Rod Freeman – guitar/vocals
Ken Rankine – bass (ex-Art Wood Combo)
Terry Marshall – tenor saxophone
Mitch Mitchell – drums
The (Fantastic Soul Messengers) were formed in November 1963 by former Flintstones members Terry Marshall (who had been in The Flee-rekkers in the interim) and Rod Freeman.
Future Jimi Hendrix drummer Mitch Mitchell, who started out with The Crescents had previously worked with Frankie Reid & The Casuals (late 1961-mid 1962), Pete Nelson & The Travellers and Johnny Harris & The Shades.
According to Marshall, another band had been booked to play at the famous Ealing Club on a Sunday and let down the club’s owner by failing to turn up.
As he recalls, “There were musicians in the club so I brought together Rod Freeman who I went pro with in 1960 when he was 16, Ken Rankine on bass and Mitch Mitchell on drums. We went down so well that Feri who ran the club gave us a residency there on the spot for Sundays.”
Regulars at the Ealing Club, the Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette has the band playing every Sunday in December 1963.
In 1964, they are also listed for 2 February, 5 April, 18 April and 11 May but played at the club much more than these advertised dates.
Soon after, Terry Marshall, who joined The Ray Martin Group, was replaced by American Gary Bell.
However, around July 1964, Mitch Mitchell, who joined The Riot Squad that December, departed and the band changed name to The Next 5.
The new-line up comprised:
Rod Freeman – guitar/vocals
Ken Rankine – bass
Gary Bell – tenor saxophone (from the United States)
Willie Garnett – tenor saxophone (ex-Five Embers, Mille Small’s backing band)
Dave Golding – drums (ex-Flintstones)
The Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette lists The Next 5 at the Ealing Club playing a number of Thursdays throughout October and into November 1964 (see gigs below).
According to music writer David Else, they were also resident band at Tottenham Royal Ballroom.
Thanks to Terry Marshall and David Else for their help
Selected gigs:
The following are all from Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette unless otherwise noted
Billed as The Fantastic Soul Messengers:
23 November 1963 – Whitehall, East Grinstead, West Sussex with Johnny Five & The Ramblers (Evening Argus) Billed as Soul Messengers
1 December 1963 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (billed as every Sunday)
8 December 1963 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday)
15 December 1963 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday)
22 December 1963 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday)
29 December 1963 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday)
Billed as The Soul Messengers:
18 January 1964 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with The Druids and The Alex Group with Jo-Anne (website: www.california-ballroom.info/gigs/)
2 February 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday)
8 February 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday) This may have been John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
20 March 1964 – Silver Blades, Streatham, southwest London (Streatham News)
5 April 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday)
18 April 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Saturday)
5 May 1964 – Nurses Club, Jolly Gardners, Isleworth, Middlesex with The Bo Street Runners and The Mark Leeman Five (Middlesex Chronicle)
11 May 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Monday)
12 May 1964 – Nurses Club, Jolly Gardners, Isleworth, Middlesex with The Bo Street Runners and The Mark Leeman Five (Middlesex Chronicle)
19 May 1964 – Nurses Club, Jolly Gardners, Isleworth, Middlesex with The Bo Street Runners and The Mark Leeman Five (Middlesex Chronicle)
26 May 1964 – Nurses Club, Jolly Gardners, Isleworth, Middlesex with The Bo Street Runners and The Mark Leeman Five (Middlesex Chronicle)
28 May 1964 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, Middlesex
2 June 1964 – Nurses Club, Jolly Gardners, Isleworth, Middlesex with The Bo Street Runners and The Mark Leeman Five (Middlesex Chronicle)
11 June 1964 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, Middlesex
12 June 1964 – Ealing Town Hall, Ealing, Middlesex with The Mark Leeman Five and James Royal
10 July 1964 – Ovaltine Ballroom, Kings Langley, Herts with The Leons (Watford and West Herts Post)
18 August 1964 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, Middlesex
Billed as The Next Five:
8 October 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday)
15 October 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday)
22 October 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday)
29 October 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday)
5 November 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Thursday)