Kim Weston & the Earl Van Dyke Quartet -- UK 1964

[jsmith]

As Motown's 1st foray into the UK, Berry G sent Kim Weston and the Earl Van Dyke Quartet over to the UK at the start of November 1964. But before they had even arrived here, things had gone pear-shaped. The 23 show long tour they were due to join was to be headed by P J Proby. But Proby and the tour's promoter Robert Stigwood fell out over who was to compere the shows. By the way, the E V Dyke Quartet consisted of Earl on piano / organ, Uriel Jones on drums, Robert White on guitar and Jack Ashford on vibes / percussion.
To try to rescue the situation, Stigwood contacted Chuck Berry and asked him to be the replacement top of bill act. Chuck agreed & new show ads were placed, but Chuck already had a full US booking schedule. When a number of venues refused to let him break his contract with them, Chuck had to decline the offer to tour the UK. The main acts on the proposed tour, due to kick off on November 6th, should have been P. J. Proby [[with Chuck Berry substituting), the Barron Knights, the Pretty Things and Kim Weston with the Earl Van Dyke Quartet.
So the whole tour couldn't go ahead and the Motowners just had to sit it out till other concerts could be found for them to play.
It's rumoured that they did a London club date and they most certainly did appear on top UK TV show Ready, Steady, Go [[the date being November 27th).
I have two questions ......
Any Brits on here have details of any shows they undertook in the UK that November ??
Anyone know where they stayed [[which London hotel) and what they did to occupy their time ??
Anyone know why the likes of James Jamerson [[bass), Eli Fontaine [[sax), Bob Cousar and Benny Benjamin weren't allowed to make the trip. I'd guess Kim would have been happier with more than 4 musicians behind her.
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[jsmith]

BTW, it's also likely that Kim, Earl & the guys did play on another show. This was staged at the New Theatre in Oxford on December 7th. The acts billed on the posters made up for the show were headed by Gene Pitney, the Kinks, the Mike Cotton Sound & the Poets [[UK group). But it's thought that the actual line-up on the night was Gene Pitney,the Kinks, the Mike Cotton Sound, Kim Weston & The Earl Van Dyke Band, the Manish Boys, the Falling Leaves, Val McAllum, Bobby Shafto & The Roofraisers.
Incidently, the Manish Boys included David Bowie in their line up and the group cut a cover of "I Pity The Fool" in January 65 [[just a few weeks after the Oxford show). The B side of their 45 featured the 1st David Bowie song ever to be recorded.
I was born & grew up in Doncaster, where the package tour Kim, Earl & the guys were originally on was due to appear on November 19th [[however I had just had my 15th birthday & was still in school).
I now live outside Oxford and so intend to visit the local newspaper archive in the local lbrary to try to find a review of that show staged on the 7th December.
Any input from anyone with additional info on any of the above much welcomed.
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[jsmith]

One of Motown's big supporters in the UK at that time was Dusty Springfield. It's likely that she would have tried to help out.
However she went out on a 21 date UK tour from November 14th, so she was obviously very busy at that time.
It's a pity Dusty couldn't have gotten Kim added to the line-up of her tour, but I suppose it just wasn't possible.
Another UK tour at the time featured the likes of Manfred Mann, the Soul Sisters, the Spencer Davis Group, the Downliners Sect plus
Wayne Gibson & The Dynamic Sound. This was billed as the 'Rhythm & Blues' package but it only managed to secure 7 bookings [[from 17th November).
So lots going on here that November, BUT NOT for Kim, Earl & the guys.

[soulwally]

