1966-1967

FAMILY Mk I
Roger Chapman: vocals, tenor saxophone, harmonica, percussion
John ‘Charlie’ Whitney: guitars, keyboards
Ric Grech: bass, violin, cello, vocals
Jim King: tenor and soprano saxophones, harmonica, vocals, piano
Harry Ovenall: drums, percussion

1966

09 SEP 1966 England, Hitchin, Hermitage Halls (billed as The Farinas)
supporting Cream
07 OCT 1966 England, Manchester, Oasis
08 OCT 1966 England, Cleethorpes, Witch Doctor (early show)
08 OCT 1966 England, Grimsby, Discotheque (late show)
09 OCT 1966 England, Carlisle, Cosmo
10 OCT 1966 England, Worsley, Civic Hall
11 OCT 1966 England, Hanley, The Place
12 OCT 1966 England, Newcastle, A Go-Go
20 OCT 1966 England, Sheffield, Locarno
21 OCT 1966 England, Leicester, Grandby Halls (early show)
supporting Ike & Tina Turner
21 OCT 1966 England, Bolton, Burlesque (late show)
22 OCT 1966 England, Bolton, Beachcomber (early show)
22 OCT 1966 England, Liverpool, Cavern (late show)
23 OCT 1966 England, Preston, Beachcomber
24 OCT 1966 England, Baldock
10 NOV 1966 England, Newcastle, A Go-Go
11 NOV 1966 England, York, York University
12 NOV 1966 England, Matlock
13 NOV 1966 England, Bolton, Beachcomber
14 NOV 1966 England, London, Tiles
24 NOV 1966 England, Oldham (as Farinas?)
25 NOV 1966 England, Sunderland (as Farinas?)
26 NOV 1966 England, Birmingham (as Farinas?)
27 NOV 1966 England, Manchester (as Farinas?)
28 NOV 1966 England, Wolverhampton (as Farinas?)
29 NOV 1966 England, Manchester (as Farinas?)
30 NOV 1966 England, Loughborough (as Farinas?)
03 DEC 1966 England, Birmingham, Midnight City
w/ The Who
08 DEC 1966 England, Coventry, Coventry University
09 DEC 1966 England, Leicester, De Montford Hall
10 DEC 1966 England, Hitchin, Town Hall
11 DEC 1966 England, Manchester, Belle Vue
12 DEC 1966 England, Tunstall, Golden Torch
13 DEC 1966 England, London, Blaises
14 DEC 1966 England, Reading, Reading University
15 DEC 1966 England, Newcastle, A Go-Go
16 DEC 1966 England, Sunderland, El Cubana
17 DEC 1966 England, Derby, Cloud
18 DEC 1966 England, Grimsby, Southbank Jazz Club
21 DEC 1966 England, London, Tiles
24 DEC 1966 England, Birmingham, Midnight City
29 DEC 1966 England, Seaburn, Bay Hotel (as Farinas?)
30 DEC 1966 England, Wilby, George Inn (as Farinas?)
31 DEC 1966 England, Derby, Cloud (as Farinas?)

1967

01 JAN 1967 England, Bolton, Beachcomber (as Roaring Sixties?)
02 JAN 1967 England, Warrington, Carlton (as Roaring Sixties?)
04 JAN 1967 England, Hanley, The Place (as Roaring Sixties?)
13 JAN 1967 England, Hitchin, Hermitage Ballroom (as Roaring Sixties?)
14 JAN 1967 England, Prestatyn, Royal Lido (as Roaring Sixties?)
15 JAN 1967 England, Oldham, Astoria (as Roaring Sixties?)
17 JAN 1967 England, London, Blaises (as Roaring Sixties?)
18 JAN 1967 England, London, Speakeasy (as Roaring Sixties?)
19 JAN 1967 England, Connahs Quay (as Roaring Sixties?)
20 JAN 1967 England, Manchester, Hulme Hall (as Roaring Sixties?)
21 JAN 1967 England, Matlock, Pavilion (as Roaring Sixties?)
22 JAN 1967 England, Bolton, Beachcomber (as Roaring Sixties?)
23 JAN 1967 England, Baldock (as Roaring Sixties?)
25 JAN 1967 England, Manchester, Manchester University (as Roaring Sixties?)

