1970. This is where it all started really....the first band!
I met drummer, Brian Ellis in an art class at Elliot school, Putney, London. We didn't like the look of each other much at first, what with him being all flamboyant with his long hair, neckerchief and Chelsea boots. Me with my short hair, Ivy jacket, Ivy brogues, Ben Sherman shirt. But then Brian mentioned that he was a drummer and that he was forming a band. That was IT I'm afraid. From that moment on I new that we would be friends. At the time I only knew a few guys who played the guitar (badly) and I had never met a kid who played drums before. This was a unique meeting - the start of something big? Could it be that we were going to be the next "Big thing" - the new "Beatles"? At that moment in time we didn't know. The world stretched out in front of us. Anything was possible! We wanted to reach to the sky and touch the stars. At last my boring life of school and paper round were about to be elevated to "Rock-star", all be-it "novice".
Brian had lined up another guitarist and a kid who wanted to sing (he provided the cellar for us to rehearse in). Unfortunately the kid couldn't sing, and his dad would come running down the cellar steps at about 8.30 in the evening ranting "Turn the noise down - it's late". This wouldn't do. We needed to find a singer and somewhere we could turn up the volume (I was using an old tape recorder turned to the "record" position to amplify my acoustic guitar fitted with a pick-up!). I suggested that we use my brother Maurice as the singer. Maurice fancied himself as a bit of a Frank Sinatra, and would frequently sing along to Frank or the Walker Brothers. He was good. Maurice joined the band.
We needed a name for the band, so we all sat around scratching our heads, coming out with ridiculous suggestions until Maurice said (what we thought he said) "how about we call the band Tooting Common?" . Tooting Common?!! - why the hell would we want to call the band Tooting Common - we lived in Putney not Tooting. "No, no, no, - not Tooting Common" he said, "Tutankhamon, after the Egyptian king!". We didn't know what he was talking about, so we looked up this guy in an encyclopedia and there he was "King Tut". "O.K. we said that's what we'll call the band Tutankhamon".
The other guitar player could only play Beatles tunes on his guitar, so this was limiting to say the least. I wanted the band repertoire to include some of my songs. I knew that you only made it big in the music business if you wrote and recorded your own original songs and as I now had a vehicle for my material I was writing songs all the time. We weren't going to get anywhere playing the Beatles. So, we found a new place to rehearse - the cellar of Wilcox's greengrocers in Felsham road, Putney. Paul Wilcox was one of our best friends and he persuaded his parents to let us rehearse there. They were 2 story's above us watching the T.V. so they couldn't hear the noise. It was great!
we found a new place to rehearse -
the cellar of Wilcox's greengrocers
in Felsham road, Putney
We needed to find another guitarist and along came Geoff. So that was the original line-up, Me on lead guitar, Brian on drums, Geoff on rhythm guitar, and Maurice on vocals. Next, we needed a bass player - so we put an ad' in the music shop window and Martin answered. He had proper gear - a bass guitar and an amp. Geoff had an electric guitar (from Woolworth's) and a Marshall guitar combo, which I shared (2 guitars through a 30 amp guitar combo!). By now I had bought a second hand guitar (Wilson Rapier) for £10 from Bob Kerr's Music shop, and spray-painted it silver and replaced the volume and tone knobs with chrome ones to make it look "modern". Maurice bought a 50 watt Eagle P.A. amplifier from Bob Kerr, my dad made some speaker cabs from some old T.V. and radio cabinets, and we painted them matt-black.
Now all we needed was some gigs. So I went to my old primary school and asked if we could play at the summer fête - we got the gig! We kept on rehearsing until the gig was upon us. We all got our gear down to the school and set up in the assembly hall. Just before we were about to go on, our sniveling bass player announced that he was unable to go on and play (he was shitting himself) , so he grabbed his stuff and did a runner! In true "show-biz" tradition we decided that the show must go on - so we did the gig without bass. We went down a storm - and kicked Martin from the band (I think he had left anyway!).
Tutankhamon on stage at Elliot School, Putney, 1971.
We then persuaded Geoff to take up the bass guitar. He traded in his woolies wonder and bought an old Hofner Violin (shaped) bass guitar (like the one Paul McCartney used to play). This did his guitar combo no good. So, we all upgraded to proper "Loud" equipment. I bought a Hiwatt 100 watt custom amp and 4X4 speaker cab. Geoff bought a Sound City 100 watt amp and 4x4 speaker cab. Maurice bought a WEM 100 watt P.A. outfit and Brian bought a Premier drum kit. Now we were a proper band.
Eventually Geoff left the band (pressure from girlfriend) and we looked for a new bass player, but we couldn't find one. Brian worked with a guy who played guitar, he looked like Marc Bolan (only taller) and tried to play guitar like Jimmy Hendrix (only whiter) he failed on both counts. His name was Ian Johnson. Ian joined the band as lead guitarist, I went over to playing rhythm and then eventually bought a bass guitar and became "Bob the bass" for the first time.
The band stayed together for 3 years in all, through various line-ups and name changes (Tutankhamon, Johnson,Ellis and Chambers, or JEC as we called it, and eventually..... Snail) and it was a fantastic experience that launched my career in the music business. In 1973 it ended and we went our separate ways. Brian and me joined "Raggy Farmers Blues band", and then "The Ruff" with Tom Nolan - and then it was 1974..............
Bob's Bandography.
1970 - 1973
Tutankhamon/JEC/Snail
Lead, Rythm, bass guitar and backing vocals.
Rock covers and originals.
1973
Raggy Farmers Blues Band
Bass guitar.
Blues covers.
1973-1974
The Ruff
Bass guitar
Rock covers and originals.
1974-1975
Toby Brick
Acoustic guitar & Vocals
Original songs.
1975-1977
Rare Breed
Bass guitar
Pop covers
1977-1978
Just Four
Bass guitar
Irish/Country covers
1979-1983
Cue
Rhythm/Lead guitar and Lead vocals.
Pop covers
1984-1987
Shades of green
Bass guitar
Irish/country covers
1989-1992
The Pitz
Lead vocals/Rhythm guitar
Rock and blues covers
1992-1994
4-Play
Bass guitar
Pop covers
1994-1995
Will Conrad and the cowboys
Lead guitar
Country covers
1994-1996
Moonshine
Lead guitar
Country covers
1994-1996
Tidal Wave
Lead/Rhythm guitar & Vocals
Pop covers
1996-1999
Redd Hot
Lead guitar/Lead vocals
Pop covers
1999-to present day
Bob Chambers
Lead/Rhythm guitar, backing tracks and Vocals
Pop & country covers and originals
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