1965/66
© Herbie’s People
In November 1965 "You Thrill Me to
Pieces" (flip side "Sweet and Tender
Romance") was released on CBS and
was well received. Despite Janice
Nicholls voting it a miss on the TV
show Jukebox Jury, it entered the
UK top 40. Many promotional
bookings ensued and the band were
to be found playing in London
sometimes several nights per week,
driving back home after their gigs to
attend their day jobs, since they were
still semi-professional.
The band appeared in an ATV Today
feature. The lads were filmed at their
workplaces, and “You Thrill Me to
Pieces” formed the soundtrack.
On 21st December 1965, the band
appeared on Five o' Clock Club with
Lonnie Donegan and Vince Hill.
On 22nd December Herbies People
recorded a track for their second disc,
a Bill Bates song entitled "You Never
Know". It was intended to be the A
side but became the B side of "One
Little Smile". The band, meanwhile
had secured a contract to play for 5
weeks at the Liverpool Club in the
heart of Düsseldorf.
Again the band appeared on ATV
Today miming to “One Little Smile”.
It was followed by a further
appearance on Five o’ Clock Club
hosted by Muriel Young. Alexis Korner
was the house band with Vince Hill,
Ollie Beak, Fred with Daisy the cow.
The next appearance of Five o’ Clock
Club was with Joe Brown, and
Hermans Hermits. Una Stubbs was
host.
The journey to Düsseldorf itself was
memorable for the band. They left
England on the Dover to Ostende
crossing on 31st December 1965, New
Year's Eve. In Belgium the band’s
Commer van started to give trouble
and by the time they reached the
outskirts of Brussels it had packed up
altogether - electrical problems.
They spent the night huddled together
in freezing cold, hungry and dirty but
in good spirits outside an apartment
block. Next morning, a resident
approached and asked if they were
okay and said they could have spent
the night at his party had he known
they were there!
The van was fixed on New Year's Day
and they recommenced their journey
on a bitterly cold and windy day. But,
by this time, they were way behind
schedule . . .
popular 60s recording group
Herbies People in concert for the
2nd time at the Royal Albert Hall,
1966
Left to right: Mike Taylor, Alan Lacey,
Len Beddow, Danny Robinson,
Pete Walton
Herbies People at the Liverpool
Club in Düsseldorf, Germany,
January 1966