Former Wrexham musician relives 'good old days' of 60's music scene

Mike Evans (also known as Mike Gibson), who went to Grove Park Grammar School, became lead vocalist of the The Raynes in the 1960s, which he calls the "best decade for music" with some of the "best bands in the world".

Here he looks back on the British and Wrexham music scene, touring and a jukebox 'ego trip'...

Newspaper cuttings of the Wrexham and North Wales music scene, featuring The Raynes, courtesy of Mike Evans.

On October 27, 2021, it was the 58th anniversary of an appearance at The Cavern in Liverpool from The Del Remos (see newspaper article from Wrexham Leader of the time).

The article was by David Sandison of the Leader, who was a supporter of the band that changed their name shortly afterwards to The Raynes.

David subsequently went on to work in London for The Rolling Stones publicity.

On Sunday, October 27, 1963 we played with The Escorts and not Jimmy Powell as advertised.

The Escorts had a rhythm guitarist Terry Sylvester, next to drummer and he went on to replace Graham Nash in The Hollies after he left in late 1968, as Nash went on to US and the formation of Crosby, Stills and Nash.

One year later in October 1964 we were campaigning on the back of a lorry with Lord Thomas of Gresford (Liberal Peer) who was running in the 1964 election, and we heard The Kinks were unable to perform at The Royal Lido Ballroom in Prestatyn that night, and The Raynes stood in for them.

Did you miss? "Never judge a group by their singles"

Consequently we obtained a residency there which ran until 1969, during which time we played with such acts such as: Adam Faith & The Roulettes; Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers; The Paramounts (who became Procol Harem of Whiter Shade of Pale fame); Steam Packet (featuring Long John Baldry, Julie Driscoll and Rod Stewart); The Birds (UK group not the US group The Byrds) and the UK group featured guitarist Ronnie Wood, now with The Rolling Stones; The Troggs; Moody Blues...

On Wednesday, December 9, 1964 we appeared at The Hippodrome Theatre supporting Freddie Starr and The Midnighters and The Searchers, who'd had two number one hits that year and also had What Have They Done To The Rain at No.11 at the time (good title for appearing with The Raynes).

During the residency we had a few changes and Ray Roberts (on bass) and Dave Williams (on saxophone) joined, as later on did Richie Winn (drums) and Rob Jones (drums.)

Newspaper cuttings of the Wrexham and North Wales music scene, featuring The Raynes, courtesy of Mike Evans.

What is hard to imagine compared to now was that most of the Top 10 Chart groups were British, and they were touring regularly around ballrooms, as opposed to large arenas which came later, and also there was a group on every street corner in the 1960s eg Mersey Beat era.

One ego trip for us was having our record Another Tear Falls on the jukebox in The Coffee Bar at Centenary House on King Street (A Bacharach/David song covered by The Walker Bros, about two years after us).

That was fame for us at the time although we were well eclipsed by local guitarist Andy Scott achieving world wide fame in the early 1970's with The Sweet but good luck on him as a Wrexham lad.

Another moment was on a Sunday night in 1969 when we played at The Alvaston Hall Hotel in Nantwich, where there was a regular Sunday night dance, and we appeared with Ben E. King (Stand By Me originator) and as was common then, they were backed by British musicians I think owing to a Musicians’ Union block on US musicians appearing here as backing groups.

So on that night Bluesology provided the backing and their keyboard player was a quietly spoken lad from Pinner, Middlesex by the name of Reg Dwight (known today as Elton John).

For us, these were the good old days.