As Motown's 1st foray into the UK, Berry G sent Kim Weston and the Earl Van Dyke Quartet over to the UK at the start of November 1964. But before they had even arrived here, things had gone pear-shaped. The 23 show long tour they were due to join was to be headed by P J Proby. But Proby and the tour's promoter Robert Stigwood fell out over who was to compere the shows. By the way, the E V Dyke Quartet consisted of Earl on piano / organ, Uriel Jones on drums, Robert White on guitar and Jack Ashford on vibes / percussion.
To try to rescue the situation, Stigwood contacted Chuck Berry and asked him to be the replacement top of bill act. Chuck agreed & new show ads were placed, but Chuck already had a full US booking schedule. When a number of venues refused to let him break his contract with them, Chuck had to decline the offer to tour the UK. The main acts on the proposed tour, due to kick off on November 6th, should have been P. J. Proby [[with Chuck Berry substituting), the Barron Knights, the Pretty Things and Kim Weston with the Earl Van Dyke Quartet.
So the whole tour couldn't go ahead and the Motowners just had to sit it out till other concerts could be found for them to play.
It's rumoured that they did a London club date and they most certainly did appear on top UK TV show Ready, Steady, Go [[the date being November 27th).
I have two questions ......
Any Brits on here have details of any shows they undertook in the UK that November ??
Anyone know where they stayed [[which London hotel) and what they did to occupy their time ??
Anyone know why the likes of James Jamerson [[bass), Eli Fontaine [[sax), Bob Cousar and Benny Benjamin weren't allowed to make the trip. I'd guess Kim would have been happier with more than 4 musicians behind her.
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Very interesting... And for those who may not have seen it before, here's Kim on Ready Steady Go!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7VRpICdPSs

[marv2]

As Motown's 1st foray into the UK, Berry G sent Kim Weston and the Earl Van Dyke Quartet over to the UK at the start of November 1964. But before they had even arrived here, things had gone pear-shaped. The 23 show long tour they were due to join was to be headed by P J Proby. But Proby and the tour's promoter Robert Stigwood fell out over who was to compere the shows. By the way, the E V Dyke Quartet consisted of Earl on piano / organ, Uriel Jones on drums, Robert White on guitar and Jack Ashford on vibes / percussion.
To try to rescue the situation, Stigwood contacted Chuck Berry and asked him to be the replacement top of bill act. Chuck agreed & new show ads were placed, but Chuck already had a full US booking schedule. When a number of venues refused to let him break his contract with them, Chuck had to decline the offer to tour the UK. The main acts on the proposed tour, due to kick off on November 6th, should have been P. J. Proby [[with Chuck Berry substituting), the Barron Knights, the Pretty Things and Kim Weston with the Earl Van Dyke Quartet.
So the whole tour couldn't go ahead and the Motowners just had to sit it out till other concerts could be found for them to play.
It's rumoured that they did a London club date and they most certainly did appear on top UK TV show Ready, Steady, Go [[the date being November 27th).
I have two questions ......
Any Brits on here have details of any shows they undertook in the UK that November ??
Anyone know where they stayed [[which London hotel) and what they did to occupy their time ??
Anyone know why the likes of James Jamerson [[bass), Eli Fontaine [[sax), Bob Cousar and Benny Benjamin weren't allowed to make the trip. I'd guess Kim would have been happier with more than 4 musicians behind her.
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I've seen pictures of them at the airport arriving for this tour. The main reason I would believe that James Jamerson [[bass), Eli Fontaine [[sax), Bob Cousar and Benny Benjamin weren't allowed to make the trip is because they were needed in Detroit. They were recording almost 24 hours a day at times at Hitsville. This is Kim's appearance on Ready, Steady Go:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FS7091eWqFg

[marv2]

Very interesting... And for those who may not have seen it before, here's Kim on Ready Steady Go!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7VRpICdPSs

Oh I'm sorry. I did not see your post when I posted the same video.

[jsmith]

It must have been most frustrating for Kim, Earl & the guys just sitting around for a month in a strange city in a foreign land .... they must have struggled to find things to do & even to find familiar food [[I know the O'Jays were very frustrated when they came to the UK in the early 70's by their inability to buy a decent burger here) ...

[marv2]

It must have been most frustrating for Kim, Earl & the guys just sitting around for a month in a strange city in a foreign land .... they must have struggled to find things to do & even to find familiar food [[I know the O'Jays were very frustrated when they came to the UK in the early 70's by their inability to buy a decent burger here) ...

Do they really eat beans on toast there ?

[soulwally]

Do they really eat beans on toast there ?
Yes, Marv, baked beans in tomato sauce, that is. It's one of my favourites, but the beans have always to be Heinz, and I put plenty of salt and pepper and a knob of butter on the top!

