The Symbols were an English pop music band, who were founded in 1965 and lasted until 1974. They had two
hit
Hit means to strike someone or something.
Hit or HIT may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities
* Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super''
* Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...
s on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
with "
Bye Bye Baby" (1967), and "
(The Best Part of) Breaking Up" (1968).
Career
The group began in the early 1960s as Johnny Milton and the Condors, and they released two singles, including "Cry Baby" on the
Fontana label.
In 1965, they changed their name to The Symbols, and their initial line-up included John Milton (vocals), Mick Clarke (bass guitar), Shaun Corrigan (lead guitar) and Clive Graham (drums). Their debut single under the Symbols name was produced by
Mickie Most
Michael Peter Hayes (20 June 1938 – 30 May 2003), known as Mickie Most, was an English record producer behind scores of hit singles for acts such as the Animals, Herman's Hermits, the Nashville Teens, Donovan, Lulu, Suzi Quatro, Hot Chocolate ...
. However, "One Fine Girl", was a commercial failure.
The follow-up single was their
cover version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
of "
Why Do Fools Fall in Love", but after lack of mainstream success, by 1966 they were released from their recording contract.
They had been regular performers at the
California Ballroom,
Dunstable
Dunstable ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, east of the Chiltern Hills, north of London. There are several steep chalk escarpments, most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the ...
, Bedfordshire.
Clarke left them to join
The Tremeloes
The Tremeloes are an English beat group founded in 1958 in Dagenham, England. They initially found success in the British Invasion era with lead singer Brian Poole, scoring a UK chart-topper in 1963 with "Do You Love Me". After Poole's departu ...
and was replaced on bass by John Bachini (AKA John Baccini), then
Adrian Gurvitz
Adrian Curtis Gurvitz (; born 26 June 1949) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. His prolific songwriting ability has gained him hits with Eddie Money's No. 1 ''Billboard'' Mainstream Rock hit " The Love in Your Eyes" a ...
. Clarke introduced The Tremeloes to a track that The Symbols had played in their repertoire, "
Silence is Golden". Clarke later returned to The Symbols, who experienced other changes in their line-up with John Bachini (bass and vocals) who left to join The Robb Storme Group - who later changed their name to the Orange Bicycle, and Chas Wade (drums), variously playing with the group.
Edward Kassner launched
President Records
President Records is a British independent record label. It is one of the oldest independent record companies in the UK, originally launched in 1957 by Edward Kassner. During the 1960s and 1970s the label, and its subsidiary Jay Boy, had hits ...
in the UK in 1966, and signed The Symbols, initially to cover a US hit, "
See You in September". The gamble did not work as the record failed to reach the UK chart.
However, Kassner persisted in trying cover versions of previously successful US releases, and The Symbols next effort, "
Bye Bye Baby", a version of
The Four Seasons' song, spent three weeks in the UK chart in August 1967, peaking at number 44.
The song found more lasting notability in the UK when the
Bay City Rollers reached number 1 in March 1975. The Symbols themselves followed with "
(The Best Part of) Breaking Up", originally recorded by
The Ronettes
The Ronettes were an American girl group from Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York City. The group consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett (later known as Ronnie Spector), her older sister Estelle Bennett, and their cousin Nedra Talley. The ...
, which was their second and final UK chart success. It reached number 25 in early 1968, spending twelve weeks in the chart.
Subsequent singles failed to chart.
In late 1972, Corrigan was replaced on guitar by Trevor Mee, who had resigned from the Send, Surrey, band Unicorn, just before
David Gilmour
David Jon Gilmour ( ; born 6 March 1946) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined as guitarist and co-lead vocalist in 1967, shortly before the departure of founding member Syd Barrett. P ...
became interested in them and started to produce them. Clive Graham, who was known in the band as Cleve Gooham because his name was mis-spelled on a hotel reservation form, was replaced by Phil Chesterton. Corrigan and Graham went on to form another version of The Symbols. At the beginning of 1973, Mee left the band and was replaced by Brian Gill. The Symbols continued to play colleges, clubs and the Northern cabaret circuit, and did a summer season on the Costa Dorada, Spain. In 1973, they worked on what would probably have been a single called 'Something Crazy's Happening', written by Phil Chesterton, had the band not been overtaken by events. At the end of 1973, Clarke left to join
The Rubettes
The Rubettes are an English pop/glam rock band put together in 1974 after the release of "Sugar Baby Love", a recording assembled of studio session musicians in 1973 by the songwriting team of Wayne Bickerton, the then head of A&R at Polydor R ...
and was replaced by Dave Guscott on bass. At the beginning of 1974 Milton left to join Sparrow and, despite him being the last original member, attempts were made to keep the band going by Chesterton, Gill and Dave Guscott. A suitable singer could not be found, they disbanded. The other Symbols band formed by Corrigan and Graham, however, carried on working for a while.
Band members
* John Milton – Vocalist
* Mick Clarke (born Michael William Clarke, 10 August 1946,
Grimsby
Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town and the administrative centre of North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes directly to the south-east forming a conurbation. Grimsby is north-east of Linco ...
, Lincolnshire, England)
– Bassist / vocalist
* Shaun Corrigan – Lead guitarist
* Clive Graham – Drummer
* John Bachini – Bassist / Vocalist
* Chas Wade – Drummer
* Adrian Gurvitz – bass
* Trevor Mee – guitar
* Phil Chesterton – drums
* Brian Gill – guitar
* Dave Guscott – bass
Discography
Chart singles
Compilation albums
References
External links
The Symbols fansiteCalifornia Ballroom 1960–1979
{{DEFAULTSORT:Symbols, The
Musical groups established in 1965
Musical groups disestablished in 1972
English pop music groups
Beat groups