Biography
In mid-1960s England the Koobas ranked among the stronger rock ensembles that ultimately fell short of lasting success. Fellow acts from the same talented cohort of the early British beat surge that never reached commercial breakthrough included the Roulettes, the Chants, and the Cheynes. Press favorites whose concerts drew strong audiences, they nevertheless failed to place any single on the charts despite several advantages, among them a support slot on a Beatles tour, high-level management, and an EMI-Columbia recording contract.
Guitarist-singers Stuart Leathwood and Roy Morris formed the band in 1962 alongside drummer John Morris, soon replaced by Tony O'Reilly, and bassist Keith Ellis; all four had previously played in Liverpool outfits such as the Thunderbeats and the Midnighters. At one stage known as the Kubas, they performed a three-week engagement at Hamburg's Star Club in December 1963, after which their reputation as a live act grew considerably. Their style recalled the Beatles, the Searchers, and the Mojos, reflecting Liverpool's approach to American R&B through forceful yet melodic guitar work and assured vocals. Only after Brian Epstein signed them the following year did they secure a Pye Records deal. An early setback occurred when they appeared in the Gerry & the Pacemakers film Ferry Cross the Mersey as one of the groups defeated in a battle-of-the-bands sequence, yet their footage was removed before release. Neither their first single, "I Love Her" backed with "Magic Potion," nor its successor charted, despite the visibility gained from joining the Beatles' final British tour.
Following those nine dates the Koobas secured bookings at London's leading clubs and received glowing notices, yet two further singles from 1965 and 1966 also missed the charts. They moved from Pye to EMI-Columbia in 1966 and maintained prominent engagements, such as the January 1967 Savile Theatre bill shared with the Who and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, a venue owned by Brian Epstein, and a subsequent Swiss tour alongside Hendrix. Their lean, tuneful R&B-rooted rock & roll echoed the Beatles, although the Koobas developed as songwriters only later, a factor that may have hindered them. They produced well-recorded, engaging material yet never aligned with the prevailing sound at the decisive moment.
By mid-1967 the members had changed their image and direction, shifting from American-style R&B toward psychedelia. They began composing their own songs, occasionally assisted with lyrics by new manager Tony Stratton-Smith. Singles continued to rely on outside writers, but their strongest chart opportunity arrived early in 1968 with a version of Cat Stevens' "The First Cut Is the Deepest" featuring prominent fuzztone guitar. The release received some airplay yet was overshadowed by P.P. Arnold's Top 20 rendition of the same number. Stratton-Smith's efforts could not reverse the single's fortunes; gig quality and earnings declined, and morale soon followed.
By late 1968 the Koobas had decided to disband. Their breakup coincided with Stratton-Smith's last attempt on their behalf: despite repeated single failures, EMI-Columbia approved an album recorded in late 1968. The group endured long enough to complete Koobas, a blend of topical songwriting, psychedelia, R&B, and nostalgic elements that might have found listeners had the band remained intact to promote it through 1969. Instead the LP reached cut-out bins by 1970. Keith Ellis joined Van Der Graaf Generator and then Juicy Lucy, contributing to their major U.K. hit "Who Do You Love," before relocating to Los Angeles. Stuart Leathwood later formed the duo Gary & Stu with Gary Holton and subsequently played in March Hare.
The Koobas' early Pye recordings appear across several compilations, notably Watch Your Step on Sequel Records. In 2000 Beat Goes On reissued the self-titled EMI-Columbia album with eight bonus tracks from their initial singles for the label, gathering their complete post-1966 output in one collection for the first time.
Guitarist-singers Stuart Leathwood and Roy Morris formed the band in 1962 alongside drummer John Morris, soon replaced by Tony O'Reilly, and bassist Keith Ellis; all four had previously played in Liverpool outfits such as the Thunderbeats and the Midnighters. At one stage known as the Kubas, they performed a three-week engagement at Hamburg's Star Club in December 1963, after which their reputation as a live act grew considerably. Their style recalled the Beatles, the Searchers, and the Mojos, reflecting Liverpool's approach to American R&B through forceful yet melodic guitar work and assured vocals. Only after Brian Epstein signed them the following year did they secure a Pye Records deal. An early setback occurred when they appeared in the Gerry & the Pacemakers film Ferry Cross the Mersey as one of the groups defeated in a battle-of-the-bands sequence, yet their footage was removed before release. Neither their first single, "I Love Her" backed with "Magic Potion," nor its successor charted, despite the visibility gained from joining the Beatles' final British tour.
Following those nine dates the Koobas secured bookings at London's leading clubs and received glowing notices, yet two further singles from 1965 and 1966 also missed the charts. They moved from Pye to EMI-Columbia in 1966 and maintained prominent engagements, such as the January 1967 Savile Theatre bill shared with the Who and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, a venue owned by Brian Epstein, and a subsequent Swiss tour alongside Hendrix. Their lean, tuneful R&B-rooted rock & roll echoed the Beatles, although the Koobas developed as songwriters only later, a factor that may have hindered them. They produced well-recorded, engaging material yet never aligned with the prevailing sound at the decisive moment.
By mid-1967 the members had changed their image and direction, shifting from American-style R&B toward psychedelia. They began composing their own songs, occasionally assisted with lyrics by new manager Tony Stratton-Smith. Singles continued to rely on outside writers, but their strongest chart opportunity arrived early in 1968 with a version of Cat Stevens' "The First Cut Is the Deepest" featuring prominent fuzztone guitar. The release received some airplay yet was overshadowed by P.P. Arnold's Top 20 rendition of the same number. Stratton-Smith's efforts could not reverse the single's fortunes; gig quality and earnings declined, and morale soon followed.
By late 1968 the Koobas had decided to disband. Their breakup coincided with Stratton-Smith's last attempt on their behalf: despite repeated single failures, EMI-Columbia approved an album recorded in late 1968. The group endured long enough to complete Koobas, a blend of topical songwriting, psychedelia, R&B, and nostalgic elements that might have found listeners had the band remained intact to promote it through 1969. Instead the LP reached cut-out bins by 1970. Keith Ellis joined Van Der Graaf Generator and then Juicy Lucy, contributing to their major U.K. hit "Who Do You Love," before relocating to Los Angeles. Stuart Leathwood later formed the duo Gary & Stu with Gary Holton and subsequently played in March Hare.
The Koobas' early Pye recordings appear across several compilations, notably Watch Your Step on Sequel Records. In 2000 Beat Goes On reissued the self-titled EMI-Columbia album with eight bonus tracks from their initial singles for the label, gathering their complete post-1966 output in one collection for the first time.
Albums