[marv2]

Yes, Marv, baked beans in tomato sauce, that is. It's one of my favourites, but the beans have always to be Heinz, and I put plenty of salt and pepper and a knob of butter on the top!

Ok thanks. One other quick question. What do they mean by brown sauce or red sauce? [[ I watch a lot of Coronation Street LOL)

[westgrandboulevard]

I'm unsure, but our UK baked beans may be different from the beans you have in the US, Marv......but certainly are used with tomato sauce, as Soulwally says.

I enjoy baked beans on wholemeal bread..and sometimes add an egg to the top. They are also good with baked potatoes, or with the potato scooped out, blended with the beans and then replaced in the 'skins'.

Brown sauce is usually used as a condiment to cooked breakfasts, eggs, chips.....that sort of thing.

Red sauce : you probably mean tomato ketchup. Similar in texture to brown sauce, and used with burgers, hot dogs, eggs, grilled or fried meat.....

Bottles of both brown sauce and tomato ketchup were regularly seen on the tables of cafes in the 60s and the following decades [[and on 'Corrie'!) ..but more recently, are often made available in little sachets, for diners to take their pick.

[marv2]

I'm unsure, but our UK baked beans may be different from the beans you have in the US, Marv......but certainly are used with tomato sauce, as Soulwally says.

I enjoy baked beans on wholemeal bread..and sometimes add an egg to the top. They are also good with baked potatoes, or with the potato scooped out, blended with the beans and then replaced in the 'skins'.

Brown sauce is usually used as a condiment to cooked breakfasts, eggs, chips.....that sort of thing.

Red sauce : you probably mean tomato ketchup. Similar in texture to brown sauce, and used with burgers, hot dogs, eggs, grilled or fried meat.....

Bottles of both brown sauce and tomato ketchup were regularly seen on the tables of cafes in the 60s and the following decades [[and on 'Corrie'!) ..but more recently, are often made available in little sachets, for diners to take their pick.

Thank you Westgrandboulevard. It sounds like the beans over there would be like the Pork n' Beans brand we would have here usually eaten with Hot dogs, Franks etc. You would have to put a gun to someone's head here to get them to eat beans on toast though. LOL! Thank you for your help and response.

[roger]

Thank you Westgrandboulevard. It sounds like the beans over there would be Pork n' Beans brand we would have hear usually eaten with Hot dogs, Franks etc. You would have to put a gun to someone's head here to get them to eat beans on toast though. LOL! Thank you for your help and response.

"Beans on Toast" is a useful midnight snack to have after having had an [[ahem) "liquid dinner" :) And they can also be bought in cans pre-loaded with mini sausages to add that little bit of extra class.

As for Brown Sauce - perfect with bacon, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes etc.

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Roger

[snakepit]

I like mayonnaise on my chips.

[marv2]

I like mayonnaise on my chips.

Amazing. There is only one place in all of America that served mayonnaise with french fries. A little restaurant called "Mustard' Last Stand" in Denver, Co.

I know they serve them with malt vinegar in Canada.

[roger]

I like mayonnaise on my chips.

So do I Mr Snakepit, and I believe that in Holland and Belgium it is considered most strange not to. I also habitually put mayonnaise on meat or fish dishes, though somehow it doesn't seem to go with anything served at breakfast time ..

Roger

[jsmith]

UK cans of baked beans are almost the same as cans of Vegetarian beans [[in tomato sauce) that you can buy from every US supermarket.
We spend about 10 weeks each year in Florida & I'm always in Walmart or Publix looking for decent American baked beans. I've found some US brands that are OK but none that match up to even the humblest UK brand. Brown sauce is similar to US barbeque sauce but without the smokeyness you get in BBQ sauce.

[phil]

I like mayonnaise on my chips.

To each his own, but do you make yourself your mayonnaise with an egg and mustard ? If so it's not that bad [[at least the mayonnaise).

Personnally I try to avoid all these ready made sauces, cans, etc...I believe the world is going sick eating all this s**t. Stay healthy ! :)

[motownjohnny]

jsmith, I'm pretty sure Kim Weston was not the first Motown artist to visit the U.K. I believe that honor went to Mary Wells, when she visited England to sing on tour with The Beatles shortly before she left the company in 1964. The Beatles were big fans of the Motown sound, as it became known as, and later when they toured the U.S., they were supported by Brenda Holloway!

