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THE RETURN OF THE TRIUMPHS!
JMS’s very own RGM tribute group the Triumphs have been largely inactive as a live entity for almost two and a half years. But….following a request to perform at a huge charity event..the Triumphs are back.
Last Sunday 2 August 2015 was a warm sunny day at the Hotham Park Country Fair at Bognor Regis. In their return to live action The Triumphs played 45 minutes of 1960's Pop. The band started with Runaway and ended with Have I The Right? and also included Telstar, Johnny Remember Me and Wipeout. Among the other songs the band also played Oh Boy!, Let's Dance, Do You Wanna Dance. Hippy Hippy Shake and Shakin' All Over.
LATEST NEWS JULY 2014
We are working on a new album which hopefully will be out by the end of this year or early next. It will contain a mixture of instros and vocals and will feature at least one of Joe Meek's artistes.
OCTOBER 2012
The Triumphs played at the Welcome To Meeksville gig to celebrate the 50th anniversary of 'Telstar' reaching no. 1 in the Charts.
Clem Cattini and Roger LaVern who played on the original record attended.
It was hot, it was crowded and we were very cramped with no room for monitors and suchlike but we enjoyed ourselves and here we are backing the fantastic Davy Kaye on All Shook Up. What a star he still is! Many thanks to the unknown cameraman who filmed this... Apparently there will be an official DVD of proceedings...in due course...
What a moment...the great Clem Cattini drummer on Telstar (a record that was No.1 on both sides of the Atlantic and written and recorded by Joe Meek) playing that very tune with The Triumphs at the Metro Bar Holloway Road North London on Thursday 4th October 2012. We were all there to celebrate the 50 years since the release of Telstar. The communications satellite that bore the name Telstar was launched on 10 July 1962 on top of a Thor-Delta rocket. Many thanks to the unknown cameraman for this recording of the performance. The images and recording are not always of the highest quality and the angle not the greatest but it is anticipated that there will soon be an official HD DVD which will cover the entire proceedings...
THE TRIUMPHS PRESENTED A BUDDY HOLLY TRIBUTE SHOW
At the Ace Cafe London on Saturday 4 February 2012 the Triumphs presented a Buddy Holly Tribute show which used a selection of the material used by the acts who appeared at the Surf Ballroom at Clear Lake Iowa USA on that fateful night of Monday 2nd February 1959. The acts who appeared on that show were Frankie Sardo, Dion and the Belmonts, The Big Bopper, Ritchie Valens and Buddy Holly and his touring Crickets. Malcolm Lenny a member of Joe Meek's band the Packabeats (remember they played the theme from The Traitors over the opening credits of the feature film Telstar) performed with the Triumphs.
THE TRIUMPHS - NOW ON You Tube
"Meeksville (Down The Holloway Road) - view the video via our Facebook page
A short film of The Triumphs celebrating the life and work of 1960s Independent Record Producer Joe Meek and his studio at 304 Holloway Road North London filmed produced and edited by Ray Liffen. The words and music of the song (Meeksville) Down the Holloway Road were written by Ray Liffen and are Copyright Ray Liffen 2011
THE TRIUMPHS NOW ON FACEBOOK
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Triumphs/143484902396742
THE TRIUMPHS PLAY AT SCREAMING LORD SUTCH BIRTHDAY PART CELEBRATIONS
The Triumphs, the UK's top Joe Meek Tribute Band, played at The Screaming Lord Sutch Birthday Party Celebration on Friday 11th November at Ruislip Conservative Club, all proceeds going to the Willen Hospice. It was in fact the legendary Joe Meek who produced Lord Sutch's greatest records including the most famous of which was 'Jack the Ripper' which they performed with Lord Toby Jug on vocals on the night.
After the Charity Dance on September 24 organiser John O'Shea wrote to the band as follows:
Sent: Fri, Sep 30, 2011 10:22 am
Subject: Dance
Just to say that the band has been getting compliments all week.
Everyone bar none really enjoyed the music and the evening in general.
They are asking me when the next one will be.
Thanks again for putting on a really enjoyable show.
Best wishes,
John
September 2011 The Triumphs appeared at St Teresa's Church Hall Chingford London E4.
