The Peddlers
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1964 in Manchester, England |
| Founder | Roy Phillips, Tab Martin, Trevor Morais |
| Defunct | 1976 |
| Headquarters | Manchester , England |
| Products | Jazz and soul music |
| Website | www |
The Peddlers were a British trio specializing in jazz and soul during the 1960s and 1970s, fronted by organist Roy Phillips. They gained recognition with hits such as "Birth" and "Girlie" and enjoyed significant popularity in New Zealand throughout the 1970s.
History
Established in Manchester in April 1964, the group consisted of:
- Trevor Morais (born 10 October 1944, Liverpool) – drummer, previously affiliated with Faron's Flamingos and Rory Storm and the Hurricanes.
- Tab Martin (born Alan Brearey; 24 December 1944, Newcastle upon Tyne) – bassist noted for his distinctive technique of playing a Gibson EB-2 bass guitar in an upright style similar to a double bass.
- Roy Phillips (born 5 May 1941, Parkstone, Poole, Dorset) – lead vocalist and keyboard player, formerly part of the Saints, the Tornados, and the Soundtracks.
1960s
Originally named the Song Peddlers, the band solidified as a trio when Morais joined Martin and Phillips. Under the management of Alan Lewis, they released the singles "Rose Marie" and "I'm Not Afraid" through Philips in 1964 before adopting the name The Peddlers. Their first single under this new name was "Let the Sun Shine In," penned by Teddy Randazzo.
By 1966, they secured a residency at Annies Room and performed at venues such as The Scotch of St James and The Pickwick Club, where they recorded their debut album Live at the Pickwick. Prior to signing with CBS in 1967, they issued six singles and an EP on Philips. Their rendition of "Let the Sun Shine In" entered the UK Singles Chart.
In 1967, they released "What'll I Do" with "Delicious Lady" as its B-side, promoting these tracks across various UK television and radio programs. Their touring included supporting Nina Simone and Dick Gregory, culminating in a six-week residency at Las Vegas' Flamingo Club followed by two weeks performing in Miami.
Later that year, they put out their version of Bobby Darin's "You're the Reason I'm Living" and appeared on notable broadcasts such as the Jimmy Young Show and Engelbert Humperdinck Show.
The following year saw the release of Freewheelers, an album featuring standards arranged by Keith Mansfield. In September 1968, film producer Carlo Ponti contracted them to compose four songs for one of his upcoming films. October brought their single "Comin' Home Baby" alongside the album Three in a Cell, which included a distinguished take on "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever," recognized for its bass line and Hammond organ riff that was later sampled.
In 1969, their single "That's Life" coincided with efforts to enhance their live performances through added dancers. Their third album with CBS, Birthday, delivered two UK Top 40 hits: "Girlie" and "Birth", with "Birth" peaking at No. 17.
1970s
The track "Girlie" reached number one on New Zealand charts in May 1970. After releasing Birthday, The Peddlers returned to Philips Records, producing albums such as Georgia on My Mind (1971) and Suite London (1972). In that same year, their single "Honey Come Back" climbed to no. 8 on New Zealand's The Listener chart during July.
Their Philips discography also includes Three for All (1970), which featured songs like "Tell the World We're Not In", "Working Again", "My Funny Valentine", and "Love for Sale". The song "Tell the World We're Not In" attained no. 18 on The Listener chart, maintaining its position for three weeks.
During a tour in Australia in 1972, drummer Trevor Morais departed from the group and was succeeded by New Zealander Paul Johnston. The Peddlers officially disbanded in 1976. In 2002, CBS issued a compilation titled How Cool Is Cool... The Complete CBS Recordings.
Electronic music producer Luke Vibert incorporated a sample from their track "Impressions (Part 3)" into his song "The Premise," featured on his album Musipal.
After The Peddlers
Trevor Morais became a member of Quantum Jump and subsequently established the El Cortijo studio in Málaga, Spain, collaborating with musicians such as David Essex, Howard Jones, Elkie Brooks, and Björk.
Tab Martin currently lives in Portugal.
In 1981, Roy Phillips relocated to Christchurch, New Zealand, where he performed extensively across the country. He provided lead vocals for the track "Closer" on Lord Large's 2007 album The Lord's First XI. Phillips passed away in Christchurch on 24 April 2025 at the age of 83.
Paul Johnston returned to New Zealand to work as a chiropractor and died in 2013.
A reunion concert featuring The Peddlers was held on 25 May 2009 in Auckland, New Zealand.
In popular culture
- The Peddlers contributed the theme tune for Hammer's 1968 film The Lost Continent.
- Their track "Tell The World We're Not In" was included in the soundtrack of the 1970 horror movie Goodbye Gemini.
- "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" was used in the Breaking Bad episode "Hazard Pay" during a montage showing Walter White and Jesse Pinkman manufacturing methamphetamine.
Albums
| Title | Catalogue | Year | UK Chart |
Notes # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live at the Pickwick! | Philips SBL 7768 | 1967 | — | |
| Freewheelers | CBS SBPG 63183 | 1967 | 27 | |
| Three in a Cell | CBS S 63411 | 1968 | — | |
| Birthday | CBS S 63682 | 1969 | 16 | |
| Three for All | Philips 6308 028 | 1970 | — | |
| Georgia on My Mind | Philips 6382066 | 1971 | — | Reissue of Live at the Pickwick! |
| Suite London | Philips 6308 102 | 1972 | — | Featuring London Philharmonic Orchestra |
| Live Concertgebouw Amsterdam 1972 | 1972 | — | Bootleg recording | |
| 'Live' in London | EMI EMC 3022 | 1974 | — | |
| Live in Amsterdam | Gemini GEM10 | 1979 | — | Released exclusively in New Zealand |
Compilation albums
| Title | Catalogue | Year | Notes # |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Fantastic Peddlers | Fontana SFL13016 | 1968 | |
| The Peddlers on Tour | Embassy EMB 30003(L) | 1976 | |
| The Peddlers: Live at the Pickwick / Three for All | See For Miles SEECD673 | 1998 | Double CD set |
| How Cool Is Cool (Complete CBS Recordings) |
Columbia 509740 2 | 2002 | |
| Suite London | Eclipse | 2006 | Includes bonus tracks |
Singles
| Year | Title | AUS | IRE | NZ | UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | "Let the Sun Shine In" | — | — | — | 50 |
| 1966 | "Adam's Apple" | — | — | — | — |
| "I've Got to Hold On" | — | — | — | — | |
| 1967 | "What'll I Do" | — | — | — | — |
| "Irresistable You" | — | — | — | — | |
| 1968 | "Comin' Home Baby" | — | — | — | — |
| 1969 | "That's Life" | — | — | — | — |
| "Birth" | 41 | 20 | — | 17 | |
| 1970 | "Girlie" | — | — | 1 | 34 |
| "Honey Come Back" | — | — | 8 | — | |
| "Tell the World We're Not In" | — | — | 18 | — | |
| 1971 | "Have You Ever Been to Georgia" | — | — | — | — |
| 1972 | "This Strange Affair" | — | — | — | — |
| "Back-Alley Jane" | — | — | — | — | |
| "Sing Me an Old Song" (1973) | — | — | — | — | |
| "Is There Anyone Out There" (1974) | — | — | — | — | |
| "That Song Is Driving Me Crazy" (1974) | — | — | — | — | |
| "You and Me Together" (1975) | 92 | — | — | — |
Note: The symbol "—" indicates that a release either did not chart or was not issued in that specific region.