- Sugar Babe Part 1/Sugar Babe Part 2 (Decca F 11447) 1962
- Tom Hark/Dance Her By Me (Decca F 11544) 1962
- Remember Then/Everyone But You (Decca F 11570) 1963
- That's Alright/I'm Looking For A Woman (Pye 7N 15663) 1964
- Sugar Babe/I've Been Watching You (Pye 7N 15735) 1964
- I Can Go Down/Love Me Right (Strike JH 309) 1966
- Unexpected Mirrors/Time Mends Broken Hearts (Decca F 12664) 1967
- I Just Can't Get Over You/Real Cool (Decca F 12751) 1968
- I Can Go Down/Captain Man (Young Blood YB 1002) 1969
- House Of The Rising Sun/That's Love (Young Blood YB 1006) 1969
- Sugar Man/Slow Down (Young Blood YB 1008) 1969
Jimmy Powell & The Dimensions
BIRMINGHAM
Revised March 2020
Jimmy Powell lead vocal, harmonica
Rod Stewart lead vocal, harmonica
B.J. Wilson drums
Chick Catterhorn drums
Louis Cennamo bass guitar
Gary LePorte lead guitar
Pete Hogman harmonica
Kenny White rhythm guitar
Martin Shaw guitar
Tim Munns bass guitar
Dave Fullford vocal, guitar
Alan Stone bass guitar, vocal
Steve Bolton guitar, vocal
Mick Green drums
Paul Smith saxophone
Rod Godwin guitar
Alan "Ted" Shepherd tenor saxophone, flute
Will Morris bass guitar
Tom "Duke" Russell drums
Stan Byers trumpet
Tony Lucas bass guitar
Ray Spiteri lead guitar, vocal
Bob Spiteri bass guitar, vocal
Norman Sheldon drums
Derek Bunt drums
Clem Lee drums
Fred Seddon Hammond organ
Ron Walker drums
"Sugar Babe"
The West Midlands certainly produced some incredible vocal talents during the 1960's - Robert Plant, Noddy Holder, Ozzy Osbourne - just to name a few. Jimmy Powell was not only the first great vocalist to emerge from this exciting scene, but can also rightly claim to have a vocal powerful enough to "take the wallpaper off the walls" according to some who were fortunate to have witnessed Jimmy performing on stage.
Jimmy Powell made Birmingham pop music history in 1962 when his Decca recording of 'Sugar Babe' became the first pop single to be issued featuring a local performer.
Jimmy Powell was born in Selly Oak on October 13, 1942 (not October 3 as reported in some bios) and grew up in the West Heath area of Birmingham where he attended Turves Green Boys School. After leaving school, he apprenticed as a lathe operator in Kings Norton while at night he fronted a local band called "The Detours". His powerful vocal style soon began to attract attention and in 1961 he turned professional after joining an up-and-coming local group called The Rockin' Berries.
Jimmy recalled; "I used to have a piece of wood shaped like a guitar with a grill on the front of it and then I would use a penny to to rattle across it like a skiffle board and then sing all the skiffle stuff. The first band I was in was called The Beacon Wheelmen's Skiffle Group' which was a cycling team. My next band was called 'The Jumping Jacks' then it was The Detours and then The Rockin' Berries."
In November of 1961, the Rockin' Berries went over to Germany with the line-up by this time including local singer Clive Lea as well as Jimmy Powell. The band had a residency at Hamburg's famous Star Club where they shared the stage with The Beatles amongst many others. The following year, The Rockin' Berries were auditioned by TV pop producer/Decca Records talent scout Jack Good who showed little interest in signing the band to a contract but indicated their vocalist Jimmy Powell had some potential.
The rejected group went back to Germany to continue their bookings at the Star Club but by the summer of 1962, Jimmy Powell along with two other band members left and returned to Birmingham. Jimmy Powell soon contacted Jack Good who promptly signed him up to a recording contract.
The first record release for Jimmy Powell on the Decca Records label was an energetic cover of Buster Brown's 'Sugar Babe' which showcased Jimmy's considerable talent as a powerful R&B performer. This was also highly significant as it can be considered the first "Brum Beat" single.
While the record did not chart, 'Sugar Babe' is likely Jimmy Powell's best known song and got his career off to a good start. Two more singles soon followed but by 1963, The Beatles were making a big impact on the British charts and singing 'groups' - not solo performers were now the "in" thing.
Jimmy Powell went down to London where he became involved with the local blues scene at London's famous Marquee Club. Jimmy's new manager Malcolm Nixon, introduced him to a hot blues act that he'd named "The 5 Dimensions" and Jimmy was soon given the position of lead vocalist. About 6 months later, Jimmy Powell added a second vocalist/harmonica player whose name was Rod Stewart.
According to Jimmy Powell, Rod stayed as part of the line-up for about a year. Rivalry between the two singers led to Rod leaving and taking some of the band with him to back Chuck Berry on a British tour (the Dimensions were unable to do the tour because of contractual commitments). Unfortunately, there's no known recordings of Rod Stewart performing with The Dimensions. The group was also to include drummer B.J. Wilson who went on to join Procol Harum.
"I played harmonica on My Boy Lollipop"
In 1964, The Dimensions were hired to provide backing for Jamaican singer Millie Small on her hit recording of 'My Boy Lollipop'. It has long been thought Rod Stewart played harmonica on the record - a story he has since denied, but according to guitarist Kenny White, it was occasional band member Pete Hogman who played on the session. Pete apparently looked like Rod in appearance so it's likely that Millie Small's manager Chris Blackwell (who also managed Birmingham's Spencer Davis Group) was mistaken in identifying him (other sources have also claimed John "Junior" Wood of the Jeff Beck Group as being a likely contender).
