The Kodels

Line-up included:

• Doug Ebbrell – Lead Guitar and Vocals 
• John Bromley – Rhythm Guitar and Vocals 
• Dave Tierney – Bass Guitar 
• Ed Parkinson – Drums 
• Gwen and Chris Ebbrell - Vocals 

The original line up that played at the Oasis in Manchester in 1963 was: • Doug Ebbrell – Lead Guitar and Vocals • John Bromley – Rhythm Guitar and Vocals • Dave Tierney – Bass Guitar • Ed Parkinson – Drums.

With the introduction of Gwen and Chris Ebbrell on Vocals in late 1963, the name of the group changed to ‘The Kodels’. The group was then playing Working Men’s Clubs, Cabaret Clubs, Dance Halls and Private Functions and the girls joined to widen the range of its material.

In early ’64, Gwen and Chris composed a song called ‘Promise with your Heart’ which they tape recorded with the Kodels and entered in the New Sound of ’64 Contest, run by the Today Magazine. Out of more than a thousand submitted tapes, the song won through to the final eight. The Grand Final was held in the original Cavern Club in Liverpool in front of a judging panel of five including Norrie Paramor of Columbia Records, Francis Hitching the programme editor of Ready Steady Go, Eddie Rogers the music publisher, Ray McFall owner of the Cavern Club, and Tony Wells the showbusiness editor of Today Magazine. The prize was an appearance on Ready Steady Go and a recording test.

The winner was a Hertfordshire group called The Jynx. The Kodels, who were all from Manchester, came second and a Sidcup group, the Drovers, third.

Norrie Paramor decided to give recording tests to both these groups on the strength of their performances which took place at the Abbey Road Studios. The contest was filmed by Pathe Pictorial and can be viewed on YouTube as ‘The Mersey Sound of 1964’.

 As this is the only colour film of the original Cavern from that time, clips are often shown in documentaries about the Mersey Sound, 60’s Pop and its Stars. Gwen can be seen in a red leather jacket coming out of the entrance stairs where Chris is standing chatting. Both girls are featured shaking their maracas and tambourine. Gwen and Chris are now in their 80’s and still shake when required.  

Info courtesy Gwen, Chris and Gray Ebbrell

Supported Rolling Stones at the Oasis, 1963 - link

"I was a 16-year-old boy playing in a band called the Kodels in and around Manchester in 1963. We were really excited about a gig we'd been offered at the Oasis Club in Manchester. We were on the same bill as the Rolling Stones. We got on stage and started playing. Suddenly, I heard loads of girls screaming and I thought to myself' "We're doing well here". Then I saw that the girls weren't looking at us, they were looking the other way! Mick Jagger was walking through the club to set up for his gig.

When they started playing, the atmosphere was fantastic. Several girls were in a state of hysteria and fainted, they were taken to our dressing room to recover. After the show, when all the artists were clearing up, Jagger came over and asked if we wanted his autograph. We felt a bit confused and said "no, not really" because at that time we thought we were going to be bigger than the Stones! Compared with what we were doing musically, they were brilliant. They had decent equipment and they even had a keyboard which was a new thing then. The Rolling Stones inspired us to do better things. Those were interesting times, with pioneering music."

Ed Parkinson - 17/11/23

The Kodels came 2nd in Today magazine, New Sound of '64 Beat contest (5th May 1964) Final filmed at the Cavern, Liverpool