Hailing from Philadelphia, lead singer Patti LaBelle first toured Britain with her backing group The Bluebelles featuring singers Nona Hendryx, Sarah Dash and Cindy Birdsong in January 1966. The tour was arranged by promoter Roy Tempest.
For this first British tour, Patti LaBelle & The Bluebells were backed by northwest London group Bluesology who featured a very young Elton John known as Reg Dwight at the time on keyboards.
It’s not clear whether Bluesology backed them on all the gigs, so we’d welcome any further information on this.
At the time, Bluesology comprised Stu Brown (guitar/vocals); Reg Dwight (keyboards/vocals); Rex Bishop (bass); Pat Higgs (trumpet); Dave Murphy (sax); and Mick Inkpen (drums)
Melody Maker’s 8 January 1966 issue, page 4 lists, gig dates and TV appearances
Gig list
5 January 1966 – Scotch of St James, Mayfair, central London (Melody Maker)
6 January 1966 – Cue Club, Praed Street, Paddington, west London (Melody Maker)
8 January 1966 – Oasis, Manchester with The Check Points (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle)
9 January 1966 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker) Billed as Patti La Belle & Her Belles
11 January 1966 – Cromwellian, South Kensington, west London with Bluesology (Melody Maker)
14 January 1966 – ITV’s Ready Steady Go with The Kinks, Pretty Things and Fontella Bass (Melody Maker)
14 January 1966 – The New All-Star Club, Artillery Passage, Bishopsgate, east London (Melody Maker) Billed Patti LaBBelle and The Blue Bells
14 January 1966 – Flamingo All-nighter, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Gass (Melody Maker)
15 January 1966 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Melody Maker) Billed as Pattie La Belle & Her Blue Bells
15 January 1966 – King Mojo, Sheffield, South Yorkshire with Fontella Bass, The Stormsville Shakers, Bluesology Inc and The Just 5 x 2 (Sheffield Star) Billed as Patty La Belle & Her Belles
16 January 1966 – Plaza, Birmingham, West Midlands (Melody Maker) Possibly Handsworth
19 January 1966 – Dancing Slipper, West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire (Nottingham Evening Post) This lists Wilson Pickett’s backing group as support who would have been The Links
22 January 1966 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with Pinky & The Phellows, Bluesology Incorporated and The Triads (Lincolnshire Standard)
Melody Maker’s 30 April 1966 issue, page 4, announces that Patti LaBelle & The Bluebelles return for a second tour (including TV appearances), organised again by Roy Tempest.
For this second tour, Patti LaBelle & The Bluebelles were once again backed by Bluesology. It’s not clear, however, whether Bluesology backed them on all the gigs, so we’d welcome any further information on this.
By this time, the line-up had changed slightly to feature Stu Brown (guitar/vocals); Reg Dwight (keyboards/vocals); Freddy Gandy (bass); Pat Higgs (trumpet); Dave Murphy (sax); and Paul Gale (drums)
Gig list
4 May 1966 – Birdland Club, central London (Melody Maker)
4 May 1966 – Scotch of St James, Mayfair, central London (Melody Maker)
5 May 1966 – Ram Jam, Brixton, south London (Melody Maker) Billed as Patti La Belle & Her Belles
6 May 1966 – Ricky Tick, Windsor, Berkshire (Melody Maker) Billed as Patty LaBelle & Her Belles
7 May 1966 – Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks with The Bystanders and The Dark Ages (Bucks Advertiser) Billed as Patty La Belle & Her Belles
7 May 1966 – New All-Star Club, Artillery Passage, Bishopsgate, east London (Melody Maker) Billed as Patti La Belle & The Blue Bells
8 May 1966 – Oasis, Manchester with Polecatz (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle)
9 May 1966 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with Steve Darbyshire & The Yum Yum Band (Melody Maker) Billed as Patty La Belle & Her Belles
