The Tornados
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Headquarters | London , England |
| Products | Instrumental rock music, singles, albums |
The Tornados were an English instrumental rock band from the 1960s, best recognized for serving as the backing ensemble for producer Joe Meek and vocalist Billy Fury. Their most significant achievement was the UK and US chart-topping single "Telstar", written and produced by Meek, which became the first British group’s song to reach number one in the United States.
History
Established in 1961 as Joe Meek's session musicians, the group adopted the name Tornados in early 1962. That same year, they contributed instrumental tracks to the film short The Johnny Leyton Touch. Between January 1962 and August 1963, they supported Billy Fury on recordings produced by Mike Smith and Ivor Raymonde, while simultaneously pursuing independent projects.
The Tornados were pioneers in creating early music videos known as scopitones for hits such as "Telstar" and "Robot," featuring thematic visuals that reinforced their artistic identity.
At one time, the band was regarded as strong rivals to the Shadows, with their single "Globetrotter" peaking at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart. Nevertheless, as British pop music gravitated toward the "Mersey Sound" spearheaded by the Beatles, instrumental groups like the Tornados saw a decline in mainstream appeal. In 1963, Joe Meek encouraged bassist Heinz Burt to embark on a solo career, which contributed to the band’s gradual dissolution. By 1965, none of the founding members remained part of the lineup.
Subsequent formations were occasionally marketed under names such as "Tornados '65" or "The New Tornados," although these titles did not feature on official records. During the mid-1960s, with new members including Dave Watts (keyboards), Robby Gale (guitar), and John Davies (drums), they resumed backing Billy Fury. In 1968, while performing at Mandy Rice-Davies' club Mandys in Israel, the group extended their engagement into a ten-week tour before ultimately disbanding. Watts and Huxley stayed in Israel and joined local bands The Lions of Judea and The Churchills.
Later years
Following drummer and leader Clem Cattini’s departure from the Tornados in 1965, he established himself as a prominent session musician, contributing to numerous recordings and playing in Cliff Richard's backing bands. He holds a record for appearing on more UK number-one singles than any other drummer.
George Bellamy, who played rhythm guitar with the Tornados, is notably the father of Matt Bellamy from alternative rock band Muse.
In the early 1970s, The New Tornados reassembled to support artists such as Marty Wilde and Billy Fury during a year-long UK Rock n Roll Tour. The group continued performing for several years featuring lead guitarist Antz Cowell, bassist Willie Bath, saxophonist Robin Foster, and drummer Jon Werrell, often touring alongside original members Norman Hale and Heinz Burt as well as "The King of Rock Roll" Carl Simmons. They frequently appeared on 1960s package tours alongside acts like Wee Willie Harris and Screaming Lord Sutch.
During a hiatus from touring, Jon Werrell lent his Silver Premier drum set to John Bonham for Led Zeppelin’s spontaneous December 1975 performance at Behans St Helier while they were tax exiles in Jersey.
In 1975, Clem Cattini reunited with Roger LaVern, Heinz Burt, and George Bellamy under the name 'Original Tornados' to release their rendition of "Telstar." Meanwhile, Billy Fury assembled a separate group called Fury's Tornados that also recorded "Telstar," though this lineup was unrelated to previous incarnations.
To commemorate Joe Meek’s legacy three decades after his passing, Ray Randall recorded a three-track CD titled Ray Randall's Tornados in 1996. He followed this with a solo album named Polly Swallow in 1997.
The Tornados appeared at London’s Pipeline Instrumental Rock Convention in 2002 with Clem Cattini as the only original member present.
In 2007, Panda Bear incorporated samples from two Tornados tracks into his album Person Pitch.
Approximately twenty years ago, Dave Watts revived the NEW Tornados; they continue to perform and record today with Tristan Long—Watts’ longtime drummer—honoring both the band’s heritage and Clem Cattini’s legacy.
"Do You Come Here Often?"