All proceeds from the dance were to the Alzheimers Charity.
April 2011 The Triumphs played at the George Hotel in Newent Glos.
Mike Read guested with the group.
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JOE MEEK SOCIETY AGM 2011 2nd April 2011
left to right Rob Bradford - vocals, Mike Read - guitar and vocals, Rob
Murly - bass, Ken Ledran - drums, Ray Liffen - vocals and guitar
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| left to right Rob Bradford -vocals, Rob Murly - bass, Ken Ledran - drums, Mike Read - guitar and vocals, Ray Liffen - vocals and guitar | left to right Rob Murly - bass, Ken Ledran - drums, Mike Read - guitar and vocals, Ray Liffen - vocals and guitar |
Comments from Alan Wilson of Western Star Records on The Triumphs CD:
Hi Guys
Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed (and am still enjoying) the Triumphs
BRILLIANT CD.
Best wishes
Alan
PREVIOUS NEWS
The Triumphs appeared at the Ace Café‘s Joe Meek Night on Saturday 5 February 2011 with special guest artists.
Former Joe Meek artistes Ray Dexter, whose Joe Meek recorded output includes ‘The Coalman’s Lament’ and Atlantic Twist’, and Malcolm Lenny, lead guitarist with the Packabeats, whose Joe Meek recorded output includes ‘The Theme from the Traitors’, ‘Evening In Paris’ and ‘Time Goes By.
Comments from the organiser of The Triumphs gig at a charity dance
Just a few words to say last Saturday’s Gig was a big success and thanks to ‘The Triumphs’ we made £550.00 for The Alzheimer’s Society. Everyone really enjoyed the Rock ‘n’ Roll music. What surprised and pleased me most was people were participating fully in the event by dancing, singing along or just tapping their feet to the music. It was one of the best ‘feel good factor’ events I have ever attended.
Many thanks again to the group.
Kind regards and best wishes to ‘The Triumphs’ for the future,
John O’Shea
The Triumphs performed at the Joe Meek - The Farewell Concert at the Amersham Rock and Roll Club on Saturday 10 April 2010. The band played Little Sister (Danny Rivers); Bless You (Peter London); and Telstar (The Tornados) and then became the backing band for Bobby Rio, aka Bobby Cristo - who recorded a number of great tracks for Joe, including Value for Love; The Other Side of the Track; and Boy Meets Girl. Bobby sang The Wanderer (Dion), My Prayer (The Platters) and Have I the Right (The Honeycombs). Ex Joe Meek artiste Rob Shenton was the compere. The Triumphs were the support act for the Saints, who included Joe Meek artiste Rick Winter and two of Joe's star acts, John Leyton and Mike Berry who were backed by The Flames. American rock and roll star Charlie Gracie was also on the bill and he too was backed by the Flames. It was a truly atmospheric night of great performances and great music and more than equalled the excitement that prevailed at the Joe Meek Fest on 3 February 2007 at the Wyllyotts Theatre, Potters Bar.
The Twangs For The Melody album featuring The Triumphs is now available on download on I-Tunes, Amazon and other download sites.
Press Release October 2009 - Joe Meek Tribute Band make major CD debut.
Lone Rider Records latest CD release ‘Twangs For The Melody’ available from Monday 12th October includes 2 newly recorded tracks by top Joe Meek Tribute Band ‘The Triumphs’.
The 33 track CD compilation pays Tribute to Instrumental Greats Of The 60’s with The Triumphs paying tribute to ‘The Saints’ and ‘The Outlaws’ with their own unique versions of ‘Wipe Out’ and ‘Husky Team’. Other tribute tracks to the music of Joe Meek include ‘Telstar’ by guitarist Peter Williams, ‘Ridin’ The Wind’ by The Tornados ‘Jaywalker’ by John Leyton’s regular backing group, ‘The Flames.
The CD also contains a 16 page booklet with copious liner notes by Rob Bradford of The Joe Meek Society.
