Episode Six
Encyclopedia
Episode Six was a British
vocal pop-rock
group during the mid 1960s. The band was not well known, but foreshadowed the arrival of Deep Purple
in late 1960s. Episode Six was formed in July 1964 by former members of The Lightnings; Sheila Carter-Dimmock, Graham Carter-Dimmock and Andy Ross, and former members of The Madisons; Roger Glover
, Tony Lander and Harvey Shield.
They rehearsed at the Carter family home twice a week - without amplifiers - and Sheila's father drove them to gigs. The band all (except Sheila) wore smart white shirts and Beatles
-style leather waistcoats, and via their booking agents there was soon plenty of work further afield. They could have done more, but because Harvey wanted to finish at school they held off. Nevertheless, they soon started doing demos for a record deal, and then did a season in Germany in early 1965, after which Andy Ross left.
The band had already checked out Ian Gillan
in a group called Wainwright's Gentlemen and now asked him to join. Prior to this he'd been with The Javelins, a popular local group, from 1961. Ian Gillan's arrival coincided with the band getting a record deal with Pye Records
and in July they turned professional, giving up college and jobs. They were doing an average of twenty shows a month from July '65 onwards and cut their first single, The Hollies
' "Put Yourself In My Place" before the end of the year. It was released in early 1966.
The band were booked by Radio London
to appear at one of their big open-air summer shows in May 1966 alongside David Bowie
and issued more singles during the year, all of which failed to chart. In September 1966 the group played on the Dusty Springfield
package tour and did a weekly residency at the Marquee Club
during October. There was also the first solo single from Sheila; "I Will Warm Your Heart" in November 1966. The year climaxed with a long Christmas season in Beirut (where they topped the local chart) through December and January.
The group had by now built up an impressive repertoire of covers and originals and would vary their sets according to the audiences. They were also beginning to do sessions for the BBC
. They did a mini tour of London parks (organised by the Greater London Council
) in mid-June 1967, performing two 45 minute sets, and played for four weeks in Germany. On their return Harvey left the group as the touring was telling on his health.
New drummer John Kerrison had previously been in The Pirates (with Nick Simper
). With him onboard Episode Six were soon back in Germany doing clubs, and returned there early in the new year.
The group got a new record deal with MGM Records
and shortened their name to The Episode, releasing "Little One" in May 1968 (their only single under the new name). They did three UK TV shows to promote this and recorded dozens of tracks for radio sessions over the year, including the new Radio 1 Club. However they were not getting along with their new drummer, who was eventually fired. A replacement had already been chosen: ex-Outlaws
drummer Mick Underwood
.
Their September 1968 single 'Lucky Sunday' became their eighth chart miss, despite some good reviews. "Mozart Vs The Rest" followed in February 1969. This was issued in response to hundreds of calls to BBC Radio 1
after the band performed it on air. Sadly this happened too late for it to chart.
The band made a start on a début album but it was never finished. In June 1969 Ritchie Blackmore
and Jon Lord
came to see Episode Six play live in London, and then offered Ian Gillan a job in Deep Purple. Roger Glover
helped Deep Purple out on a studio session and was also asked to join them. The pair helped Episode Six fulfil existing bookings while rehearsing with Deep Purple.
Episode Six carried on for a time with John Gustafson
on bass and vocals. Sheila rehearsed with Pete Robinson, John Gustafson and Mick Underwood as a quartet, before they formed the trio Quatermass. Episode Six then played for a while with Sheila, Tony Lander, Dave Lawson (later of Greenslade
) and Tony Dangerfield on bass. By the end of the year they were billed as Episode Six with Sheila Carter and then The Sheila Carter Band, and this continued off and on (mostly with gigs abroad) until 1974 with Sheila as the constant, before she went into session work.
A couple of singles recorded by Episode Six for Pye Records have been produced by Tony Reeves
, a renowned bassist and one of founder members of Colosseum
.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
vocal pop-rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
group during the mid 1960s. The band was not well known, but foreshadowed the arrival of Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
in late 1960s. Episode Six was formed in July 1964 by former members of The Lightnings; Sheila Carter-Dimmock, Graham Carter-Dimmock and Andy Ross, and former members of The Madisons; Roger Glover
Roger Glover
Roger David Glover is a Welsh bassist, songwriter, and record producer. Glover is best known as the bassist and lyricist for the hard rock band, Deep Purple.-Early career:...
, Tony Lander and Harvey Shield.
Career
In early 1964 they got an agency and more work came in, though they could only play shows on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as Harvey Shield was still at school (Lawry Geller would sometimes stand in for him), and the others had college and work. Prompted by their agency, they decided to choose a new name and rechristened themselves Episode Six, inspired by a novel called Danish Episode (though they sometimes used both names where people knew the old one).They rehearsed at the Carter family home twice a week - without amplifiers - and Sheila's father drove them to gigs. The band all (except Sheila) wore smart white shirts and Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
-style leather waistcoats, and via their booking agents there was soon plenty of work further afield. They could have done more, but because Harvey wanted to finish at school they held off. Nevertheless, they soon started doing demos for a record deal, and then did a season in Germany in early 1965, after which Andy Ross left.
The band had already checked out Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan is an English rock music vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple. During his career Gillan also fronted his own band, had a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath, and sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd...
in a group called Wainwright's Gentlemen and now asked him to join. Prior to this he'd been with The Javelins, a popular local group, from 1961. Ian Gillan's arrival coincided with the band getting a record deal with Pye Records
Pye Records
Pye Records was a British record label. In its first incarnation, perhaps Pye's best known artists were Lonnie Donegan , Petula Clark , The Searchers , The Kinks , Sandie Shaw and Brotherhood of Man...
and in July they turned professional, giving up college and jobs. They were doing an average of twenty shows a month from July '65 onwards and cut their first single, The Hollies
The Hollies
The Hollies are an English pop and rock group, formed in Manchester in the early 1960s, though most of the band members are from throughout East Lancashire. Known for their distinctive vocal harmony style, they became one of the leading British groups of the 1960s and 1970s...
' "Put Yourself In My Place" before the end of the year. It was released in early 1966.
The band were booked by Radio London
Wonderful Radio London
Radio London, also known as Big L and Wonderful Radio London, was a top 40 offshore commercial station that operated from 16 December 1964 to 14 August 1967, from a ship anchored in the North Sea, three and a half miles off Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, England...
to appear at one of their big open-air summer shows in May 1966 alongside David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and issued more singles during the year, all of which failed to chart. In September 1966 the group played on the Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
package tour and did a weekly residency at the Marquee Club
Marquee Club
The Marquee was a music club first located at 165 Oxford Street, London, England when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts.It was also the location of the first ever live performance by The Rolling Stones on 12 July 1962....
during October. There was also the first solo single from Sheila; "I Will Warm Your Heart" in November 1966. The year climaxed with a long Christmas season in Beirut (where they topped the local chart) through December and January.
The group had by now built up an impressive repertoire of covers and originals and would vary their sets according to the audiences. They were also beginning to do sessions for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. They did a mini tour of London parks (organised by the Greater London Council
Greater London Council
The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
) in mid-June 1967, performing two 45 minute sets, and played for four weeks in Germany. On their return Harvey left the group as the touring was telling on his health.
New drummer John Kerrison had previously been in The Pirates (with Nick Simper
Nick Simper
Nicholas John Simper is a bass guitarist, best known as a founding member of Deep Purple.-Biography:...
). With him onboard Episode Six were soon back in Germany doing clubs, and returned there early in the new year.
The group got a new record deal with MGM Records
MGM Records
MGM Records was a record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946, for the purpose of releasing soundtrack albums of their musical films. Later it became a pop label, lasting into the 1970s...
and shortened their name to The Episode, releasing "Little One" in May 1968 (their only single under the new name). They did three UK TV shows to promote this and recorded dozens of tracks for radio sessions over the year, including the new Radio 1 Club. However they were not getting along with their new drummer, who was eventually fired. A replacement had already been chosen: ex-Outlaws
The Outlaws (UK band)
The Outlaws were an English instrumental band that recorded in the early 1960s. One time members included Ritchie Blackmore, Chas Hodges, Bobby Graham, Ken Lundgren, Mick Underwood, Reg Hawkins , Billy Kuy and others....
drummer Mick Underwood
Mick Underwood
Mick Underwood is a British drummer best known for his work with Episode Six, Quatermass and Gillan. First playing drums at the age of 14, he was a professional musician by the time he left school...
.
Their September 1968 single 'Lucky Sunday' became their eighth chart miss, despite some good reviews. "Mozart Vs The Rest" followed in February 1969. This was issued in response to hundreds of calls to BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
after the band performed it on air. Sadly this happened too late for it to chart.
