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The Honeycombs

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The Honeycombs
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded1963 in north London, England
FounderMartin Murray
Defunct1967
Headquarters
London
,
England
ProductsMusic recordings, singles, albums

The Honeycombs emerged as an English band formed in 1963 in north London. They gained major recognition with their 1964 million-selling chart-topper, "Have I the Right?". Among the members was Honey Lantree, a notable female drummer during a period when few women held that role. Although they enjoyed this initial success, the group was unable to sustain it and had disbanded by 1967.

Personnel

The original lineup consisted of:

  • Denis D'Ell (born Denis James Dalziel on 10 October 1943 in Whitechapel, east London; passed away 6 July 2005) – lead vocals and harmonica.
  • Martin Murray (born 7 October 1941, east London) – rhythm guitar; succeeded by Peter Pye (born 12 July 1946, Walthamstow, London) in November 1964.
  • Alan Ward (born 12 December 1945, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire) – lead guitar.
  • John Lantree (born John David Lantree on 20 August 1941 in Newbury, Berkshire) – bass guitar.
  • Honey Lantree (born Anne Margot Lantree on 28 August 1943 in Hayes, Middlesex; died 23 December 2018) – drums and vocals.

Career

The band originated as an amateur ensemble initiated by Martin Murray in November 1963. Its members included Murray, who worked as a hairdresser, his assistant Anne "Honey" Lantree, her brother John, and two acquaintances. Initially, they performed under the name the Sheratons.

They secured gigs in London's West End and at the Mildmay Tavern, a pub located in north London. In February 1964, songwriters Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley attended one of their shows and established contact with the group, who expressed interest in their compositions. This led to an audition with independent producer Joe Meek, resulting in a recording of Howard and Blaikley's "Have I the Right?" with Meek producing the B-side titled "Please Don't Pretend Again."

Joe Meek operated his studio from his apartment at 304 Holloway Road, where he produced three UK number-one hits: "Johnny Remember Me" by John Leyton, "Telstar" by The Tornados, and "Have I the Right?" The drum sounds on "Have I the Right?" were notably enhanced by stomping feet on wooden stairs and striking a tambourine directly against a microphone; the final track was also slightly accelerated.

Pye Records released the single on 26 June 1964. Sales increased steadily thereafter. Louis Benjamin, who later became chairman of Pye, renamed the band The Honeycombs—a clever reference to both their drummer's nickname and her profession as a hairdresser. By August of that year, "Have I the Right?" had climbed to No. 1 in the UK charts and also topped charts in Australia and Canada. It reached No. 3 in Ireland, No. 5 in the United States, and No. 2 in the Netherlands. Total sales exceeded one million copies. Additionally, a German-language version titled "Hab ich das Recht?" was recorded and attained No. 21 on German charts alongside the English release.

Howard and Blaikley took on managerial roles for the band and composed follow-up singles such as "Is It Because" and "Eyes," which did not achieve significant commercial success. Their fourth single, "Something Better Beginning," written by Ray Davies of The Kinks, also failed to make an impact on the charts.

After their breakthrough hit, The Honeycombs toured extensively throughout the Far East and Australia. This focus limited their promotional activities in their home country but helped them build a lasting fanbase in Japan. For this market, they issued a live album and released a single called "Love in Tokyo." They also secured two number-one singles in Sweden.

The Honeycombs made appearances on major music television programs including Top of the Pops (UK), Ready Steady Go! (UK), Shindig! (US), and Beat-Club (Germany). They were featured performing mimed versions of "Have I the Right?" and "Eyes" in the 1965 film Pop Gear.

In July 1965, a ruling by the London High Court confirmed Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley as the rightful songwriters of "Have I the Right?" after Geoff Goddard withdrew his claim to authorship.

In August 1965, they released "That's the Way," featuring shared vocals between Honey Lantree and Denis D'Ell; during tours Viv Prince from The Pretty Things occasionally replaced Lantree on drums. This single reached number twelve on UK charts—marking their fourth British hit—while its successor "This Year Next Year" failed to chart.

