Fumble - band members

Singer. guitarist and founder member who formed The Iveys together with his two friends Mario and Remo Ferrari in 1962. "Loving You", the legendary Elvis Presley film was showing locally and young Des was in the audience. From that day on all he wanted in life was to play guitar. At 13, his parents bought him his Gretsch Country Gentleman guitar, which he played ever since.

Compositions

Des toured Sweden with The Iveys in 1965 and wrote the A-side of their single "When Love Meant So Much To You" which was released on a Swedish compilation CD in 2008. With Fumble he wrote many songs: "Free The Kids", Honey, What A Feelin'" and "Here We Go Again from their LP 'Poetry in Lotion', plus many of their single's the B-sides. His composition "Don't Take Love" was released as a single in 1974.

Des Henly's Rock'n'Roll Circus

Des, Barry and Mario got together once a year at Christmas time to play classic Rock'n'Roll numbers such as "Reelin' and Rockin', Runaround Sue, You Never Can Tell, No Money Down, I'm Ready... and many more. A live double CD of the gig has been recorded in 2011 and was released in October 2013.

Des still teaches guitar. With his band of guitar students "Des Henly's Singers and Strummers" (DHSS) he occasionally plays in pubs around Weston-super-Mare.

Mario and Des met for the first time when they were three years old. At the age of five Mario started taking piano lessons.
Some years later was Des already playing guitar and only needed a bassplayer for his band. So Mario began to teach himself the rudiments of basswork. At 15 Mario's father bought him a Fender Precision Bass. With his knowledge of piano it didn't take long for him to learn the instrument.

Mario played his first gigs together with his brother Remo and Des as 'The Iveys'. Remo left the band when he got married, Mario stayed and they later became FUMBLE.

Mario now works as a freelance illustrator/cartoonist and teaches drawing classes. In his studio in the attic he gets the best ideas.

Mario, the artist
Music and painting - Mario used to do both at the same time. In the left picture he sprayed a large piece of artwork on a large canvas on stage while Fumble were playing.

When Mario is not busy at the drawing board he enjoys golf, tennis, fine food and a good glass of wine.

"Lots of doodling and sketchbook work gets the inspiration going. And I go to sleep with a smile and wake up with a good idea." Mario Ferrari -

Charles Thomas Sean Mayes studied at Trinity College, Cambridge and gained a degree in philosophy. At 7 years he started playing piano, his interest in music being along the classical lines until a friend introduced him to artists like Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard. Sean formed an R&B group 'Wildie Beasties' with Barry Pike (probably the originator of that name) Sean was playing organ, as there was no easy way to amplify a piano. Together with Barry Sean joined Fumble in 1967 when they were still called 'The Baloons'.

Sean collected many press articles and kept a diary. Always carrying his typewriter with him, Sean virtually chronicled every day on the road with Fumble. Most of the press articles on this website are from his collection, as well as a gig list of the first 20 years. You find both in the archive section.

David Bowie

Sean played piano for David Bowie on the "Heroes" world tour in 1978. His notes and memories of the tour were later transformed into the book "We Can Be Heroes - Life on Tour with David Bowie". Kevin Cann finished the book which was published four years after his death in 1999.
Sean also played on David Bowie's albums 'Lodger' (1979) and 'Stage' (1978).

Tom Robinson
In 1982 Sean joined Tom Robinson for 'War Baby', toured with him and played on the two albums 'North by Northwest' (1982) and 'Last Tango: Midnight at the Fringe' (1988).

Sean was also co-author of two books: "Kate Bush - A visual Documentary" and "Joan Armatrading - A Biography".

Barry taught himself to play drums at the age of 14 by listening to borrowed records of Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa and the like, and bought his first kit at fifteen. Barry*s first band was a R&B band led by his brother Jeffrey.
Together with Sean Mayes he worked through a couple of groups, "The Soulbenders" being the last before they both joined Des and Mario and formed The Baloons in 1967.

In 1974, Barry gave a lenghty interview to "Drum Magazine" which you can find on this website Barry Pike Interview

Together with Mario, Barry sang in "The DelRays", a four-piece a cappella band that has specialized in Songs from the golden era of the Beatles and the Beach Boys.

His version of "White Christmas" has been a highlight at Des Henly's Rock'n'Roll Circus every year. (picture below)