Formed during May 1966 in London, England, the Shotgun Express emerged as a key R&B and white soul ensemble. Its origins lay in the instrumental outfit Peter B’s Looners, whose members included keyboardist Pete Bardens (b. Peter Bardens, 19 June 1945, Westminster, London, England, d. 22 January 2002, Malibu, California, USA), guitarist Peter Green (b. Peter Allen Greenbaum, 29 October 1946, Bethnal Green, London, England), bassist Dave Ambrose, and drummer Mick Fleetwood. The addition of vocalists Rod Stewart (b. Roderick David Stewart, 10 January 1945, Highgate, London, England) and Beryl Marsden completed the transition. In July 1966 Green departed to join John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, after which John Moorshead (also spelled Moreshead and Morshead) first took the guitar chair and Phil Sawyer later assumed the role. The group’s debut single, “I Could Feel The Whole World Turning,” appeared in October 1966 and offered an encouraging start through the blended timbres of its two singers. Stewart, however, exited in February 1967 to enter the Jeff Beck Group and therefore does not appear on the follow-up release “Funny Neither Could I.” The ensemble dissolved shortly after his exit. Fleetwood subsequently reunited with Green inside John Mayall’s band and went on to establish Fleetwood Mac, while Ambrose linked up with Brian Auger and Bardens eventually achieved recognition through Camel.
