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Art 'n' Soul And The Wickeds (Oldham)

Pictured above:

Art 'n' Soul and the Wicked was taken in around 1963 at Mel Prichard's house in Thackeray Road, Derker north central Oldham, Lancashire. The line-up was Les Holroyd on bass (b. 1948), Soul (Rod Buckley) on lead vocals, harmonica (b. 1945), Mel Pritchard on drums (b. 1948), Art (Arnold Broadhurst) on vocals, maracas, percussion (b. 1946) and Bill Neild on lead guitar (b. 1948).

Line-up one # 

  • Melvyn Paul 'Mel' Pritchard drums, percussion
  • Richard Leslie 'Les' Holroyd bass, vocals 
  • Rodney 'Rod' Buckley lead vocals 
  • A. N. Other lead guitar
  • A. N. Other 
  • A. N. Other 

Line-up two # 

  • Mel Pritchard drums, percussion 
  • Les Holroyd bass, vocals 
  • Rod Buckley lead vocals 
  • A. N. Other 
  • John Joseph Lees vocals, lead guitar 
  • Stuart John 'Woolly' Wolstenholme vocals, organ 


Mel Pritchard (b. Melvyn Paul Pritchard, Tuesday, January 20, 1948, Myrtel Close, Derker, North Central Oldham, Lancashire, UK d. Wednesday, January 28, 2004, Greenfield, Saddleworth, near Oldham, Greater Manchester, UK, of a heart attack) and Les Holroyd (b. Richard Leslie Holroyd, Friday, March 12, 1948, Thackeray Road, Derker, North Central Oldham, Lancashire, UK) had been friend's since Infant School, Holroyd living in the next street to Pritchard. Their parents knew each other. Both later went to Derker Secondary Modern School in Oldham, where they formed a school band. Later on they both formed six-piece Blues group Arts 'n' Soul  and The Wickeds. 

This band included Rod Buckley on lead vocals (b. Rodney Buckley), who was a great frontman. 

The Arts 'n' Soul and The Wickeds had a residency at The Human Jungle, a small club above Praggs Jewellers in Albion Street, Oldham, Lancashire. 

In December 1965 the group supported The Kinks at The King's Hall in Oldham. 

When the bands lead guitarist left the group in September 1966 to pursue a career as a teacher, Pritchard and Holroyd approached John Lees (b. John Joseph Lees, Monday, January 13, 1947, Greenslade Avenue, Oldham, Lacashire, UK) to replace him and he said he would only join if his friend Stuart 'Woolly' Wolstanholme (b. Stuart John Wolstenholme, Tuesday, April 15, 1947, Butterworth Street, Chadderton, Oldham, Lancashire, UK d. Monday, December 13, 2010, at his home in London, UK) could also join. So they both ended up in the new band and a new group was formed from a fusion of the two bands to became the semi-pro Blues Keepers. 


Some  concerts: 

December 1965: The King's Hall, Oldham, Lancashire, UK, supported The Kinks 

 

Saw them play at various venues including Kinks gig at Kings Hall. Rod Buckley probably best front man I've ever seen, and I've seen a few. B.J.H could have been great instead of good had they have kept Buck.

Dave Smith - 5/10/16

 

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