02 FEB 1967 England, London, Tiles
23 FEB 1967 England, Kirklevinton, Country Club
24 FEB 1967 England, Stafford, Beaconside Technical College
25 FEB 1967 England, Leicester, Evington Club (early show)
25 FEB 1967 England, Birmingham, Midnight City (late show)
26 FEB 1967 England, Carlisle, Cosmopolitan Ballroom
01 MAR 1967 England, Loughborough, Loughborough University
02 MAR 1967 Wales, Swansea, Swansea University
04 MAR 1967 England, Sheffield, Sheffield University
05 MAR 1967 England, Stoke-on-Trent, Golden Torch Club
06 MAR 1967 England, Baldock
08 MAR 1967 England, Leicester, Corn Exchange
09 MAR 1967 England, Hull, Skyline Ballroom
w/ Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Small Faces, The Strollers, The Mandrakes
15 MAR 1967 England, London, Middle Earth
21 MAR 1967 England, London, Marquee
23 MAR 1967 England, London, Sibylla’s
24 MAR 1967 England, Stockport, Tabernacle Club
27 MAR 1967 England, Stoke-on-Trent, Golden Torch Club
06 APR 1967 England, London, Electric Ballroom
13 APR 1967 England, Hull, Skyline Ballroom
14 APR 1967 England, Leicester, English Electric
15 APR 1967 England, Birmingham, Rainbow Suite
21 APR 1967 England, Birmingham, Ritz Ballroom, Kings Heath
22 APR 1967 England, Nottingham, Britannia Rowing Club
23 APR 1967 England, Oldham, Thing
24 APR 1967 England, London, Marquee
27 APR 1967 England, London, Marquee
w/ The Herd
16 MAY 1967 England, London, Marquee
23 MAY 1967 England, London, Marquee
16 JUN 1967 England, London, Marquee
17 JUN 1967 England, Bedford, Ceasers Club
9 JUN 1967 England, Worcester, Co-op Hall
20 JUN 1967 England, Bournemouth, Pavilion
24 JUN 1967 England, Leicester, Nite Owl
30 JUN 1967 England, Wilby, George Hotel
01 JUL 1967 England, Newcastle, A Go-Go
02 JUL 1967 England, Wigan, Sportsmen Club
03 JUL 1967 England, Chester, Quaintways
06 JUL 1967 England, Birmingham, Black Horse
07 JUL 1967 England, Stockport, Tabernacle Club (early show)
07 JUL 1967 England, Manchester, Mr. Smiths (late show)
08 JUL 1967 England, Northampton, Maple Ballroom
09 JUL 1967 England, Crawley, Starlight Ballroom
10 JUL 1967 England, London, Marquee (early show)
10 JUL 1967 England, London, Sibyllas (late show)
12 JUL 1967 England, South Shields, Cellar Club
14 JUL 1967 England, Sleaford, Quarrington Hall
15 JUL 1967 England, Manchester, New Century Hall
16 JUL 1967 England, Grimsby, Southbank Jazz Club
17 JUL 1967 England, Newcastle, Quay Club
19 JUL 1967 Wales, Swansea, Glanmore Jazz Club
21 JUL 1967 England, Manchester, St. Bernadettes
22 JUL 1967 England, Warminster, private party
25 JUL 1967 England, Southgate, Royalty Ballroom
26 JUL 1967 England, Twickenham, Eel Pie Island (early show)
26 JUL 1967 England, London, Sibyllas (late show)
04 AUG 1967 England, London, UFO Club
07 AUG 1967 England, London, Marquee

SEP 1967 SINGLE RELEASE

1. Scene Through The Eye of A Lens
2. Gypsy Woman

15 SEP 1967 England, London, Chalk Farm, UFO at The Roadhouse
w/ Soft Machine

23 SEP 1967 England, Leicester, 5th Dimension

FAMILY Mk II
Roger Chapman: vocals, tenor saxophone, harmonica, percussion
Ric Grech: bass, violin, cello, vocals
Jim King: tenor and soprano saxophones, harmonica, vocals, tin whistle, piano
Rob Townsend: drums, percussion
John ‘Charlie’ Whitney: guitars, keyboards, mellotron, sitar

03 NOV 1967 England, London, Covent Garden, Middle Earth

On November 1st, after six months preparatory work, FAMILY arrived. The place – Sibylla’s, the audience – 150 of the most critical music men in the business: John and Cynthia Lennon, Graham Nash and Tony Hicks (Hollies), George and Pattie Harrison, Brian Jones, Hapshash and the colored coat, The Heavy Metal Kids, and a good handful of top BBC producers not to mention the top DJ’s and special people like Leslie Caron and Viviane Ventura. The party was not a publicity gig, but an experiment to see if FAMILY could turn on such a varied group of people as they had their manager John Gilbert. The answer was an easy YES. Their lead singer is Roger Chapman who has a unique and immediately identifiable vocal quality; way back in a Leicester Ballroom he won a contest over the ten unknown Gerry Dorsey – now Mr. Humperdinck. He also plays the tenor sax and writes along with lead guitar and sitar player John Whitney. John has one of the few twin neck guitars around. Cream’s Eric Clapton once offered “as much loot as you want and all my guitars” for John’s 18-string dream. Ric Grech once played formal scenes with the Leicester Youth Symphony orchestra, and is now wired for sound on electrified violin, cello and bass. The great harmonica sounds, along with tenor and the seldom-used soprano sax, come from Jim King. Rob Townsend, the newest member of FAMILY, pulls the whole session together with his immaculate drumming. The sounds produced from this group are as unique and as individualist as the instruments they play. Their zeal and perfectionism show up on their first release on the Liberty label, “Scene Through The Eye of a Lens/Gypsy Woman,” and is just a taste of things to come. Liberty Records chief, Robert Reisdorf, expects a great reaction from U.S. record buyers on its next release – Advance orders for FAMILY’s next disc are already pouring in…
-Publicity leaflet, November 1967

20 NOV 1967 BBC SESSION Top Gear England, London, BBC Studio 1, 201 Piccadilly
Broadcast 26 NOV 1967

1. Peace Of Mind
2. Scene Through The Eye Of A Lens
3. Voyage
4. The Breeze
5. Winter

Dave Mason, who quit the Traffic last week to go into record production, will produce the first single and LP by new British rave group, the Family. The Family -a five-strong outfit from Leicester consisting of Roger Chapman,  John  Whitney, Ric Grech, Jim King and Rob Townshend – have already received rave comments from the Beatles and Cream on their live appearances. Dave  starts work on the album with Traffic producer Jimmy Miller this month. Traffic are currently working on new tracks for a single LP in the seclusion of their country retreat in Berkshire.
- Unknown Press, December 1967

08 DEC 1967 England, London, Covent Garden, Middle Earth

30 DEC 1967 England, London, Covent Garden, Middle Earth