The Tornados

George Bellamy: guitar b. 8 October 1941, Sunderland, England Heinz Burt: bass guitar b. 24 July 1942, Hargin, Germany; d. 7 April 2000 Alan Caddy: lead guitar & violin b. 2 February 1940, London; d. 16 August 2001 Clem Cattini: drums b. 20 August 1937, London Roger Lavern: keyboards b. Roger Jackson, 11 November 1938, Kidderminster, England

1961

George Bellamy (rhythm guitar), Heinz Burt (bass guitar), Alan Caddy (lead guitar), Clem Cattini (drums, percussion), and Norman Hale (organ).

London producer-songwriter-manager Joe Meek originally assembled the Tornados as a studio ensemble to back up vocalists such as John Leyton, Don Charles, and Billy Fury. Notoriously dominating as a producer, he chose musicians with proven musicianship. Cattini and Caddy had previously worked together with Johnny Kidd. The others were "veterans" of the burgeoning British rock scene.

April. "Love and Fury"' (Meek) / "Popeye Twist" (Caddy) [UK release, Decca F11449].

1962

Roger Lavern replaces Hale. Meek's production skills enabled him to get remarkable sounds from meager resources. According to Cattini, "Joe Meek was a mad genius . . . , there was no way he was going to die a natural death! The sounds he got out of that little studio of his were phenomenal." (Frame 1995:32) August. "Telstar"' (Meek) / "Jungle Fever"' (Goddard) [UK release, Decca F11494]. 30 August. "Telstar" enters UK charts and eventually reaches number one on both the UK and US charts. October. The Sounds of the Tornados [UK EP, Decca DFE8510] November. Telstar [UK EP, Decca DFE8511]

1963

January. "Globetrotter" (Meek) / "Locomotion with Me" (Lawrence). [UK release Decca F11562].

10 January. "Globetrotter" enters UK charts and eventually reaches number 5 on the UK charts. February. As the beat boom enveloped Britain, Meek decided to spin another act off from the Tornados: their bass player, Heinz Burt, became a singer. The German-born Heinz was striking visually as he had — on a dare — dyed his hair a platinum blonde. Heinz and Meek engaged a band he had previously worked in, the Outlaws, to back him. The Tornados replace him with Tab Martin on bass. March. "Robot" (Meek) / "Life on Venus" (Meek). [UK release, Decca F11606]. March. More Sounds from theTornados [UK EP release, Decca DFE8521] 21 March. "Robot" enters UK charts and eventually reaches number 17 on the UK charts.

April. Brian Gregg (Cattini and Cady's bandmate from the Pirates) replaces Tab Martin on bass.

May. "The Ice Cream Man" (Meek) / "Theme from the Scales of Justice" (Douglas) [UK release, Decca F11662].

6 June. "The Ice Cream Man" enters UK charts and eventually reaches number 18 on the UK charts.

July. Tornado Rock [UK EP release, Decca DFE8533].

September. "Dragonfly" (Wain, Asquith, and Grey) / "Hymn for Teenagers" (Meek, Lawrence) [UK release, Decca F11745]

10 October. "Dragonfly" enters UK charts and eventually reaches number 41 on the UK charts.

Just about all of these musicians remained active in the British rock scene long after the demise of the band. Cattini, one of the most active of London's session drummers, recorded with a number of artists in the sixties and seventies. Caddy became a producer.

1967

3 February. Meek murders his landlady and commits suicide.

A note of trivia: the band spelled their name "Tornados," not "Tornadoes."

References:

Frame 1995:32; Romanowski George-Warren 1995; Joynson 1995.

Early Rock Groups	Schedule	Beatles in the Works
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