Downliners Sect are an English R&B and

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

-based rock band, formed in the 1960s

beat boom Beat music, British beat, or Merseybeat is a British popular music genre that developed around Liverpool in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The genre melded influences from British and American rock and roll, rhythm and blues, skiffle, tradit ...

era. Stylistically, they were similar to blues-based bands such as

The Yardbirds The Yardbirds are an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1963. The band started the careers of three of rock's most famous guitarists: Eric Clapton (1963–1965), Jeff Beck (1965–1966) and Jimmy Page (1966–1968), all of whom ...

The Pretty Things ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

and the

Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

, playing basic R&B on their first album ''The Sect''. Critic

Richie Unterberger Richie Unterberger (born 1962) is an American author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing. Life and writing Unterberger attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he wrote for the university newspaper '' The Daily P ...

wrote: "The Sect didn't as much interpret the sound of

Chess Records Chess Records was an American record company established in 1950 in Chicago, specializing in blues and rhythm and blues. It was the successor to Aristocrat Records, founded in 1947. It expanded into soul music, gospel music, early rock an ...

as attack it, with a finesse that made the Pretty Things seem positively suave in comparison."

History

In 1962, Mick O'Donnell, later known as Don Craine, started a band called the Downliners, who, despite touring France, were unsuccessful. The name of the band came from the

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American pianist, singer, and songwriter. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock 'n' roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis m ...

B-side "Down The Line". After several lineup changes, the band folded, but in 1963, O'Donnell and drummer Johnny Sutton formed a new band out of the remnants of the previous act. Keith Evans, formerly a drummer, joined on bass guitar. Shortly thereafter the band would be named the Downliners Sect. At this time some of the members decided to change their names. Mick O'Donnell took the new name, Don Craine, and Keith Evans became Keith Grant. The band was iconic during its time in the early 1960s, partly owing to Don Craine's deerstalker cap which he wore to mock the aristocracy. The band has many fans who have achieved commercial success, including

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose recording career started in the 1960s. Morrison's albums have performed well in the UK and Ireland, with more than 40 reaching the UK ...

Steve Marriott Stephen Peter Marriott (30 January 1947 – 20 April 1991) was an English actor, musician, guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a student at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London and appeared in the West End, before taking a r ...

, and

Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British singer and songwriter. Known for his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists of all time, having sold ...

, the latter two had even auditioned for a place in the band but were turned down because they both wanted to be frontmen, while Don Craine and Keith Grant did not wish to relinquish that role. They subsequently modified their musical style, and after an EP of 'sick' songs (e.g. " I Want My Baby Back"), they experimented with both

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

(''The Country Sect'') and

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

(''Rock Sect's In''). They later collaborated with

Billy Childish Billy Childish (born Steven John Hamper; 1 December 1959) is an English painter, author, poet, photographer, film maker, singer, and guitarist. Since the late 1970s, Childish has been prolific in creating music, writing, and visual art. He has ...

's Thee Headcoats, and released two albums under the name Thee Headcoats Sect. They performed regularly at the Studio 51 club in Great Newport Street near

Leicester Square Leicester Square ( ) is a pedestrianised town square, square in the West End of London, England, and is the centre of London's entertainment district. It was laid out in 1670 as Leicester Fields, which was named after the recently built Leice ...

tube station in London on a Friday night and Sunday afternoon, from which came the first EP featuring the songs "

Beautiful Delilah ''Chuck Berry's Golden Decade'' is a compilation of music by Chuck Berry, released in three volumes in 1967, 1973, and 1974. Covering the decade from 1955 to 1964, each volume consists of a two-LP set of 24 songs recorded by Berry. The first volu ...

" and " Little Egypt". The EP started off with the sound of the bells of

Big Ben Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, and, by extension, for the clock tower itself, which stands at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England. Originally named the Clock Tower, it ...

. The lead guitarist was Terry Clemson (Gibson) who played his Gibson 335. Studio 51 was also known as the Ken Colyer Club and

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

made many performances at this club, but according to Rod Harrison, guitarist with Asgaerd and school friend of Terry Clemson, "you could say the Downliners Sect were almost residents." A reformed line-up with three original members, Keith Grant, Don Craine and Terry Gibson, released a new album ''Showbiz'' in 1979. A subsequent reformation featuring Grant and Craine who were joined by guitarist Del Dwyer in 1989 released ''Savage Return'' in 1991, ''Dangerous Ground'' in 1998 and ''Chinese Whispers'' in 2007. Don Craine (born Michael O'Donnell) died on 24 February 2022, at the age of 76."R.I.P. Don Craine", ''Downliners Sect''
Retrieved 2 March 2022

Members

;Current members *Keith Grant – vocals/bass *Mark Freeman – drums ;Past members *John O'Leary – vocals/harp (died 3 April 2024) *Don Craine – vocals/guitar (born 29 March 1945, died 24 February 2022) *Del Dwyer – vocals/guitar (died 31 December 2021) *Al Brooks – drums (died 4 January 2010) *Barry Cooper – keyboards * Rod de'Ath – drums (died 4 August 2014) *Matt Fisher – keyboards *Kevin Flanagan – drums *Terry Clemson – lead guitar (died 19 September 2020) *Pip Harvey – harmonica (died 14 February 2014) *Paul Holm – drums *Mel Lewis – lead guitar *Nat Maynard – keyboard *Ray Sone – harmonica *John Sutton – drums *Bob Taylor – lead guitar *Paul Tiller – harmonica *Zach Wilson – guitar *Paul Martinez – vocals/bass *

Mike Chapman Michael Donald Chapman (born 13 April 1947) is an Australian record producer and songwriter who was a major force in the British pop music industry in the 1970s. He created a string of hit singles for artists including The Sweet, Suzi Quatro ...

– vocals/guitar

Discography

Singles

*Jun 1964 – "Baby What's Wrong" / "Be a Sect Maniac" (Columbia DB 7300) *Sep 1964 – " Little Egypt (Ying-Yang)" / "Sect Appeal" (Columbia DB 7347) *Nov 1964 – "Find Out What's Happening" / "Insecticide" (Columbia DB 7415) *??? 1965 – "Wreck of the Old '97" / "Leader of the Sect" (Columbia DB 7509) *Jun 1965 – "I Got Mine" / "Waiting in Heaven Somewhere" (Columbia DB 7597) *Oct 1965 – "Bad Storm Coming" / "Lonely and Blue" (Columbia DB 7712) *Jan 1966 – "All Night Worker" / "He Was a Square" (Columbia DB 7817) *Jun 1966 – "Glendora" / "I'll Find Out" (Columbia DB 7939) *Sep 1966 – "The Cost of Living" / "Everything I've Got to Give" (Columbia DB 8008)

7" EPs

*"Nite in Gt. Newport Street":

/Shame Shame Shame/

Green Onions "Green Onions" is an instrumental composition recorded in 1962 by Booker T. & the M.G.'s. One of the most popular soul songs ever, and R&B instrumentals of its era, it utilizes a twelve-bar blues progression and features a rippling Hammond M3 ...

/Nursery Rhymes (Contrast RBCSP 001, 1964) * "Brite Lites": Bright Lights Big City/I need you baby(mona)/Do the Dog/

Roll Over Beethoven "Roll Over Beethoven" is a 1956 song written by Chuck Berry, originally released on Chess Records, with "Drifting Heart" as the A-side and B-side, B-side. The lyrics of the song mention rock and roll and the desire for rhythm and blues to be a ...

(Contrast RBCSP 002, 1964) :Unreleased, finished sleeves exist. Tapes lost in 1964, released in March 2011. *"The Sect Sing Sick Songs" – I Want My Baby Back/Leader of the Sect/ Midnight Hour/Now She's Dead (Columbia SEG 8438, 1965)

LPs

*''The Sect'' (1964) *''The Country Sect'' (1965) *''The Rock Sect's In'' (1966) *''Showbiz'' (1979) *''Savage Return'' (1991) *''Dangerous Ground'' (1998) *''Chinese Whispers'' (2007)

''The Sect'' (18 December 1964)

# Hurt by Love # One Ugly Child # Lonely and Blue # Our Little Rendezvous # Guitar Boogie #

Too Much Monkey Business "Too Much Monkey Business" is a song written and recorded by Chuck Berry, released by Chess Records in September 1956 as his fifth single. It was also released as the third track on his first solo LP, '' After School Session'', in May 1957; and a ...

# Sect Appeal # Baby What's on Your Mind? # Cops and Robbers # Easy Rider #

Bloodhound The bloodhound is a large scent hound, originally bred for hunting deer, wild boar, rabbits, and since the Middle Ages, for tracking people. Believed to be descended from hounds once kept at the Abbey of Saint-Hubert, Belgium, in French it is ...

# Bright Lights # I Wanna Put a Tiger in Your Tank # Be a Sect Maniac Columbia 33SX 1658

''The Country Sect'' (1965)

# If I Could Just Go Back # Rocks in My Bed # Ballad of the Hounds # Little Play Soldiers # Hard Travellin' # Wait for the Light to Shine # I Got Mine # Waiting in Heaven # Above and Beyond # Bad Storm Coming # Midnight Special # Wolverton Mountain Columbia 33SX 1745

''The Rock Sect's In'' (April 1966)

Hang on Sloopy "Hang On Sloopy" (originally "My Girl Sloopy") is a 1964 song written by Wes Farrell and Bert Berns. Rhythm and blues vocal group the Vibrations were the first to record the tune in 1964. Atlantic Records released it as a single, which reached ...

Fortune Teller Fortune telling is the spiritual practice of predicting information about a person's life. Melton, J. Gordon. (2008). ''The Encyclopedia of Religious Phenomena''. Visible Ink Press. pp. 115–116. The scope of fortune telling is in principle ...

# Hey Hey Hey Hey # Everything I've Got to Give # Outside # I'm Hooked on You # Don't Lie to Me # Why Don't You Smile Now (Phillips, Vance,

Reed Reed or Reeds may refer to: Science, technology, biology, and medicine * Reed bird (disambiguation) * Reed pen, writing implement in use since ancient times * Reed (plant), one of several tall, grass-like wetland plants of the order Poales * Re ...

, Cale) # May the Bird of Paradise Fly up Your Nose # He Was a Square # I'm Looking for a Woman # Rock Sect's in Again # Brand New Cadillac Columbia 33SX 6028

''The Definitive Downliners Sect: Singles – A's & B's'' (1994)

Cadillac Cadillac Motor Car Division, or simply Cadillac (), is the luxury vehicle division (business), division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Its major markets are the United States, Canada and China; Cadillac models are ...

# Shame, Shame, Shame #

# Nursery Rhymes # Baby What's Wrong # Be a Sect Maniac # Little Egypt (Ying-Yang) # Sect Appeal # Find Out What's Happening # Insecticide # Wreck of the Old '97 # Leader of the Sect # I Want My Baby Back # Midnight Hour # Now She's Dead # I Got Mine # Waiting in Heaven Somewhere # Bad Storm Coming # Lonely and Blue # All Night Worker # He Was a Square # Glendora # I'll Find Out # Cost of Living # Everything I've Got to Give # I Can't Get Away from You # Roses See For Miles SEECD398

References

External links

* * * * * * {{Authority control Musical groups established in 1963 Musical groups from the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Beat groups Columbia Records artists British rhythm and blues boom musicians 1963 establishments in England English garage rock groups Freakbeat groups