Fell's line-up/history
(These are mostly notes for my own brain chronology)
1969: A young friend of David Bowie's contributes some uncredited strings playing on a little number called 'Space Oddity'
1970-1973: This friend is playing small gigs in London pubs, clubs and basements and so forth under the name Goodfellow; occasionally by himself and occasionally with others in impromptu jam sessions. By 1973 he is becoming moderately well-known in the London underground...
1974: ...and in 1974 he and several other musicians are playing as a consistent band: The Fellows. The line-up for a May 12, 1974 performance was: Robert Fellowes, guitar, vocals; Reginald Stockdale, guitar, vocals; John Bliss, piano, vocals; and Andrew Dunstan, drums.
1975: Reggie D (as he was generally known) starts adding trumpet and saxophone to their performances, leading Dunstan to help with additional guitar work.
Early 1976: Robert Fellowes invites a 15-year-old fan named Terrence Sloane to join the band. As Terrence shows little aptitude for guitar, keyboards, or singing, he is put on the drum set and 'Drew' Dunstan moves to purely bass guitar.
Mid 1976: "The Fellows" are signed by Mercury Records, though they have somewhere along the way lost an 'ows' and are signed as 'The Fell.' (This was possibly a studio decision to try and make them seem more like another just-signed band, The Clash...) Official line-up is: Robert Fellowes, lead guitar and vocals, songwriter; Reggie D, various horns; John Bliss, keyboards and vocals; Drew Dunstan, bass guitar and vocals; Terry Sloane, drums; with occasional backup by session musician Vincent Gereghty.
1977: The band releases several successful singles, most notably 'Supercomputer', 'Shake-up', and 'The Ballad of Donald Nappey'.
1978: The band releases their first (also to be their last) album, 'The Undiscovered Country.' [Track listing: Ides; Something Wicked; Good Night, Sweet Prince; Miranda; This Thing of Darkness; The King of Infinite Space; Dogs of War; Perchance to Dream; Primrose Path; Valiant Dust; Incarnadine.] It is very well received.
Robert Fellowes marries Jane Murray, a band groupie.
1978: The band announces a planned tour that will take them to both Europe and the U.S.-- their first out-of-country tour.
1979: Fell's European half of the tour goes well, starting in London and taking them to Dublin, Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Berlin, and Oslo. The band travels to NYC to play the first stop on their American tour. The night before their NY show, Jane Fellowes falls to her death from the balcony of the group's hotel suite. Rumors abound as to whether this was suicide, foul play, accident... Police investigation results in the cancellation of the group's scheduled performance. Autopsy reveals that Jane Fellowes had cocaine in her system. The death is ruled accidental, but a subsequent police investigation into the band's drug possession follows.
Complications arise when Robert Fellowes disappears for three days and cannot be found. The band is detained in New York for further investigation despite Mercury Records' objection, and miss several tour dates. Robert Fellowes returns but refuses to provide information on where he went. By the time the band is allowed to continue, Robert Fellowes announces the rest of the tour is canceled as well, to general dismay. The band returns to England.
1979-80: Robert Fellowes vanishes, again; is rumored to be on the island of Cyprus but refuses any contact from Mercury Records or his bandmates.
1980: The band attempts to produce some songs during Fellowes' absence to fulfill their contractual obligations to Mercury Records, but the output during this period, while technically proficient, is utterly lacking the appeal of the songs written and performed by Fellowes.
1981: Robert Fellowes negotiates (terms still unknown) the release of Fell from any further obligations to Mercury Records and announces the band is dissolved. The band members go their separate ways: Reggie D moves to America to study blues and jazz. Drew Dunstan and John Bliss briefly tour together as 'Helter Skelter;' the partnership does not last long. Dunstan goes on to serve as a talented bass guitarist for several other bands in the 80s and 90s. John Bliss returns to his classical-training roots and eventually becomes a professor at Birmingham Conservatoire. Terry Sloane is, alas, forced to return to the real world and help his father in the family's bookkeeping business.
1985: Robert Fellowes forms Serptichore Records. He looks up Terry and offers him a job as the company's accountant, which Terry takes. He also hires Vincent Gereghty as head of studio production.
