Honeybus were a 1960s pop group formed in April 1967, in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. They are best known for their 1968 UK top 10

hit single A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single, or simply hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record'' ...

, " I Can't Let Maggie Go", written by group member Pete Dello who also composed their previous single "(Do I Figure) In Your Life", later recorded by Dave Berry, Ian Matthews,

Joe Cocker John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances featuring expressive body movements. Most of his best-known singles, such as "Feelin' Alright ...

, Dave Stewart,

Paul Carrack Paul Melvyn Carrack (born 22 April 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter and composer who has recorded as both a solo artist and as a member of several popular bands. The BBC dubbed Carrack "The Man with the Golden Voice", while '' ...

, Samantha Jones, Dana, Pierce Turner, and Euros Childs.

Career

The band's main composers were Dello and Ray Cane although Colin Hare also contributed songs. The group's supporters and critics, amongst them

Kenny Everett Kenny Everett (born Maurice James Christopher Cole; 25 December 1944 – 4 April 1995) was an English radio Disc Jockey, DJ and television entertainer, known for his zany comedic style. After spells on pirate radio and Radio Luxembourg in the m ...

, compared the band to '' Rubber Soul''-era

Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

. Honeybus had a major hit with 1968's " I Can't Let Maggie Go", which was so popular that it earned the band a cover photo on the

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...

magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...

'' Disc and Music Echo'', for which they posed atop a red London bus. "I Can't Let Maggie Go" reached Number 8 in the UK Singles Chart, in April 1968, staying in the

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...

for over two months. Dello resigned in August 1968. The band recruited Jim Kelly on guitar and vocals to replace him and Cane began songwriting and performing lead vocals. This line-up scored minor successes with "She Sold Blackpool Rock" and "Girl Of Independent Means". Honeybus eventually disbanded late in 1969. Their 1970

album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

''Story'', without an active band to promote it, failed to chart. However, it is now highly collectable and has sold around £1,000 in mint condition. It has since been re-issued on

compact disc The compact disc (CD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. It employs the Compact Disc Digital Audio (CD-DA) standard and was capable of hol ...

. Dello, Hare and Kelly all went on to record solo material in the early 1970s that was critically acclaimed but failed to achieve significant commercial success. Pete Dello and Colin Hare both recorded solo albums for “Penny farthing” “Into your ears” and “March Hare” respectively. Featuring members of the Honeybus. ”Into your ears being re-issued years later by Hanky Panky records. “March Hare has enjoyed at least five re-issues in Tokyo, Korea, Spain and UK. Kelly’s single “Mary Mary”/ “Reverend Richard Bailey” written and produced by Cane was also released around the same time. The Dello line-up of the band reunited in 1971 to record a new body of songs for the Bell Records

label A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product. Labels are most often affixed to packaging and containers using an adhesive, or sewing when affix ...

and a complete LP, ''Recital'', for the British division of Warner Bros. Records. A change in management at Warner Brothers meant that ''Recital'' was never issued. It was, however released finally on vinyl by Hanky Panky & Mapache records in 2018. Colin Hare accompanied Pete Dello and performed with him at the Felipop music festival in Galicia, Spain in 2002. Such was the response by fans that Hare was inspired to record seven more albums from 2004 up until 2023, all now available on:colinhare.bandcamp.com. "I Can't Let Maggie Go" was also a top 10 hit in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, with a version made by Equipe 84, entitled "Un angelo blu" ("A blue angel"). It enjoyed an unexpected return in popularity in the 1970s, when it was used in the iconic TV jingle commercial for " Nimble", a bread produced for slimmers.

Disbanding and aftermath

Kircher left the group in the summer of 1969 and went on tour with Engelbert Humperdinck. He was replaced by drummer Lloyd Courtney for the remainder of the sessions for their debut album. Kircher's drumming career saw him joining several bands, among them Compass with Billy Bremner, Roger Rettig and Brian Hodgson, Shanghai, John Scott Cree,

Liverpool Express Liverpool Express (also known as L.E.X.) are a United Kingdom, British pop rock Band (music), band formed in 1975. They are best known for record chart, charting hit record, hit songs such as "You Are My Love" (which Paul McCartney once declare ...

, Original Mirrors and

Status Quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, economic, legal, environmental, political, religious, scientific or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the curren ...

. He retired from the

music industry The music industry are individuals and organizations that earn money by Songwriter, writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music and sheet music, presenting live music, concerts, ...

after Quo's appearance at

Live Aid Live Aid was a two-venue benefit concert and music-based fundraising initiative held on Saturday, 13 July 1985. The event was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise further funds for relief of the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia, a m ...

