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Rehearsals


Cliff at rehearsals in striped shirt



Cliff adds a white tie to the striped shirt and is all set for the real show on the 7th of March 1959 -seen above with guest singer, Marion Ryan. (Her only appearance in the 'Oh Boy!' run)

Thanks to Jack Good himself, we now have the rehearsal schedules for the two trial "Oh Boy!"shows. They were shown only in certain regions of the UK on Sunday 15th and Sunday 29th of June 1958 going out at 10.50pm.
**(NB: Some of the artists listed below may not have appeared in the final broadcasts (see note below)

REHEARSAL SCHEDULE FOR TRIAL SHOW #1

THURSDAY 16th MARCH 1958
2pm. - 5pm. Bertice Reading
3pm. - 6pm. Jack Good Band
All Day Dallas Boys
"" Ted Taylor
"" Jackie Dennis
"" Jeremy Lubock
"" Marty Wilde
"" John Barry

 

TUESDAY 18th MARCH 1958
Morning Don Lang
Morning & Afternoon 2nd Vocal Group
Morning & 2pm. - 3pm. Ted Taylor
Morning Leslie Cooper
2pm. - 6pm. Bertice Reading
2pm. - 6pm. Don Lang
3pm. - 6pm John Barry Seven
All Day John Barry
All Day Stan Dallas

 

SUNDAY 23rd MARCH 1958
Morning Bertice Reading
All Day Marty Wilde
2pm. - 6pm. Jackie Dennis
2pm. - 6pm. Jeremy Lubock
All Day Dallas Boys
All Day John Barry

 

MONDAY 24th MARCH 1958
Recording for Vernons Girls & John Barry Seven at E.M.I. all the morning

2pm. - 6pm. Vernons Girls " " Ted Taylor " " Don Lang " " Dallas Boys " " Bertice Reading " " 2nd Vocal Group " " John Barry

 

TUESDAY 25th MARCH 1958
11am. - 2pm. Jack Good Band
"" Jackie Dennis
"" Marty Wilde
"" Jeremy Lubock
"" Bertice Reading
"" Dallas Boys
"" John Barry
"" 2nd Vocal Group
"" Don Lang
"" Vernons Girls
"" John Barry
"" Stan Dallas

 

WEDNESDAY 26th MARCH 1958
All Day Jack Good Band
"" Jackie Dennis
"" Marty Wilde
"" Jeremy Lubock
"" Bertice Reading
"" Dallas Boys
"" John Barry Seven
"" 2nd Vocal Group
"" Don Lang
"" Vernons Girls
"" Leslie Cooper

**As you will quickly notice, all the artists rehearsed their songs about three months before the shows were actually televised, therefore it is still uncertain as to whether ALL of the listed artists DID appear. It is possible that one or two dropped out before the shows went on air, to be replaced (or not) by other singers such as Dudley Heslop (Cuddly Dudley) for example. As more information comes to light, the website will be updated.

REHEARSAL SCHEDULE FOR TRIAL SHOW #2

WEDNESDAY 11th JUNE 1958
9.30am. Vernons Girls, Dallas Boys, Jackie Dennis, Marty Wilde, Kerry Martin.
10.30am. The Cutters.
11.00am. Ronnie Carroll.
11.30am. Bertice Reading.
12.00noon LUNCH BREAK.
1.00pm. Lord Rockingham's XI, Jackie Dennis.
1.30pm. Vernons Girls, Dallas Boys.
1.45pm. Marty Wilde, The Cutters.
2.00pm Ronnie Carroll.
2.30pm Bertice Reading.
2.45pm. John Barry Seven, Kerry Martin.
3.30pm. Lord Rockingham's XI & Bertice Reading leave, rest of cast continue.
5.15pm. End of rehearsal.

REHEARSAL SCHEDULE FOR SHOWS #1 & #2 Tuesday 9th September 1958

References in text:

First Eleven: Lord Rockingham's XI
Second Eleven: Dallas Boys, Cliff, Marty etc. and the rest of the cast.

The first rehearsal for the new series of “Oh Boy” was held at the 'Four Provinces of Ireland Club' at 13, Canonbury Lane, London N1, for the entire day on Tuesday 9th September 1958.

All the cast had to be set up and instruments tuned in time for the 10am start and the rehearsals lasted until 6pm that evening. The schedule below was for the complete first show and the lion’s share of the second. Lord Rockingham's XI, who formed the musical backbone of the series, had to plan more in advance than some of the self contained groups like Cliff Richard and the Drifters or solo artists like Cuddly Dudley, hence they are strongly represented in this initial rehearsal with ample material to fill the two weeks. In the following week, Cliff and the Drifters returned to practice the songs for their second show (unknown) and artists like Cuddly Dudley would arrive clasping their written arrangements to practice with the band. As in this initial rehearsal Cliff and the Drifters would be the first to set up and practice their standard two numbers in just half an hour in order to clear the decks for the big band rehearsals of Lord Rockingham's XI.