1969: A young friend of David Bowie's contributes some uncredited strings playing on a little number called 'Space Oddity'
1970-1973: This friend is playing small gigs in London pubs, clubs and basements and so forth under the name Goodfellow; occasionally by himself and occasionally with others in impromptu jam sessions. By 1973 he is becoming moderately well-known in the London underground...
1974: ...and in 1974 he and several other musicians are playing as a consistent band: The Fellows. The line-up for a May 12, 1974 performance was: Robert Fellowes, guitar, vocals; Reginald Stockdale, guitar, vocals; John Bliss, piano, vocals; and Andrew Dunstan, drums.
1975: Reggie D (as he was generally known) starts adding trumpet and saxophone to their performances, leading Dunstan to help with additional guitar work.
Early 1976: Robert Fellowes invites a 15-year-old fan named Terrence Sloane to join the band. As Terrence shows little aptitude for guitar, keyboards, or singing, he is put on the drum set and 'Drew' Dunstan moves to purely bass guitar.
Mid 1976: "The Fellows" are signed by Mercury Records, though they have somewhere along the way lost an 'ows' and are signed as 'The Fell.' (This was possibly a studio decision to try and make them seem more like another just-signed band, The Clash...) Official line-up is: Robert Fellowes, lead guitar and vocals, songwriter; Reggie D, various horns; John Bliss, keyboards and vocals; Drew Dunstan, bass guitar and vocals; Terry Sloane, drums; with occasional backup by session musician Vincent Gereghty.
1977: The band releases several successful singles, most notably 'Supercomputer', 'Shake-up', and 'The Ballad of Donald Nappey'.
1978: The band releases their first (also to be their last) album, 'The Undiscovered Country.' [Track listing: Ides; Something Wicked; Good Night, Sweet Prince; Miranda; This Thing of Darkness; The King of Infinite Space; Dogs of War; Perchance to Dream; Primrose Path; Valiant Dust; Incarnadine.] It is very well received.
Robert Fellowes marries Jane Murray, a band groupie.
1978: The band announces a planned tour that will take them to both Europe and the U.S.-- their first out-of-country tour.
1979: Fell's European half of the tour goes well, starting in London and taking them to Dublin, Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Berlin, and Oslo. The band travels to NYC to play the first stop on their American tour. The night before their NY show, Jane Fellowes falls to her death from the balcony of the group's hotel suite. Rumors abound as to whether this was suicide, foul play, accident... Police investigation results in the cancellation of the group's scheduled performance. Autopsy reveals that Jane Fellowes had cocaine in her system. The death is ruled accidental, but a subsequent police investigation into the band's drug possession follows.
Complications arise when Robert Fellowes disappears for three days and cannot be found. The band is detained in New York for further investigation despite Mercury Records' objection, and miss several tour dates. Robert Fellowes returns but refuses to provide information on where he went. By the time the band is allowed to continue, Robert Fellowes announces the rest of the tour is canceled as well, to general dismay. The band returns to England.
1979-80: Robert Fellowes vanishes, again; is rumored to be on the island of Cyprus but refuses any contact from Mercury Records or his bandmates.
1980: The band attempts to produce some songs during Fellowes' absence to fulfill their contractual obligations to Mercury Records, but the output during this period, while technically proficient, is utterly lacking the appeal of the songs written and performed by Fellowes.
1981: Robert Fellowes negotiates (terms still unknown) the release of Fell from any further obligations to Mercury Records and announces the band is dissolved. The band members go their separate ways: Reggie D moves to America to study blues and jazz. Drew Dunstan and John Bliss briefly tour together as 'Helter Skelter;' the partnership does not last long. Dunstan goes on to serve as a talented bass guitarist for several other bands in the 80s and 90s. John Bliss returns to his classical-training roots and eventually becomes a professor at Birmingham Conservatoire. Terry Sloane is, alas, forced to return to the real world and help his father in the family's bookkeeping business.
1985: Robert Fellowes forms Serptichore Records. He looks up Terry and offers him a job as the company's accountant, which Terry takes. He also hires Vincent Gereghty as head of studio production.