Following message we`ve got today from John from North West London. THANKS a lot for that !!!
K.O.R.

SLADE:
Dave Hill lead guitar, backing vocals (born David John Hill, 4.4.1946, at Flete House Maternity Hospital, Holbeton, near Kingsbridge, Devon);

Don Powell drums, percussion, gongs (born Donald George Powell, 10.9.1946, in Bilston, near Wolverhampton, Warwickshire);

Noddy Holder lead vocals, rhythm guitar (Fender Telecaster / Gibson SG Junior) (born Neville John Holder, 15.6.1946, at 31 & a half New Hall Street, Walsall, Staffordshire);

Jim Lea bass (Gibson EB-3, The John Burch Superyob), violin, piano, organ, backing vocals (born James Whild Lea, 14.6.1949, at the Melbourne Arms, Wolverhampton, Warwickshire).

School's: Hill went to Wolverhampton at one, went to Warstones Primary School, Springdale Infants School and Highfields Secondary Modern School, Wolverhampton ( - 1961); Powell was at Villers Road Primary, Etheridge Secondary Modern School for Boys and Wednesbury Technical College, where he studied metallurgy; Holder was at Blue Coat Infants School and T P Riley Comprehensive School (1957 - 1963), Bloxwich; Lea was from a musical family and was classical trained.

The Phantoms first gig was at St Chads Youth Club, Bloxwich, on 10.9.1962. The Sundowners first gig was at Wednesbury Town Hall on 22.10.1962. The Venders first gig was at Hadley Estate on 2.3.1963. The Young Ones debut gig was at the Victory Club, Lower Penn, Wolverhampton, 1963. The N'Between's first gig was in their early days played gigs at St Giles Church Youth Cub in Willenhall. Slade's first proper gig with Holder on lead vocals was at Walsall Town Hall, 1.4.1966.

Early Bands:

Johnny Shane and the Cadillacs:

Johnny Shane (John Howells) lead vocals; Phil Bloor drums; Bobby Howell lead guitar; Ray Pearson rhythm guitar; Paul Rothan bass.

Brad Ford and the Sundowners (1962 - 1963): John Bradford lead vocals; Dave Hill lead guitar; Keith Evans drums; Tony Bate bass; Tony Carter rhythm guitar; Brian Mclaghan rhythm guitar.

The Young Ones (school group, 1963): Dave Hill lead guitar (Burns Vistasonic); Ray Bates guitar; Billy Hickman lead vocals; Tony Carter bass; Keith Evans drums; Johnny Bradford lead vocals.

The band started as a duo with Hill and Bates, then in came Hickman, then Carter and then Evans. Hickman was soon replaced by Bradford.

The Big Roll Seven (1963 - 1965): Mac Wooley drums (group lead); Eddie Pearce piano; Fred Lewis bass; Ron Grayston sax; Tony Archer sax; Dave Hill lead guitar; Johnny Bradford lead vocals.

Hill and Bradford joined this group after The Young Ones had split.

The Vendors (school boy group) / Johnny Travelle and the Vendors (Earl 1963, Bilston - 1964): Johnny Howells lead vocals, lead guitar (Earl 1963) lead vocals (Earl 1963 - 1964) (born John Howells, 28.11.1942, in Bilston); Mickey Marson rhythm guitar (Earl 1963 - 1964)(born Michael Kenneth Marston, 17.11.1944, in Bilston); Don Powell drums (Olympic) (Earl 1963 - 1964); Dave 'Cass' Jones bass (Earl 1963 - 1964) (born David Christopher Jones, 20.12.1946, in Bilston) (ex The Globetrotters, Sirius and the Planes); Johnny Shane lead guitar (Earl - Spring 1963, last gig was 7.4.1963, at the Royal George) (born John Howells, 13.9.1945, in Bilston) (ex Johnny Shane and the Cadillacs); Dave Hill lead guitar (Spring 1963 - 1964); Billy Diffy bass (1963 - 1964).

