The Cricket Club is carrying on the theme of top class ‘60s R&B with what promises to be another exciting Club debut for their next Music Night on Friday 31st January, when they welcome THE OTHERS for the first time. This gig certainly seems to have caused a bit of a stir locally, and the organiser has been contacted by several people who aren’t Music Night regulars but remember the band from their original incarnation back in the early ‘60s when they were at Hampton Grammar School – they obviously had a big following then, and many of those aficionados will be coming to catch up with them again.

When they first formed they got a record deal with the Fontana label while they were still doing their ‘A’ levels, and released a highly-rated version of Bo Diddley’s “Oh Yeah”, and were jostling for position alongside the likes of The Pretty Things, The Yardbirds and Downliners Sect in the R&B market of 1964. Unfortunately, they never quite hit the big time, and eventually went their separate ways, but stayed in touch and a couple of years ago decided to re-form.

The line-up comprises four members of the original band - Pete Hammerton (guitar), Paul Stewart (vocals/harmonica), Rob Tolchard (bass) and Geoff Coxon (drums). You can find out more at www.theothers.org.uk

Brian May of Queen has stated that he was very much inspired by The Others when he was a contemporary of theirs at Hampton Grammar, and formed the band Smile with schoolmate Tim Staffel before eventually going on to become part of Queen. Brian reckoned that Pete Hammerton was one of the best guitarists he’d ever seen.