The Vybratones – Notts Music Archive

Mid sixties beat/rhythm group from Retford, Notts. 1964-1968.
Also featuring The Chameleons, The Reason, Franklyn and Kennedy and The Turner Brothers.

Formed in April 1964 The Vybratones played the local area, originally with a five piece led by Malcolm Button and a female singer. Later they would operate as a four piece with line up changes. Malcolm Button was the only ever present through these line up changes. Along with The Debonaires, The Vybratones were sometimes described as the “Retford Sound” and are both mentioned in my brief overview of the Retford scene here.

1st Line up:
Malcolm Button (17) – Lead guitar, an apprentice at Marshalls, Gainsborough
Ian Mitcheson (17) – Organ, Retford High School
Alan Scott (16) – Bass guitar, Retford High School
Bryan Holden (19) – Drums, clerk at at British Ropes, Ordsall
Julie Beech (15) – Vocals, a pupil at Retford High School for girls.

**Left to Right: Malcolm Button, Alan Scott, Julie Beech, Ian Mitcheson, Bryan Holden**

In November 1965 they were second in a Beat Contest organised by the Derbyshire Entertainment Committee at Mansfield Palais and played Retford Rugby Club at the Christmas eve dance at the town hall alongside The Debonaires.

2nd Line up, late 1966/early 1967 onwards:
Malcolm Button: Lead Guitar
Tony Rewes: Bass Guitar
Vic Smith: Drums
Keith Turner: Rhythm Guitar

They were managed by B. A. Smith of Hallcroft, Retford, with a crossed out phone address on their card corrected to Ranskill.

Keith Turner, rhythm guitarist in the second line up has given me a brief outline of his career.

“I’m a Retfordian born 09/10/1953 on Sandringham Road, Hallcroft. My Father (Coal Miner at Bevercotes) played trumpet and saxophone and by the time I was 7 or 8 years old I was learning saxophone and reading music.

My two late brothers Bill and Roger also had the same learning process, an hour a night before going out to play football etc. Bill was eleven years older than me and Roger three years; both have now passed away. Bill played saxophone and clarinet. Roger played saxophone, bass & lead guitars. I played saxophone, clarinet, and rhythm guitar. We all tried to sing! Roger and I did things like playing at kids Christmas parties etc at a very early age 9 and 10 years and winning the Butlin’s talent contest a couple of times whilst on holiday. I first played in a working mans club about 12 years old singing and playing guitar. The Beatles was my biggest inspiration and all other pop at that time, as much has I could absorb. However, I used to sing and play some what you might call “standards” i.e. Love me with all of your heart (The Batchelors) and Mary’s boy child at xmas. Other ballads too – the older ladies liked the “young boy singer”.

Bill and Roger played in a six-piece band called The Blue Saints who were very successful around the clubs in South Yorkshire around 1964/1967 and I was starting with the Vybratones. The Vybratones, with Malcolm on lead guitar played at least three Shadows tracks – The Rise and Fall of Flingel Bunt, Perfidia and Apache. Some others too. Dance music that was popular at that time – Status Quo etc. We also played songs like Chicago (that toddling town), Bye Bye Black bird, Somebody’s stole my gal, and we wore straw boater hats.

I think the group got paid about £5.00 to £8.00 per booking, I remember receiving a £1.00 note and some change a couple of times. It gave me some pocket money.

The Blue Saints broke-up and Bill and Roger started a duo The Turner Bros. I joined in 1969 after stints with The Chameleons and The Reason and made it a trio for about a year. Roger and I wanted to form a band, so Bill retired. We tried to form a band but a couple of the guy’s preferred to argue than play so we packed up after a very short period. In 1971 Roger and I started “Franklyn and Kennedy” Clublands most versatile vocal instrumental duo. We were managed by J.A.V.A (Jean Allen Varity Agency) amongst other agents and entertained around Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire, and East Riding. I remember playing at Goole British Legion Club along with Lenny Henry who had just become famous (New Faces) We let him use our P.A. system and he said “thanks dude”. We enjoyed a successful 7 years and due to domestic issues, we split in 1978 reformed for a short time in 1980 as The Turner Brothers until early 1982 and then split again due to domestic issues. I then started up with Stuart Hoddy (ex Debonnaires) as “Connection” and with our very own live taped backing had 4 good years. We liked to play the Retford clubs at Christmas and New Year (Bridon Club, Railway Club, Working Men’s Club and Cobwell Club) so we would rotate them each year. MY final night as a clubland entertainer was New Year’s Eve 1986 at Retford Working Men’s Club”.

