NOTTINGHAM GROUP (Sept 1983 – Dec 1989)
Eddie Dorey, who joined the band in 1984, with the aid of other band members has put together the story of Working Party.
Part 1 Working Party – ‘The Line Ups’
Nottingham band ‘Working Party’ were formed in 1983 from members of two previous bands called ‘The Stumble’ & ‘A.W.O.L.’ I was not involved in that formation as my time in the band was not to come until the end of 1984. Two of that first line up were still in the band as I joined, Tony Ward (keyboards) & the late Pete Dowling (drums, vocals & song writer). They produced towards the end of 1984 a family tree leading up to Working Party (6).
The look of the family tree was ‘Pete Frame’ in style and while mostly accurate, I believe, regarding who & when people joined and left the band, there are a few tongue in cheek elements, Working Party (6) agreed it before it went out as ‘The Working Party Story (So Far!).
The tree was given to us all & I think to anyone else interested. It has to be said that people were interested, as Working Party, long before I joined, had a dedicated following thanks in part to them playing regularly at The Gregory Hotel in Radford.
While several of the former members searched their attics for a decent copy to no avail, Pete Donaldson (guitar & vocals who joined at Working Party (5)) came up trumps complete with Blu Tac marks from when he had it up on a wall. Below is the complete version, if you were in the audiences during that period of time (Sept ’83 – Dec ’84) it might bring back some fond memories. Also, if you were in the band during the period described in it your part in the story was always acknowledged and appreciated.
There is no family tree to cover the period from my first full gig, as only the second singer the band ever had, in Jan1985 to the close down of the band in Dec 1989 so here is a basic run down of what happened.
L-R: Tony ‘Ferny’ Beall – Hilary Gardner – Tony Ward – Eddie Dorey – Pete Dowling – Pete Donaldson
Working Party (6) live at The Palais Nottingham Feb 20 1986, supporting local rock band Dawn Trader. Photographer ‘Unknown’.
Working Party (6) continued unchanged other than me sneaking in the odd instrument at times, until in late 1985 or early in 1986 Hilary Gardner (alto sax who joined at Working Party (2)) alerted us to the fact that she could be leaving the band at some time during the year. We had already had Tony Fisher (saxes from Working Party (7) to the end) play as a guest, including, at a Gregory Christmas gig but we never the less put out an advert for a sax player. Kevin Marston (tenor sax, & later keyboards, from Working Party (7) to the end) was subjected to two auditions at the end of January 1986. Almost immediately Hilary confirmed she would be leaving but not straight away! That same day we invited Tony Fisher and Kevin Marston to join the band. Our biggest line up loomed.
Working Party (7) was the same as Working Party (6) but with Kevin on Tenor Sax and Tony Fisher on Alto, Tenor & Baritone Sax. We were an 8 piece line up even if it might be short lived! With Hilary still in the band & my primitive soprano sax playing on some of the songs we could boast a four piece horn section – blimey!! Hilary eased out of the band around March 1986 but came back for our Christmas gig that same year.
Working Party 8 – Pete Donaldson (Guitar & Vocals) – Tony Ward (Keyboards & Vocals) Kevin Marston (Tenor Sax & Vocals) – Tony Fisher (Alto, Tenor and Baritone Sax & Vocals) – Tony ‘Ferny’ Beall (Bass) – Pete Dowling (Drums & Vocals) – Eddie Dorey (Vocals) This line up saw us bestowing the title of ‘The Radford Horns’ on Tony Fisher and Kevin Marston.
Working Party (8) by the bar at their musical home The Gregory Hotel, Radford. Photo Mike Howitt.
At some point in 1988 Tony Ward informed us that he would be leaving the band. It all gets a little hazy around here but he got a good send off at his final Gregory gig on Sept 23 and a party as his last gig with us at The Test Match West Bradford Oct 1, I’m sure he still remembers a fairly large Test Match audience chanting TONEEEEEE as his send off. Pretty sure he got some gifts and a hand made (by Ferny) wooden presentation box for his collection of Working Party cassette tapes.
Working Party (9) As Working party (8) but no one replaced Tony Ward instead Kevin Marston moved over to the role of Keyboard player.
However in 1989 in what would be our final year as Working Party Tony Ward was involved in the recording of our final set of recordings ‘The Finishing Tape’ and a simple statement in my diary on Sept 17 1989 just says ‘Tony Ward Back’ so while it all remains a tad sketchy in remembering our last days of Working Party it’s more than probable that Tony Ward, as a founding member of the band helped us play out of our last three months together. The final gig was appropriately at The Gregory Hotel and was a Christmas Party gig on Dec 15 1989.
We had a fair few members in the band but sometimes circumstances required us to get some help to keep the show on the road. At this point I won’t mention people who guested with us for fun but just the people who played a complete gig(s) with us to help cover for holidays, illness and drummer Pete Dowling’s broken foot! The people who helped us out were John Thomas (Drums), Ken Morris (Bass), and Bob Meyrick (guitar).
While my role in the band was fundamentally as the singer, there is plenty of photographic & recorded evidence of me playing soprano sax & guitar, but I am more than happy to be remembered for my core role.
Eddie Dorey (Working Party singer 1985 -1989).
Part 2: Working Party ‘The Posters’
From really early on Working Party produced their own posters, particularly for The Gregory Hotel Radford gigs but also for other venues or events that required them for marketing purposes.
Once again Tony Ward & the late Pete Dowling were the instigators and came up with the style of the band’s idiosyncratic poster style.
Their mutual admiration of Leeds born cartoonist Glen Baxter’s work coupled with a collection of Boy’s Own and similar annuals meant they could respectfully borrow some of Baxter’s ‘subversion of adventure comics’ with odd and surreal narratives about upcoming gigs. Some were completely made up obviously but some were based on stuff that happened in the band or an exaggerated version of it!
Other styles created by band members were occasionally used and obviously some events had their own posters that they required us to use but the more typical style was to continue up to the band’s demise in Dec 1989.
We will cover in other Parts ‘The Studio Recordings’, ‘Gigs, Gigs & More Gigs’ and plenty more!
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NEWSPAPER CUTTINGS
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
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Reunions
Working Party would have occasional reunions, usually in aid of charity. I was involved in one in 2013 – Working Party Acoustic (see attached poster) at the Poppy and Pint in West Bridgford. The photo, taken by Mike Howitt, shows (from L to R) Tony “Ferny” Beall, Pete Donaldson, Eddie Dorey, Ken Morris, Tony Fisher and me (Bob Meyrick).