[jsmith]

The 1st Motown artist to tour the UK was indeed Mary Wells, but she was fetched over by the Beatles to tour with them. The tour wasn't planned by Berry or anyone else at Motown. That tour kicked off on 9th October 64 and Mary played 27 shows up to 10th November.
. . . WHEREAS, Kim's tour was planned by Berry G and had been in preparation for some weeks before she arrived here in early November [[just over 3 weeks after Mary had gotten here). The planning for Kim's visit took weeks as a suitable UK review package had to be found FOR A TOTALLY UNKNOWN ARTIST, a deal agreed and contracts signed. All these tasks were undertaken directly by folk back in Detroit in conjunction with EMI UK officials.
BTW, Mary's "Whats Easy For 2" had been the 3rd Motown 45 released by EMI [[after singles from Martha & V's + Stevie Wonder).
Mary's follow-up, "My Guy", had then been a UK hit in May 64 and both she & the Beatles were with EMI. Couple that with Mary being the Beatles fave singer & you can see just why her UK trip was planned mainly from the UK.
Kim's visit was a 'test the waters trip' organised entirely by Berry [[though with help from EMI, Brian Epstein & Robert Stigwood). Kim hadn't even had a UK release ahead of her arrival here. Berry & EMI UK agreeing that "A Little More Love" would be the plug side of her initial UK single release, this escaping here almost 2 weeks after she'd arrived in the UK. This 45 would be Kim's only solo UK release ahead of the Tamla Motown label being launched here in 65.
It must be evident that to place a US artist on a major UK review tour [[albeit a tour that collapsed before starting due to a temperamental top of the bill) before that artist had even had a record out here, was an unusual ploy.
. . . BTW, my wife was in attendance at this show staged in Hull, so she got to see Mary perform on her 7th ever UK live appearance.
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[jsmith]

Mary Wells in the UK back then [[she got a lot more coverage while here than Kim, EVD & the guys did) ...
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[snakepit]

Sorry to say , my mayonnaise comes out of a bottle.
Like Roger, I have it on many dishes , with Tuna , egg, chips , salads very often.
I believe it was a visit to Belgium that introduced me to chips and mayo.

No self respecting UK resident would have chips [[ and fish) without salt and lashings of vinegar.

My favourite however is sardines [[ sunflower oil) , mashed up and layered with sliced boil egg on a muffin [[balm cake). No mayo..not needed.

[roger]

No self respecting UK resident would have chips [[ and fish) without salt and lashings of vinegar.


Oops ... I never put salt on anything ... and if I do have vinegar [[which is very infrequently) I add it very sparingly. I shall have to keep a low profile next time I visit the Manchester area. :)

Back to the subject of the thread ... I would like to point out that Mary Wells would have left Motown by the time of that Beatles Tour.

Did Marv Johnson ever visit The UK in the early 1960s, as he had a major hit here with "You Got What It Takes" which, although released on United Artists, was a Motown production?

Roger

[snakepit]

Ha ha
Slightly tongue in cheek.
I get in trouble for the amount of salt I use. it's been said that I like a bit of dinner with my salt. 😀
Mrs Snakepit is always on at me....

[snakepit]

On the subject of UK/USA food choices, a great favourite here, especially in the North , is steak and kidney pudding [[suet casing).
I always remember being stood behind 2 young Americans in a queue [[Anne Hathaway's cottage actually), and they discussing UK pub food. One said to the other "How do they eat Organ meat".?
😊

[roger]

On the subject of UK/USA food choices, a great favourite here, especially in the North , is steak and kidney pudding [[suet casing).
I always remember being stood behind 2 young Americans in a queue [[Anne Hathaway's cottage actually), and they discussing UK pub food. One said to the other "How do they eat Organ meat".?
😊

I know someone who married an American and moved to Chicago for a while [[in the '60s I think). As a way of getting to know the wives of her husband's colleagues she suggested that she could hold a dinner party for them and cook them a really traditional British dish .. i.e. "Steak & Kidney Pudding". Apparently one of the wives said that she would like "The Steak" but wasn't sure about "The Kidney Pudding". :)

Roger

[jsmith]

We like HB & HP ....
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[marv2]

Wow JSmith! This is some interesting stuff I've seen before. HB Barnum travels to the U.K.?

