By Nick Warburton
The All Night Workers/The All-Nite Workers was a name used by around 30 musicians from West London for a series of interrelated bands that spanned the years 1965-1972.
In the fifth and final part of an exhaustive history, Nick Warburton turns to The All Night Workers under its new singer Clyde Barrow and the group’s decision to reform for live gigs after a 40-year hiatus.
The All Night Workers #7 (Circa January 1969)
- Clyde Barrow – lead vocals
- Brian Mansell – lead guitar
- Doug Ayris – bass
- Johnny Baker – sax
- Geoff Glover – sax
- Malcolm “Doc” Randall – drums
The new line up was hired to back Maxine Brown on a recording of “Sunny” and with some studio time remaining, the latest version of The All Night Workers cut a version of Clarence Carter’s “Tell Daddy”.
However, the band remained unsettled and around this time, Johnny Baker ran into future member, lead guitarist Keith Kendall at Music Exchange in Chiswick and left to join his band The Soul System. His place was taken by former Jo Jo Gunne member Alan Townsend, who doubled up on trombone and trumpet.
The All Night Workers #8 (Circa February-circa October 1969)
- Clyde Barrow – lead vocals
- Brian Mansell – lead guitar
- Doug Ayris – bass
- Alan Townsend – trombone/trumpet
- Geoff Glover – sax
- Malcolm “Doc” Randall – drums
During this time The All Night Workers opened for Elton John. The new line up carried on for about another six months before Brian Mansell and Malcolm Randall left during early autumn.
Mansell went to work with Ted Hare and Ed Morino for H&M Promotions and helped booked bands such as Calum Bryce. Randall meanwhile joined former member Mick Wheeler in Jo Jo Gunne for a while and later became a drum tutor. He died on 5 January 2014. Townsend also departed and went on to work with Roy Young.
Around November/December former member Jim Park, who’d been working most recently with The Kool, returned to the drum stool. About the same time, another former member, Johnny Baker, who’d been playing with The Soul System re-joined and was instrumental in recommending Keith Kendall a short while later.
The All Night Workers #9 (Circa December 1969-circa March 1970)
- Clyde Barrow – lead vocals
- Keith Kendall – lead guitar
- Doug Ayris – bass
- Johnny Baker – sax
- Geoff Glover – sax
- Jim Park – drums
Originally from Hayes, Middlesex, Kendall had gone to Mellow Lane School where he played with Brian & The Fantoms at the age of 12. In 1963, Kendall joined The Limelites who had been resident Sunday night band at the Clay Pigeon in Eastcote, Middlesex. Soon after, the group changed name to The Legends.
When the opportunity came to record for Pye Records with the legendary Joe Meek, the producer told The Legends that they would have to change their name because there was another band with the same name (Doug Ayris’s group, The Legend) and they became The First Impressions.
Led by Peter Watkinson (lead vocals) and also including Kevin Sparks (rhythm guitar), Rick Eagles (bass) and Tony Watkinson (drums), The First Impressions recorded a lone single – “Looking For Her” c/w “I’m Going Home”, which was released in March 1965.
However, when the US soul band, The Impressions threatened a law suit, they reverted back to The Legends and recorded a second Pye single, “I’ve Found Her” c/w “Something’s Gonna Happen”.
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Later that year, Kendall left to return to a revised Brian & The Fantoms but it proved short lived. When the opportunity to sign with Andrew Loog Oldham and record for Decca Records fell through the band imploded.
By mid-1966, Kendall had joined up with some old friends from Mellow Lane School in The Soul System, which also included Geoff ? (lead vocals); Rik Jones (organ); Dave Horn (sax); Duncan Wilkes (trumpet); John Bartovski (bass) and Keith Jellows (drums).
In early 1969, Kendall met Johnny Baker at Music Exchange and invited him to join The Soul System. Soon after joining, Dave Horn left followed by John Bartovski, who was replaced by future Strawbs member Chas Cronk.
