Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs

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Terry Dactyl and The Dinosaurs was an English novelty band, which issued a few recordings under that name in the early 1970s.

1 Career
2 Opening lyrics
3 Single discography
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Career

Terry Dactyl's singer, Jona Lewie, (born John Lewis, 14 March 1947, Southampton) was a UK vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. He started as a session pianist, joining the already popular cult rock band Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts in 1968. Brett Marvin have now been a popular live act for 40 years.

Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts had already been invited to play at London's famous Studio 51 Club by the late British blues singer, Jo Ann Kelly. They soon became the resident band there, and for four years ran a Sunday session as a drop-in spot for blues musicians. Amongst the famous visitors were: Howlin' Wolf, Fred McDowell, Dave Kelly, Medicine Head, Steve Miller Band, Lol Coxhill, Sam Mitchell, Mick Taylor, Larry Johnson, Tony McPhee, The Groundhogs and Long John Baldry.

Brett Marvin's mainstream hit was with "Seaside Shuffle" (1972), released under the one-off "nom de disque" of Terry Dactyl and The Dinosaurs, other band members being fellow Bretts Graham Hine, Keef Trouble, and John Randall. Sometimes believed to be borrowed from Mungo Jerry's 1970 chart-topper "Juke Box Jury" theme tune copy "In the Summertime", "Seaside Shuffle" was an unashamedly commercial disc, quite at odds with the Thunderbolts' usual style. Jona Lewie composed the words and music to the song. The track was issued on the UK Records label, and reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart in the August of that year. It earned them a coveted silver disc.

But after the follow-up "On A Saturday Night" only just made the Top 50 Hine left the group, quickly followed by Lewie. It consigned the outfit to perennial one-hit wonder status.

'Seaside Shuffle' was a customary song in the Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts repertoir before the days of Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs, and as a composition predates Mungo Jerry's 'In the Summertime' from which it is often intimated to be derived. Interestingly Mungo Jerry, before his hit, played as a backing act for Brett Marvin a number of times.

[edit] Opening lyrics

"It's a warm day
The sun is shining
Someone says "Let's go to Brighton""
[1]

[edit] Single discography

"Seaside Shuffle" b/w "Ball And Chain" - (1972) - UK Records - Number 2
"On A Saturday Night" b/w "Going Round The World" - (1973) - UK Records - Number 45
"She Left; I Died" b/w "Too Self Centred" - (1973)

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