AFTER TONIGHT COVERS
Italian Original: Equipe 84 - Notte senza fine / Se credi a quello che... (Italy: Vedette 33.097) 9/65
Founded in 1963 in Modena (Emilia Romagna), by Maurizio Vandelli (gt/voc), Franco Ceccarelli (gt), Alfio Cantarella (drms) & Victor Sogliani (bass/voc), all of them 21 years old (4 x 21 = 84). Like so many beat groups blooming all over Europe – and all over the world, l’Equipe (French word for the Team, die Mannschaft) mixed Anglo-American covers with their own brand of Beat.
Their first record, “Papa e mamma”, (Papa Oom Mow Mow), reached the Top Ten in 1965. The second, “Ora puoi tornare” (Go Now), was backed with an original surf-tune : ”Prima di cominciare”, which Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley later translated into “Ready Steady”.
In September 1965, Equipe 84 entered a traditional competition, the Festival di Napoli, with the song “Notte senza fine”, in Napolitan dialect (Nun me scetà). This became “After Tonight”, first covered by British group Clockwork Oranges, and then used on Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich’s first album.
Probably the greatest Italian beat-group of the Sixties, Equipe 84 reached number One with a cover of “Bang Bang” in 1966, the original “29 Settembre” in ’67 and “Tutta mia la citta” (Blackberry Way) in 1969.
In 1970, the drummer Alfio and the guitarist Franco left the group, while the lead singer Maurizio made a first solo album. Many more members passed through the group during the following years, and Equipe 84 are still touring nowadays, with Franco Ceccarelli (who rejoined in the 80’s) the only original member.
First English version: The Clockwork Oranges - Ready Steady / After Tonight (Ember S 227) 25/02/66
This was the group founded by Terry Clarke (guitar/voc) and Mick Underwood (drms) upon leaving the Herd, with Brian Curtis (bass) and Harvey Hinsley (guitar). Mick and Harvey had played together in The Outlaws (backing Mike Berry) in 1964-65, under Joe Meek’s production.
In February 1966, the single “Ready Steady / After Tonight” was released under their name.
The A-side is a surf tune, cover of the Italian song ”Prima di cominciare”. The flip was the cover of another ballad by the same group: Equipe 84. The origina
l song, “Notte senza fine” was a Top 10 Hit in Italy in 1965. The english lyrics were signed Howard & Blaikley.
This single was also issued in the USA (Liberty 55.887) and was adorned with a picture sleeve in Germany (Columbia 23.226). But the picture has been recognized as depicting an early shot of another Italian group: i Pooh. Certainly, the sleeve shows a quintet, like the group still was in 1966. (The greek picture sleeve shows a different group, this time a quartet.) But the sound of the single is akin to that of i Pooh’s first album, also issued in 1966, like the voice, the guitar sounds and the background vocals. And the production is very much alike, but lacking the quality usually found in British records of the time, proving that the single is indeed probably by Italian group i Pooh.
Anyway, the Clockwork Oranges did not release anything else on vinyl. Meanwh
ile, the Birds had lost two members in 1967, Kim Garner and Ron Wood, who had joined the more successful Creation touring Germany. The remaining Birds : Ali McKenzie (voc), Tony Munroe (guitar) & Pete McDaniel (Pete Hocking, drms) recruited Terry Clarke and Brian Curtis to tour the British clubs through 1968.
Mick Underwood joined Episode Six in 1968, and then formed Quatermass. Harvey Hinsley later found fame with Hot Chocolate.
Terry Clarke (gt/voc) and Brian Curtis (bass) emigrated to Perth, Australia, in 1969, where they reformed a new version of The Birds with Australian drummer John Goldsmith. There they issued three singles on the Clarion label (including two Birds re-makes) :
I Can’t Let Maggie Go / No Good Without You (Clarion MCK-3333) 10/69
I See The Rain / Rene (Clarion MCK-3474) 1/70
Magic Words / Dust In My Pants (Clarion MCK-3542)3/70
