Line-up included
- David 'Dave' Lumsden - lead guitar (ca. May 1963 - )
- Nicholas 'Nick' Cooper - rhythm guitar (Hofner) (ca. May 1963 - )
- Paul Mutter - bass (ca. May 1963 - )
- Jeremy 'Jem' Barton on drums, vocals (ca. May 1963 - )
The Overdrives formed in ca. May 1963 with a line-up of Dave Lumsden on lead guitar (b. David Lumsden), Nick Cooper on rhythm guitar (Hofner), (b. Nicholas Cooper) Paul Mutter on bass (b. 1949) and Jem Barton on drums, vocals (b. Jeremy Barton).
Although they appeared at a Whitstable Youth Club and at numerous private functions, The Overdrives made their first public performance on Saturday, January 18, 1964 at St. Mary's Parish Hall, Oxford Street, Whitstable.
They started out as Circuit 4.
Three of the band lived in Whitstable, east Kent and the other in the Canterbury area. They attended Kent College, Whitstable Road, Rough Common, Canterbury, Kent where they met.
Lumsden had played in a Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey group, The Impalas, who made quiet a name for themselves there and had been founded by Tony Claiden on lead guitar, vocals (b. Anthony Claiden, 1941 d. March 2020) and included Keith Mott on drums (b. 1950, Feltham, Middlesex, England). He joined The Overdrives when he moved into the Whitstable area.
Cooper started playing guitar seriously in ca. May 1962. He started on a Spanish guitar, but then changed it for a more contemporary Hofner guitar. He was a great fan of Whitstable Jazz-Blues band The Sect whose lead guitarist John Lawrence (b. 1948) offered his assistance and advice when Copper was learning to play.
Mutter had started playing bass in ca. March 1963.
There was an article on the band in The Kentish Observer and Canterbury Times of Tuesday, January 14, 1964 which mentioned, their up and coming first public performance.
Some Overdrives concerts:
Saturday, January 18, 1964: St. Mary's Parish Hall, Oxford Street, Whitstable, Kent, England
The Overdrives first public performance.
Saturday, July 17, 1965: St. Mary's Parish Hall, Oxford Street, Whitstable, Kent, England
Supported by The Sect.
Info courtesy: John H Warburg October 2024