 

FIRST REHEARSAL
Time Group Track Titles Rehearsed
10.00am. Cliff Richard & the Drifters 1.Don’t Bug Me Baby 2.Move It!
10.25am Dudley Heslop Do You Want To Dance
10.40am Marty Wilde & Dallas Boys MEDLEY: Baby I Don’t Care/ Think It Over/ Poor Little Fool /Rocky Road Blues.
12 noon Marty Wilde, Dallas Boys & Vernons Girls Somebody Touched Me
12.30pm LUNCH  
1.30pm Lord Rockingham's XI 1. Patricia 2. Daddy
1.50pm Neville Taylor and The Cutters & Lord Rockingham's XI 1. Yakety Yak
    2. Oh What a Feeling
2.30pm Ronnie Carroll, The Cutters, Vernons Girls & Lord Rockingham's XI Seven Steps To Love
3.00pm 2 Vernons Girls Rock and Stroll
3.30pm Lord Rockingham's XI MEDLEY ONE: Fried Onions/Tom Hark MEDLEY TWO: Splish Splash / You Shocked Me
4.00pm TEABREAK  
4.20pm Lord Rockingham's XI, Second Eleven (Entire Cast) 1. Flippin’ Dumplins’ 2. Hoots Mon
4.50pm Run Through Show 1  
5.20pm Run Through Show 2  
6.00pm End of Schedule  

 

THE SCHEDULE , SECOND REHEARSAL Saturday 13th September 1958  Hackney Empire. Transmission Time: 6.00pm.
8.30am All Artists present. Preliminary sound check and balance
10.00am Rehearse Bands and Artists
11.00am – 1.00pm Rehearsals (Vision Only)
1.00pm Final Sound Balance
1.30pm Second Eleven, John Barry Seven and All Artists Present
2.00pm Rehearsal Sound & Vision (all rehearsals held at Four Provinces of Ireland Club, 13, Canonbury Lane, London, N1. Telephone: CAN 5820
6.00pm Live Transmission
 
Dated: 26th August 1958
Read 14358 times Last modified on Monday, 24 July 2017 13:17

5 comments

  • REPLAY Frank ALLEN Frank ALLEN
    Tuesday, 25 July 2017 15:55

    Just to add to the other email, I only thought it was going to be Bruce & Hank because in the pic that I thought it said was from the new episode it seemed to have them high kicking in the background. Maybe I misread the caption (could`t find it again) or it just looked like them. But my memories are of Terry and Ian still being with them at the time of High Class Baby and on the show. I didn`t think it was Jet on the Framus although he used that model when he joined but I was probably wrong. (My god, I`ve become an anorak)

  • REPLAY frank ALLEN frank ALLEN
    Tuesday, 25 July 2017 15:39

    Thanks for the reply regarding London showings of the pilots. I thought I was going mad. And also pleased to hear it is showing just the two figures in spotlight, but are we sure it`s Jet and Tony? I wasn`t up on everything back then but I was under the impression that the one playing the snare drum (no other items of the kit used) on those very early transmissions was Terry Smart (in sunglasses) and that the guy playing the Framus Star Bass wasn`t yet Jet but Ian Samwell. Any thoughts. I`m happy to be proved wrong.

    Let`s hope we can get copies. I am about to send off copies of the two earlier shows to Cliff who, amazingly, does`t have them. And of course when/if I can get my hands on the new find I have promised to get that to him as well.

  • REPLAY Ruud (webmaster) Ruud (webmaster)
    Monday, 24 July 2017 13:20

    It's now changed to "... were shown only in certain regions of the UK..."

  • REPLAY Frank ALLEN Frank ALLEN
    Wednesday, 19 July 2017 22:05

    I have just read the info that the two pilot shows were aired only in the Midlands and I have to take issue with that. I distinctly recall watching the first pilot which came on the screen devoid of any prior publicity. It was a big surprise to me. And yes, I remember it was late at night. I recall it being a Sunday night but it maybe been perhaps a Saturday. I certainly wasn`t in the Midlands at the time. In fact I had barely been out of Middlesex as I was only 14/15 bak then. I also remember being surprised by the opening song (by Marty Wilde I think) was odd because I expected the first song to be Oh Boy, which it wasn`t. Is there anyone else in the South who remembers seeing either of the pilots?

    It seems we now have three of the shows recorded. As many of the shows were sent abroad for foreign transmission I imagine and hope that there may be others that have survived and are waiting in some archive to be rediscovered. It was a magical show for we young rock and roll fans.

  • REPLAY Marion Vivash Marion Vivash
    Saturday, 24 June 2017 11:28

    Loved the OH! BOY show and used to go to the rehearsals in Canonbury Lane (1958) and sit and talk to the stars. It was a privileged to be able to be invited in and enjoy the music and still do. Cliff Richard was great to talk to and enjoy a drink with him(not alcoholic at the time). Cherry Wayner great on the electric organ. Times I wish now to go back in time

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