The ‘Sensational 60s’ are back

THE brand new production of The Sensational 60s Experience is set to wow audiences throughout the country with the main body of the tour occurring throughout October and November of this year with extra dates cropping up from December this year through to

MC-d by Alan Mosca from Freddie and The Dreamers, this new tour features Chris Farlowe, Herman’s Hermits, Steve Ellis (the voice of Love Affair), New Amen Corner and The Union Gap UK.

The latter two bands feature no original members of the bands, but we all know of the hits: If Paradise is Half as Nice and Bend Me Shape Me to name a couple of Amen Corne’s and Young Girl and Lady Willpower among The Union Gap’s repertoire.

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As well as recreating those iconic songs, these bands will back the solo performers on the tour.

Chris Farlowe needs no introduction as he is one of Britain’s foremost R’n’B singers and his mega-hit Out of Time is an all-time classic.

Herman’s Hermits still has original drummer in Barry Whitwam and they will be treating the audiences to such hits as Silhouettes, There’s a Kind of Hush, I’m Into Something Good, No Milk Today and My Sentimental Friend — all great memories of the sixties that helped Herman’s Hermits outsell The Beatles in America in 1965.

New to the tour this time around is Steve Ellis who, as the singer with Love Affair', hit that charts with chart-topper Everlasting Love, A Day Without Love and Bringing On Back the Good Times, to name but three.

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Love Affair (whose anthology album has recently seen light of day on Cherry Red Records) had all their hits in 1968 and 1969 and seemed set on a lengthy and successful career when Steve decided to leave.

He says: “It was December '69, and because I was the frontman I was getting most of the attention. The band and I had been together since we were 16 in a band called The Soul Survivors.

“We were doing all the package tours and it was like being a hamster in a wheel. Also, we’d got branded as ‘teenybop’ in the UK and we were getting no real musical payback.

“I mean, it’s fantastic to have a great following, but if you can’t hear what you’re doing…. I thought ‘what’s the point?’ and I quit in Newcastle.”

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After that, Steve formed a couple of bands — Ellis and Widowmaker.

“I made a couple of good albums with Ellis and the track El Doomo was a bit of a classic, but it was commercial suicide really.”

Some of the problem lay with his musical legacy.

“Yeah, Everlasting Love was a two-edged sword. I could never surpass it as it was a massive hit all over the world and it sold over 10 million copies. I mean, it has served me so well but I can never better it.”

It has been a while since Steve toured properly and he tells me how he got involved with the Sensational 60s Experience.

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“I last toured a couple of years ago, but I always do the odd gig here and there and Billy (one of the promoters) saw me at a gig and said ‘I want you on my tou’'.

“I didn’t think much more about until I got a load of phone calls from him. I said to him, ‘If you get Chris Farlowe I’ll do it — and here we are.”

But it is a long tour. “That’s right, it’s a five-month tour and 64 dates is brutal and the only good bit is when you’re on stage. The last tour I did clocked up 25,000 miles.”

Being part of a package means that time on stage will be limited, as Steve explains.

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“Yes, I’ll only have about 25 minutes, so I’ll do Everlasting Love and maybe some new stuff.”

Despite the ‘two-edged sword’ comment, he cites Everlasting Love as his favourite amongst his hits.

“I know it’s an obvious answer, but I never get fed up of singing it and you get such a spark off the audience. There’s a bit of magic about it.”

* The Sensational 60s Experience, starring Chris Farlowe, Herman’s Hermits, Steve Ellis, New Amen Corner and The Union Gap UK, will be appearing at The City Hall, Sheffield on Friday November 27.

Tickets are available from the box office on 0114 278 9789 and all the usual agencies.

 

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