9 May 1966 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker) Billed as Patty LaBelle & The Belles
11 May 1966 – Orchid Ballroom, Purley, Surrey (Chris Broom’s book Rockin’ and around Croydon)
13 May 1966 – Flamingo (two sets including all-nighter), Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Gass (Melody Maker) Billed as Patti La Belle
14 May 1966 – King Mojo, Sheffield, South Yorkshire with Alan Bown Set and Buddy’s Blues (Sheffield Star) Billed as Pattie LaBelle & Her Belles
14 May 1966 – Twisted Wheel, Manchester with The Ram Jam Band (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle)
15 May 1966 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post) Billed as Patty La Belle & The Blue Belles
17 May 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Clayton Squares (Melody Maker)
17 May 1966 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker) Billed as Patti LaBelle & The Belles
19 May 1966 – Rocky Rivers’ Top 20 Club, Conservative Club, Bedford with Bluesology and John Williams & Tomorrow’s People (Ampthill News & Weekly Record) Billed as Patti La Belle & Her Belles
21 May 1966 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop Stortford, Hertfordshire with Blues Ology and The Ultimates (Herts & Essex Observer) Billed as Patti La Belle & Her Belles
21 May 1966 – Cue Club all-nighter, Paddington, west London (Melody Maker) Billed as Patti LaBelle & Her Belles
22 May 1966 – Jigsaw, Manchester (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle)
In 1967, Cindy Birdsong left to join The Supremes and the group continued as a three piece.
Melody Maker’s 22 June 1968 issue, page 4, lists a British tour opening on 3 July
Melody Maker’s 6 July 1968 issue, page 3, provides more detail on the venues and dates
It’s not clear who provided support on this third tour and we’d welcome any further information.
Gig list
3 July 1968 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with supporting groups (Dunstable Borough Gazette and Luton Journal/Melody Maker/http://www.california-ballroom.info/gigs/) Amended to 5 July. Billed as Patti LaBelle & The Belles
3 July 1968 – Cue Club, Praed Street, Paddington, west London (Melody Maker) Amended to 5 July. Billed as Patti La Belle & The Bluebells Show
6 July 1968 – New Century Hall, Manchester (Melody Maker)
6 July 1968 – Carlton Club, Warrington, Cheshire (Melody Maker) Amended to 7 July
7 July 1968 – Britannia Rowing Club, Nottingham (Melody Maker)
8 July 1968 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire (Melody Maker)
8 July 1968 – Club Cedar, Birmingham (Melody Maker)
11 July 1968 – Brave New World, Eastney, Portsmouth, Hants (Melody Maker)
12 July 1968 – White Lion, Edgware, north London (Melody Maker)
12 July 1968 – Sybilla’s, Swallow Street, central London (Melody Maker)
13 July 1968 – 76 Club, Burton on Trent, Staffordshire (Melody Maker)
13 July 1968 – Gig in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands (Melody Maker) Possibly the Belfry, Wishaw
14 July 1968 – Cue Club, Praed Street, Paddington, west London (Melody Maker) Billed as Patti La Belle & Her Bells
17 July 1968 – Gig in Stevenage, Herts (Melody Maker) Possibly the Locarno
18 July 1968 – Sybilla’s, Swallow Street, central London (Melody Maker)
19 July 1968 – Mistrale Club, Beckenham, south London with Purple Dream (Coulsdon & Purley Advertiser/Beckenham & Penge Advertiser/Melody Maker) Billed as Patti La Belle & The Bluebells
20 July 1968 – Clockwork Orange, Chester, Cheshire with Chris Shakespeare Globe Show and The Executives (Chester Chronicle) Billed as Patti La Belle & Her Bluebells
20 July 1968 – Nantwich Civic Hall, Nantwich, Cheshire (Melody Maker)
22 July 1968 – Orchid Ballroom, Purley, Surrey (Beckenham & Penge Advertiser) Billed as Patty La Belle & Her Bells
We’d like to hear from anyone who can provide more information in the comments section below