The flip side of the group's last single from 1966, titled "Do You Come Here Often?", is recognized as the first openly gay pop record issued by a major UK label. Initially an instrumental piece dominated by organ melodies, Joe Meek enhanced it by layering a relaxed dialogue between two men (Dave Watts on keyboards and Robb Huxley on guitar) approximately two-thirds into the track to mellow its jazzy organ tone. This recording was included in the 2006 compilation CD Queer Noises, which showcases music with LGBTQ+ themes.
Past members
- Heinz Burt – bass guitar (1960–1963)
- Clem Cattini – drums (1960–1965)
- Norman Hale – keyboards (1962)
- Roger LaVern – keyboards (1962–1964)
- George Bellamy – rhythm guitar (1962–1965)
- Alan Caddy – lead guitar (1962–1964)
- Brian Gregg – bass guitar (1963)
- Tab Martin – bass guitar (1963)
- Ray Randall – bass guitar (1963–1966)
- Jimmy O'Brien – keyboards (1964–1965)
- Stuart Taylor – lead guitar (1964–1965)
- Tony Marsh – keyboards (1965)
- Peter Adams – drums (1965–1966)
- Dave Cameron – lead guitar (1965–1966)
- Bryan Irwin – rhythm guitar (1965–1966)
- Roger Warwick – tenor saxophone (1965–1966)
- Dave Watts – keyboards (1965–1967) (2005 - 2025)
- John Davies – drums (1966–1967)
- Pete Holder – lead guitar, vocals (1966–1967)
- Roger Holder – bass guitar (1966–1967)
- Robb Huxley – lead guitar (1966–1967)
- Antz Cowell – lead guitar (1972–1974), The New Tornados supporting Billy Fury, Marty Wilde, Heinz Burt, Norman Hale
- Jon Werrell – drums (1973–1974), The New Tornados featuring original members Heinz Burt and pianist Norman Hale
Albums
- The Original Telstar – The Sounds of the Tornadoes (London, 1962) (released only in North America and Australasia) – reached US no. 45
- Away from It All (Decca, 1963)
- We Want Billy! (Decca, 1963) (live album with Billy Fury) – UK no. 14
- The World of the Tornados (Decca Records, 1972)
- Remembering... the Tornados (Decca Records, 1976)
- Away From It All (Deram, 1994)
- The EP Collection (See for Miles Records, 1996)
- Tornados Now (Startel Records, 1997)
- Telstar (Castle Pie Records, 1999)
- Science Fiction (Secret Records, 2007)
EPs
| Year | EP Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | |||
| 1962 | The Sounds of the Tornados |
|
2 |
| Telstar |
|
4 | |
| 1963 | Globetrotter |
|
— |
| More Sounds from the Tornados |
|
8 | |
| Billy Fury & the Tornados |
|
2 | |
| Robot |
|
— | |
| Tornado Rock |
|
7 | |
| Ready Teddy |
|
— | |
| Chattanooga Choo Choo |
|
— | |
| 1964 | Hot Pot |
|
— |
| 1966 | Granada |
|
— |
Singles
| Year | Single | Highest chart rankings | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | BE (FLA) | GER | IRE | NL | NOR | NZ | UK | US | US R&B | ||
| 1962 | "Love and Fury"
b/w "Popeye Twist" |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| "Telstar"
b/w "Jungle Fever" |
2 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |
| 1963 | "Globetrotter"
b/w "Locomotion with Me" |
15 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 5 | — | — |
| "Ridin' the Wind" (released only in US and Canada)
b/w "The Breeze and I" |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 63 | — | |
| "Robot"
b/w "Life on Venus" |
44 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | — | — | |
| "The Ice Cream Man" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | — | — | |
| "Dragonfly"
b/w "Hymn for Teenagers" |
96 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 41 | — | — | |
Notes
External links
- Band biography at rockabilly.nl (archived)
- Billy Fury's backing bands
- The Peddlers: The Tornados
- Articles with short description
- English rock music groups
- English pop music groups
- British instrumental rock musical groups
- Decca Records artists
- London Records artists
- Musical groups established in 1961
- Musical groups disestablished in 1967
- Pop music groups from London
- Rock music groups from London
- 1961 establishments in England