O'Hara's Playboys

O'Hara's Playboys
Also known as	John O'Hara and His Playboys John O'Hara and His New Playboys John O'Hara and The Playboys
Origin	Glasgow, Scotland
Genres	Pop
Years active	1958–1970s
Past members	John O'Hara Ralph Danks Davy McHarg Bill Mathieson John McCall Les Connell Sandy McFarlane Billy Simpson Jimmy McLachlan Pete Campbell Pete Green Johnny Wiggins Dennis Overton George Carmichael Bobby Campbell

John O'Hara and His Playboys (or O'Hara's Playboys) was a British pop group formed in Glasgow, Scotland. ^[1] They relocated to England in the mid 1960s and were a popular live act in Germany.

History

The band originally formed as The Ralph Danks Playboys in 1958 with Ralph Danks (vocals), Bill Mathieson (bass), John O'Hara (saxophone), and Davy McHarg (drums). ^[2] After a tour of Germany in 1961, Danks left the band to stay in Germany. ^[2] The band had a successful career in Germany between 1962 and 1966. ^[2] They toured widely in Germany, headlining at the Star Club in Hamburg several times, ^[3] and sang with Barbara Murphy. ^[4]

By 1962, they were led by Big John McCall, but in 1963, he and guitarists Les Connell and Sandy McFarlane were injured in a car crash while in Germany and left the band, so saxophonist John O'Hara had moved to lead vocals and the band became "John O'Hara and His/The Playboys". ^[2]

In December 1964, guitarist Jimmy McLachlan left and was replaced by Liverpool-born Pete Campbell, and saxophonist Dennis Overton left to return home for his mothers funeral and replaced by George Carmichael; Overton later rejoined when Carmichael left due to musical differences. ^[2] Guitarist Billy Simpson left in 1966, and Bobby Campbell joined on guitar and keyboard; Overton left for a second time and around this time, the bands named became just "O'Hara's Playboys". ^[2]

Also in 1966, the band moved to England, and shared flats in Sheffield and London. ^[2] During their time in England in the 1960s, they toured with The Who, Tom Jones, Englebert Humperdinck, Little Richard, The Platters and Joe Cocker, and backed Mary Wells. ^[2]

They were the first band to be given both halves of an episode of Colour Me Pop being filmed live in Sheffield for the first half of the programme and then recording the second half at the BBC, on 5 October 1968. ^[2] From December 1968 to January 1969, they toured Beirut, and throughout 1969, performed in Saint-Tropez in May, The Bahamas in July and August, and Germany again in October. ^[2]

After the band's return to UK they supported various major American bands in concert and 1968-69 made eight TV appearances on ITV, Scottish Television, Teilifís Éireann, BBC1 and BBC2 including the Golden Shot. ^[2] Saxophonist Pete Green left in 1969 and Simpson rejoined in place of Bobby Campbell. ^[2]

Members

• John O'Hara (lead vocals) sang until the 1980s, during which he sang with the British band The Californians, and worked in pubs and clubs until he retired in the 2000s/2010s. ^{[2] [5] [6]}
• Bill Mathieson (bass) left in 1969 and worked as an engineer. ^[2]
• Les Connel (guitar) and Big John McCall (lead vocals) worked together in Germany; McCall died in 2011. ^[2]
• Jimmy McLachlan (guitar) still played guitar until 2009. ^[2]
• Billy Simpson (guitar) worked as a truck driver in Carlisle. ^[2]
• Mathieson claimed in 2011 that he believes guitarist Sandy McFarlane "passed away some years back". ^[2]
• Pete Campbell (guitar) runs a taxi business in London. ^[2]
• George Carmichael (saxophone) worked in pit orchestras for various orchestra during the 1970s. ^[2]
• Bobby Campbell (guitar) stayed in Sheffield and played in many more bands and then went solo before retiring from music in the mid-1970s. ^[2]
• Johnny Wiggins (saxophone) ran a club in Spain and married Sylvia Saunders, drummer for The Liverbirds. ^[2]
• Pete Green (saxophone) worked as a businessman in Sheffield and London. ^[2]

O'Hara's Playboys discography

Albums

Year	Month	Label	Title
1968	July	Fontana	Get Ready [7]

UK singles

Year	Month	Label	A-side	B-side
1966	28 October	Fontana	"Start all over"	"I've Been Wondering"
1967	24 February		"Spicks and Specks"	"One Fine Lady"
	September		"Ballad of the Soon Departed"	"Tell Me Why"
	15 December		"Island in the Sun"	"Harry"
1968	19 April		"In the Shelter of Your Heart"	"Goodnight Mr. Nightfall"
	12 July		"Voices"	"Blue Dog"
	4 October		"I Started A Joke"	"Show Me"

German singles

Year	Month	Label	A-side	B-side
1964	June	Decca Germany	"Louie Louie"	"Stampfkartoffeln Tä-Tä-Rä"
			"Das War Gestern"	"Ein Zwei Drei"
1965	March		"Doo Wah Diddy Diddy"	"Mr Moonlight"

Extended play

Year	Month	Label	Title	Tracks
1964	Decca	July	"Mashed-Potatoes-Medley"	"Mashed Potatoes" "Es gibt kein Bier auf Hawaii" "Mashed Potatoes" "Das Humbta, Humpta-Täterä" "Mashed Potatoes" "Skinny Minnie"

John O'Hara solo discography

Albums

Year	Month	Label	Title
1977	?	Look	Both Sides

Singles

Year	Month	Label	A-side	B-side
1977	3 July	President	"Starsky And Hutch"	"Sister Rae"

References

1. Strong, Martin C. (2002). The Great Scots Musicography. Mercat Press. p. 150. ISBN   1841830410. "John O'HARA's PLAYBOYS were formed in Glasgow in the mid-60's by namesake singer/saxman JOHN O'HARA. with the help of BOBBY CAMPBELL (organ & vocals), BARRY HERD (lead guitar & vocals). BILL MATHIESON (bass). DAVE McHARG (drums) and other saxophonist PETER GREEN (no, not that one!). "
2. Rockingscots : The Playboys
3. Timothy James Bazzett Soldier Boy: At Play in the ASA 2005 0977111911 p.315 "The top band at the time was, unquestionably. John O'Hara and the Playboys, a group from Scotland that was touring constantly throughout West Germany, not just around Kassel. They had even headlined at the Star Club in Hamburg several times. Not only were the Playboys an extremely talented and tight-knit musical group, but O'Hara himself was a consummate showman, with a fantastic Tom Jones kind of voice."
4. Horst D. Mannel, Rainer Obeling Beat Geschichte(n) im Revier 1993 p.35 "Das Wichtigste bei diesen englischen Bands war damals die Faszination, die fur uns von ihnen ausgingen. Zu der Zeit waren das für mich Leute vom anderen Stern.... JOHN O'HARA AND HIS PLAYBOYS aus Schottland, mit der Sängerin Barbara Murphy, erweiterten den Kreis der internationalen Gruppen. ."
5. Colin Larkin The Virgin Encyclopedia of Seventies Music 1997 p.75 "Californians Despite their name, this rock band was formed in the Midlands, England, during the mid-70s. Comprising Mike Brookes, P.J. Habberly, John O'Hara (ex-O'Hara's Playboys) and Robert Trewis, the band made its debut for CBS ..."
6. "O'Hara's Playboys (Sheffield)". www.manchesterbeat.com. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
7. Billboard - 12 Oct 1968 - Page 79 GET READY!- O'Hara's Playboys. Fontana SRF 67581 (S) A "white soul" band from England, O'Hara's Playboys rock 'n' roll through a dozen R&B favourites, generating a live excitement reminiscent of Mitch Ryder in his heyday"