
• Paul Shanahan (born 28 June 1951) – lead guitar/vocals (1970—1985, 2010—present) ^{[8] [10]}
• John Lynch – lead vocals (1970—1971)
• Graham Amos – bass (1970)
• Bob Poole – bass guitar/vocals (1970—1985, 2010—present) ^{[8] [10]}
• Martin Cure – lead vocals (1971—1985 ^[11] )
• Andy Chaplin – drums (1972—1981) ^[8]
• Eamonn Carr – guitar/vocals (1972)
• Paul Brooke – drums (1981—1985)
• Paul Thomas – vocals (2010—present)
• Rick Medlock – drums (2010—2014)

Timeline

Years	Band Name	Lead singer	Guitarist		Bassist	Keyboardist	Drummer
Early 1968—October 1968	Cupid's Inspiration	Terry Rice-Milton	Wyndham George		Laughton James	Garfield Tonkin	Roger Gray
October 1968—1969			Bernie Lee		Gordon Haskell
1969—1970					Derek Needham	David Morris
1970		John Lynch	Paul Shanahan
1970		Martin Cure			Graham Amos	none
1970—1972					Bob Poole
1972				Eamonn Carr			Andy Chaplin
1972—1978
1978—1981	4 Wheel Drive/Chevy
1981—1985							Paul Brooke
2010—2014	Cupid's Inspiration	Paul Thomas					Rick Medlock
2014—2021							Roger Gray

Discography

Albums

Year	Label	Title
1969	NEMS	Yesterday Has Gone [12] [13]

Singles

Year	Label	A-side	B-side	UK [14] [15]
1968	NEMS	"Yesterday Has Gone" [16]	"Dream"	4
		"My World" [16]	"Everything Is Meant To Be"	33
1969	Bell	"The Sad Thing" [16]	"Look At Me"	X
1970	CBS	"Without Your Love" [16]	"Different Guy"	X
		"Are You Growing Tired Of My Love" [16]	"Sunshine"	X
1974	DJM	"Yesterday Has Gone" [16]	"My World"	X
1987	MBS	"Yesterday Has Gone" [16]	"My World"	X

References

1. Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 137. ISBN   0-7535-0149-X.
2. Search for "Cupid's Inspiration" performed at Everyhit.com Archived 12 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine database on 24 April 2008.
3. Poole, Bob. "The Chevy Story". En-gb.facebook.com. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
4. "Credits for Chevy's The Taker". AllMusic . Retrieved 13 January 2013.
5. Discography – songs, AllMusic
6. "Trade Marks and a Bands Name". Yesterdayhasgone.com. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
7. "Sandi Hart, wife of Geoff Hart, confirms his passing". YouTube . 30 April 2020. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
8. "History". Cupidsinspirationuk.com. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
9. "Drums". Cupidsinspirationuk.com. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
10. "Andrew Lock Sounds and Visions: GIG REVIEWS". Andrewlocksoundsandvisions.co.uk. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
11. "CUPID'S INSPIRATION | Coventry Bands 1960's to Now". Artsrainbow.com. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
12. "Cupids Inspiration". 45cat.com. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
13. "Cupid's Inspiration Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bi..." AllMusic. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
14. "CUPID'S INSPIRATION". Official Charts. 25 June 1968. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
15. "Cupid's Inspiration Top Songs - Greatest Hits and Chart Singles Discography – Music VF, US & UK hit charts". Musicvf.com. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
16. "Cupid's Inspiration". 45cat. Retrieved 21 September 2025.

External links

• The original Cupid's Inspiration, Featuring Terry Rice-Milton
• Cupids Inspiration official web site
• laughton james cupids inspiration history site.