SalfordOnline.com has looked at the careers of many local bands over the years and here we tell the story from June 1966 of a beat group from Eccles with lofty ambitions but with a rather odd name,…. Big Chuckles.
The music corrrespondent from the Eccles and Patricroft Journal was a chap called ‘Tempo’ who reviewed all the new releases from the big groups of the day but also gave valuable press coverage to local bands.
The Big Chuckles story started some 18 months earlier when the band who consisted of John Featherstone who lived at Winster Road, Peel Green, Peter Hughes, Higher Croft, Barton, Patrick O’Neil, Chorlton on Medlock, Barry Turner, Salford and Edwin Warwick, Moss Side.
The boys originally played under the name, ‘Petals’ sadly another band already had this name, and so the name ‘Big Chuckles’ was chosen.
They aquired a manager, George Gray who told, ‘Tempo’, “Originally they played rhythm and blues, but after a while the group changed to making more commercial music.
“They began to take an interest in vocals and harmony and since then the amount of work they are getting has increased and they have decided to turn all of their interest into this entertainment field by turning professional”
Pop stardom seemed immiment for the ‘Big Chuckles’ with the news that a recording contract was in the offing, plus they had supported the Spencer Davies Group, Unit Four Plus Two and Goldie and the Gingerbreads.
The band then went on a tour of Germany no doubt to prepare themselves for the mass acclaim that was coming their way.
I did further research into the band and learnt that they did indeed cut a disc with the Polydor label and the single was called, ‘Three Short Days’ and they had shortened their name to ‘Chuckles’
Amazingly the band got their record deal in a most bizarre manner, their manager was on the telephone to Polydor chief, Chris Palmenter, he overheard the band playing live in the background, this was at Club Creole in Wilmslow.
He liked what he heard and asked them to come to London and cut a record and so it came about.
The Chuckles appeared on Granada Television on the show, ‘Scene at 6.30’ which at that time was a massive thing.
So where are the Chuckles now?
They sound as if they really could have made the big time and it seems a shame that a group with so much talent could be forgotten.
So if you were a member of the band or you saw them play, please get in touch and share your memories with us at tonyflynn@salfordonline.com
