The Casuals
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1961 in Lincoln, England |
| Founder | John Tebb, Howard Newcomb |
| Defunct | 1976 |
| Headquarters | Lincoln , England |
| Products | Pop music singles and albums |
The Casuals were an English pop ensemble originating from Lincoln, England, primarily recognized for their 1968 UK chart success with the single "Jesamine", which peaked at number two.
Career
Established in 1960 by John Tebb (piano, vocals) and Howard Newcomb (guitar), the group adopted the name The Casuals in 1961, adding Don Fortune on drums and Zenon Kowalski on bass. Upon turning professional, they relocated to Italy to produce cover versions of popular UK songs. After Fortune and Kowalski departed, Mick Bray (drums) and Ian Good (bass), both from prominent Lincoln bands The Avengers and The Sultans, took their places.
By 1965, having won Opportunity Knocks on three occasions, the band secured a deal with Fontana Records and released their first single "If You Walk Out," which did not achieve commercial success. In 1966, Alan "Plug" Taylor joined as bassist, and the group moved back to Italy, signing with CBS Milan to record Italian-language adaptations of British hits. Among these was a chart-topping Italian rendition of the Bee Gees' "Massachusetts". Midway through 1967, Good left the band; Bray followed later that year and was succeeded by Bob O'Brien.
While still based in Italy in 1968, The Casuals transitioned to Decca Records, releasing "Jesamine" in May. The track received heavy rotation on BBC Radio One and climbed to number two on the UK Singles Chart by the end of the year. "Jesamine" was originally "When Jesamine Goes" by The Bystanders, penned by Marty Wilde and Ronnie Scott under aliases. Their next release, "Toy," written by Chris Andrews, reached number 30 in the UK. The band also enjoyed chart presence in Germany with "Jesamine" at number nine and "Toy" at number 27. Their only album, Hour World, however, was issued too late to capitalize fully on these successes. During Newcomb's illness, Chris Evans filled in; after Taylor and O'Brien exited in 1970, Evans became a full member alongside Lloyd Courtney. Later singles failed to chart, resulting in Decca dropping them in 1971.
In 1972, signing with Parlophone, they released "Tara Tiger Girl," which did not achieve commercial traction. Under the moniker 'American Jam Band,' they issued "American Jam" featuring the same B-side as their previous single but failed to gain success. Moving to Dawn Records in 1974, they released their final single "Good Times," which also did not chart. The Casuals ultimately disbanded in 1976.
Legacy
Paul Weller has named "Jesamine" among his favorite singles of all time, featuring it on a 1998 edition of BBC Radio One's All Back to Mine and including it on his 2003 compilation album Under the Influence.
Key members
- Howard Newcombe – guitar, trumpet, vocals – (born 25 November 1945, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England)
- Alan Taylor – bass – (born 2 February 1947, Halifax, West Yorkshire, England – died 27 November 2011, Bologna, Italy)
- Johnny Tebb – keyboards – (born John Roy Tebb, 1 October 1945, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England – died 28 May 2018, south of France)
- Bob O'Brien – drums – (born Robert O'Brien, 26 September 1944, Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire, Scotland)
- Mick Bray – drums – (born Michael Pompa, 21 May 1949, Lincoln)
Singles
- "If You Walk Out" / "Please Don't Hide" – Fontana, 1965
- "Adios Amour" / "Don't Dream of Yesterday" – Decca, 1968
- "Jesamine" / "I've Got Something Too" – Decca, 1968 – Reached No. 2 in the UK and No. 1 in New Zealand
- "Toy" / "Touched" – Decca, 1968 – Peaked at No. 30 in the UK and No. 6 in New Zealand
- "Fools Paradise" / "Seven Times Seven" – Decca, 1969
- "Sunflower Eyes" / "Never My Love" – Decca, 1969
- "Caroline" / "Naughty Boy" – Decca, 1969
- "My Name Is Love" / "I Can't Say" – Decca, 1970
- "Tara Tiger Girl" / "Nature's Girl" – Parlophone, 1972
- "Good Times" / "Witch" – Dawn, 1974
Under the name 'American Jam Band
- "American Jam" / "Nature's Girl" – Parlophone, 1972
- "Jam Jam" / "Back On The Road" – Young Blood International, 1974
Albums
- Hour World – LP released June 1969 on Decca
Tracklist: Side one: "Jesamine", "Toyland", "Never My Love", "Fools Paradise", "Picnic", "Now You Can Be", "Daddy's Song" Side two: "Hello It's Me", "Love Me Tonight", "Someday Man", "Touched", "See", "Sunflower Eyes", "Hey-Hey-Hey", "Weather Vane"
- The Very Best of The Casuals – CD issued in 1998 by Commercial Marketing
Compilations
The Casuals’ rendition of "Jesamine" appears on multiple compilation albums such as: