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Pre Zeppelin Bonham/Plant
John Bonham – drums
Chris Brown – organ
Kevyn Gammond – guitar, vocals
Byron House – bass guitar, guitar, vocals
Robert Plant – lead vocals
1965
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Band_of_Joy
A set of recordings were laid down at Regent Sound Studios in London in 1967. Robert Plant donated 'Adriatic Sea View' from this session, to a Kidderminster College fund-raising tape project in 1989, later to be released on CD.
Songs recorded at the session were:
Adriatic Sea View (later released on the MAS Records label);
For What it's Worth (now available on Sixty Six to Timbuktu);
Hey Joe (now available on Sixty-Six to Timbuktu);
Memory Lane. (Memory Lane was the first song written by Plant and Bonham and is about a street called Dagger Lane in West Bromwich.)
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The Senators unknowingly made rock music history in 1964 when they recorded a song called "She's A Mod" at Hollick & Taylor Studios in Birmingham. This was the first ever recording to be released featuring a young drummer from Reddich called John Bonham - long before he became part of Led Zeppelin - one of the most successful rock bands of all time!
Bill Ford, who played bass guitar in The Senators, remembers those days well and has kindly supplied this exclusive biography of the band as told in his own words.
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In 1965 John played with The Nicky James Movement. At various times other group members included Roy Wood and Bev Bevan, who went on to form 'The Move', and Mike Pinder, later to become one of The Moody Blues.
Nicky James also played with Denny Laine and the Diplomats.
Band Members:
Roy Wood
Bev Bevan
Mike Pinder
John Bonham - Drums
In 1966, aged 17, John joined Way Of Life, staying for a total of 18 months. He took a break from the band and returned for a short time in 1967.
Band Members:
John Bonham - sang lead vocals on 'Hey Joe' - (See interview with Reg Jones)
Mike Hopkins - Lead Guitar
Tony Clarkson - Bass
John Bonham - Drums
Reg Jones - Vocals
Chris Jones - Guitar (the Jones brothers are uncles to Ace Kefford of 'The Move')
Later line-ups included Danny King on bass and vocals and then Dave Pegg (of Fairport Convention fame) on bass. See also the interview with Dave Pegg.
The band sometimes featured two drummers: Bonham and Bugsy Eastwood (later to join Dave Pegg and John Kill in The Exceptions).
Way of Life once played support to The Kinks at The Plaza in Handsworth, Birmingham.
Reg Jones Interviewed by Mick Bonham - 30 October 2001 - Friend of John Bonham and vocalist with 'Way of Life'
Good stories here