The Melody Maker Fumble File (1973)


DESMOND RUSSELL HENLY: Guitar, vocals BORN: Weston-super-Mare, 15 July 1947. EDUCATED: Walliscote Road Infant Junior and secondary Schools, Weston Art School. MUSICAL TRAINING: Lessons on guitar. MUSICAL CAREER: Played with Mario and other musicians in the Iveys (1965-1966) while at college, then Balloons with Sean Mayes, Barry Pike and Mario Ferrari from 1968. OTHER OCCUPATIONS: Window Cleaner, labourer. MUSICAL INFLUENCES: Presley, Beatles, all the 50's greats. PERSONAL COMPOSITIONS: "Hanging On," "Mama I Can't Tell You" (written with Mario, recorded by Fumble. SONGWRITING INSPIRATIONS: Good and bad times, love, irony of life. FAVOURITE SINGLE: "Blowing In The Wint." Bob Dylan FAVOURITE ALBUM: "Times They Are A Changin'," Bob Dylan. FAVOURITE SONNGWRITERS: Bob Dylan, Lennon-McCartney, Cole Porter, Gershwin. FAVOURITE MUSICIAN: James Burton, Scotty Moore, Jerry Lee Lewis. FAVOURITE SINGER: Paul Rodgers (Free), Peggy Lee. RESIDENCE: Is single and has a house in Harrow and a flat in Weston-super-Mare. INSTRUMENTS: Gretsch Country Gentleman guitar, with Gretsch rock'n'roll medium gauge strings. Yamaha acoustic guitar with D Angelica strings and Barcus Berry pick and pre-amp. Orange 120 watt "Graphic" amp with two 4 x 12" Orange cabinets.	MARIO ANGELO FERRARI: Bass guitar BORN: Weston-super-Mare, 26 Jan 1947. EDUCATED: Sacred Heart College, Droitwich Spa MUSICAL TRAINING: Piano from the age of 6-16, self taught on bass from 15. CAREER: Played with Des Henly and his brother Remo in the Iveys. Four years in Balloons with Des Henly, Barry Pike and Sean Mayes. OTHER OCCUPATIONS: Waiter. MUSICAL INFLUENCES: Everly Brothers, Beatles, Lovin' Spoonful, plus early R'n'B. PERSONAL COMPOSITIONS: "When Love Means So Much To You," "You're Gonna Lose," "Hangin' On," "Mama I Can't Tell You," "Bad Tough Luck Girl" and various others not recorded, all written with Des. SONGWRITING INSPIRATION: People, things. FAVOURITE SINGLE: Changes every week, currently "I Wanna Hold Your Hand," the Beatles. FAVOURITE ALBUM: "Buddy Holly Story," all Beatles for consistency. "Days of Future Past" (Moody Blues) FAVOURITE SONNGWRITER: Beatles, Cole Porter. FAVOURITE MUSICIAN: Andre Previn FAVOURITE SINGER: Ray Charles RESIDENCE: Is single and lives in Weston-super-Mare INSTRUMENTS: Fender Precision Bass, over the hill but faithful for nine years. Rotosound with black plastic covering for nice "string bass" sound when needed. 120 watt Orange with 2 x 15" reflector speakers.	SEAN MAYES: Piano BORN: Stone Allerton, Somerset, 17 March 1946. EDUCATED: Boulevard Kindergaten, Weston-super-Mare. Colson School, Bristol. Trinity College, Canbridge. MUSICAL TRAINING: Classical piano lessons from the age of 7 until about 16. After that played more by ear, picking things up from folk records. Played drums in his first group and organ in his second group. MUSICAL CAREER: "Hallucinations," "Wilde Beasties," "Soulbenders" (with Barry Pike) in Cambridge 1966-67, then Balloons (same four people as Fumble) until changed name in 1971. OTHER OCCUPATIONS: Barman, bookmaker's assistant, washer-up (all spare time) MUSICAL INFLUENCES: Floyd Cramer, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, assorted Chuck Berry piano players. PERSONAL COMPOSITIONS: "Million Seller" / "Get Up" (Fumble). SONGWRITING INSPIRATION: Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, America (not the group), the Fifties, being on the road. FAVOURITE SINGLE: "The Last Time" Rolling Stones FAVOURITE ALBUMS: "Daydream" (Lovin' Spoonful), Beatles (Double album), "Times They Are A-Changin'"(Dylan) FAVOURITE SONNGWRITERS: Chuck Berry, Lennon McCartney FAVOURITE MUSICIAN: Jimi Hendrix FAVOURITE SINGER: Elvis Presley RESIDENCE: Is single and has been living in Weston-super-Mare, but his family are currently moving to a house near Richmond. INSTRUMENTS: Grand Piano. On gigs he uses a collapsible Lindner (irish) acoustic upright piano stripped out of its casing. He uses a special american Barcus-Berry piano pick-up (two conract. mikes) plus pre-amp into a Burns 120 watt miked into the P.A.	BARRY DEXTER PIKE: Drums BORN: Reading, 7 Nov 1948. EDUCATED: Netherhall Secondary Modern and Cambridge Technical College. MUSICAL TRAINING: Self-taught at the age of fourteen by looking and listening CAREER: Various small bands, two of which were "Wilde Beasties" and "Soulbenders" OTHER OCCUPATIONS: Postman, office clerk, shop assistant. MUSICAL INFLUENCES: Early R & B, the Beatles and his brother FAVOURITE SINGLE: "My Generation" The Who FAVOURITE ALBUM: "White Album" (The Beatles) and K-Tel 25 (Greatest Hits of The Fifties) FAVOURITE SONNGWRITER: Bob Dylan FAVOURITE MUSICIAN: Alan Haven FAVOURITE SINGER: Paul McCartney, Bill Haley RESIDENCE: Is single and lives in a house in Harrow. INSTRUMENTS: Slingerland drum kit with 24" bass drum, 13" x 9" tom-tom, 16" floor tom-tom, Ludwig 14" x 6" snare drum, Hayman Hi-hat and drum pedal, 20" ride, 18" crash and one pair of 14" H H Avedis Zildjian.