. Kelly released a solo single in 1969 on Deram entitled "Mary Mary" b/w "Rev. Richard Bailey", both written by Cane, but it failed to chart. Kelly joined the Sleaz Band in the 1970s and they released "All I Want Is You" on the Fontana label. An album was also recorded, but never released. He died on Boxing Day in 1995 following a long illness. After a number of years out of the spotlight, Hare, having accompanied Dello in the Galicia music festival recorded new solo material in 2004. Also, later an EP “Down from Pitswood” featuring two original and long forgotten Honeybus songs, “Incredibly bad” and “Follow the plan” which were first recorded for BBC Radio sessions in the late 1960’s. - In 2007, Hare performed at several venues including Valencia, Barcelona, Bilbao and Madrid with Duncan Maitland and Jon Wigg. - The original members of Honeybus were briefly reunited for a Dutch

television documentary Television documentaries are televised media productions that screen documentaries. Television documentaries exist either as a television documentary series or as a television documentary film. * Television documentary series, sometimes called d ...

“Single Luck" in 2003. (Now available on YouTube).

Lineup

The best known line-up consisted of: * Pete Dello (born Peter Blumsom, 26 May 1942,

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...

) —

vocals Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define sing ...

, keyboards,

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

*Ray Cane (born Raymond John Byart, 15 September 1943, Hackney, East London) — vocals,

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

, keyboards *Colin Hare (born Colin Nicholas Hare. 4 June 1946, Combe, near

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

) —

rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a guitar technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse (music), pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., d ...

, vocals * Pete Kircher (born Peter Derek Kircher, 21 January 1945,

Folkestone Folkestone ( ) is a coastal town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour, shipping port, and fashionable coastal res ...

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

) —

drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...

s, vocals *Jim Kelly (born James Kelly, 19 December 1946,

Dundee Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

– died 26 December 1995, Dundee, Scotland) —

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...

, vocals *Lloyd Courtenay (born 20 December 1944,

Wallasey Wallasey () is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. It is at the mouth of the River Mersey, on the north-eastern corner of the Wirral Peninsula. It lies within the Historic counties of England, historic county bou ...

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Merseyside to the north-west, Greater Manchester to the north-east, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire to the south-east, and Shrop ...

) — drums (only recording for ''Story'' album) *Tim Fisher (born 28 October 1951,

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

, West Midlands) — bass (session bass player for tour)

Discography

Original albums

* 1970 ''Story'' * 1973 ''Recital'' (unreleased by Warner Bros. although promo copies exist which have sold for $800 or even £2761, Finally issued on the Hanky Panky & Mapache record label in July 2018).

Posthumous compilation albums

* 1989 ''Honeybus At Their Best'' * 1993 ''Old Masters, Hidden Treasures'' * 1997 ''At Their Best'' * 1999 ''The Honeybus Story'' * 2002 ''She Flies Like a Bird: The Anthology'' (features previously unreleased songs such as "Big Ship")

Singles

* 1967 "Delighted to See You" (Dello) b/w "The Breaking Up Scene" (Cane) - Deram Records * 1967 "(Do I Figure) In Your Life" (Dello) b/w "Throw My Love Away" (Cane) - Deram * 1968 " I Can't Let Maggie Go" (Dello) b/w "Tender Are the Ashes" (Dello) - Deram * 1968 "Girl of Independent Means" (Cane) b/w "How Long" (Kircher-Cane-Hare) - Deram * 1969 "She Sold Blackpool Rock" (Cane) b/w "Would You Believe" (Hare) - Deram * 1969 "La Cicogna" (Italian version of "She Sold Blackpool Rock") b/w "Chi Sei Tu" (Italian version of "Ceilings No 2") - Decca * 1972 "Story" (Cane) b/w "The Right to Choose" (Cane) - Deram (recorded in January 1970) * 1972 "She Is the Female to My Soul" (Dello) b/w "For Where Have You Been" (Hare) - Bell Records * 1973 "For You Baby" (Dello) b/w "Little Lovely One" (Dello) - WEA * 1976 "I Can't Let Maggie Go" (Dello) b/w "Julie in My Heart" (Dello) -

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...

reissue * 1982 "I Can't Let Maggie Go" (Dello) / "Tender Are the Ashes" (Dello) - Further Decca reissue

References

Other sources

*'' Mojo'' Collection 3rd. Edition - ''Story''; Honeybus - Best albums of the '70s.

External links

A tribute to HoneybusHoneybus Recital
{{Authority control English pop music groups English soft rock music groups Beat groups Deram Records artists