The Temperance Seven is a Britishband originally active in the 1950s, specialising in 1920s-stylejazz music. They were known for theirsurreal performances.[1]
The Temperance Seven was founded atChristmas 1955 by students at theChelsea School of Art,[2] though the band mythologized its foundation as dating from 1904 at the fictitious Pasadena Cocoa Rooms, Balls Pond Road,North London.[citation needed] The three founder members werePaul McDowell (who originally playedtrombone), Philip Harrison (who originally playedbanjo) and Brian Innes (drums).[2] Gradually the band evolved into a nine-piece ensemble with a light-hearted and humorous performing style, although they were all serious musicians. The name "Temperance Seven" was suggested by Dougie Gray, ofthe Alberts.[citation needed]
In 1960, they recorded "Ukulele Lady" with vocal refrain byPeter Sellers, produced byGeorge Martin. It was featured onParlophone PMC 1131, a 12-inch album calledPeter and Sophia (Loren).[3]
In 1961, the Temperance Seven achieved a UK number-one single with "You're Driving Me Crazy", arranged by Frank Skinner and produced by George Martin.[2] It was followed by "Pasadena", which reached number 4 in theUK Singles Chart.[4] They toured the UK widely that year, often in shows promoted by their manager Ralph Peters, and their performances acquired a set routine beginning with the last few bars of "Pasadena" (which became their signature tune) and ending with the stirring strains of the "Gaumont-British News". By the summer of 1961, their fame was such that they appeared at theLondon Palladium for a two-week top of the bill performance.[citation needed] This was arranged by Peters in combination with an appearance at that year'sRoyal Variety Performance.
Before the band became known nationally, Paul McDowell had also been a member of theExperimental Theatre Clubrevue, withIan Davidson,Robin Grove-White andDoug Fisher. At the time, they had been performing their show, called**** (Four Asterisks), at theEdinburgh Fringe, but after the success of "You're Driving Me Crazy", McDowell left the group to tour with his band. This prompted Davidson to look for a replacement, and he foundTerry Jones, future Monty Python member, who thus obtained his first chance to be part of the revue.
The Temperance Seven came to popularity during the resurgenttrad-jazz era of the early 1960s. Their unique sound, coupled with their musicianship and ingeniously humorous compositions, set them apart from their contemporaries; however, they arrived at the cusp of that era and, as popular tastes changed with the emergence ofthe Beatles, the Temperance Seven gradually slipped into obscurity, although theBonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band andBob Kerr's Whoopee Band attempted to wear their mantle for several years whilst claiming no affiliation.[2]
The original Temperance Seven were dissolved in the mid 1960s, but the band was resurrected in the latter part of that decade by drummer Dave Mills, who had replaced Brian Innes in 1966 and led the band for several years, firstly as The New Temperance Seven, and was instrumental in arranging their appearances inHong Kong andBahrain, where he eventually settled, to be replaced by Ian Howarth.[citation needed] The band continued to perform with new personnel and, from time to time, original members made guest appearances. During the 1980s, Chris Hook took over leadership of the band. The personnel has not changed since that time and the band continues to work around the UK. Many members of the original band reunited for aBBC Radio programme about the group in 2003.[citation needed]
The Temperance Seven dressed in a manner appropriate to the style of music they played.[9] Some members also went under preposterous pseudonyms emphasised by the wearing of a minor yet conspicuous item of clothing – Colin Bowles adog collar andJohn R.T. Davies afez.[10] "Josef Kronk", who supposedly arrangedThe Temperance Seven 1961 LP, was the collective pseudonym for the band. The early personnel included:
Pasadena and the Lost Cylinders: Music from the Archives (1997 CD: Lake LACD 77) [recorded 1960(1–9), 1961(10–11), 1962(12–19), 1963(20–26), 1967(27–28)]
Live & In Full Colour – Part 1 (2000 CD: TS101) (Private Pressing recorded at The Grayshott Club, Hindhead)
Live & In Full Colour – Part 2 (2000 CD: TS102) (Private Pressing recorded at The Grayshott Club, Hindhead)
The Parlophone Recordings Vol.1 1960–1962 (2000 CD: Lake LACD 138)
The Parlophone Recordings Vol.2 1962–1965 (2001 CD: Lake LACD 142)
Those BBC Years (2002 CD: Upbeat URCD185)
Diamond Jubilee Stomp (2017 CD: Private Release from website)
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