Junior's Eyes was a British group led by guitarist Mick Wayne (born Michael Wayne, 1945, Kingston upon Hull - died 26 June 1994), which recorded one album and is notable for acting as

David Bowie's David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

backing band during 1969.

Beginnings

Mick Wayne's first group was The Outsiders, with

Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...

on guitar. After recording one single for

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...

in 1965, the Outsiders broke up the following year at which point Wayne joined Hull musicians

The Hullaballoos The Hullaballoos were one of the original British Invasion bands. They are best known for their 1965 cover of Buddy Holly's " I'm Gonna Love You Too". Biography The Hullaballoos were created in August 1964, but had been working in the UK for o ...

, replacing Ricky Knight briefly before they too broke up. He made an attempt to form a new line-up in Hull with drummer John Cambridge but soon returned to London (Cambridge later joined Hull band The Rats, with guitarist

Mick Ronson Michael Ronson (26 May 1946 – 29 April 1993) was an English musician, songwriter, arranger, and producer. He achieved critical and commercial success working with David Bowie as the guitarist of the Spiders from Mars. He was a session music ...

). Wayne next joined the Bunch of Fives (including ex-

Pretty Things The Pretty Things were an English band formed in September 1963 in Sidcup, Kent. They took their name from Willie Dixon's 1955 song "Pretty Thing". A pure rhythm and blues band in their early years, with several singles charting in the Unit ...

drummer

Viv Prince Vivian Martin Prince (born 9 August 1941) is an English drummer. He played in a variety of bands during the 1960s, including Pretty Things. He was noted for his wild and eccentric behaviour, which garnered a lot of publicity for the group and in ...

) during 1966 and this band evolved into The Tickle, with band members Mick Wayne (guitar), Mike Docker (vocals), Dave Williams (keyboards), Richard Dowling (bass) and John Beckerman (drums).''Junior's Eyes'' biography, by David Wells - 'Battersea Power Station - Plus' liner notes (2000) The Tickle's only single - "Subway (Smokey Pokey World)" - has appeared on many psychedelic

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, including ''Acid Drops, Spacedust & Flying Saucers: Psychedelic Confectionery''.

Junior's Eyes

After the break-up of the Tickle, Mick Wayne formed Junior's Eyes in early 1968, initially with drummer John 'Candy' Carr and then with John 'Honk' Lodge (ex-

Graham Bond Organisation The Graham Bond Organisation (GBO) were a British jazz/rhythm and blues group of the early 1960s consisting of Graham Bond (vocals, keyboards, alto-saxophone), Jack Bruce (bass), Ginger Baker (drums), Dick Heckstall-Smith (tenor/soprano saxoph ...

) (bass) and Steve Chapman (drums). They recorded a debut single with the help of pianist

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and producer

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. The trio added singer Graham 'Grom' Kelly and (briefly) organist John Redfern in late 1968 and began work on an album. ''Battersea Power Station'' was released in June 1969. That same month, Mick Wayne and Rick Wakeman were among the guest musicians who recorded

breakthrough hit "

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". For the follow-up ''

'' album recorded between June and September 1969, Bowie and producer Visconti were backed by a new line-up of Junior's Eyes comprising Mick Wayne (guitar), John 'Honk' Lodge (bass), John Cambridge (drums) and

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(guitar, flute, recorder). The same band backed Bowie on a BBC Radio

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Show session in October 1969, and (without Wayne) on single B-side "

Conversation Piece A conversation piece refers to a group portrait in a domestic or landscape setting depicting persons chatting or otherwise socializing with each other.James Taylor's debut album between July and October 1968, and Honk had played on the album ''

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'' (track "Rock and Roll the Joint") by

drummer Twink in July 1969. These recording session for other artists disrupted the progress of the band, and the new line-up recorded only one single. They played their final gig on 3 February 1970, supporting Bowie at the

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. At this gig Cambridge introduced Bowie to his former 'Rats' bandmate Mick Ronson, and within days Cambridge, Ronson and Visconti (playing bass) were Bowie's new backing band The Hype, but Cambridge departed at the end of March.

Later careers

Honk and Renwick formed

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, but Honk soon left (briefly joining ex-

Pink Fairies Pink Fairies are an English rock band initially active in the London (Ladbroke Grove) underground and psychedelic scene of the early 1970s. They promoted free music, drug use, and anarchy, and often performed impromptu gigs and other stunts, ...

drummer Twink in the Last Minute Put Together Boogie Band in

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). Renwick continued with the band, which later joined up with the Sutherland Brothers, and he later recorded with

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and both

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and the

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-led

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, as well as releasing a number of solo albums. Mick Wayne left for the US after Junior's Eyes to back

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, and spent a few years doing session work there before returning to London and joining a 1972

Steve Peregrin Took Steve Peregrin Took (born Stephen Ross Porter; 28 July 1949 – 27 October 1980) was an English musician and songwriter, best known for his membership of the duo Tyrannosaurus Rex with Marc Bolan. After breaking with Bolan, he concentrated on h ...

recording session along with

rhythm section Duncan Sanderson and Russell Hunter, whose band was temporarily defunct following the departure of guitarist Paul Rudolph. None of the tracks were completed to Took's satisfaction, due to what Wayne later described as ''" dope-induced thinking"'' and consequently, Wayne, Sanderson and Hunter formed a new incarnation of the Pink Fairies, releasing the single "Well, Well, Well" / "Hold On", as well as doing a radio session for BBC Radio One. However Sanderson and Hunter became unhappy with the musical direction Wayne was taking the band in, and they convinced

Larry Wallis Larry Wallis (19 May 1949 – 19 September 2019) was an English guitarist, songwriter and producer. He was best known as a member of the Pink Fairies and an early member of Motörhead. Biography and career Early bands In 1968, he formed a ban ...

to join the group as a second guitarist and shortly afterwards sacked Wayne. He later formed pub-rock bands Juniors and Ozo in the mid-

1970s File:1970s decade montage.jpg, Clockwise from top left: U.S. President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office following the Watergate scandal in 1974; The United States was still involved in the Vietnam War i ...

before retiring from music. He was about to record a comeback solo album when he died in a fire at his producer's house in 1994.

Discography

Singles * "Keep On Doing It" / "Songs We Sang Last Summer" ('The Outsiders', August 1965) * "Go Home Baby" / "At The Station" ('Bunch Of Fives', August 1966) * "Subway (Smokey Pokey World)" / "Good Evening" ('The Tickle', November 1967) * "Mr Golden Trumpet Player" / "Black Snake" (June 1968) * "Woman Love" / "Circus Days" (May 1969) * "Star Child" / "Sink Or Swim" (August 1969) Albums * ''Battersea Power Station'' (June 1969, re-issued 2000) * ''

Bowie at the Beeb ''Bowie at the Beeb'' is a compilation album by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, first released in 2000. Originally, it came in a three-CD set, the third, bonus CD being a live recording made on at the Portland BBC Radio Theatre. Later e ...

'' (

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

, June 2000 - band credited on tracks recorded in October 1969)

References

External links

Junior's Eyes biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Junior's Eyes English rock music groups