Listen to a 50 sec clip of their track Husky Team
The Triumphs are a UK based Joe Meek Tribute band and were formed especially for a performance at the inaugural Joe Meek Festival in 2007. Three members of the band are members of the Joe Meek Society and the other two are fans of and are closely associated with the music of Joe Meek. The band’s ethos is to play Joe Meek’s music live to keep it alive and also to inform audiences about Joe and his music. The band’s Joe Meek repertoire covers the whole of Joe’s recording career, starting from when Joe first became a recording engineer at EMI, Pye and Philips records; his time at Arundel Gardens in London; the period in 1960 when he founded his own record label, Triumph Records, after which the band is named; and his recorded legacy from his occupancy at 304 Holloway Road where he lived and recorded until his death on 3 February 1967. When playing its Joe Meek set, the band also includes a number of excellent tracks that have never been released and have remained unheard by the general public for more than 40 years.
The
band also performs a
Buddy Holly
Tribute. This is in recognition of Joe’s connection with Buddy. Joe
was a great Buddy fan and Geoff Goddard’s great song, Tribute to Buddy
Holly, recorded at 304, is evidence of the high regard which both Joe
and Geoff held for Buddy and his music. The Triumphs feel this aspect
of Joe’s and Geoff’s appreciation of Buddy should also be
reflected in the music that they play. When playing its Buddy Holly
set, the band usually includes rarities and rarely performed B sides
and LP tracks.
The
line-up
of the band
is as follows:
Ray
Liffen,
vocals, lead and
rhythm guitar, who is a member of the Joe Meek Society
Trev
Faull,
keys. Trev is
a fan of Joe’s music and also a sixties instro music guru
Jules
Dawton,
bass, who
has played with Screaming Lord Sutch’s Savages
Rob
Bradford,
vocals. Rob is the
Joe Meek Society’s Archivist
Ken
Ledran,
drums, who is the
Chairman of the Joe Meek Society
On 6 February 2010, following the Joe Meek Society's AGM, the band performed at London's iconic Ace Cafe. The Triumphs performed two sets that night. In addition, among those artistes who came up on stage and were backed by the Triumphs, were Bobby Rio (aka Bobby Cristo) and Danny Rivers. The band will be backing Bobby and also performing a set in its own right at Amersham Rock and Roll Club on 10 April 2010.
The
Triumphs were the support band for
the Tornados at the 2007 Joe Meek Festival held in Newent and have also
played at
the last three Joe Meek Society AGMs. These were held at the Square
Pigg in Holborn, Central London in 2008, The George Hotel, Newent in
2009 and the Ace Café, North Circular Road, London in 2010. The band
also played at the prestigious Phibbers Bar
in the Holloway Road on 4 February 2009 to commemorate the fiftieth
anniversary of Buddy Holly’s death in February 1959 and Joe’s
death on the same day in 1967.
The
new 8-track CD by the
Triumphs is
now available. This is a private pressing available only to Joe Meek
Society members.
The tracks
are as follows:
-
Joe Meek Medley – Telstar/Johnny Remember Me/Have I The Right/Just Like Eddie.
-
My Suzanne
-
Night of the Vampire
-
The Coalman’s Lament
-
Walk With Me My Angel
-
Please Stay
-
Jack The Ripper
-
Telstar (full-length version as featured on Radio Caroline on Dell Richardson’s show on 16 June 2009 – and a different recording to that in the Medley on track 1 )
Price
£5.50 UK p/p available
from Ray
Liffen – email enquiries to:
rayliffen@compuserve.com
Regarding
the Triumphs’
CD, Joe Meek
Society member and ex Joe Meek recording artiste, Ray Dexter, says:
“I
can highly
recommend the
Triumphs
new CD. Every Joe Meek fan should get their hands on a copy. I think
it’s a real triumph!”
Joe
Meek
Society members may know that
Ray recorded a Decca single with Joe in the sixties called “The
Coalman’s Lament/Lonely Weekends” and also made a number of other
recordings with Joe, such as “Atlantic Twist” and “Just Like
You”. These and other recordings were finally released in February
2007 on RPM’s CD compilation “Diamond Joe”.
Here
is
another letter of recommendation from eminent Meekologist Mark
Newson who edits The Joe Meek Society's Thunderbolt magazine:
The
band is
available for gigs. All
enquiries please email thetriumphsuk@gmail.com
Or telephone the band on 01234772229 or
07969318415
For more information about Joe Meek visit the Joe Meek Society Website www.joemeeksociety.org