[jsmith]

Of course he does [[or has in the recent past). AND we get him to sing his own recordings, not covers of the songs Elvis cut.
We have Sidney Barnes here next week.

[jsmith]

Kim, touring the US, with a few friends ... back in 63, just over a year before her UK trip ....
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[TomatoTom123]

Jimmy Ruffin the "new singing discovery"... love it :rolleyes:

[motownjohnny]

I see this is billed as a "Motown Revue". Does the notice relate to a full tour or just a week-long set of performances at one location? If it's the former, does anyone have the full itinerary? Also where is the Royal, it's not a name I recognize? Sorry, yet more questions LOL.

[jsmith]

The ad is for a week long engagement at the Baltimore Royal Theatre. It was part of a long Motown Review tour that played all the top chitlin circuit theatres [[Philly, DC, Baltimore, Apollo & more). I have some info on this tour around here somewhere, it culminated with big shows in Harlem [[at the Apollo) & then headed back to Detroit via Ohio venues.
The line-up changed as the tour progressed & acts had to leave to head home to cut in the studio. I think the last show of all was the Xmas / New Year show @ the Fox with loads of extra acts added.

[jsmith]

More on just how Mary Wells ended up on her 1st UK tour in October 64 ....
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[RanRan79]

The 1st Motown artist to tour the UK was indeed Mary Wells, but she was fetched over by the Beatles to tour with them. The tour wasn't planned by Berry or anyone else at Motown. That tour kicked off on 9th October 64 and Mary played 27 shows up to 10th November.
. . . WHEREAS, Kim's tour was planned by Berry G and had been in preparation for some weeks before she arrived here in early November [[just over 3 weeks after Mary had gotten here).

According to Mary Wilson, the Supremes' first tour of England began on October 7, 1964. If Mary were the first, might her dates have started prior to that?

[reese]

By October 1964, wasn't Mary Wells technically a 20th Century Fox artist?

[RanRan79]

By October 1964, wasn't Mary Wells technically a 20th Century Fox artist?

According to Wikipedia, Mary Wells wasn't officially allowed out of her contract until she won her lawsuit in early 1965, so technically she would have still been a Motown "artist" during the UK tour. Her limbo status might also explain Jsmith's comment about Gordy and Motown having nothing to do with Mary's involvement in the Beatles tour.

[reese]

According to Wikipedia, Mary Wells wasn't officially allowed out of her contract until she won her lawsuit in early 1965, so technically she would have still been a Motown "artist" during the UK tour. Her limbo status might also explain Jsmith's comment about Gordy and Motown having nothing to do with Mary's involvement in the Beatles tour.

That's interesting, as by late 1964, she was already releasing records on the 20th Century Fox.

[jsmith]

The Supremes were in the UK in October 64 but only for promo work & a couple of TV shows [[singing their latest release). They didn't do any live shows, so can hardly be described as having 'toured'.

[RanRan79]

That's interesting, as by late 1964, she was already releasing records on the 20th Century Fox.

Well that information did come from Wikipedia, so...Lol

[RanRan79]

The Supremes were in the UK in October 64 but only for promo work & a couple of TV shows [[singing their latest release). They didn't do any live shows, so can hardly be described as having 'toured'.

"Tour" was Mary's word, not mine. But I would think an artist going to another country for two weeks to do anything in more than one place would constitute a "tour", no? Maybe "concert tour" might make it more specific.

[jsmith]

Ran Ran, I'm afraid that for me, a tour only constitutes events that the public can attend [[buy tickets for a show, etc.). What the Supremes made was a promotional visit or trip NOT a tour.

[jsmith]

A summer 63 US tour for Kim ... she probably impressed on this & on the Oct / Nov tour ... so was the artist picked to test the waters in the UK ... EVEN THOUGH ... she had never had a UK release.
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