Bands Page
​Below is a list of the bands I have been involved in over the years
The Ambassadors
1966 - 1967
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This was a gospel group based at South Benfleet Baptist Church. I was only 13 when I joined - I think one of the other guitarists was in his thirties. We played in the church services. I was very happy and wrote quite a few gospel songs having recently become a Christian. Malcolm Boulter was a truly talented musician - pianist, clarinetist, singer. I think he went to the Royal Academy. We were poles apart but we respected each other. I remember listening to Sgt. Pepper's on his hi-fi - it was the first stereo I'd ever heard -amazing.
Personnel:-
Malcolm Boulter - autoharp, vocals (became a Baptist minister now retired)
Geoff Tagg - guitar, vocals
John Birk (R.I.P.) - guitar
Les Titford - guitar, vocals
Embryo
1969 - 1972
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I kind of muscled my way into this band. They didn't have a drummer so I bought myself a cheap Olympic kit and taught myself to play! Eventually I moved onto guitar. We played Floyd, Free, Ten Years After and Fleetwood Mac covers and "progressed" to my own appalling songs! I think we did about 6 gigs over a period of about two years. We were very young but very earnest. I remember taking my drum kit on the bus to Southend to rehearse much to the amusement of the bus conductor.
Personnel:-
Embryo 1
Steve Wheeler - guitar, vocals
Tod Bowyer - guitar
Chris Underhill - bass, vocals
Les Titford - drums, vocals
Embryo 2
Steve Wheeler - guitar, vocals
Tod Bowyer - bass
Jerry Cunningham - guitar, vocals
Les Titford - drums, vocals
When I moved onto guitar we auditioned a drummer who was totally useless and I think that was the end of the band.
Nimrod
1972
I placed an ad in the Evening Echo and was amazed when two people applied to join a new band I was forming. I was heavily into James Taylor and Neil Young so it was going to be that kind of thing.Wendy was a great singer who could also play pretty well. She did Lesley Duncan's "Love Song" and I fell in love with the clawhammer picking she did. Terry could play guitar and flute and sang harmonies. We sounded great but unbelievably only did one gig at The Railway Hotel in Southend before we went our separate ways. Shame.
Personnel:-​
Wendy ????? - guitar, vocals
Terry ?????? - guitar, flute, vocals
Les Titford - guitar, vocals
The Wheeler Brothers
1972
Steve Wheeler and I decided to totally sell out and form a middle of the road pop duo. We did one gig at The Tavern In The Town in Southend.
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Personnel:-​
Steve Wheeler - guitar, vocals
Les Titford - guitar, vocals
Part of Us
1972 - 1973
I knew Brian Roost as a guy who made amplifiers. I turned up at his flat late in 1972 to audition for his band which he ran with his wife Jackie. I was as green as grass, only knew a handful of chords but he gave me a chance - said he could see my potential.The material was very, very MOR almost to the point of being twee but I learnt a lot and I was grateful for the chance. Also I started to earn a small amount of money from playing in a band - a first.We did quite a lot of gigs but I left when my chance to join Thomahawk came up.
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Personnel:-​
Brian Roost - guitar, vocals
Jackie Roost (RIP) - vocals
Kelvin Baldwin - drums, vocals
John David - bass (was replaced by Mick ????)
Les Titford - guitar, vocals
​​Thomahawk
1973 - 1976
This was the big one. Thomahawk were an established gigging country band.
Vic Collins, who I had met down at Chris Stevens Music Centre, asked me to join this band in April of '73. The very next weekend I was playing on Radio Medway and before long we were in the studio for CBS doing a cover of Peaceful Easy Feeling (Eagles).
The band underwent lots of line-up changes over the years - I'll try to list as many as I can. Thom Fricker was the leader - a real character who sadly died in 1980 at the age of 41. In 1975 we thought we'd cracked it. We were in IBC Studios, London with the London Symphony Orchestra recording our debut album. It was not to be - the album was not released and the band split in the summer of '76. Check out the site dedicated to this album.
