Line-up included:

  • Dave Bowley guitar
  • Arthur (Roly) Sparkes bass
  • Pete Sewell drums
  • Andy Kealey guitar
  • Barry Musk who introduced RCA
  • Dave Shackle who replaced Bill Regan
  • Tony Scott (Scotty)
  • Tony Gardener(deceased)
  • Les Sampson
  • Mike Farris Lyricist and Roady

The band went through many personel changes before settling with Arthur (Roly), Andy, Dave & Pete who wished to go professional and signed to Mecca which took them out of the area to Leicester, Newcastle then Nottingham where they stayed for 4 or 5 years. Andy Arthur & Dave still reside in Nottingham. Andy and Dave still playing Athur retired. Pete after travelling the world as a musician has now returned to Folkestone, plays in a successful band and also operates a drum tuition school.

Nottingham Evening Post wrote:

GROUP HOPES FOR HIT Colwick could well find itself on the pop map if all goes well for a group called Tristram Shandy.

For the group release their first British record on Friday and the composer of the song they hope will be a hit is David Bowley. David who plays piano & guitar in the group has lived in Colwick for a year, while the group have been resident at the Palais De Danse in Nottingham.

The village already has one famous son in Paper Lace drummer and singer Phil Wright, and David is hoping that his song Sacharine Sandy Fingers & Thumbs will prove as big a success as Paper Lace's two records have been.

David is joined in the group by Peter Sewell Andy Kealey and Arthur Sparkes all of who live at The Park, Nottingham.

The Four originate from Kent and have been together as a group for about 3 years. ON CONTINENT They describe themselves as a pop harmony group and before becoming resident at the Palais they were resident in Leicester and Newcastle, before that they played all over England as well as on the Continent.

Although their new record is their first one available in Britain they did make a record some time ago. Which was released in just about every country but Britain They have also recorded an LP which has not yet been released.

All the songs recorded by the group are penned by David and many of them are incorporated, into their act. With David on piano or guitar, the line-up is completed with Pete on drums: Arthur on Bass guitar and Andy playing lead guitar. REQUESTED They can be heard on four nights a week at the Palais and are finding at the moment that Mecca, to whom they are contracted are also finding work for them on their three nights off. Although Sacharine Sandy has only just been released the group have been playing it for a year and David stated "It goes down well everywhere we go. It is one of the most requested numbers in our reportoire. It is a number that appeals to all age groups, As the boys wait to see if their record will be a hit they have I plenty to think about with the possibility of television appearances and Radio interviews in the near future.

Discology:

Hunky Funky Woman/Don't be too Hard On Me. Released worldwide except Britain ( RCA CPKS1438) 1973 Sacharine Sandy Fingers and Thumbs/ MisterBlue Released World wide including Britain (Tiffany Records 6121 505) 1974

tristramshandy1
tristramshandy2

Comments

0
Marlene
3 years ago
I remember  Tristam Shandy extremely well. I was Trevor Horn's girlfriend (1971) and clearly recall when arguing with the other members of the Canterbury Tales, that he was going to learn to play the organ and join Tristram Shandy because they were a better band !! 
Like Like Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
0
Anonymous
3 years ago
i used to live next door to Dave in Bramcote we used to babysit his daughter Sam. Had some good nights at the palais....
Like Like Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
0
Anonymous
3 years ago
I remember them very well from their time at the Nottm Palais in the 70’s…….Dave’s Gibson ES335 and Andy’s Black Les Paul Gibson so expertly played by them left a lasting impression on me. In fact I still have an ES335 of my own….happy days
Like Like Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
0
Anonymous
2 years ago
i remember early days in Ashford .. Practice in Mather and Smith canteen in Godington Rd. (courtesy Barry White) ... Dave worked for the post office at that time.
Like Like Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
0
Bob T
2 years ago
I remember the talented David Bowley who used to live further down Shrubcote (housing estate) in Tenterden. He was in the year below me at Homewood Secondary Modern School. He was very music orientated. It comes as no surprise he was a musician. Just wish he could have hit the “big time”.
Like Like Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
0
Anonymous
2 years ago
I remember them very well at Nottingham Palais in 78/79! My friend and I used to travel about 16 miles on Trent buses (B1, B2 or C6 routes) from Ripley in Derbyshire every Saturday evening and get a taxi home at the end. I remember a lad called Buzz, who played drums for them for awhile, he'd been with the other resident band at Nottingham Palais, I think they were called Mike Miller Band. Tristram Shandy were a good band, but eventually we stopped travelling so failed and started going to a nightclub in our hometown, it saved us a fair bit of money as we could walk there and back home again. Good to know  the Band carried on and did pretty well!
Like Like Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
0
John K
1 year ago
Although I'm originally from Kent, I first met Tristram Shandy a few years ago at Spondon Liberal Club, Derby. They were kind enough to invite me on stage to sing a couple of numbers with them.
Like Like Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
0
Si
11 months ago
Don't know if your the same band but I saw a band called Tristram Shandy at the Queen's ,a bar in an X Butlins hotel at Cliftonville (housing estate now) in the 70's & they played a great number that morphed into the sorber dance on guitar , great performance I remember.
Like Like Reply | Reply with quote | Quote