The Phantoms / The Rockin Phantoms / John E Blue and the Phantoms / Tub Cooper and the Phantoms (Summer 1963, at T P Riley Comprehensive School, Bloxwich, Staffordshire - 9.5.1964): Noddy Holder lead guitar, vocals; Phl Burnell rhythm guitar (born Philip Burnell, 3.2.1946, in Bloxwich); Mick Aulton drums (born Michael Aulton, 4.1946, in Bloxwich); Kenny Holland bass (born Kenneth Holland, 30.10.1947, in Bloxwich); Pete Bickley bass (born Peter Bickley, 6.9.1947, in Walsall, Staffordshire); John 'Tubby' Cooper (John E Blue) lead vocals (born 27.4.1946, in West Bromwich, Staffordshire) (ex The Strangers); Gerry Kibble drums (born Gerard Kibble, 11.5.1948, in Wolverhampton).

The band started out as a duo with Noddy Holder on lead guitar, lead vocals and Phil Burnell on rhythm guitar, mates at TP Riley School, were Burnell was a year below Holder. They met on the last day of term at the end of Holder's second year at the comprehensive school. The first person to join the band was classmate Mick Aulton who became the groups drummer. Then a guy called Kenny Holland joined on bass, who after a while was replaced by Pete Bickley, who was in the same year as Burnell. The band was completed with a second singer Tubby Cooper.

The Memphis Cut-Outs (Earl May - Oct 1964): Noddy Holder lead guitar, vocals; John 'Tubby' Cooper lead vocals; Phl Burnell rhythm guitar; Pete Bickley bass; Gerry Kibble drums.

Steve Brett and the Mavericks

(1957 - ): Steve Brett lead vocals, harmonica (1957 - ) (born Stephen Davies, 28.6.1941, in Bushbury, Wolverhampton) (ex The Drifters, The Tornadoes, The Mason Dixon Line); Gary James drums (born Gary Huntbatch); Ricky Dene bass; Rob Nelson lead guitar; Dave 'Toffee' Holland lead guitar (born David Holland, 1.10.1946, in Wolverhampton); Terry Taylor sax (born Terence David Taylor, 7.7.1932, in Smethwick, Sandwell, Staffordshire); Noddy Holder lead guitar, vocals (Oct 1964 - Dec 1965); Phl Burnell rhythm guitar (Oct 1964 - Dec 1965); Pete Bickley bass (Oct 1964 - Dec 1965); Gerry Kibble drums (Oct 1964 - Dec 1965).

The N'Betweens (Late 1964 - 1965, Earl 1966, 3 Mar 1966 - Jan 1969): Johnny Howells lead vocals (Late 1964 - 1965, Earl 1966, 3 Mar - Mid 1966); Mickey Marson rhythm guitar (Late 1964 - 1965, Earl 1966, 3 Mar 24 Mar 1966); Don Powell drums Late 1964 - 1965, Earl 1966, 3 Mar 1966 - Jan 1969); Dave Hill lead guitar Late 1964 - 1965, Earl 1966, 3 Mar 1966 - Jan 1969); Dave 'Cass' Jones bass (Late 1964 - 1965); Jim Lea bass (Earl 1966 - Jan 1969); Noddy Holder lead guitar, vocals (3.3.1966 - Jan 1969).

Nick and the Axeman (secondary school group): Jim Lea guitar, bass (ex The Staffordshire Youth Orchestra, 1960 - 1963); Nick Vance lead vocals (born Bruce Bruton, 8.2.194; Rob Haynes guitar; Barry Wootton drums.

Ambrose Slade (Earl Jan - Dec 1969): Dave Hill lead guitar; Noddy Holder lead guitar, lead vocals; Don Powell; Jim Lea bass.

