Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich are an English rock band active during the 1960s.[2] Formed in Salisbury in 1964, the band consisted of David Harman (Dave Dee), Trevor Ward-Davies (Dozy), John Dymond (Beaky), Michael Wilson (Mick) and Ian Amey (Tich). Their novel name, zany stage act and lurid dress sense helped propel them to chart success with a string of hit singles penned by songwriters Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley including "Hold Tight!", "Bend It!" and "Zabadak!".[3] Over the course of the band's career, they played several different genres, including freakbeat,[1]mod[1] and pop.[1] Two of their single releases sold in excess of one million copies each, and they reached number one in the UK Singles Chart with the second of them, "The Legend of Xanadu".[4] Unlike many other British bands of the 1960s who were associated with the British invasion of the United States, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich had limited commercial US success. They did better in Canada with 7 songs in the top 100. Since their original break-up in 1973, the band have reunited in various formations and a lineup featuring Dymond.
The group began in the late 1950s when "the Dozies" came together from various bands of the Salisbury area. Trevor Davies (Dozy), then with the Beatnicks met Ian Amey (Tich) and persuaded him to leave his group Eddy and the Strollers to join the Beatnicks. A few months later David Harman (Dave Dee) from the Coasters and Boppers came in and Tich approached his schoolmate John Dymond (Beaky) who also was a member of the Big Boppers to join in as well.[5]
Davies, Amey, and Harman would all be members of a group called Ronnie Blonde and the Beatnicks. They gigged extensively already with a repertoire of classic rockers and contemporary hits plus a few of their own numbers. One night their front man Ronnie did not show up and Dave ended up doing most of the lead vocals and eventually became the group’s front man.[5]
The group’s drummers would continuously change but finally around Christmas 1961 when Michael Wilson (Mick) whom Dozy had met while travelling on the bus, joined as their permanent drummer. With this new lineup, they changed their name to Dave Dee and the Bostons.[2][5] They soon gave up their jobs (Dave Dee was a policeman) to make their living from music. Apart from performing in the UK, they occasionally played in Hamburg (Star-Club, Top Ten Club) and in Cologne (Storyville).
Before leaving the Wiltshire police force, vocalist Dave Dee attended the scene of the motoring accident in which the American rock and roller Eddie Cochran was killed and Gene Vincent was injured in April 1960.[2]
In summer 1964, the British songwriters Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley became interested in recording them. The band was set up in the studio to make recordings with Joe Meek. These recording sessions failed to get off the ground. Dave Dee stated that Meek "had very strange recording techniques. He wanted us to play the song at half speed and then he would speed it up and put all these little tricks on it. We said we couldn't do it that way. He exploded, threw coffee all over the studio and stormed up to his room. His assistant [Patrick Pink] came in and said, 'Mr Meek will not be doing any more recording today'. That was it. We lugged all our gear out and went back home".[6] The group eventually gained a recording contract with Fontana Records.
Ken Howard said that: "We changed their name to Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, because they were their actual nicknames and because we wanted to stress their very distinct personalities in a climate which regarded bands as collectives".[7] The distinctive name, coupled with well produced and catchy songs by Howard and Blaikley, quickly caught the UK public's imagination and their records started to sell in abundance.[8] The group made the odd tour 'down under' to Australia and New Zealand, where they had also experienced some marked chart success.
Some of the members' nicknames are obscure. "Mick" is short for "Michael". "Tich" was shorter than his friends as a child, and "Dozy" supposedly originated from Trevor Ward-Davies mistakenly throwing away a bar of chocolate and trying to eat the wrapper.[9]
"Bend It!" was a big hit in Europe, including number one in Germany. To obtain a bouzouki sound on the recording, an electrified mandolin was used. The song was inspired by music from the film sound track of Zorba the Greek. The combined UK and European sales were over one million.[10] However, in October 1966, the British music magazine NME commented that dozens of US radio stations had banned the record, because the lyrics were considered too suggestive. The group responded by recording a new version in London with a different set of words, which was rush-released in the US, as the original single was withdrawn from sale.[4] "Bend It!" was later used in an episode of the American animated sitcom Futurama entitled "The Mutants Are Revolting".
