Following the dissolution of the UK’s John Dummer Blues Band, bassist Iain Thompson and drummer John Dummer aligned with keyboard player Hammy Howell—born 24 October 1954 in London, England, and deceased 13 January 1999 in Torquay, Devon, England—saxophonist Horatio Hornblower, born Nigel Trubridge, and vocalists Rita Ray, Griff Fender (Ian Collier), bassist Den Hegarty, and Bob Fish, formerly of Mickey Jupp. Together they operated as revivalists dedicated to the vocal-harmony tradition of rock ‘n’ roll. Former Dummer guitarist Dave Kelly took part only sporadically.
Emerging in London’s club circuit during the late 1970s, the ensemble Darts attracted the attention of pop historian and Radio London presenter Charlie Gillett, whose endorsement secured them a contract with Magnet Records. Their opening release, a medley pairing ‘Daddy Cool’ with Little Richard’s ‘The Girl Can’t Help It’, entered the UK Top 10 in 1977 and inaugurated three years of consistent singles-chart presence. These entries alternated original material, such as ‘It’s Raining’ and ‘Don’t Let It Fade Away’, with reinterpretations of earlier American recordings including ‘Come Back My Love’ by the Cardinals, ‘The Boy From New York City’ by the Ad Libs, ‘Get It’ by Gene Vincent, and ‘Duke Of Earl’ by Gene Chandler.
After Den Hegarty gave way to Kenny Edwards in 1979, subsequent releases posted weaker results. Absent the advertising exposure that later elevated Jackie Wilson’s version to number 1, Darts’ rendition of ‘Reet Petite’ peaked only at number 51, while the 1980 single ‘Let’s Hang On’ proved their final genuine success and the coupling ‘White Christmas’/‘Sh-Boom’ their first outright commercial disappointment. Howell’s departure for university studies and Dummer’s move to launch the ribald True Life Confessions allowed the group to maintain its essential identity, yet chart contention ceased. Hegarty, fronting Rocky Sharpe And The Replays, continued to register singles between numbers 60 and 17 until 1983, when his appointment as a children’s television presenter took precedence. Ray and Fender sustained the approach by producing a 1985 album for the Mint Juleps, the a cappella girl group whose initial direction had been shaped by Darts.