Denis D'Ell provided lead vocals on every single except for their final release. Later tracks included "Who Is Sylvia?", an adaptation of a Schubert melody with new lyrics by Howard and Blaikley, as well as "It's So Hard," which was also recorded by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich under the title "Hard to Love You."

In April 1966, Denis D'Ell, Alan Ward, and Peter Pye departed from the band.

In 1999, all original members except Martin Murray reunited to collaborate with cult producer Russell C. Brennan—often compared to Joe Meek. Brennan produced a fresh version of "Live and Let Die" for them that appeared on Future Legend Records' Cult Themes From the 70s Vol. 2 compilation. To support this release, they performed their first live show together in three decades at Madame Jo Jo's in London before disbanding once more. This recording remains their latest work; it was also included on a James Bond compilation entitled The Themes Bond... James Bond (The Alternative James Bond Themes).

The (new) Honeycombs and subsequent developments

The ensemble proceeded with a refreshed lineup featuring a new lead vocalist, guitarist, and keyboard player:

  • Colin Boyd (originally Colin Nicholas Nicol, born 4 June 1946 in Combe, near Bath, Somerset) – guitar and vocals. He later established Honeybus and adopted the stage name Colin Hare.
  • Rod Butler (born Rodney Butler on 27 May 1944 in Mill Hill, London) – lead guitar and vocals. He subsequently performed with the Lemmings and The College Boys, a band formed by former Honeycomb Martin Murray. Butler also founded Zarabanda and collaborated with Mik Kaminski of ELO in Violinski.
  • Eddy Spence – keyboards and vocals.
  • John Lantree – bass guitar.
  • Honey Lantree – drums and vocals.

This formation issued the group’s final single, "That Loving Feeling," written by Colin Boyd, which did not achieve chart success.

Later in the same year, the Honeycombs embarked on a tour in Japan and produced a live album recorded in Tokyo. Both the original vinyl pressing and the 1990s CD re-release by Repertoire Records have become collectors' items. The album’s repertoire featured popular songs like "Have I the Right?" alongside covers such as "Wipe Out" and "Goldfinger." Several tracks from this release are available on streaming services, including an uncommon Japanese-exclusive Christmas single containing "Santa Claus Is Back in Town" and "Silent Night."

On 3 February 1967, producer Joe Meek died by suicide after fatally shooting his landlady. Following this tragic event, no additional Honeycombs recordings were released, which ultimately led to the band's dissolution.

In 1972, Peter Pye briefly pursued a solo career under the name Peter Franc, releasing a single on the Blue Mountain label, followed by two albums and three singles on the Dawn label up until 1975.

Throughout the 1990s, original member Martin Murray toured with Martin Murray's Honeycombs. Another version of the band featuring Honey Lantree, Peter Pye, Denis D'Ell, and later John Lantree also performed successfully from 1991 onward. In 1999, producer Russell C. Brennan invited this lineup to contribute a recording of "Live and Let Die" for the compilation Cult Themes from the '70s Vol. 2, which also included work by Joe Meek artist Glenda Collins.

Vocalist Dennis D'Ell passed away on 6 July 2005 at age 61. Drummer Honey Lantree died on 23 December 2018 at age 75.

