The Ivan Brothers

 1965

                                                                                                  One of our first gigs (Mecca, Openshaw. M/c. 1965

                                                                                                                            (Guitars: -Gibson S. G. Special / Eko 12 str   I left the Dellstars finally, after a few minor splits, around 1964, we all had girlfriends and unknown to me at the time!  I was about to get married.  What a surprise!  Everybody said (or words to that effect) it was near enough a registry office back door job, if there was any such thing, they would have paid for it.  It made an arranged marriage look like a blessing.  I was stripped of my stage suite and bundled into something resembling a demob suite driven to the registrar asked to sign in and eat ham butties and get pissed again throwing up every time I looked in the mirror and spotted the suit I was dressed in, I mean Christ! I was nineteen years old.

 

Later that year I had to quit my apprenticeship as an engineer, to get more money. As I now had a wife and baby to keep.  So I signed on as a bus conductor.  After six weeks I was on the road, Its then I met Ivan, he was a bus conductor come driver.  Within four months of our meeting  we  quit our jobs and became professional

 

Here's a shot taken at SHAPE headquarters

Paris late "65" Just before Charlie Kicked out of NATO.

We went to Germany! Working for the American bases.

   This is the first time I had ever seen a Polaroid 8 camera!  Guitars:- Gibson J45 Special and Hofner Beatle Bass.  Oh! that's Ivan Dooley or TOM!!! He now goes under the name Ivan Du-Pree, Still going strong! a good act.

Have a look for him around Blackpool, he appears there regularly all season.

Here's a seventies shot of the Ivan Brothers,          

The Ivan Brothers

Time Seemed to have flown by since this

Our first Business card my old address and Manager "Ken Worrall" A local man, Always in the Local.  He was a great laugh while it lasted.  Unfortunately we rapidly out grew him, show business tends to work like that, and eventually it even split my first marriage up.  I was working all over Europe, even at Christmas times!  It's guaranteed to work...

The Ivan Brothers Tom) and (Me Decided to take on a permanent drummer Called Sandy (yes you've guessed it.... Scottish) A bleeding nutter!  What a great guy.  We changed our name to Apple tree, bought a bigger van, fitted three bunks over the gear, and off we popped for a year or so.  

Here's one of the last photos of "Apple Tree" around "73”.”74..We disbanded then,

And I went SOLO..... 

 "

 

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