Pentad

(c’65-’66) – Terry Crowe (vocals), Mike Fitzpatrick (guitar), Roger Hanks (piano / organ), Mick Dunford (bass) and Peter Garland-Jones (drums).

L-R: Mick Dunford, Peter Garland-Jones, Terry Crowe, Mike Fitzpartrick, and Roger Hanks

The Woking 5-piece formed in April ’65 after the demise of The Plebs and were originally called The Clouds. Both Crowe and Dunford had been members of Nashville Teens.

They were a band with a busy gig schedule across the UK. In ’65 this included the Orchid Ballroom, Oxford (17 July) with The Vibros, returning on 30 Oct with The Legends; opening for Stu James & The Mojos at Witham Public Hall, Essex (31 Aug) and regular visits to Norwich’s Gala Ballroom (15 June with Unit 4+2 and 31 Aug) and Orford Cellar (20 June, 16 July, 15 Sept and 9 Nov). In June that year, after working with John L. Baker who discovered Unit 4+2, they released the “Silver Dagger” 45 on Parlophone [R 5288] with “Nothing But Love” on the flipside.

The “Silver Dagger” 45 released in June ’65 on Parlophone [R 5288]

Later that same year “Don’t Throw It All Away”, backed by “Too Many Ways”, also on Parlaphone [R 5368] – written by Brian Parker and Tommy Moeller (as was “Nothing But Love”) of Unit 4+2 – was released. In early ’66 they were still playing local venues like The Sunday Club, Addlestone (13 Feb) as well as further afield, such as Corby Civic Centre (29 Jan) with The Brumbeats; the Esquire Club, Sheffield (5 Feb); The Blue Lagoon, Newquay (12 Feb) with The Other Five; and the Alexandra Hall, Halifax (19 Mar) supported by The Vicarts. A final single, “Something Other People Call Love” backed by “It Better Be Me” was issued in March ’66.

In 2002, “Don’t Throw It All Away” was included on a compilation released by Past & Present Records in 2002 titled “Sweet Floral Albion (23 Pop & Psych Gems)” where the track is described as ‘Beautiful, proto pop psych from a Hertfordshire five piece’. That same year Liverpoodle Records “Beat Us If You Can” [LP 002] in the Netherlands that carried “Don’t Throw It All Away”. Not particularly mainstream, “Silver Dagger” can be found on another Past & Present compilation of rare 60’s freakbeat titled “That Driving Beat, Vol. 5” [PAPR 2056] released in 2004 and September 2008’s limited edition of 1000, 5 CD, boxed set reissue of the ‘That Driving Beat’ series which carried a further 151 ‘rare British freakbeat’ tracks. Both tracks were on 2016’s “Beatfreak! Vol. 2 (Rare And Obscure British Beat 1964-1969)” issued by Particles [Part 4059].

Hanks reportedly moved to Fowey, Cornwall and taught piano. Dunford went on to became a member of prog-rock Renaissance in ’71, and sadly passed of a cerebral hemorrhage on 20 November 2012. Crowe was also in a band called The Gravediggers, with Ray Lewis and has also passed. Both Crowe and Dunford were reunited with Hawken of Nashville Teens in Renaissance in 1970.

Tracks: