Backhurst

(c’73 -’77) Chris Brayne (drums), Tony Backhurst (guitar/vocals), Dave Tarn (guitar/bass), Sandy Henderson (flute/vocals), Dave Sinclair (keyboards) and Dave Solari (guitar).

Tony Backhurst’s eponymously named band are known to have played at the folk club in Farncombe a few times, exhibiting Lindisfarne influences. The appeared at the Stag Folk Club organized free concert at The Guildford Show on 1 September ’73 along with Derek Sarjeant & Hazel King, Rod Bayton, Ian Russell, Mountain Line, Fred Hayes, and Damien. A couple of years later, on 18 March 1975, Backhurst appeared at the International Folk/Blues Club at the Half Moon Tavern, Herne Hill.

They recorded some material at the University of Surrey, Guildford; where they met Sev Lewkowicz (keyboards/backing vocals), a friend of Tarn and then of Asylum. Lewkowicz was only going to stay for a couple of hours but liked what they were doing and stayed until the session finished in the morning and contributed harmony on one song. Sinclair and Solari both left the band shortly after the University session. The band supported Asylum at the Marquee, London during a month-long residency in early 1976. Asylum’s drummer, Greg Terry-Short, along with Lewkowicz, would join then for a couple of tracks. At the last of the Marquee gigs Dave Reading (acoustic guitar) joined the line up.

At the end of the Marquee residency Backhurst and Lewkowicz formed House. Backhurst would also play in The Famous Rondini Brothers and Poker, before going on to join Mungo Jerry. Brayne, who’d done a stint with Nashville Teens and The Stormsville Shakers, also did his time in Mungo Jerry, The Famous Rondini Brothers, Poker, Manhole, and Cryin’ Out Loud. He was nicknamed “Wheelbarrow” and played drums in the Jackie Lynton’s Happy Days Band for quite a while and is the subject of the bands “The Worlds a Wheelbarrow”; but has now sadly passed. Tim Wheatley joined House in May 1976. Tarn would also appear as a solo folk musician. Sinclair, who was the cousin of Caravan bassist Richard Sinclair, joined his cousin in Camel for the album tour promoting “Breathless” in ’78, co-replacing Peter Bardens with Jan Schelhaas.

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