EVOLUTION: The Iveys with Des and Mario, and the Soulbenders with Sean and Barry, were splitting up. Sean knew Des and Mario and suggested they get together as a "good time band" called the Baloons. They played all over Europe and England for four years until audience reaction to their versions of old material pointed to a fresh direction and a new start. Mario thought of the name Fumble and the band took two months off the road to work on a new act.
PERSONAL CHANGES: None
ORIGIN OF NAME: Mario thought of it whilst lying in hospital with a broken leg from skiing.
FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE: Leicester College of Education, September 1971.
FIRST BROADCAST: Sounds of the 70's, 1972
FIRST TELEVISION: Old Grey Whistle Test, December 1972.
RECORDING COMPANY: Sovereign/EMI, 18 Lancaster Mews, Lancaster Gate, London W2
MANAGEMENT AND AGENCY: John Sherry Enterprises, 27 Dryden Chambers, 119 Oxford St. London, W1
RECORD PRODUCERS: John Sherry, Rod Lynton, Fumble.

PUBLICIST: Rod Lynton Associates, 114 New Bond St., London W2. Rod Lynton-Press Liaison, 38 Dryden Chambers, 119 Oxford St., London W1
MUSIC PUBLISHER: Big Ben Music, 18 Lancaster Gate, London W2
FAN CLUB: None. All mail to John Sherry Enterprise.
BRITISH TOURS: David Bowie, January 1973
AMERICAN TOURS: David Bowie, January 1973
TRANSPORT: Garner Conversation Transit for equipment and Cadillac for the band.
STAGE MANAGERS: Tubs Turner (mixing), Chris Turner (stage).
SINGLES: "Hello Mary Lou" c/w "Hanging On" (Nov. '72), "Million Seller" c/w "Get Up" (April '73), "Alexandra Palace" c/w "Mama I Can't Tell You" (Aug. '73)
ALBUM: "Fumble" (Sovereign/EMI)
PA SYSTEM: 800 watt Hiwatt consisting of 4 x 200 watt slave apms. 4 2 x 15in bass cabinets and 4 2 x 12in treble cabinets with mid-range JBL horns. A 100 watts system for monitors. Hiwatt 10 channel mixer. Binson Echorec. Unidyne mikes.