Boscombe Downbeats (Rusholme)

Line up

• Malcolm Randles - lead guitar and later on key boards. 
• Brian Whysker - Rhyhm guitar 
• Peter Rowley- Bass 
•  Mervyn Jones - drums 

We later had a couple of people join us Steve Plant on guitar and vocals and Michael Henasy, vocals.

We were all 13/14 years old when we started the group. It later transformed into a 7 piece soul band called the Soul Toppers. (already in the listings)

We used to practice in a couple of local church halls mainly St Christopher’s,  Minehead Ave,  Withington on a Sunday night in the youth club.

Apart from Brian and Steve we all lived in Rusholme.

 First paid booking was at the Suburban Hotel Gorton Cross St, near Belle Vue. Spent many nights knocking on doors that had a van outside trying to get lifts to bookings, after paying for lifts we ended up out pocket till one of us got a driving licence and we managed to get an old Bedford van. It was good fun at the time. We had so many groups in a small area it was uncanny looking back and everyone managed to get work so many pubs and clubs had live music through the week and over the weekends.

Mervyn Jones