Biography
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Years Active
1962 – present (62 years)
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Founded In
Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, United Kingdom
There are at least two 1960s bands with this name.
1) The Bystanders, a successful close harmony pop group from Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, issued eight singles, including "98.6" (#45 in UK Singles Chart, in February 1967) which was played in the 2009 film, The Boat That Rocked (although Keith's version was the bigger hit, reaching No. 24 in the UK) and "When Jesamine Goes", written by their manager Ronnie Scott and Marty Wilde under the pseudonyms of Frere Manston and Jack Gellar, which was later covered by The Casuals as "Jesamine" and got to No. 2 in the UK Chart. They also recorded sessions of cover versions for the BBC as rules restricting needle time required "live" performances between the records during the 1960s; becoming regulars on the ’’Jimmy Young Show’’, "The David Symonds Show" and others.
When formed in 1962 The Bystanders included Owen Money, then known as Gerry Braden, but he was replaced by Vic Oakley, giving the classic line up of Micky Jones (guitar), Ray Williams (bass), Jeff Jones (drums), Clive John (aka Clint Space) (keyboards) and Vic Oakley (vocals). By 1968 the other members wanted to change musical direction to a more psychedelic/American west-coast guitar sound, so Oakley left, to be replaced by Deke Leonard; and the band changed its name to Man.
2) The Bystanders were a 1960s garage band that released a single, "Just Exactly Off," on the Vanco label. Given the location of the recording company, they were presumably from either the northwest United States or southwest Canada.
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