Before They Were Pink Floyd – A History of the Band Pre Floyd
A brief look at the bands the Pink Floyd members were part of before the Pink Floyd formed and started going places! Feel free to discuss this article on the forum when read.
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Being in the right place at the right time and meeting the right people seems key to success in the music industry. A love of the new music pouring in from the USA in the form of Rhythm and Blues numbers, which allowed young teenagers to rebel against their parents Jazz and classical collections, would have inspired young men the country over to pick up a guitar and form a R&B band!
The death of Roger Barrett’s father and the flying of the nest of his siblings meant that Barrett’s liberal mother allowed up to 30 young people at a time to invade a room in her house to jam and listen to the new music, play guitars and smoke the occasional joint. Barrett was very much a shining beacon on the Cambridge music scene.
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| Above: Syd Barrett with Those Without in 1964 Below: David Gilmour on performing live with Jokers Wild in the mid 1960s. |
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Barrett played in his first band Geoff Mott & The Mottoes in Cambridge during the spring of 1962. He then moved on to Those Without from June – September 1963. Meanwhile, David Gilmour played several times in Cambridge in 1962 and 1963 in his first band, The Ramblers, although only playing a couple of shows with them. He went on to play more shows with his second band Chris Ian & The Newcomers and later just The Newcomers when Chris Ian departed. David would then go on to play semi-professionally with Jokers Wild and play quite a few dates around Cambridge as a local hero having taken to the guitar!
The London Scene was also the place where several bands were formed by other members of what would later become Pink Floyd. Nick Mason, Richard Wright and Roger Waters were all based in London and, from Autumn 1963, were playing in various bands. Sigma 6 was up first as a jamming group. This band was put together by Clive Metcalf whilst Nick Mason, Roger Waters and Richard Wright were attending Regent Street Polytechnic. It would then morph into The Abdabs and, occasionally, even The Screaming Abdabs!
It was in Autumn 1964 that Syd Barrett had left Cambridge and had joined his future Pink Floyd band mates to play in the band The Spectrum Five. It would soon become Leonard’s Lodgers as Leonard, landlord to some of the Floyd at the time, had a PA system so was most welcome in the band!
In January 1965, the collection of people currently rehearsing as Leonard’s Lodgers would become one solid unit with varying names such as The Pink Floyd Blues Sound, The Pink Floyd Sound, The Tea Set and, eventually, just The Pink Floyd! It was as this group, after Chris Dennis (vocalist) left Barrett, Waters, Mason, Klose and Wright to their own devices, that they recorded their first demo as The Pink Floyd in the Regent Street Polytechnic during some studio downtime. These three tracks were the cover of a Slim Harpo R&B standard ‘I’m A King Bee’, and three Barrett original compositions ‘Double O Bo’, ‘Butterfly (AKA ‘Flutter By Butterfly’)’ and ‘Lucy Leave’.
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| An early incarnation of The Pink Floyd with Bob Klose back right. |
Bob Klose, who was playing guitar, left the band in the summer of 1965 as his parents were moaning at him due to his lack of commitment to his studies. When term break came, Barrett started his first serious relationship with Lindsay Corner and had his first acid trip in Cambridge with friend Dave Gale. It was liquid LSD 25 dropped haphazardly onto sugar cubes so they took rather large doses! Barrett had hold of a orange, a plum and a matchbox. The fruit represented Venus and Jupiter apparently and Storm Thorgerson would use this story to embelish various works of art in the future!
With the only accomplished musician Bob Klose gone, the rest of the band simply couldn’t compete with all the other bands playing R&B tracks so had to change direction slightly! Extended jams around basic chord structures were one option which they took up much to the delight of the underground scene. These extended jams earnt them much praise from the local music scene and, not too long down the road, from around the world.
So, the Floyd and Syd’s downfall had begun.
Births
1943 September 6th – Roger Waters born Great Bookham, Surrey
1945 January 27th – Nick Mason born
1945 July 28th – Richard Wright born
1946 January 6th – Roger Keith Barrett born
1946 March 6th – David Gilmour born
Bands (Members & Gigs)
Geoff Mott & The Mottoes (Cambridge Band)
(Spring, 1962)
Band Members
Roger “Syd” Barrett – Vocals
Geoff Mott – Vocals
Tony Sainty – Bass
Clive Welham – Drums
Performance History
11 March 1962 – Friends Meeting House, Cambridge, England
The Ramblers (Cambridge Band)
(March 1962 – October 1963)
Band Members
Richard Baker – Bass Guitar
David Gilmour – Guitar (in performances marked *)
John Gordon – Rhythm Guitar
Chris Marriot – Vocals
Mervyn Marriot – Guitar
Albie Prior – Guitar
Clive Welham – Drums
Performance History
1962
24 March 1962 – Free Church Hall, Cambridge, England
03 May 1962 – Guildhall, Cambridge, England
12 May 1962 – Free Church Hall, Cambridge, England
25 May 1962 – City Supporters Club, Cambridge, England
08 June 1962 – City Supporters Club, Cambridge, England
20 October 1962 – Free Church Youth Club, Cambridge, England
13 November 1962 – King’s Head, Fen Ditton, Cambridge, England
01 December 1962 – Guildhall, Cambridge, England
15 December 1962 – Fulbourn Hospital, Fulbourn, Cambridge, England
1963
16 February 1963 – Memorial Hall, Great Shelford, Cambridge, England
07 March 1963 – Victoria Ballroom, Cambridge, England
15 April 1963 – Church Hall, Sawston, Cambridge, England*
16 May 1963 – Victoria Ballroom, Cambridge, England*
02 August 1963 – Rex Ballroom, Cambridge, England
17 August 1963 – Victoria Ballroom, Cambridge, England
12 October 1963 – Village Hall, Harston, Cambridge, England
Chris Ian & The Newcomers (Cambridge Band)
(January – March 1963)
Band Members
Barney Barnes – Rhythm Guitar
Roger Bibby – Bass Guitar
Chris Ian Culpin – Drums
David Gilmour – Guitar, Vocals
Ken Waterson – Vocals
Performances
1963
26 January 1963 – Memorial Hall, Fulbourn, Cambridge, England
16 March 1963 – Guildhall, Cambridge, England
23 March 1963 – Village Hall, Dry Drayton, Cambridge, England
The Newcomers (Cambridge Band)
(April – October 1963)
Band Members
Barney Barnes – Rhythm Guitar
Roger Bibby – Bass Guitar
David Gilmour – Guitar, Vocals
Kenny Lennon – Vocals (performances marked *)
Johnny Philips – Vocals
Ken Waterson – Vocals
Willie Wilson – Drums
Performances
1963
04 May 1963 – Guildhall, Cambridge, England
25 May 1963 – Village Hall, Trumpington, Cambridge, England*
27 May 1963 – St Andrew’s Baptist Hall, Cambridge, England*
08 June 1963 – Rex Ballroom, Cambridge, England
03 August 1963 – Rex Ballroom, Cambridge, England
24 August 1963 – Rex Ballroom, Cambridge, England
05 October 1963 – Rex Ballroom, Cambridge, England
Those Without (Cambridge Band)
(June – September 1963)
Band Members
Roger “Syd” Barrett – Bass Guitar
Steve Pyle – Drums
Alan Sizer – Guitar, Vocals
Smudge – Guitar
Performances
1963
16 June 1963 – Congregational Church Youth Club, Cambridge, England
12 September 1963 – Chestnut College, Cambridge, England
The Hollerin’ Blues
(July 1964)
Band Members
Barney Barnes – Keyboard, Electric Piano, Vocals
Roger “Syd” Barrett – Guitar
Peter Glass – Harmonica
Steve Pyle – Drums
Ken Waterson – Vocals, Maracas, Harmonica
Performances
1964
July 1964 – Masonic Hall, Cambridge, England
July 1964 – Victoria Road Congregational Church Hall, Cambridge, England
July 1964 – Footlights Club, Cambridge, England
Jokers Wild (Cambridge Band)
(October 1964 to 1966)
Band Members
David Altham – Guitar, Saxophone, Keyboards, Vocals
David Gilmour – Guitar, Vocals, Harmonica
John Gordon – Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Tony Sainty – Bass, Vocals (left in 1966)
Clive Welham – Drums, Vocals (to mid 1966)
Peter Gilmour – Bass Guitar, Vocals (early 1966 onwards)
Willie Wilson – Drums (mid 1966 onwards)
Performances
1964
14 October 1964 – Les Jeux Interdits, Victoria Ballroom, Cambridge, England
1965
13 January 1965 – Les Jeux Interdits, Victoria Ballroom, Cambridge, England
20 January 1965 – Les Jeux Interdits, Victoria Ballroom, Cambridge, England
28 January 1965 – Les Jeux Interdits, Victoria Ballroom, Cambridge, England
30 January 1965 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge, England
13 February 1965 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge, England
19 February 1965 – Caius College Valentine Ball, Guildhall & Corn Exchange, Cambridge, England
22 February 1965 – Old English Gentlemen, Cambridge, England
24 February 1965 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge, England
26 March 1965 – The Racehorse, Cambridge, England
5 May 1965 – Les Jeux Interdits, Victoria Ballroom, Cambridge, England
12 May 1965 – Les Jeux Interdits, Victoria Ballroom, Cambridge, England
19 May 1965 – Les Jeux Interdits, Victoria Ballroom, Cambridge, England
2 June 1965 – Les Jeux Interdits, Victoria Ballroom, Cambridge, England
5 June 1965 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge, England
15 June 1965 – Peterhouse College May Ball, Peterhouse College, Cambridge, England
30 June 1965 – Les Jeux Interdits, Victoria Ballroom, Cambridge, England
3 July 1965 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge, England
6 July 1965 – Les Jeux Interdits, Victoria Ballroom, Cambridge, England
1 September 1965 – Les Jeux Interdits, Victoria Ballroom, Cambridge, England
8 September 1965 – Les Jeux Interdits, Victoria Ballroom, Cambridge, England
12 November 1965 – Bassingbourn Village College, Bassingbourn, Cambridge, England
19 November 1965 – Shadow Ball, Victoria Ballroom, Cambridge, England
26 November 1965 – Comberton College, Cambridge, England
00 Unknown 1965 – The Pit Club, Cambridge University, Cambridge, England
00 Unknown 1965 – Byam Shaw School of Art, Campden Hill, Notting Hill Gate, London (with Pink Floyd!!)
00 Unknown 1965 – Great Shelford, Cambridge, England
Sigma 6 (London Band)
(Autumn 1963)
This band was put together by Clive Metcalf whilst Nick, Roger and Richard Wright were attending Regent Street Polytechnic.
Band Members
Nick Mason – Drums
Roger Waters – Guitar
Richard Wright – Rhythm Guitar, piano, organ and brass
Clive Metcalf – Bass Guitar
Keith Noble – Vocals
Sheilagh Noble – Occasional backing vocals
Vernon Thompson – Rhythm Guitar
Performances
The band made a number of undocumented appearances at various informal parties.
The Abdabs (The Screaming Abdabs) (London Band)
(Spring-Summer 1964)
Band Members
Juliette Gale – Vocals
Nick Mason – Drums
Clive Metcalf – Bass
Keith Noble – Vocals
Roger Waters – Guitar
Richard Wright – Rhythm Guitar
Performances
00-00-1964 – The Marquee, Soho, London. They played as extras in an unidentified film.
The band also played at various private parties but never played any other music venues. They rehearsed at Regent Street Polytechnic often in addition to the flat of Mike Leonard much to the annoyance of the neighbours!
The Spectrum Five (London Band)
(Autumn 1964)
The Band
Roger “Syd” Barrett – Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Bob Klose – Guitar, harmonica, vocals
Nick Mason – Drums
Roger Waters – Bass, vocals
Richard Wright – Keyboards, Vocals
Performances
02 March 1964 – Beat City, Oxford Street, London
03 March 1964 – Beat City, Oxford Street, London
00 Unknown 1964 – Camberwell Art School, London
Leonard’s Lodgers (London Band)
(Winter 1964)
Band Members
Roger “Syd” Barrett – Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Bob Klose – Guitar, harmonica, vocals
Mike Leonard – Occasional Keyboards
Nick Mason – Drums
Roger Waters – Bass, vocals
Performances
None Documented
The Pink Floyd Blues Band / The Tea Set / The Pink Floyd
(January – Winter 1965)
The group of people below played a handful of gigs together changing their name when the situation required it! They recorded once under the name The Tea Set material which has not yet been unearthed. They also recorded a 7 inch acetate single featuring un-released songs Lucy Leave and King Bee.
Band Members
Roger “Syd” Barrett – Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Nick Mason – Drums
Roger Waters – Bass, Vocals
Richard Wright – Keyboards, Saxophone, vocals
Bob Klose – Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals (left in summer)
Chris Dennis – Vocals (in January only)
Performances
00 February 1965 – Count Down, Palace Gate, Kensington, London
22 May 1965 – Summer Dance, Homerton College, Cambridge, England
26 June 1965 – Melody Maker National Beat Contest, Wimbledon Palais, Wimbledon, London
26 June 1965 – Beat Contest, The Country Club, Belsize Park, London
00 Unknown 1965 – Byam Shaw School of Art, Campden Hill, Notting Hill Gate, London (with Jokers Wild playing inside an enormous bird cage!).
00 Unknown 1965 – Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire, England (At Storm Thorgerson and Libby January’s engagement party with Jokers Wild and Paul Simon).
Bibliography
Inside Out – A Personal History of Pink Floyd by Nick Mason
Pink Floyd In The Flesh – The Complete Performance History by Glen Povey and Ian Russell
The Rough Guide To Pink Floyd – Toby Manning