According to Jimmy Powell though, none of the above stories are correct. "I played harmonica on 'My Boy Lollipop' and Mike Carroll did the clapping" says Jimmy. In addition, Jimmy said he was also hired by Jack Good to play the harmonica on P.J. Proby's 1964 hit 'Hold Me' and if you listen to this record you can hear the similarity in the playing which supports Jimmy's claim.
Jimmy Powell was signed to Pye Records in 1964 resulting in the release of a couple of singles. The first of these - 'That's Alright' was composed by Jimmy while the B-side 'I'm Looking For A Woman', was a Bo Diddley cover. Due to changes in the group line-up, the second Pye single - a re-make of Sugar Babe backed with 'I've Been Watching You' - had future Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones on guitar and bass along with drummer Clem Cattini. This version of Sugar Babe may be the definitive one as it shows Jimmy Powell in fine form and established him as a vocal force to be reckoned with.
Although Jimmy Powell and The 5 Dimensions (name later shortened to "The Dimensions") went on to record a number of great records during the 1960s, their considerable popularity as a live attraction was never reflected in terms of record sales as none of the singles sold enough copies to get into the charts.
There were at least three distinct line-ups of The Dimensions during the 1960s. They were not really a West Midlands group as most members came from the London area. Their guitarist Martin Shaw played in The Hi Cards from Birmingham and bass guitarist Tim Munns had previously performed with Jimmy in The Rockin' Berries. Rod Godwin who was in The Dimensions during the mid 1960s later became a member of Cathedral.
One of the local highlights of Jimmy's career was recording a show at Birmingham's own BBC Pebble Mill studios. Ron Walker played drums for Jimmy at the time and he recalled; "I enjoyed my time with JP when you could safely say there was never a dull moment. The recordings at Pebble Mill were for me a particular highlight. I still have the live recording session of Jimmy Powell and The Dimensions".
In early 1966, an Oldham-based soul band called "The Puzzle" was enlisted to form the latest line-up of The Dimensions. This consisted of Alan Stone (bass guitar & vocal), Mick Green (drums), Steve Bolton (guitar & vocal), and Paul Smith (saxophone).
Alan Stone remembers; "We upped sticks and moved to Brum and lived (literally) in the demo recording studio that Jimmy ran for Strike Records. It was well south of the centre of Brum on the A38 very close to the British Leyland car plant in Longbridge. Our regular Roadie was Jimmy Hinks who worked at the plant and ran us around to gigs etc."
"Our first gig with Jimmy was at The Place' in Stoke-on-Trent. We played there regularly from then on - sometimes as the only band, sometimes with others - The Alan Bowne Sect being a regular pairing with us. Virtually every weekend we had a University gig up and down the country and were the regular support for better known bands including The Searchers, Sounds Incorporated, Dave Berry, Billy Fury etc. I particularly remember us doing Liecester University with The Spencer Davis Group the week they hit the top of the charts with Gimmie Some Lovin".
Despite an abundance of gigs, this line-up of The Dimensions was short lived. At the end of 1966 following a dispute over money owed, Alan Stone and Steve Bolton left and re-formed The Puzzle in Manchester. Alan later joined the Royal Navy and Steve went on to join the acclaimed rock band "Atomic Rooster" who originally had Birmingham's own Carl Palmer playing drums in their line-up.
"the disc jockeys were coming on board and knocking the cobblers out of every live act"
From about 1967 until the early 1970s, Jimmy's backing group consisted of Ray and Bob Spiteri (formery of Scarlet Religion on lead and bass guitar), along with Derek Bunt on drums. This line-up went to Germany and performed in Kiel and at Hamburg's Top Ten Club - later doing the UK college & university circuit along with recording numerous sessions for the BBC.
Since 1966, Jimmy Powell was signed to Miki Dallon's short-lived 'Strike' Records label and later to Dallon's 'Young Blood' label in 1969 for which he recorded an album as well as various single releases. Despite further record releases in the early 1970s and retaining his popularity as a live performer, Jimmy Powell was to fade from the music scene. Jimmy said; "I just went round doing the circuits really. It was a struggle because the disc jockeys were coming on board and knocking the cobblers out of every live act that was going."
To make a living, Jimmy worked part-time for a furniture business and eventually took on the position of manager. He continued to perform in the pubs and clubs as well as fronting a band called "The Survivors". In later years, Jimmy operated a successful business in car park management while still performing occasionally with various line-ups to enthusiastic audiences.
Sadly, Jimmy Powell passed away on May 13, 2016. He remains without a doubt, one of the strongest blues vocalists to emerge from the West Midlands in the 1960s.
Derek Bunt who played drums with Jimmy Powell along with Bob and Ray Spiteri, sadly passed away on the 2nd September 2016 age 67. Derek's brother Graham (who played guitar in a local band called Tommy from 1970 until 2005) said he was a very good drummer and with his Ginger Baker style and probably one of the best drummers in the Midlands.
Thanks to Jimmy Powell, Rod Godwin, Ray Spiteri, Kenny White, Alan Stone, and Ray Drury for assistance in preparing this page.
To see a review of Sanctuary Records' excellent Jimmy Powell CD compilation Sugar Babe, go to the Brum Beat Reviews page. To see an INTERVIEW with Jimmy Powell exclusive to the BrumBeat web site, click HERE.
Copyright © John R Woodhouse
Jimmy Powell 1960s Record Releases
Singles:
If you would like to contribute to this page, please e-mail john@brumbeat.net
See also Bruno Ceriotti's excellent "Jimmy Powell and The Five Dimensions" web page at: http://brunoceriotti.weebly.com/jimmy-powell-and-the-five-dimensions.html