Nottingham group circa 1965-69

A group who played Blues, RnB and Tamla Motown and supported Status Quo, The Kinks and Geno Washington in the sixties. They were managed by J. D. Parlett from Hucknall who was in the building trade and still so in the seventies.

Frank Ellis told me a little of the history of Lost.

“We formed during our time in the sixth form at Mundella Grammar School around 1965/66. The original members were Alan Robinson (lead vocals, keyboard), Mick Court (vocals, lead guitar), Malcolm “Fred” Fox (vocals, bass, harmonica), “Spike” Pyke (drums) and myself (rhythm guitar and vocals). We were all blues, rhythm & blues and soul fans, so naturally performed covers of our favourite tracks. We started out as the Soul Edition, but switched names to “Lost” for most of the sixties. Fred left the band after a couple of years and I took over duties on bass. We have remained a four piece ever since. John Parlett became our manager during this period, late 60s early 70s. We played for New Century Promotions of Lincoln for many years, who were agents for all the RAF bases and top spots in Lincolnshire. We supported Geno Washington at the Starlight Room, Boston (AKA the Gliderdrome) in December 1967 and also supported Status Quo there in 1968. The Starlight Room was, at the time, one of the biggest venues in the country and we topped the bill there on a couple of occasions in the late 60s. We have changed names several times since then, becoming “Scobie” then “One Way System”. Spike left the band in the early 70s and Doug “Simmo” Simmons took over on drums. We “retired” from regular gigging in the late eighties, when Mick Court left to work in North Devon, where he formed a local blues band. We have continued to play the odd gig on request at special events with Mervyn Jones replacing Mick on lead guitar, that is, until very recently, when Doug sadly died. Looking back, we were way ahead of our time in naming ourselves “Lost”, but promoters couldn’t cope and always, frustratingly, called us “The Lost”, which, eventually, prompted our next name change”.

First line up:
Alan Robinson – (lead vocals, keyboard)
Mick Court – (vocals, lead guitar)
Malcolm “Fred” Fox – (vocals, bass, harmonica)
“Spike” Pyke – (drums)
Frank Ellis – (rhythm guitar and vocals)

Second line up:
Alan Robinson – (lead vocals, keyboard)
Mick Court – (vocals, lead guitar)
“Spike” Pyke – (drums)
Frank Ellis – (bass guitar and vocals)

Third line up: early 70’s
Alan Robinson – (lead vocals, keyboard)
Mick Court – (vocals, lead guitar)
Doug “Simmo” Simmons – (drums)
Frank Ellis – (bass guitar and vocals)

Boston Gliderdrome gigs
Sat 30-Dec-67 – Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band Ebony Keyes / Lost / Ray Bones
Mon 15-Apr-68 – Lost / Sounds Force Five / Easter weekend
Sat 25-May-68 – The Symbols / Mid-Rod Ends / Lost
Sat 21-Dec-68 – Status Quo / Lost / DJ Ricky Tee