It was an amazing three years.
Here are just some of the line-ups over the years:-
Thomahawk 1 (from when I joined) 1973
Thom Fricker - guitar, vocals
Pat Green - drums, vocals
Geoff Sawyer - bass
Vic Collins - guitar, pedal steel guitar, banjo, vocals
Les Titford - guitar, keyboards, vocals
Thomahawk 2 1974
Thom Fricker - guitar, vocals
Pat Green - drums, vocals
Spud Spurling - bass, vocals
Vic Collins - guitar, pedal steel guitar, banjo, vocals
Les Titford - guitar, keyboards, vocals
Thomahawk 3 1975
Thom Fricker - guitar, vocals
Kelvin Baldwin - drums, vocals
Geoff Sawyer - bass
Keith Shilcock - guitar, vocals
Les Titford - guitar, keyboards, vocals
Thomahawk 4 (The IBC Album band) 1975
Thom Fricker - guitar, vocals
Pat Green - drums, vocals
Geoff Sawyer - bass
Keith Shilcock - guitar, vocals
Les Titford - guitar, keyboards, vocals
Thomahawk 5 1975/6
Thom Fricker - guitar, vocals
Pat Green - drums, vocals
Steve Wheeler - guitar, keyboard, vocals
Keith Shilcock - bass, vocals
Les Titford - guitar, keyboards, vocals
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?????
1976 - 1979
I played in an unnamed restaurant band. It paid the bills, I got married during this time - 'nuff said!
Personnel:-
John Balm - drumsRon Bailey - bass, vocals
Les Titford - guitar, keyboards, vocals
The Acme Music Company
1979 - 1982
I joined this band to get out of the tedious restaurant scene.We did loads of gigs. I seem to remember giggling a lot!
The Acme Music Comany 1
*Steve Dawes - drums, vocals
Colin Bocking - bass, vocals
*Ron Meggs - guitar, pedal steel guitar, banjo, vocals
Les Titford - guitar, keyboards, vocals
The Acme Music Comany 2
Steve Dawes - drums, vocals
Colin Bocking - bass, vocals
Steve Wheeler - guitar, keyboards, vocals
Les Titford - guitar, keyboards, vocals
*R.I.P. Steve Dawes and Ron Meggs
Spot the Dog
1982 - 1991
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This fluctuated from being a duo to a trio with various line-ups. The age of the drum machine and sequencer had arrived. Loads of gigs in this successful covers band.
We had various names but to simplify things I'll call them all Spot The Dog.
Spot The Dog 1
Ron Bailey - bass, vocals
Lisa Bridgey - keyboards, guitar, vocals
Les Titford - guitar, keyboards, vocals
Spot The Dog 2
Ron Bailey - bass, vocals
Steve Wheeler - keyboards, guitar, vocals
Les Titford - guitar, keyboards, vocals
Out Of The Blue
1992 - 1993
A short-lived covers band that I joined.
Personnel:-
Ken Kies - guitar, vocals
Andy Turner - guitar, vocals
Joel Breeze - bass, vocals
Gary Price - drums
Les Titford - guitar, keyboards, vocals
Whitewood
2001 - 2002
This was a folky trio that I formed with my son Steve and my now-step-daughter Lauren. Only did a couple of gigs. Sounded good though!
Personnel:-
Les Titford - guitar, keyboards, vocals
Steve Titford - guitar, keyboards, vocals
Lauren Cantle - vocals
Daddy Long Les and Stevie T
2009 - 2011
Me and my son Steve playing covers. Great fun!
Les Titford - guitars, vocals
Steve Titford - guitars, vocals
2022 - 2024
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A very busy band playing music from the golden era of pop - fifties, sixties and seventies.
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Personnel:-​
John Bobin - bass guitar
Paul Milligan - vocals & guitar
Dek Robinson - drums
Les Titford - vocals, guitar & keyboard