Spectres

by Bruce EderThe Spectres were one of the longer-lived local bands from London, enduring through five years of club dates and backing visiting American singers. The band—Francis Rossi (guitar, vocals), Alan Lancaster (guitar, bass, vocals), Rod Lynes (keyboards), John Coughlan (drums)—were later joined by Rick Parfitt of the Highlifes on bass and keyboards, and they hung on in this line-up long enough to get signed to Pye Records Piccadilly imprint in 1966. They made their debut that year covering the Shirley Bassey hit I (Who Have Nothing), and followed it up with a version of Hurdy Gurdy Man, finally covering the Blues Magoos hit (We Aint Got) Nothing Yet. That record, released in early 1967, captured a good chunk of the sound—crunchy guitar, swirling organ Arabesques, and hard rhythm section—that the group would use, after an interlude spent as Traffic Jam, to finally top the charts as Status Quo. Formed in South London back in 1962 and gradually developed playing local dates and backing visiting American singers. The band—— from The Highlifes, who theyd originally met at the Cafe Des Artistes in Earls Court. Signing to Piccadilly they covered a Shirley Bassey hit for their first 45, a song which Donovan later enjoyed a hit with for their second one and a song which had been a big American hit for The Blues Magoos for their third. In early 1967, The Spectres became The Traffic Jam who, in turn, evolved into Status Quo on the same label, with essentially the same line-up. The three Spectres singles and their B-sides have appeared on various CD reissues, grouped together on a couple of Status Quo compilations. (We Aint Got) Nothin Yet has appeared on Sequel Records Freakbeat Freakout, among other compilations, while I (Who Have Nothing) is on the Sequel Songs of Leiber and Stoller collection.