I asked Keith about his days in the groups van, first guitars, his day job and more.

“The van for the duration was a VW and Basil Smith’s pride & joy. Basil & Gladys Smith were Vic’s (Drummer) parents. Gladys also managed all the bookings and was also the official tailor. She made all the bands stage wear (these were like tunics ,tops) trousers were bought from the shops. The Chameleons had four different tops all the stripes and colures they were brilliant. You can see The Reasons shining tunic in the photo. Gladys was the boss. Basil did the driving (he was a long-distance driver) Gladys sat in the front passenger seat and I sat on top of the engine between them. The others had seats in the back with the equipment. That van never broke down!! It was immaculate. We used to overtake the Debonaires going on a booking, their van was rubbish. The truth was that Gladys & Basil were looking after me, I was just 13/14 years old, and they took responsibility for me. They were like my 2nd mum & dad. Vic their son and the drummer shared my birthday he was 4 years older than me to the day. So, they couldn’t leave me in the hands of 18/20 year-old young men. However, I learned a lot from those guys.

I remember we had a booking (The Vybratones) at the Doncaster Co-op Ballroom. The DJ announced us has having just returned from touring in Germany and a bunch of girls ran to the stage and put their arms around my legs as we started to play. I reluctantly escaped. Actually what happened was. the DJ thought he would give some bull S**T to make us look super good without asking us. So, the girls rushed to grab me because they thought I was ???

On New Years Eve 1971 Roger and I (as the Turner Brothers) had a booking at Sutton-in-Ashfield Miners Welfare the night before the miners went on strike. We arrived at the club to find BBC Outside Broadcasting on the premises who were there to interview the miners etc before the ensuing strike and film them enjoying New Years Eve in the club. The producer asked if they could film us doing our stuff and said they would have to send a back-dated contract and agreed to pay us 16 guineas. They did the filming and everyone at the Miners Welfare had a super night before the ensuing strike. Early in January 1972 we received the back-dated contract and a cheque for 16 guineas we watched the programme 24 Hours at 10:00pm. It showed Sutton-in-Ashfield Colliery, the Welfare, the bingo machine, Roger, and I walking on stage and that was it!! Goodbye. Our 1st claims to fame & fortune was a dud.

Later in 1972 we took the name “Franklyn & Kennedy” We were taking bookings from Tommy Edwards an agent before we joined J.A.V.A and Tommy suggested “ name yourselves after two American presidents because you’ve got the likes of “Nicolas & Nickleby and David Copperfield” doing the clubs. We had our stage gear with stars & stripes specially made.

My father and I took a bus to Sheffield to buy a guitar. Can’t remember the shop name, he bought me a copy of a Barney Kessel Signature for £35. I had that guitar with The Turner Bros. It’s the only guitar I can remember him buying for me. Having said that the guitars we had when younger must have come from him. The saxophones we used when learning he provided them. Roger and I bought numerous guitars from when we started working. After secondary school I took a year at collage in Worksop on a Pre-engineering apprenticeship course. I then got a job at Jenkins of Retford and took a further year at collage on the E.I.T.B. So, in 1971 I started my apprenticeship at Jenkins of Retford. However, at Jenkins I then started in The Works Office and in July progressed into the Drawing Office for a future in engineering!! From 1972 to 2015 Draughtsman to Project/Contracts Manager.

NEWSPAPER CUTTINGS

1964