Rod Allen (March 31 1944 - January 10 2008) was best known as the leader of the group The Fortunes, who were one of many pop groups that rose to prominence in the wake of the Beatles. Their specialty was softer ballads delivered in three-part harmonies underpinning the voice of Rod Allen, who led the group for more than 40 years.
The Clifftones |
When he was 14, the family moved to the Sparkbrook
district of Birmingham and Rod attended Moseley grammar school. After working
for the Co-operative Insurance Society for 18 months, he became a full-time
musician. He had formed an acoustic guitar group, the Clifftones, with friends
Glen Dale and Barry Pritchard.
In 1963 they went electric, with Rod mastering
the bass guitar; they added a drummer and keyboards player. They were managed
by the flamboyant concert promoter Reg Calvert, who prevailed upon them to
accompany a singer Calvert had renamed "Robbie Hood". The Clifftones
inevitably became the Merry Men, dressed in jerkins and green tights.
Robbie Hood & The Merry Men |
They emerged at the end of this period as the Fortunes
Rhythm Group. By now, Rod had dropped the name Bainbridge and chosen Allen from
a telephone directory. They worked up a series of songs associated with Dionne
Warwick, Gene Pitney and Broadway theatre. So eclectic was their repertoire
that Calvert would often challenge an audience: "Name any tune and if the
Fortunes can't play it, you win five shillings!"
In 1963, they won a beat contest at the Gay Tower
Ballroom in Edgbaston and were signed by Decca. The Fortunes' second single for
the label was the plaintive ballad Caroline, which was adopted as a theme tune
by the pirate radio station of that name. Calvert was
also entangled in the
shadowy world of pirate radio, and was shot
and killed in 1966 as a result of rivalry with another pirate station owner.
and killed in 1966 as a result of rivalry with another pirate station owner.
The Fortunes' first hit was in 1965, when You've Got Your
Troubles reached No 2 in Britain and No 7 in the US. The song, composed by
leading Tin Pan Alley writers Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook, featured Allen's
soaring lead vocals, as did the follow-up hit, Here It Comes Again. The group
then toured the US and released This Golden Ring on their return. It reached
the Top 20.
Although its success was slightly marred when the
Fortunes admitted in a magazine interview that they had not played the
instruments on the recording, they were booked to appear at the prestigious NME
Poll Winners Show at Wembley Arena, where they performed This Golden Ring
before several thousand screaming teenagers.
The Fortunes issued a further 10 singles in the 1960s.
None was a hit, although several featured songs written by Allen and other
group members, the best of which was The Idol by Allen and Pritchard. Despite
their lack of chart success, the band prospered by playing the cabaret club
circuit and by recording jingles for several television and cinema commercials.
The most distinctive of these was Allen's rendition of It's the Real Thing, the
Coca-Cola theme.
The band's recording career was briefly revived in the
early 1970s, when Greenaway and Cook supplied them with two more hit songs,
Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling and Freedom Come, Freedom Go. These were
followed by Storm in a Teacup, co-written by Lindsey De Paul and Barry Blue.
In January of 1999, Barry (Baz) Pritchard sadly passed
away after a long illness and Bob Jackson of Badfinger fame was recruited on
keyboards. Throughout the late ’90’s and the ’00’s The Fortunes continued to
tour the world and built on their reputation as one of the finest harmony bands
in
Europe. Australia, New Zealand, The Middle East were all re-visited and British and European tours with other artists showcased Rod’s towering vocals and professionalism.
Europe. Australia, New Zealand, The Middle East were all re-visited and British and European tours with other artists showcased Rod’s towering vocals and professionalism.
These successes renewed demand for live appearances by
the Fortunes and the group kept on in steady work right up to the present.
Allen played his last show with the group at Yeovil during November 2007,
shortly after he was diagnosed with liver cancer. He died on 10 January 2008 at
his home in Coventry. The Fortunes had a full engagement book for 2008, and the
surviving group members vowed to carry on in Allen's memory.
It is not only as a great singer but also as a great bass
guitarist that Rod Allen should be remembered for. His fluent use of the
instrument on stage while fronting the band and in the recording studio was
always something to be admired. Rod may have left the stage, but he leaves
behind a proud legacy as a superb vocalist, and as a performer that remained
with the same band for over forty years, not something many bands of today are
ever likely to equal.
(Edited from an article by Dave Laing @The Guardian &
Brum Beat)
4 comments:
For “The Fortunes – The Singles” go here:
https://www.mediafire.com/file/65bj9opa5sy11b1/The_Fortunes__-Singles.rar/file
1 Caroline
2 You've Got Your Troubles
3 Here It Comes Again
4 This Golden Ring
5 You Gave Me Somebody To Love
6 Silent Street
7 Is It Really Worth Your While
8 Our Love Has Gone
9 The Idol
10 Loving Cup
11 Seasons In The Sun
12 Celebration Of The Year
13 Ballad Of The Alamo
14 Books And Films
15 That Same Old Feeling
16 Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again
17 I Gotta Dream
18 Freedom Come Freedom Go
19 Storm In A Teacup
Tracks 1-8 (Licensed from Mercury) Tracks 9-24 (Licensed from EMI Music)
20 Baby By The Way
21 Everything Is Out Of Season
22 Wait Until September
23 Secret Love
24 Whenever It's A Sunday
Thanks Jake, I'm going stir crazy at the moment. Another 11 weeks of self isolation. Keep those eyes peeled for more bloomers!
Best wishes & Keep Well
Bob
Back to my era again. Showing my age now. Thanks Boppinbob
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