Nottingham group who between 1966 and 1972 released eleven singles and made numerous radio and TV appearances, played the club scene and supported name acts of the day.
Son and Lovers were formed in August 1966, with lead vocalist Stephen Greenfield choosing the name as a tribute to the famous Nottinghamshire author D.H. Lawrence whose many books include Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Women in Love and Sons and Lovers. Stephen was born in Sneinton, Nottingham not far away from Colwick Woods as described by DH Lawrence in the book “Sons and Lovers”.
The line up of the group was:
Spike Cowlard – guitar, vocals
Mick Franks – drums, vocals
Eddie Cooke – bass, vocals
Mick Jameson – guitar, vocals
Stephen Greenfield – vocals
Mick Batchelor – guitar, vocals – Replacing Mick Jameson in the early seventies I think. Sometime around 1969 the group became a four piece but returned to a five piece after a year or so.
* I am not sure if Mick Jameson & Mick Batchelor are one and the same person*
Derek McKingley – rhythm guitar – ? Maybe appears on one recording?
Mick Franks had been in the Nottingham group “The Rocking Vulcans” from 1960 to 1963 and then “Sons of Adam” then known as Mick Maltby in 1964/65 and he recalls the first breakthrough Sons and Lovers got.
“It was during our first gig at the Golden Diamond (Sutton in Ashfield) on September 22, 1966, after being together for only a month, that agent Philip Smith walked in and thought there was a Beach Boys record being played, but in fact it was us playing on stage! He signed us up and we did our first professional gig on March 17, 1967”.
Phil Smith was Nottingham’s foremost agent and promoter who ran “City Enterprises” and then “Banner Productions”.
The Golden Diamond was to be one of the groups favourite venues. “We did a total of 53 gigs at the Diamond, and Sons and Lovers performed their last gig there on April 30, 1972”. The Golden Diamond had many groups through its doors such as The Sweet, Mud, the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Juicy Lucy, Cupid’s Inspiration, Paper Lace, Wishful Thinkin’ and solo singers including Lulu, Shakin’ Stevens and Alvin Stardust. It is still open today as the Diamond.
Spike Cowlard had been in Nottingham mid sixties group “Volume Four” along with a future Sons and Lovers member Mick Batchelor.
1967
Among their many gigs an early one stood out when they were support to the fast rising star Jimi Hendrix. It was on Saturday 25th March 1967 at the Boston Gliderdrome, Lincs:
The Jimi Hendrix Experience / Sons & Lovers / Charades Steel Band
1968
At the turn of 1968, managed by Phil Smith, they played live on the new Radio Nottingham.
They were playing gigs the length and breadth of the country but always finding work in the region and in April 1968 found themselves on the bill of an Easter Monday Barn Barbecue Dance at Thurmaston, Leicester with twelve groups. Derby group Six Across were there, Leicester’s Legay & Pesky Gee, Sheffield group Pitiful Souls and many national big hitters. With John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac leading the way with British Blues, Alan Bown, The Equals, Jimmy James and the Vagabonds along with the regional acts put the soul into the party. Fairport Convention were leading the folk rock movement and the Soft Machine were darlings of the psychedelic underground.
The groups close harmony vocals earned them a recording contract with the Beacon/EMI label, releasing nearly a dozen singles. Beacon records was operated by Milton Samuel/s an Antiguan businessman, and later politician who saw them playing at London’s Playboy Club. The labels first record was Ain’t Nothing But A Houseparty’ by the Show Stoppers. Beacon would also have fellow Nottingham group “Whichwhat” on their books later.
Sons and Lovers first record release was Help Me (I’m On Top Of The World) / Feel Alright in April 1968. Youtube
The trials and tribulations of being in a group in the sixties could often yield danger on the roads.
From then on Sons and Lovers featured numerous times on Radio 1, recorded at Maida Vale, London, Walker Hall, Birmingham, and The Paris Studio’s, London. They had their own 30 minute special on BBC TV , Colour Me Pop , the iconic show that was the forerunner of The Old Grey Whistle Test. They were one of the bands that Jim Marshall approached when he started his major advertising drive, featuring his legendary amplification.
The groups second single was “Happiness is Love / Things you do” in August 1968. While it didn’t trouble the British charts it did have the honour of knocking The Beatles of the number one spot in Israel.
Their third single was “From now the sun shines / How’d we ever get this way”.
From now the sun shines was written by Bass player Eddie Cooke.
The fourth single was “Reach Out In The Darkness / Where Do I Go”. By this time they had become a four piece group, losing Mick Jameson.
Of their many Radio One sessions here is a version of “The In Crowd” from Mick Franks YouTube channel “Radio 1, 247 meters Medium Wave recorded on cassette. Not too good reception”.
At some point in the early seventies they became a five piece again. This may or may not mean Mick Batchelor whose name crops up every now and again. Mick Batchelor had been in Nottingham mid sixties group “Volume Four” along with Spike Cowlard.
Mick Franks: “We performed in pantomime in Birmingham with Ronnie Corbett in Cinderella. In 1971, we did two editions of Survival, an Anglia TV wildlife programme which was narrated by Rolf Harris, and the music was composed by the late John Dankworth.