The band made a start on a début album but it was never finished. In June 1969 Ritchie Blackmore
Ritchie Blackmore
Richard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was known as one of the first guitarists to fuse Classical music elements with rock. He fronted his own band Rainbow after leaving Deep Purple where he was unhappy because his favourite musical style wasn't adequately...
and Jon Lord
Jon Lord
Jonathan Douglas "Jon" Lord is an English composer, pianist and Hammond organ player.Jon Lord, also known as 'Hammond Lord', is a classically trained piano player. He is recognised for his Hammond organ blues-rock sound and for his pioneering work in fusing rock and classical or baroque forms...
came to see Episode Six play live in London, and then offered Ian Gillan a job in Deep Purple. Roger Glover
Roger Glover
Roger David Glover is a Welsh bassist, songwriter, and record producer. Glover is best known as the bassist and lyricist for the hard rock band, Deep Purple.-Early career:...
helped Deep Purple out on a studio session and was also asked to join them. The pair helped Episode Six fulfil existing bookings while rehearsing with Deep Purple.
Episode Six carried on for a time with John Gustafson
John Gustafson (musician)
John "Gus" Gustafson also known as Johnny Gustafson is an influential bass player who has had a thirty eight year recording and live performance career...
on bass and vocals. Sheila rehearsed with Pete Robinson, John Gustafson and Mick Underwood as a quartet, before they formed the trio Quatermass. Episode Six then played for a while with Sheila, Tony Lander, Dave Lawson (later of Greenslade
Greenslade
Greenslade is an English progressive rock band. It was originally formed in the autumn of 1972 with the following line-up:* Dave Greenslade - keyboards...
) and Tony Dangerfield on bass. By the end of the year they were billed as Episode Six with Sheila Carter and then The Sheila Carter Band, and this continued off and on (mostly with gigs abroad) until 1974 with Sheila as the constant, before she went into session work.
A couple of singles recorded by Episode Six for Pye Records have been produced by Tony Reeves
Tony Reeves
Anthony 'Tony' Reeves is an English bass guitarist/contrabassist, noted for his "extremely prominent and complex bass sound" and use of electronic effects...
, a renowned bassist and one of founder members of Colosseum
Colosseum (band)
Colosseum is a pioneering British progressive jazz-rock band, mixing progressive rock and jazz-based improvisation.-History 1968 - 1971:The band was formed in September 1968 by drummer Jon Hiseman, tenor sax player Dick Heckstall-Smith and bass player Tony Reeves, who had previously worked together...
.
Personnel
| (1964–1965) |
|
|---|---|
| (1965–1967) |
Ian Gillan Ian Gillan is an English rock music vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple. During his career Gillan also fronted his own band, had a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath, and sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd... - vocals |
| (1967–1968) | |
| (1968–1969) |
Mick Underwood Mick Underwood is a British drummer best known for his work with Episode Six, Quatermass and Gillan. First playing drums at the age of 14, he was a professional musician by the time he left school... - drums |
| (1969–1972) |
John Gustafson John Gustafson may refer to:*John Gustafson , computer scientist, inventor of Gustafson's Law and Director of Research at Intel Labs*John Gustafson , bassist and vocalist... - bass guitar, vocals |
| (1972–1974) |
|
Singles
- "Put Yourself in My Place" (Jan 21st 1966)
- "When I Hear Trumpets Blow" (April 29, 1966)
- "Here, There and EverywhereHere, There and Everywhere"Here, There and Everywhere" is a song written primarily by Paul McCartney , recorded for The Beatles 1966 album Revolver. In his biography Many Years From Now, McCartney said the song is one of his favourites. Beatles' producer George Martin has also mentioned it as one of his favourite McCartney...
" (August 19, 1966) - Love, Hate, Revenge (February 3, 1967)
- "Morning DewMorning Dew"Morning Dew", also known as " Morning Dew", is a post-apocalyptic folk-rock song written by Canadian singer Bonnie Dobson in 1962.According to Dobson in a 1993 interview, "Morning Dew" was inspired by the film On the Beach....
" (June 9, 1967) - I Can See Through You (October 6, 1967)
- Little One (May 3, 1968)
- Lucky Sunday (October 25, 1968)
- Mozart Vs The Rest (Feb 14. 1969)
Albums
- Put Yourself In My Place (1987)
- The Complete Episode Six: The Roots of Deep Purple (1991)
- BBC Radio 1 Live 1998/1969 (1997)
- Cornflakes and Crazyfoam (2002)
- Love, Hate, Revenge (2005)
- Compilation albums of songs recorded between 1965 and 1969