"Hold Tight!" was used in Quentin Tarantino's 2007 film "Death Proof".
The band were big sellers elsewhere, particularly in British Commonwealth countries. In New Zealand, the group had three number one hits, and seven other songs reached the top ten. In Australia, they reached the top ten with "Hold Tight!", "Bend It!", "Zabadak!" and "The Legend of Xanadu". In Canada, the band scored two top-ten hits with "Zabadak!", which reached number one, and "The Legend of Xanadu", and hit the top thirty with "Break Out" — a song that was only released in North America.
In the US, the group failed to break out nationally, although they had regional successes, particularly in northeastern cities such as Cleveland, Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany and Boston where both "Bend It" and "Hold Tight" gained considerable airplay and charted in the top ten on local radio stations. "Zabadak" gained extensive US airplay during the winter of 1967–68, climbing to the top ten in several major US markets including Los Angeles, but despite pockets of radio exposure, the band never gained mass airplay in America; "Zabadak" was the band's only single to chart in the national Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 52. This is at least partially a result of both the band's US labels, Fontana and Imperial Records, failing to secure them a US tour or TV appearances. Fontana set up just two appearances on national US TV programs. These were in July 1966 ("Hold Tight" on Where the Action Is) and Piccadilly Palace on 26 August 1967 (performing their then-current single "Okay"). Imperial scored none.
In September 1969, Dave Dee left the group for a short-lived solo career. NME reported the previous month that Dave Dee was to play a motorbike gang leader in the forthcoming Marty Feldman film Every Home Should Have One.[11] The rest of the band, re-billed as D,B,M and T, continued releasing records until they broke up in 1973.[12]
In 1973, Ian Amey and John Dymond formed a band with Peter Mason, Bob Taylor, and Charles O'Brien called "Mason". In 1974, the original line-up reunited for a single, "She's My Lady", with Dave Dee and Peter Mason producing. Ian Amey and John Dymond continued performing with Trevor Ward-Davies and Pete Lucas in a band called, "Tracker". In 1976, after "Tracker" broke up. Ian Amey reunited Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich with the line-up of "Tracker". Now "Beaky" was drumming and Pete, under the name Mick, played guitar.[12]
In 1979, Dave Dee produced, but didn't perform on, the band's single, "You've Got Me on the Run", which featured Beaky on lead vocals. In 1980 or 1982, Dave Dee rejoined the band, though not consistently. Sometimes appearing for half of a show, but not all of one. Pete Lucas left and was replaced by singer, John Hatchman. While initially a singer in the band, Hatchman eventually began playing drums and Beaky returned to guitar. The group continued to make records, usually with Dave Dee, though not always, such as in the case of the 1986 single, "Matthew and Son". In the meantime, Dave Dee had become a record producer with Magnet Records.[13] In 1987, the band moved to Marbella, except for Dave Dee, practically removing him from the band.[14]
In 1989, the band moved back to England, though without John Dymond, who wanted to stay behind. Paul Bennett replaced him. A few years later, Tony Carpenter replaced Bennett. In the 1990s, they started performing once more, this time with Dave Dee. Dave Dee was a J.P. in Cheshire until he retired from the bench in 2008 due to his failing health. He continued to perform with his band almost up until his death on 9 January 2009.[15] He had been suffering from prostate cancer since early 2001.[16]
In July 2005, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich performed at the Merryhill Music Festival at the Merryhill Leisure naturist club in Norfolk, England.
In 2013, John Dymond (the original Beaky) returned to the band. In 2014, Tich retired after 50 years.
With Ray Frost as the new "Tich", the band, still including two original members, pledged to continue. However, Trevor Ward-Davies (Dozy) died on 13 January 2015, aged 70, after a short illness.[18] He is survived by his wife, Yvonne.[19]
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich (1984) (re-recordings)
Related Research Articles
"The Legend of Xanadu" is a single by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich that reached number one in the UK Singles Chart in 1968 and was the group's biggest hit. It was written by songwriters Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley. As was the case with many of the group's recordings, it features novelty elements — a trumpet section and the distinctive sound of a whip cracking in the chorus. The musical accompaniment was directed by John Gregory. The single was certified gold in November 1968.
David John Harman, known professionally as Dave Dee, was an English singer-songwriter, musician, A&R manager, fundraiser and businessman. He was the frontman for the 1960s pop band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich.
"Hold Tight!" is a song by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich. The song was recorded on 11 January 1966 at Fontana's studio in Marble Arch, London and released as a single in February 1966. It was included on the band's debut album, issued on 24 June 1966.
"Zabadak!" is a song by British musical group Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, written by Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley. It was released as a single in September 1967, peaking at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart and becoming the group's only single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 52. It was their fifth of seven to chart in Canada.
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich is the debut self-titled album by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich. It largely features songs penned by Alan Blaikley and Ken Howard including the band's first top 20 hit "Hold Tight!", which reached a peak of #4 on the UK Singles Chart in April 1966. In 1967, the album was issued in some countries under the title What's in a Name.
If Music Be the Food of Love... Prepare for Indigestion is the second studio album by English rock band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, released in December 1966. It features the singles "Hideaway", "You Make It Move" and "Bend It!". Unlike the band's debut album, it failed to reach the top 20 of the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number 27. Reviewing the album for Allmusic, Lindsay Planer described If Music Be the Food of Love... as "another batch of strong Brit-pop compositions" and praised the band's sense of humour and "sharp musicality".
Trevor Leonard Ward-Davies, who went by the stagename Dozy, was an English pop bassist, who was an original member of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich from 1964 until his death in 2015.
"From the Underworld" is a single by the English rock band the Herd, released in August 1967. Written by the band's managers Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley, the song's lyrics are based on the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. It became the band's first hit upon release, reaching number 6 on the UK Singles Chart and launching singer Peter Frampton as a pop star. It was later included on the group's only studio album Paradise Lost (1968).
This is the discography of the British band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich.
"Last Night in Soho" is a single by English pop band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, released by Fontana on 28 June 1968. Written by the band's regular songwriters Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley, it was the follow-up to the chart topper "The Legend of Xanadu" and gave the band their final top-ten placing on the UK Singles Chart, reaching number 8.
"Bend It!" is a song by English pop band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, released as a single by Fontana on 9 September 1966. Written by the band's management team Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley, the song's Greek flavour and tempo changes garnered comparisons to Mikis Theodorakis's composition "Zorba's Dance". Though considered a departure from the "big-beat" style of the band's previous hits, "Bend It!" was a major chart success. It peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and had combined sales of over a million in the UK and Europe.
"Save Me" is a song by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, released as a single in December 1966. It peaked at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Touch Me, Touch Me" is a song by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, released as a single in March 1967. It peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Okay!" is a song by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, released as a single in May 1967. It peaked at number 4 on the UK Singles Chart.
"You Make It Move" is a song by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, released as a single in November 1965. It was the group's first charting single, peaking at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Tonight Today" is a song by the remaining members of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich after the departure of Dave Dee. It was released as a single in November 1969.
"Hard to Love You" is a song by English band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, first released in June 1966 on their eponymous album. It was later released as a single in several countries.
Ian Frederick Stephen Amey, who went by the stagename Tich, was an English pop rock guitarist, who was a member of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich from 1964 until his retirement in 2014.
John Dymond, who goes by the stagename Beaky, is an English pop guitarist, who is a founding member of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich. As of 2015, Dymond is the only original member still active in the band.
Paul Cornwell is a British pop singer and guitarst. He has played in many bands that were a part of the British Invasion.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