“April 1971 saw us perform as support during the Shirley Bassey tour including the Royal Albert Hall.
“In 1971, we were with Ronnie Corbett again for a summer season in Great Yarmouth on Britannia Pier and we also performed on the Golden Shot and the Basil Brush Show.”
Many more singles were released fairing better in Europe than on home shores.
Here is a discography as best as I can work out:
- Beacon 3-101, 19 Apr 1968
A. Help Me (I’m On Top Of The World) (Biddu) Prod. Milton Samuel, Arr Zack Laurence
B. Feel Alright (Belcher) Prod. Milton Samuel, Arr Zack Laurence - Beacon 3-107, 16 Aug 1968
A. Happiness is Love (Hammond, Hazlewood) Prod. Milton Samuel
B. Things you do (Eddy) Prod. Milton Samuel - Beacon BEA 116, 22 Nov 1968
A. From now the sun shines (Eddie Cooke) Prod. Milton Samuel
B. How’d we ever get this way (Kim, Barry) Prod. Milton Samuel - Beacon BEA 132, 4 Jul 1969
A. Reach Out In The Darkness (Post) Prod. Norman Newell, Arr Ian Green
B. Where Do I Go (Ragni, Rado, McDermot) Prod. Norman Newell, Arr Ian Green - Beacon BEA 147, 16 Jan 1970
A. The Girl I’ll Never Know (L. Russell-Brown, R. Bloodworth) Prod. Milt Samuel, Arranger Zack Laurence
B. Keep On Loving Me (Spence, Ritchie) Prod. Milt Samuel, Arranger Zack Laurence - Beacon BEA 157, 24 Apr 1970
A. Lindy Lou (Leath Wood, Sulgh, Guard) Prod. Miki Clark
B. Fun Loving Man (Spike) Prod. Miki Clark - Beacon BEA 171, 30 Oct 1970
A. Are You Ready Now (Crewe, Gaudio) Prod. Milton M. Samuel
B. Where Do I Go (Ragni, Rado, McDermot) Prod. Norman Newell - Beacon BEA 179, 28 May 1971
A. Let The Good Man Be (B. Beaver, B. Brown)
B. Time Flies (Eddie Cooke) - Beacon BEA 180, 30 Jul, 1971
A. Take Up The Hammer (Neil Lancaster, Cloff Corbett) – Prod. Zack Laurence
B. Get It On Now (Cashman, Pistilli, West) – Prod. Zack Lawrence - Beacon BEA 187, 3 Mar 1972
A. Hello Heartaches (Wayne Bickerton, Tony Waddington) Prod. Zack Laurence
B. Get It On Now (Cashman, Pistilli, West) Prod. Zack Laurence
Between 1968 and 1972 they released 10 singles on Milton Samuel’s Beacon records
- Beacon BEA 103, 22 Sep 1972
A. “Spike” Brown – The Girl I’ll Never Know
B. Sons & Lovers – Keep On Loving Me
Could be the same single as BEA 147. Is Spike Brown an alias for for Spike? The numbering would suggest a 1968 release but the Beacon label numbers went through changes at various times.
Born in 1945 British arranger and composer Zack Laurence is best known as being the piano player and arranger of the 1970 hit “Mr Bloe”.
Happiness Is Love also appeared on the compilation Various – Beacon Brings It To You – Beacon, SBEAB 1, LP, UK 1969.
The Girl I’ll Never Know also appeared on the compilation Various – Beacon Brings It To You Volume 2 – Beacon, SBEAB 13, LP, UK 1970
From Now The Sun Shines also appeared on the compilation Various – We All Live On Candy Green (Electric Sound Show Volume One) Soundshow Records – SSRCD0201
Series: Electric Sound Show – Volume One – CD, UK 2004.
Sons and Lovers disbanded in 1972 going their own ways.
Spike Cowlard joined Fresh Aire in 1974.
Sons and Lovers reformed in 2006 to play the occasional gig. Eddie Cooke sadly passed away in 2012.
There is a Sons and Lovers page on the Playedinaband website.
Here is a playlist on youtube
ANOTHER GROUP CALLED SONS AND LOVERS.
There was another band who briefly existed in the sixties called “Sons and Lovers”. They released a single on “Camp” records in 1967. This was not the Nottingham group although they appear on their Discogs page giving the impression that they are one or the same. This group has a different sound with female singers as well as male. There is a description of this group in the magazine “Beat Instrumental” Sept 1967 as folky/classical Mama’s and Papa’s sound which ties in with the track you can hear on youtube. Recorded at Regent Sound studios it appeared on “Camp” records which was a subsidiary of Polydor which also ties in with the article. The Nottingham group were signed to Beacon records.
ANOTHER GROUP CALLED SONS AND LOVERS 2.
An obscure new wave/synthpop band from Buffalo, New York1985. Discogs / Youtube
ANOTHER GROUP CALLED SONS AND LOVERS 3.
A British band circa 2012. Youtube