The Matadors

As I go on my travels into this exciting world of local music one band that seems to get mentioned more than most is The Matadors. Yet his fine ‘Coventry’ band had a secret, they weren’t from Coventry at all, they in fact hailed from the Hinckley Town in Leicestershire. 

Formed out of the enter-level band the Rapiers in 1961, one of the first bands in the area. Original drummer Graham Baker had the misfortune of working shifts, and consequentially missed various bookings, his temporary fill-in was Harry Heppingstall. After some soul searching Graham was asked to leave and Harry took over the ‘skins’ on a permanent basis. By early 1962 they had re-branded themselves to The Matadors. “The Beatles came and changed everything”, confesses Dave Colkin, “we had a vocalist Larry Spain, but he was asked to leave and we found ourselves as a four piece band. The line-up was that of The Beatles, bass (Dave Colkin), lead (Neil Tyson) and Rhythm Dave Findlay (guitars and a drummer (Harry Heppingstall). We also shared the vocals like the Beatles and would often indulge in 3-part harmony again like the Fab-Four. We ever got called the Midlands Beatles, though in our defence we were playing the same songs as them, but up to that point we hadn’t heard them so it wasn’t like we were copying them. Larry Spain’s brother worked on the American Army bases and got hold of the latest stuff coming Stateside, records like Twist and Shout and Chains, so we used them in our act, as did the Beatles did. We went to see them when they played at The Co-op Hall in Nuneaton October 1962 and we all turned to each other an declared that they were doing our act!”. In deed, their choice of songs was of interest to some of the big acts they got to support. “We used to play Do you Wanna’ Dance”, Harry Heppingstall told me.” We supported Brian Poole and The Tremeloes one night and they, and they expressed an interest in it, next thing we know they had a number one with the song. To make matters worth we had thought about releasing it ourselves”. 

It’s worth pointing out at this point that the Matadors (or the Mat’s), were not your average beat band, they were very professional unit that knew how to work an audience, they had a great stage presence and an exciting set-list. Here’s just a small sample of what you could hear at a Mat’s gig, Can I Get A Witness, Well Alright, Walk Like A Man, Fun,Fun,Fun, Mr. Pitiful and Everything’s Gonna Be Alright. As you can see an emphasis on good old R’n’B, not so for their one and only single. 

By 1966 The Matador’s had got a chance to record a single with the legendary Joe Meek, thanks to their manager Mick Tiernan. Meek was a loose canon, a changeling producer who had an original approach to sound techniques. He had produced the first US number one by a British pop group namely Telstar by The Tornadoes. He liked to experiment with sound; the easiest and most simple way was never an option for Meek. “We went down to Holloway Road, London, to his house he used as his recording studio. I found him arrogant and not over-friendly, instead of a normal mixing desk Meek had his in a stack and worked standing up, and he looked like a teddy boy. He fixed Dan Findley piano keys with paper and drawing pins to get the sound he wanted, everything was very experimental”. “I recall, injects Harry ,”How very bossy he was, I put my drumsticks down at the end of a take, and he shouted at me to pick my sticks up again, I’ll tell you when you can stop!” The Matadors (or the Four Matadors as they were known at the time of this single), were not happy with Meek’s arrogance, the way he had delayed releasing the record and what he had done to it. He had speeded the whole thing up, and the vocals just sounded far too high. That’s a shame because at the correct pitch, the song has a great keyboard phrase, and is a fine sounding song. It’s B-side was self-penned by the band Fast Cars and Money, as is the song they are most proud of. Interestingly enough it has a strong Status Quo 12-bar sound to it. I say Status Quo, but this was 1966, a good few years before the Quo had adopted that style!

After internals wranglings with Joe Meek, the single was finally released by Columbia, and sold tremendously well locally, selling out in Jill Hansons, Coventry in a matter of hours. Sadly Columbia never promoted it enough and the lads left the inane world of Joe Meek to seek another recording contract. One was with the Walker Brothers recording manager who wanted them to sound like The Walker Brothers, and even Puppet master Gerry Anderson of Thunderbirds fame demoed the band in Birmingham, and despite liking what he heard never got back to them. 

The lads continued doing what they did best, working as a jobbing band seven nights a week, supporting the likes of Matt Monroe. They eventually split up, sadly Neil Tyson passed away. Two Dave’s formed the band Magazine for a time. Harry joined soul band Natural Gas and now drums in Lonnie Donegan tribute act Paul Leegan and The Legends. Dave Colkin still sings, and does a wicked Elvis impersonation in countries as diverse as Thailand and Tenerife. While Dave Findlay went on to play in the band The Old G’s (The Old Gits). 

Matadors Trivia

• In 1964 The Matador’s played on ATV’s TV show, For Teenagers Only along side The Swinging Blue Jeans.

• Their Colombia single A Man’s Gotta Stand Tall/Fast Cars and Money is now worth around £80 in mint condition, thanks mainly for it’s Joe Meek connection.

• Joe Meek’s lived a troubled life, particularly towards the end of it. Joe had a crush on Heinz a member of The Tornadoes, and consequently he built him a solo career for him where one was not obviously beckoning. When Heinz formed a close relationship with a woman Meek was livid and shot his housekeeper then turned the gun on himself. The gun actually belonged to Heinz. Though a verdict of suicide was later proved beyond doubt.

For more Backbeat information go to www.covmusic.net

Contact Pete at backbeat@covmusic.net

You can hear Pete Chambers’ “Pop Into The Past” on

Bob Brolly’s Friday Show every week from 3.00 p.m.