By November/December, however, Baker had returned to The All Night Workers and Kendall re-joined Brian & The Fantoms. Soon after, Kendall was offered the guitar position in the reformed The All Night Workers.
Jim Park did not stick around for long and Hans “Herbie” Herbert, who’d played with The All Night Workers during 1966-1967 returned to the drum stool for a few months after playing with Geno Washington.
Around March 1970, Johnny Baker also left and was succeeded by John Conway, whose previous group had folded around May 1969. The band started to move away from its soul roots and began playing more jazz/rock material.
The All Night Workers #10 (Circa March-April 1970)
- Clyde Barrow – lead vocals
- Keith Kendall – lead guitar
- Doug Ayris – bass
- John Conway – sax
- Geoff Glover – sax
- Hans “Herbie” Herbert – drums
By this time, The All Night Workers were playing covers of Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears material. Herbert, however, soon returned to play with Geno Washington and introduced his replacement Pete Amos before he departed.
According to Conway, the band’s name was spelt “All Nite Workers” while he was with them. Sometime between August 1970 and January 1971, the band recorded three tracks for the BBC at its Maida Vale studios, including a cover of The Ides of March’s “I’m Your Vehicle”.
The All Night Workers #11 (Circa April 1970-circa January 1972)
- Clyde Barrow – lead vocals
- Keith Kendall – lead guitar
- Doug Ayris – bass
- John Conway – sax
- Geoff Glover – sax
- Pete Amos – drums
The final All Night Workers played regularly at Pantiles in Bagshot in Surrey and at the Bag O’Nails in central London. In January 1971, Conway left and the band carried on as a five-piece.
Kendall reformed The Soul System. After playing the live scene from 1972-1973, Kendall left to join Redhead, which morphed into Junior High & The Rockets and recorded some material.Towards the end, however, gigs became few and far between, and in early 1972 the band finally dissolved. Barrow briefly quit the music business but later returned to the live scene in the mid-1970s after moving to the Bournemouth area.
Geoff Glover gigged with various London bands until his City job relocated to Bournemouth in 1976. Based on the south coast, he worked with a number of groups before playing with soul and blues outfit Max Temp and The Fahrenheits and Fifties rock ‘n’ roll band, Rockola. Glover currently performs with The Christchurch Band of the Royal British Legion, and the Wessex Military Band. He is also currently rehearsing a 17-piece Big Band.
Doug Ayris established a business (Savage-Ayris), a management/agency company along with Derek Savage and booked Blackfoot Sue, Greyhound, Brinsley Schwarz, Ducks Deluxe, The Stranglers and Dave Edmonds to name a few. They also worked with Elvis Costello and Dave Stewart before they became famous. Ayris went on to own a music shop, where Mick Underwood taught drums and Ayris also ran rehearsal studios where the likes of The Sex Pistols, The Tourists, The Slits, Graham Parker & The Rumour and many others frequented.
Postscript:
In May 2012, former All Night Workers Doug Ayris, Clyde Barrow, Brian Hosking, Mel Wayne and John Sergeant reformed the band with new members. The current line-up also includes former members Geoff Glover and John Conway and plays regularly in Bournemouth and London.
For more information, visit: www.allnightworkers.com/
From left to right: Dave Mumford, guitar; Pete Bower, Saxophone; Mel Wayne, sax and harmonica; John Sergeant, drums; Brian Hosking, bass, Clive (Clyde) Barrow, vocals; Doug Ayris, guitar.
The All Night Workers’ “Tell Daddy” and “Rock Is Here To Stay” are now available on Rare Mod 4:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rare-Mod-volume-4/dp/B009Y1LSSO
Copyright © Nick Warburton, 2012. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior permission from the author.
To contact the author, email: Warchive@aol.com
Many people helped piece this remarkable family tree together. My personal thanks go to: Brian Mansell, Malcolm Randall, Keith Kendall, Geoff Glover, Johnny Baker, Doug Ayris, Clyde Barrow, John Conway, Ted Hare and Brian Hosking.
