Dansette

The Early Years

Dansette is a band which prides itself on playing 1960's soul music with a truly authentic feel. Formed originally in 1981 Dansette's approach was less slapstick than Jake and Elmore's Blues Brothers and have more in common with Roddy Doyle's Commitments who they pre-date by a decade. However, the one thing all three have in common is a genuine love of the music that came out of Memphis, Tennessee.

Dansette started life in January 1981 when a Barry trio comprising guitarist Paul Somers, bassman Dave 'Happy' Harper and drummer Mike 'Pokey' Doyle found themselves in desperate need of band members to fulfil a long standing commitment to play at Valentine Night's gig at the now-defunct Dow Corning Social Club on the Moors in Barry. Their first port of call was the multi-talented Pete Donovan who they brought out of premature retirement to provide the necessary musical nous and cutting edge on guitar and he then drafted in lead vocalist Paul Rebane. A name was needed for the band and just days before the gig the band was replete with the moniker Dansette, named after the favoured record player of the 1960's.

In just 2 weeks the band put together an energy-fuelled set that opened with Robert Palmer's 'Bad Case of Loving' You' and ended with the Spencer Davis Group's 'Gimme Some Lovin' The gig was a roaring success and even the sceptics among the Barry crowd were forced to admit that while there may have been a few rough edges there was certainly enough there to warrant a second look.

Despite the success of the Dansette's maiden outing the original line-up was not to last long and soon happy opted to leave to pursue a career in country music - his true love. If the band was to continue a new bass player was urgently required and so it was that Teesider Steve Macquade, a teaching colleague of Paul's from Cardiff's Cantonian High School was drafted and he was soon followed by Ralph Blake, on saxophone and harmonica.

With the changes in the band's line-up came changes in the set as Pete and Paul determined to focus the band's attention on soul and Motown.

Dansette:

What's In A Name?

Once upon a time before the Walkman and CDs and downloads and DAB there was the record player - more specifically there was Dansette - that box in the corner on which we played those 45s and LPs, on which pocket money was lovingly spent every week.  Following the Saturday morning trip to your favourite local record store - no HMV or Virgin back then - for me and Barrysfinestkind it was Lorraine's Records at the top of Holton Road.  A trip to Cardiff may have meant a visit to Spillers or City Radio but the purchases always ended up on the Dansette sat proudly in the front room just to the left of the fireplace.  Mine was a Dansette Bermuda with a deep pink base and a beige top - I say mine because I would never let my sisters near it - just in case they inflicted damage to the precious stylus that gave us that beautiful, crackling sound.  For me that Dansette epitomises all that was beautiful in my teenage world back then.  In the beginning the music that found its way onto its turntable was an eclectic mix of songs fed us by 6.5 Special, Thank Your Lucky Stars and, of course, RSG - a typical diet of the time saw the Kinks, Small Faces and The Who all play support to the ubiquitous Beatles, who took centre stage in that front room in Southey Street, Barry.

And then it happened - the summer of '66 - 14 years old, approaching 15 and I found Motown - specifically The Four Tops' Loving you Is Sweeter Than Ever - looking back I suppose I must have heard Motown before but I guess it had never really registered - but something certainly clicked that day and I found myself obsessed with getting more and more of that sound.  By the time Otis had made his legendary performance of I can't Turn You Loose on Ready, Steady, Go at the end of that summer nothing found its way onto the hallowed Dansette Bermuda unless it had the black label of Detroit's Tamla Motown, the crimson of Atlantic or the beautiful turquoise blue of Stax from Memphis.

Not surprising then that 20 years later when friend, musician and fellow soul lover Pete Donovan suggested we form a band it was always bound to be a band paying loyal tribute to the likes of Cropper and Floyd, Hayes and Porter and Willie Mitchell - a band playing the best of soul and RnB.  And what better name for a band playing a dance set than Dansette - get it?

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