Singles

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Albums

  • The Honeycombs (US edition titled Here Are the Honeycombs, reached No. 147 on the US Billboard 200) (UK Pye NPL 18097 / US Interphon IN-88001, released 25 September 1964):
    • "Colour Slide" / "Once You Know" / "Without You It Is Night" / "That's the Way" / "I Want to Be Free" / "How the Mighty Have Fallen" / "Have I the Right?" / "Just a Face in the Crowd" / "Nice While It Lasted" / "Me from You" / "Leslie Anne" / "She's Too Way Out" / "It Ain't Necessarily So" / "This Too Shall Pass Away"
  • All Systems Go! (Pye NPL 18132, released 17 December 1965):
    • "I Can't Stop"[1] / "Don't Love Her No More" / "All Systems Go" / "Totem Pole" / "Emptiness"[2] / "Ooee Train" / "She Ain't Coming Back" / "Something I Gotta Tell You" / "Our Day Will Come" / "Nobody But Me" / "There's Always Me" / "Love in Tokyo" / "If You Should" / "My Prayer"
  • In Tokyo (Nippon Columbia PS-1277, issued 17 November 1965) (Live album exclusive to Japan):
    • "Colour Slide" / "I'll Go Crazy" / "She's About a Mover" / "There's Always Me" / "Wipe Out" / "Lucille" / "If You Should" / "Have I the Right?" / "Goldfinger" / "Kansas City" / "My Prayer" / "What'd I Say"

In Germany, all three albums were re-released on CD, with two editions including bonus material:

  • The Honeycombs (Repertoire Records RR 4098-WZ, 1990):
    • Additional tracks: "Please Don't Pretend Again" / "I'll Cry Tomorrow" / "If You've Got to Pick a Baby" / "I'll See You Tomorrow" / "I Can't Stop"[1] / "Hab ich das Recht" / "Du Sollst Nicht Traurig Sein"
  • All Systems – Go! (Repertoire Records RR 4121-WZ, 1990):
    • Bonus selections: "Not Sleeping Too Well Lately" / "How Will I Know?" / "I Fell in Love" / "Something Better Beginning" / "Should a Man Cry?" / "Can't Get Through to You"
  • In Tokyo (Repertoire Records REP 4180-WZ, 1991)

Compilation albums

  • The Best of the Honeycombs (PRT Records PYC 4009, 1988):
    • Featured tracks: "Have I the Right?" / "Is It Because?" / "Eyes" / "I Don't Love Her No More" / "Something Better Beginning" / "That's the Way" / "This Year Next Year"
  • Honeycombs (All Systems Go and It's the Honeycombs) (Sequel Records NEX CD 125, 1990):
    • A merged reissue combining two albums with rearranged track listings and modified titles.
  • The Best of the Honeycombs (Marble Arch CMA CD 146, 1991):
    • Includes popular songs such as: "Have I the Right?" and “Leslie Anne”
  • The Best of the Honeycombs, Produced By Joe Meek (EMI EMI CDEMS 1475, 1993):
    • Contains notable singles alongside lesser-known Joe Meek-produced tracks.
  • Have I the Right?: The Very Best of the Honeycombs (EMI 7243 5 38312 2 6, 2002):
    • An extensive collection featuring major hits and fan-favorite songs.
  • 304 Holloway Road Revisited (2016):
    • Performers: Martin Murray, Mik West, Zak Skjerdal, Ant Atkins, Allan Gifford, Linda Hall.
    • Highlighted tracks include: “Leslie Anne,” “Have I the Right?,” “Love in Tokyo,” and “Totem Pole”

See also

Bibliography

  • Chris May and Tim Phillips, British Beat, Sociopack Publications, London, [1974], p. 75.

External links

Year Single Peak chart positions
AUS CAN FIN GER IRE NL NOR NZ SWE UK US
1964 "Have I the Right?" b/w "Please Don't Pretend Again" 1 1 20 21 3 3 7 1 1 1 5
"Hab' Ich Das Recht" (Germany only) b/w "Du sollst nicht traurig sein" — — — 21 — — — — — — —
"Is It Because?" b/w "I'll Cry Tomorrow" 67 — — — — — — — — 38 —
"I Can't Stop" (Not released in UK) b/w "I'll Cry Tomorrow" (US & Canada); "Colour Slide" (Netherlands); "How the Mighty Have Fallen" (elsewhere) 43 37 — — — — — — — — 48
"Eyes" b/w "If You've Got to Pick a Baby" — — — — — — — — — — —
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Stop
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Emptiness
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