Slade (Dec 1962 - Feb 1992); Dave Hill lead guitar, backing vocals; Noddy Holder lead guitar, lead vocals; Don Powell drums, percussion; Jim Lea bass, violin, organ, backing vocals.

The Vendors

were one of many anonymous bands slogging it out in England in the wake of the Merseybeat explosion. Except, in the Vendors' case, two of the members turned out not to be so anonymous, with lead guitarist Dave Hill and drummer Don Powell forming half of Slade a few years down the line. In 1964, however, they were in a young, unremarkable band in Wolverhampton, England, though they did manage to record a privately pressed EP around 1964. The four-song EP contains adequate, raw covers of songs by the Platters, Buddy Holly, and the Shadows, as well as an inconsequential Merseybeat-styled original, "Don't Leave Me Now." All four of the songs were reissued on the CD A Genesis of Slade, which features a couple dozen rare tracks by bands in which members of Slade played before Ambrose Slade formed. The Vendors would evolve into the first lineup of the 'N Betweens, who in 1965 recorded a rare EP and acetate, comprised mostly of covers in a British Invasion R&B style. All eight of those tracks, too, appear on A Genesis of Slade. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

The 'N Betweens

 only did a couple of singles in 1966, and would be forgotten except that the group evolved into Ambrose Slade and then Slade. Back in the mid-'60s the musicians, like many in England, were playing heavily R&B- and soul-influenced material in the mod British Invasion style. The group originally evolved from the Wolverhampton band the Vendors, an average British rock band with a cover-heavy repertoire who'd done a rare privately pressed EP in 1964. With future Slade members Dave Hill on lead guitar and Don Powell on drums, the group changed their name to the 'N Betweens and went for a bluesier, more R&B-heavy sound. This first lineup of the 'N Betweens did a rare French EP for the Barclay label with adequate but faceless covers of songs by the Sorrows, the Pretty Things, and Johnny Preston. All four songs from the EP have been reissued on the CD A Genesis of Slade, which features a couple dozen rare tracks by bands in which members of Slade played before Ambrose Slade formed.

The somewhat more interesting phase of the 'N Betweens began when they reorganized their lineup to the four-piece with the same members who would eventually comprise Slade. At a London gig they attracted the attention of American producer Kim Fowley, who produced their 1966 Columbia U.K. single "You Better Run," a decent but still rather anonymous cover of a hit by the Young Rascals. A U.S. promotional-only single, a cover of Otis Redding's "Security," also came out in 1966, bearing the same B-side ("Evil Witchman," a rewrite of the Sam & Dave soul song "I Take What I Want") as "You Better Run" had in Britain. Three other tracks were recorded in 1966 that were unreleased at the time, the most notable of those being "Ugly Girl" (co-written by Fowley with the band), which hinted at the bluntness in which Slade would specialize in the 1970s.

Fowley ended his association with the 'N Betweens after "You Better Run" flopped, and the band continued working together until evolving into Ambrose Slade in the late '60s, shortly afterward shortening their name to Slade. The 'N Betweens' 1965 EP, 1966 singles, 1966 outtakes, and a four-song 1965 acetate of covers by the first version of the band are included on A Genesis of Slade. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Steve Brett & the Mavericks

 recorded three unmemorable singles for Columbia in Britain in 1965, in a country-influenced pop/rock ballad style. The material was passé by the standards of the mid-'60s, instead sounding like a throwback to the pop/rock ballads of the late '50s and early '60s, and showing a heavy Elvis Presley influence in particular. Steve Brett bore some vocal resemblance to British Presley-influenced singers such as Gordon Waller (of Peter & Gordon) and Adam Faith. The singles were tame and flopped, but are remembered because the Mavericks included guitarist and backing vocalist Noddy Holder, who would later join Slade. All six of the songs from the three Steve Brett & the Mavericks singles were reissued on the CD A Genesis of Slade, which features a couple dozen rare tracks by bands in which members of Slade played before Ambrose Slade formed. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide