 The Refunds | |
|---|---|
| Origins | Chester, England |
| Genres | Pop, Rock, Beat |
| Years Active | 1962 – 1968 |
| Members | Peter Swiss (Vocals), James Elliot (Vocals, Guitar), Harry Johns (Bass), and Henry Firs (Drums) |
The Refunds
Before the Band
The story for The Refunds begins all the way back in 1956 at the Scarff Road Comprehensive School in Chester, England. It was at this school where Pete, James, Harry, and Henry met for the first time around the age of 13. They didn’t know each other until the school classes were mixed around and they all found themselves in the same class having all their lessons together. It was during a music class with teach Mrs. Creech that they discovered their musical talents. Pete, James, and Henry were known for their clowning around and misbehaviour, so the teacher put the three of them with Harry for an assignment hoping his good behaviour would rub off on them. Thankfully this plan did work and the four of them were soon enjoying each others’ company making music together. It turned out each of them were very accomplished musicians in their own right, especially for their age at the time.
The teacher was so impressed with what they were able to come up with in such a small space of time that she organised them to play for the whole school in an assembly. Unlike most school assemblies, the kids paid attention to the group and loved their music. Their music became a sensation at the school leading to a couple of other opportunities to perform. Sadly, by the time they came to leave school, their studies had to take precedent and they all left without any more fanfare.
All the members went their separate ways all aiming to make good careers for themselves. Peter left to become an apprentice carpenter, James started running his family’s corner shop, Harry trained to become a chef, and Henry became a bin man. All these ambitions were short lived however when a small economic crash put paid to their opportunities. Suddenly, Pete, Harry, and Henry were out of a job and any prospects, while James’ shop was just holding on.
It was two years later in 1961 that Harry and Henry bumped into each other at the local Dog and Duck Pub in Chester. Both were on the dole at this point so had nothing to do during the day. Somehow the topic of conversation turned to their old musical days at school. They remembered their time at school fondly compared to the lives they were leading at that time in the 60s. They both agreed to meet up again and one thing led to another and they ended up having a jam session at Harry’s parents house. It was a few weeks after this that they thought they ought to invite Pete and James along if they fancied reliving the good old days too. They both jumped at the chance and that was how the classic 1960s band, The Refunds, was formed.
History
Foundations
The name “The Refunds” came as all the members of the band were all very poor at the time and they thought it would be funny having a moniker related to money. This was a theme for all their releases and a running joke amongst the group. Because they didn’t have much money between them, the band would practice at he local church youth club where there were a few old instruments they could use. At this time a lot of other kids fancied their chances as pop stars, so The Refunds had to wait their turn to use them which normally meant very late practise sessions. After a few months together they noticed that a few other people would hang around to listen to them play. They were already getting a bit of a following. It was when the vicar of the church heard them that he asked if they fancied performing for the other youngsters at the club. They agreed, and their first real “gig” since school took place in the back room of St. Titus’ Church in Chester.
The gig was a great success for both them and the church. All those who were there enjoyed their catchy tunes and were very impressed by the musical skill. A collection was taken by the vicar during the gig, and very charitably, he gave the money to the band to help them afford some new instruments. From then on they didn’t need to borrow the church’s Boy’s Brigade instruments, as they could finally afford some of their own. After much searching through markets and junk shops, they managed to find the best instruments that they could purchase. With this new impetus they took their music to various pubs and clubs within the Chester area. They also performed every other week at the church, with each collection being given to a local charity.
Much like their school days, bass player Harry was really the brains of the outfit. It was him who wrote their first song Worth Every Penny. The lyrics told the story of his old girlfriend and how he wanted to spend so much to please her, but he just couldn’t afford it. It resonated with the other members of the band as well as the youth of Chester. This song was the one that they always ended a set on and was an early fan favourite. As they got more and more accomplished and professional local venues started paying a small fee for their appearances. It was only at this point that the four guys realised that they could legitimately make a career out of their music rather than it just being a hobby for them.
It was at one of these gigs at a local pub that they met their longtime collaborator, Burt Griggs. Burt was at the bar drowning his sorrows after a particularly bad day betting at the races. But what he lacked in sports knowledge he made up for with his musical nouse. He heard the band playing and loved their witty lyrics and catchy tunes. The themes of money were especially poignant at that time as he just been laid off from his factory job. After the gig he approached the lads and gave them a proposition they couldn’t refuse. He would help produce their first album.
Getting There
The band jumped at the opportunity as they didn’t really have much to lose at this point. They were a bit shocked though when they turned up to his “studio” to find it was his garden shed. Thankfully it did get a bit more impressive as there was a very small music production set up inside. It was also very lucky that Burt really did have a talent for music creation. Over the course of a couple of months the band wrote and produced the 10 songs that appeared on their first demo recording. They knew they had something good, but had no way of getting the music out to the public. Burt contacted various record companies, most of whom weren’t interested in anything that wasn’t big band or jazz music. It was only Dekaf Records who took the chance and decided to help the band produce a small run of the vinyl. Dekaf like the band’s attitude and their homegrown appeal they thought would appeal to the UK public.
A limited vinyl run of their debut album, Worth Every Penny, (titled after their lead hit) was sold in small record shops in and around Chester. It took a while, but eventually a groundswell of support arose for the album. The local music fans loved the fact that some of their own were making a success of themselves so did anything they could support them. At one point the album was incredibly hard to find as it had gotten so popular. It got to point where local market traders were buying up every copy they could find so they could increase the price and make a quick buck. Dekaf Records put and end to this thought as we pressed another batch to send out to all the shops to satisfy the demand for the new album.
Suddenly local venues were eager to book them for gigs. It allowed them to do a small tour of the North West of England bringing them more fans and admirers. They were now signed to Dekaf Records with Burt being their agent and producer. It was Burt who realised the band’s appeal with younger girls mainly due to the group’s cheeky nature and boyish good looks. As a result Burt wanted to book more gigs for the band at better locations for their younger fans as most were not allowed into pubs or bars at the time. So along with a few local boozers, they also performed at social slubs, village halls, and even small theatres.
Within a year the band had gone from obscurity to local fame, and fans were crying out for some more of their music. This led to the creation of their second album, Where’s the Change? The lead song, this time written by Pete, was a sad story of his ex girlfriend’s infidelity. The track told of her cheating with other guys, but when caught by Pete, her promising she wouldn’t do it again. Unfortunately she did, and the relationship broke up there and then. At least it wasn’t all in vain as he got a good hit song from it.
The Big Time
Their second album only increased their fame and popularity. They were no longer just local lads having a go at music, they were now professional touring musicians. They were starting to get more well known outside of Chester allowing them to tour more around England and Wales. It was at this time that Burt really wanted to capitalise on their newfound success. The first thing he did was start the CCCFC, the Cheeky Chaps of Chester Fan Club. This allowed any fan to join the club and receive a monthly newsletter about the band. The newsletter would contain upcoming gig dates, pictures of the band, reader’s questions and much more. It was a very clever idea that gave their fans a more intimate look at the band and made them even crazier towards the band.
At the point of releasing their third album in 1964, the band had built up such a fanbase it was now local news. The Chester Chronicle lead with the headline “The Refunds Mint New Album” with a picture of the band holding their new album, Give Me Credit. This time the song writing was split between the band with each of them writing a few songs on the album. The title song was written by Henry about how he wasn’t admired as much as the other in the band as he was just the drummer. It was all tongue in cheek between the group but the press ran with it and make sensational stories about the band’s quarrels and arguments, most of which were not true.The first three albums by The Refunds became known as the Mint Trilogy. Each one had themes of money with each cover also incorporating the colours bronze, silver, and gold respectively. Most fans have their favourite album of the three, and opinion is very split amongst the fanbase of which one is better. They all bring something to the table and all three are still universally praised, even today.
It was around this time that another clever gimmick was created by Burt Griggs. The Ring-A-Refund service was created as a way for young fans to connect with the band even more. The service allowed fans to phone a special phone line which led to a telephone exchange at the Deakf Records HQ. Callers could select either the number 1,2,3, or 4 and each would play a sound bite from one member of the band followed by a quick rendition of a chorus from a song they had wrote. It was incredibly popular with all money from the calls going to charity and each sound package being changed every week to encourage regular callers.
Now their stardom was at it’s peak, the band were able to go on a small international tour. As well as dates in the UK, they also performed gigs in the States, Switzerland, and Japan. They were also hot property on TV and radio. Every show and personality wanted a bit of The Refunds and they were happy to oblige as a means to promote their music. One of the biggest tv appearances they made came in the summer of 1965. At that time the biggest stars of international TV were Timmy and Tubby the Glaswegian comedy double act. Their famous show Summer Showpiece was watched by over 15 million people across the world, and The Refunds were the star of that year’s edition. The lads lived up to their cheeky personas and were a great hit with the audience while the sketch they performed with Timmy and Tubby is stuff of comedy legend.
Not All That Glitters
Following on from their big TV appearances and their long international tour, they got back to writing songs in 1966. In that year they released two complimentary albums Silver and Gold. Each member of the band wanted to stretch their songwriting legs so they each wrote 5 songs. The Silver album contained the songs written by Peter and James, while the Gold album contained the ones written by Harry and Henry. It was a good chance for each of them to try some new stuff and get their creative juices flowing.
Sadly the albums caused a rift in the band. Even though both albums were released on the same day, the Silver album was much more popular. Critics loved it as well as the fans, so much so it outsold the Gold album 2 to 1. It wasn’t the popularity of the albums that upset Harry and Henry, as they were happy with their output, but the money that was the main issue. As Peter and James were the sole songwriters on the Silver album they got the full royalty payments as was the set up at the time. Even though Harry and Henry played on the album they only received their playing fee and no more. They both felt angry at the setup and relations frayed among the group.
The group still stuck together for another tour across the UK and Europe as well as many TV appearances. One of their most memorable around this time was on the children’s TV show, Let’s Get Outdoors! When the show was launched in 1963 it used The Refund’s song, Green and Pleasant, as it’s theme tune. The show had been a hit and the band felt it would be a great publicity stunt to perform on the show. The producers wanted a great finale to an episode so asked the band whether they could perform in a hot air balloon. All of the band, except from Harry who was afraid of heights, loved the idea and went ahead with arrangements. It was incredibly tricky to film as the camera crew had to be in another balloon. It was also very hard to actually hear the music, so the sound mixers of the show added an over dub of the original track so the viewers could hear their classic song. Thankfully they got the shots they needed and all were safe from their amazing stunt. When the episode aired later that year it was a massive success and only helped to bring even more young fans. Harry on the other hand wasn’t happy that he had to go through all of that just for publicity.
In 1967 the band needed another album to release but hadn’t had time to write many new songs. So it get over this they went through their old songs that had never been released. They reworked a few and brought out the album Down the Back of the Sofa. The title alluded to the fact the album would contain some previously unheard songs and also some live recordings. It really was an album for the purists as it was obvious why some of the songs were not used the first time. There were a few good songs that got some radio air time, but most were filler tracks, and unfortunately, the ardent fans knew it.
This album was the beginning of the end for the band, especially Harry. He had grown to resent the extra money that the other members had made from the Silver album as well as the stupid stunts they were having to do for publicity. Harry really did feel like he had been let down by the band considering it was his wit and knowhow that helped them get off the ground in the first place. It was in July, 1967 that Harry decided to leave the band with mutual consent with the other guys. The news shocked fans all around the world and surprised the whole music industry too. Harry was touched by the heartfelt messages he received but he had already made his mind up at the time. The Refunds had gone from a quartet to a trio overnight. It was especially ironic that a band formed out of poverty would split over the abundance of money.
Last Orders
The other members of the group were also upset and didn’t really feel like making any more albums without Harry. They knew he was the driving force behind the band, and doing something without him didn’t feel right. It was Burt who suggested they make one final album for the fans as a goodbye. Burt had accepted the band’s fate, but fancied one last payday before he had to find something else to do with his life.
The Refund’s seventh and final album cheekily titled, Market Crash, was released with sadness and fondness in 1968. It carried on their tradition of the double meaning money album titles too. They knew their world had come crashing down when Harry had left, and the name of the album summed that up for the fans too. The album’s songs had more mature lyrics and more complicated arrangements than some of their earlier bubblegum pop tracks. They wanted to prove that they were not just a band for youngsters and that they could appeal to the adult music buyers too.
They went on a short promotion tour for the album with more tv appearances and interviews. As much as they enjoyed appearing on TV, it wasn’t as much fun without Harry and the fact that most of the questions pointed to them were about him too. They knew their star power was waning with the more psychedelic music capturing the country’s youth. Their brand of streamlined pop wasn’t as fashionable in late 1960s and their original fans were growing up too. They called it a day with one final gig at the church that started off their careers.
The gig was in aid of the roof repair and even with their dwindling fame the band were able to pack out the place with fans and media. The band felt it was a great way to end on a high and to give back to those who helped them in the beginning. Harry even arrived and watched the band from the balcony showing that he still got on with the guys. The Cheeky Chaps of Chester were only in their mid 20s when the band parted ways, so they were able to live the rest of their lives the way they wanted.
Discography
Gold (1966)
Down the Back of the Sofa (1967)
Market Crash (1968)
What Happened Next?
The members of the band went their own ways and each lived very different lives in the aftermath of their successful careers. Lead singer and face of the band, Peter used his fame to make many more appearances on TV during the 70s, 80s, and even 90s. He would appear on quiz and panel shows as a regular familiar face earning money for charity. He also became a judge for the long running talent show, What Have You Got? in 1975 helping the public find the next musical stars.
James was able to put the money he had earned from his band back into his family’s corner shop. It has just about managed to stay afloat while he was in the band, but a much needed renovation helped it stay open. He went on to open a chain of his shops and at one point in the 80’s it felt like every street corner had an Elliot’s Convenience Shop. His early fame helped boost his sales whenever he was opening a new shop.
Harry fancied himself as a cook even before the band had formed. After laving the band he took a 3 year chef’s course in France which taught him everything he needed to know to open his own restaurant. In 1974 he opened his first bistro, named The Swarthy Goose serving the finest food that Chester had to offer. It was a runaway success for Harry, who later made more TV appearances, not as a bassist, but as a professional chef. His mild manner and clever culinary skills were a hit with the British public allowing him to have his own show in 1982 named Rock and Roll Meals.
Sadly Henry let the success go to his head. He wanted more and thus played the stock markets and got a gambling addiction. Within 5 years of the band’s demise he had also lost everything he had. He again had to go to the dole queue to pick up his allotted money each week. Thankfully for Henry, while down on his luck he bumped into James again in Rhyl of all places. He told him of the success of his corner shops and after seeing Henry’s dire situation offered him a job at one of his establishments. Henry worked his way up to management and eventually became a member of the board of the company alongside James.
The band’s legacy can never be understated. Their songs touched millions over the six short years they were performing. Their cheeky chappy personas brought delight to anyone who watched them at any of their gigs. While countless other bands have cited The Refunds as their biggest influence. It’s true when people say that we will never get a band like The Refunds ever again. No one could counterfeit their witty lyrics, clever compositions, and unique stylings.