The British Beat Boom


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Keith West (Keith Hopkins) - vocals

Les Jones/Steve Howe - lead guitar

John "Junior" Wood - rhythm guitar

Simon "Boots" Alcot - bass guitar

Ken Lawrence - drums





The group was formed as a R'n'B band in 1964 as Four Plus One, featuring a line-up of Jones, Wood, Alcot and Lawrence. West joined after answering an ad the group have place in "Melody Maker". As Four Plus One they released one single, both sides of which were songs already issued by the Rolling Stones. After the single bombed, the group changed both its name and its style. Reflecting the burgeoning mod movement they re-christened themselves the In Crowd after a song by Dobie Gray and switched to more soul-oriented material. Their first release under this guise, a version of Otis Redding's "That's How Strong My Love Is" provided them with their only chart hit, albeit a minor one.

By the time the follow-up appeared Les Jones had been replaced by the talented young Steve Howe who had previously been in The Syndicats.

By the end of 1965 the In Crowd had ceased to exist. Keith West, Junior Wood and Steve Howe became the nucleus of the psychedelic band Tomorrow. West later had a solo hit with "Excerpt From A Teenage Opera" (which reached #2 in 1967's "summer of love"), while Howe would later join Yes, one of the leading "prog-rock" bands of the 70s. 

 

 Four Plus One Single

19'64

Time Is On My Side/Don't Lie To Me

Parlophone R 5221

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The In Crowd Singles

1965

That's How Strong My Love Is/Things She Says

Parlophone R 5276

UK#48

1965

Stop, Wait A Minute/You're On Your Own

Parlophone R 5328

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Nov '65

Why Must They Criticise/I Don't Mind

Parlophone R 5364

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