Nottingham progressive blues group 1964/69

Line up *1
Steve Boyle: Hofner Verithin Guitar, Vocals
Kev Davies: Vox Bass Guitar
Pat Wood: Drums

Line up *2
Steve Boyle: Hofner Verithin Guitar, Vocals
Kev Davies: Vox Bass Guitar
Pat Wood: Drums
Colin Atkin: Lead Vocals

Almost Grown played a range of beat, soul and blues numbers around the Notts, Lincs and Derbyshire area. Starting off as a three piece they added singer Colin Atkin to become a four piece and later in the sixties they were described as progressive blues and shared the scene with other local acts of the time.

I spoke to Kev Davies to get some of the history of the group. June 2024.

“I guess I was only 14 when we started Almost Grown (1964/65)! We were a 3 piece. The ‘main man’ was Steve Boyle, he was maybe a year older than me and Pat Wood (Drummer). Steve lived in Gedling. Me and Pat lived in Calverton. We were big into the Small Faces, did lots of their stuff, and The Who, Cream, Hendrix. Plus some Soul – Wilson Picket, Otis etc. We were initially managed by Bill Hall (Calverton) but then by Roy Ball as Bill had too much on”.

“We gigged regularly at The New Cross, Sutton in Ashfield (very first gig with Almost Grown). Also at The Notts Castle, Ilkeston, Squinting Cat, Clipstone, The Blue Tit , New Ollerton. At the time there was a band called Carl’s Fables (quite big around the area). Carl himself saw us play and became a big supporter. He introduced his friend Colin Atkin who became our Singer. We became more and more a ‘Blues Band” – did stuff by Family (See Through Windows) and covers of other ‘Progressive’ bands.”

They played many other venues: Bestwood Boys Club, Hendon Rise Social Club, Beacon Hotel Aspley, Oval Inn Sutton-in-Ashfield, Gedling Miners Welfare, Long Eaton Football Club, Gainsborough Town Hall, Norwell Village Hall, New Muggington Youth Club, Carlton Hotel, Milton’s Head Cellar, Belvedere Club Lace Market, Co-op Hall Ilkeston, Imperial St James’s Street Nottm and many more. Fellow blues groups of the era in Nottingham were Woody Kern, Colin Staples, Raw Meat, Harvey Stuart Blues and Life Without Mother.

I saw this mention on Nottstalgia Forum which gives a nice description of the group.

“firbeck said:
Can anyone remember a band at the Imperial called ‘Almost Grown’, they used to do a regular Saturday night slot in the late 60’s early 70’s, their lead guitarist was phenomenal, used to do Cream type stuff. They packed it in because of family commitments and finished off with a blazing last concert, culminating in much guitar and amp smashing at the end, was anyone there at the time.

Sorry about that, yes I did see Almost Grown at the ‘teenagers night’ Bass’ sports and social club Burton -on-Trent 1968. I was fourteen and very impressed. If I can clear away the very cloudy mists of time I remember them being a four piece, bass , drums, guitar and a singer that looked a bit like Roger Chapman from ‘Family’, and I think they played a couple of ‘Family’ tunes along with some Cream and Hendrix plus a Bluesbreakers song, which was a tour de force for the short haired guitarist who rubbed two guitars together with his feet, creating a sonic gumbo never witnessed before or since on a teenage night at Bass’ Club. I think the bass player was named Kevin, as his name was painted on the back of his fender bass. The drummer played a double bass drum kit a la Ginger Baker and it was battered Marshall amps all round. If you’re into guitars, I think he was playing a cherry red Gibson 335 and rubbing that with Vox Phantom. A couple of years later I thought I saw the singer in the crowd at the Nottingham Rock/Blues Festival, starring Taste, Atomic Rooster and non other than Family…He was wearing a bandanna, paisley type shirt and toking on a huge spliff. I hope someone else out there can confirm this. Love Peace And Understanding Twaino XXXX”

Kev Davies continues:

“Following the break up (can’t remember why…), both me and Pat moved to London. This was 1969. Pat moved North to Whitby in 1971. Lost touch with Steve. I ended up in London sharing a flat with Mick Wheat – ‘famous’ Nottingham Bass Player’ who had moved to London with the rest of his own Band whose name I can’t recall. But I do remember a guy called Harold who was a guitarist, previously with ‘Life Without Mother’’.

It was Life With Mother that went down to London but they soon split, Harold Burgon’s sister Lorraine was Alvin Lee’s girlfriend between 1963 and 1973. Harold soon ended up working for Alvin Lee while Mick Wheat and Al Gascoigne (Screaming Lord Sutch for a spell) stuck around in London. Mick joined up with old pals from Nottm Tim Disney and Steve Harris as Wave before heading back to Nottm in 74. Al also headed back to Nottm that year too joining up with Mick, Tim and Steve Otter as Desperate Dann..

“I also ended up in Whitby, playing bits and bobs and moving back to Notts in about 1977.
Where, in 1978 I answered an ad in the Evening Post for a bass player. I met Paul Arnall and Bob Fawcett – and “The Fatal Charm’ was born (to become just ’Fatal Charm’ – no ’The’. Paul, genius song writer, guitarist and singer, Bob on drums.

Bob left. My mate from London, Kev Gallagher, came up and replaced him on drums. We gigged at the Trent Bridge Inn a bit and other places. We were joined by Keyboard player, Dave Barker from Derby. In around late 79 or 1980, we were joined by Sarah Simmonds as Vocalist. Sarah was from down South but working and living in Notts at the time. (Paul worked at Selectadisc in Nottm).

Then it took off! We got a record deal with Double D Records (do you remember Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky , Mick and Tich? Well, this was Dave Dee’s record label. We turned Pro. Toured with Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (Enola Gay was at No 2 in the charts. We recorded several tracks at EMI, produced by Midge Are. “Paris” was the first single (we had previously recorded it prior to Sarah joining, but on a local level.
We then supported Ultravox on their tour (1980) – Vienna was at N0 2 in the Charts. Kept off the top slot by ’Shut in your Face”, Joe Dolce. Midge was not happy! We then headlined our own UK tour. Played every big venue at the time (Hammersmith Odeon, Liverpool Empire etc)

Then we split. Record company financing problems. Paul and Sarah carried on for years. Recorded loads of stuff. Lots of info on line. I still see Paul and Sarah regularly. And I’m once again playing with Pat Wood. We get together with another old guy, Brian Ward, on Bass (I’m playing guitar, singing) and my Son, Lee also on Guitar. This is just for fun. We don’t even have a name!”

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1967

1968

1969