Faron's Flamingos | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Liverpool, England |
| Years active | 1960s, 1970s |
| Labels | Oriole, Raw, Mastersound |
| Past members | Faron Ruffley Ronald "Ronnie" Plimmer Paddy Chambers Dave Cooper Nicky Crouch Trevor Morais |
Faron's Flamingos were an EnglishMerseybeat band. Despite their lack of commercial success, they remain an important part of Merseybeat history and have the distinction of being the first major example of the "MerseyMotown" sound with their release of "Do You Love Me".
Fronted byWilliam "Faron" Ruffley (born 8 January 1942 inLiverpool[1]), the group was considered one of the best live groups on the Merseybeat scene.[2]Bob Wooler, the DJ fromThe Cavern nicknamed him Faron, 'the panda-footed prince of prance'.[3] Their blistering version of "Do You Love Me was the first major example of the Mersey Motown sound.[4]
The group's history can be traced back to the Hi-Hats which came together at the Liverpool Mercury Cycling Club. The group then changed its name to Robin and The Ravens with the lead singer Robin dressed in a yellow silk suit and the band in pink jackets.[5] In January 1961, Ruffley left the band to joinGerry and the Pacemakers on an eight-week tour inHamburg,Germany, appearing with them at theTop Ten Club.[1]
When Ruffley came back from touring with the Pacemakers, he formed Faron's Flamingos. They made their first appearance atThe Cavern in 1962 withthe Beatles singing backup.[6] Also that year and with a growing following, they were offered a chance to go to France and play at the US army bases. Band member Eric London did not want to give up his job, so he did not travel. He was replaced by Dave Cooper. Bands touring France had to bring a female singer with them and they took a lady called Pam Connolly on tour with them. In spite of doing well, there were some issues with Billy Jones leaving the band. When the group returned to the UK, the line up was Nicky Crouch on lead guitar, Paddy Chambers on rhythm guitar, Faron Ruffley on bass and vocals andTrevor Morais on drums.
In May 1963, the group accepted an invitation to record some material for the albumThis Is Merseybeat.[3] Also in 1963, their version of "Do You Love Me" was released on the Oriole label. Their lack of success with this song may have had something to do with publishing companyLeeds Music pushing the other side of the single which was "See If She Cares".[7] WriterBill Harry and his wife Virginia were there at the Oriole Studio when the group recorded the song. It differed from the version that was recorded bythe Contours. He said thatJohn Schroeder asked them to go out to the street to ask some young folk to come in and dance to the recording. Some crates of beer were also brought in. People in the studio control room were surprised and everyone thought it had had chart hit written all over it and Schroeder said that it had the potential to top the chart.[4]
In 1965, Faron reformed the band and performed in France until the late 1960s.[8] He also had a version of the group running in the 1970s.[6] Later versions of his Flamingos have included Brian Jones, Arty Davis, Phil Melia, Ken Shalliker, Billy Burton, Arthur Hayes, Nicky Crouch, Bernie Rogers and others.[9]
Faron Ruffley | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William Ruffley |
| Born | (1942-01-08)8 January 1942 (age 83) Liverpool, England |
| Genres | Merseybeat |
| Instrument | Vocals |
William "Faron" Ruffley (born 8 January 1942) is an English singer, known for being the lead vocalist for Faron's Flamingos.
Ruffley was born and raised inLiverpool, and formed Faron's Flamingos in 1961 after touring withGerry and the Pacemakers.[10] They were one of the first examples of theMerseybeat sound with their cover of "Do You Love Me". Faron had many versions of the band, including a version that was active inFrance.[10]
Ruffley married a woman fromCorsica.[10] He lived in France for some time but moved back to Liverpool when his mother fell ill.[10] He formed a small band with Brian Jones (ofThe Undertakers) and toured around Liverpool. He reformed the Flamingos in 1985.[10] Ruffley is a born-again Christian. When he was fifty years old, he suffered a heart attack and spent some time in hospital. By the time he was sixty years old, he had suffered five heart attacks and had to have a quadruple heart bypass. A stroke left him unable to speak for six weeks and he also had both hips replaced, with metal replacements for some bones in his leg and toes. He recalled, "I've been dead three times and they've brought me back. Now I'm a born-again Christian and I firmly believe there is a God, I've been up there and seen the light".[10]
Ruffley was advised by doctors to retire from touring in the 2000s, but is semi-active as of 2024.[10] In the 2000s, he was working on anautobiography.
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| Title | Catalogue | Year | Notes # |
|---|---|---|---|
| "See If She Cares" / "Do You Love Me" | Oriole CB 1834 | 1963 | |
| "Shake Sherry" / "Give Me Time" | Oriole CB 1867 | 1963 | |
| "Let's Stomp" / "I Can Tell" | Columbia Records 4-43018 | 1964 | B side is byRory Storm and the Hurricanes USA release |
| "Bring It On Home to Me" / "C'mon Everybody" | Raw RAW 27 | 1978 | As Faron's Flamingoes |
| Title | Catalogue | Year | Notes # |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faron's Flamingos 1963, See If She Cares | Mastersound MS CD.585 | 1963 | Compilation |
| Act | Album title | Catalogue | Year | Song | Notes # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various artists | Take Six from "This Is Merseybeat | Oriole EP-7080 | 1963 | "Let's Stomp" | EP |
| Various artists | This is Merseybeat Volume 1 | Oriole PS 40047 | 1963 | "Let's Stomp", "Talkin' 'bout You" | |
| Various artists | This is Merseybeat Volume 2 | Oriole PS 40048 | 1963 | "Sherry Sherry" / "So Fine" | |
| Various artists | The Exciting New Liverpool Sound (The Authentic Mersey Beat) | Columbia CL 2172 | 1964 | "Let's Stomp", "Talkin' 'bout You" | [12][13] |
| Title | Director, Producer, etc | Year | Credit | Notes # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beat City | Charles Squires (dir) | 1963 | On-screen participant | [14][6] |
| Chasing Rainbows - A Nation and Its Music | Jeremy Marre (prod) | 1986 | Themselves | as Faron and his Flamingoes |
| Merseybeat Magic | Wally Scott (host) | 1989 | Themselves |
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