Sounds Incorporated
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Sounds Incorporated, later known as Sounds Inc., were a British instrumental pop group who recorded extensively in the 1960s. The members of the group were: Alan "Boots" Holmes (saxophone) (born 25 April 1940, in Bermondsey, South East London); "Major" Griff West (born David Glyde, 19 December 1940, in Barnehurst, Kent) (saxophone); Barrie Cameron (born Barrie Elmes, 25 October 1939, in Erith, Kent) (keyboards/baritone saxophone); John St. John (born John Gillard, 1 April 1940, in Dartford, Kent) (guitar); Wes Hunter (born Richard Thomas, in 1941, in Barnehurst, Kent) (bass); and Tony Newman (born Richard Anthony Newman, 17 March 1943, in Southampton, Hampshire) (drums).
The group formed in 1961, in Dartford, Kent, and gained a local reputation in nearby south London for the fullness of their saxophone-led instrumental sound. In 1961, after Gene Vincent's band, The Blue Caps, had been denied permission to work in the UK, they won the opportunity to back Vincent on his British tour and on recordings in London. This led to further opportunities to back other visiting American artists, including Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Brenda Lee and Sam Cooke.[1]
Their only record with Parlophone, "Mogambo", failed to achieve significant sales, and they moved to Decca where they recorded with producer Joe Meek, again with little success. However, while performing in Hamburg they met and befriended The Beatles and in 1963 signed to Brian Epstein's management company NEMS.[2]
In 1964 they became Cilla Black's backing band, and the following year toured the world as the Beatles' opening act, including the legendary show at New York's Shea Stadium. As a group, their greatest success was in Australia, where their version of the "William Tell Overture" reached #1.[citation needed] In 1967, the Beatles invited Cameron, Holmes, and West to be the saxophone section on their Sgt. Pepper LP track "Good Morning Good Morning".
The group began to disintegrate in the late 1960s, with Newman leaving to work as a session musician and Cameron leaving for a career in A&R. The rest of the group soldiered on, mainly playing in Australia, until 1971 when they finally broke up.[3]
