Dr. Bowser's Brown Bowel Oil Band

Dr. Bowser's Brown Bowel Oil Band's first gig was in October 1976, having been formed out of various members of Bath City Morris and associates, as a band for Tubby Reynolds to use to call. This must have been quite a challenge for Tubby - taking an only slightly organised bunch of people to play as his support act on a regular basis. His patience and tolerance (apart from Nottingham Swing at Bristol University - the only time I recall him actually using a two-fingered salute in anger) must not be under-rated. The band's name came after our 4th booking, when Jeff Dando told the organisers we were called this, based on poster in Tubby and Betty's wall (which allegedly came from the Ironbridge Industrial Museum in Shropshire). The name change was not exactly appreciated at the time and we know we lost somne gigs because of the name. But sod 'em, as we also gained some with people who booked us because of the name! After a relatively fluid line-up, the band became Bristol based and continued until August 1986, when Steve moved to Norfolk.

The band made two albums, both recorded by Dave Byrne in Bristol, essentially live recordings on a 4-track TEAC machine. The first album had a variable quality, and received variable reviews. The second album was of overall high and consistent quality and received almost completely positive reviews, the only two slight criticisms being the bands name (!) and that we could probably have been even more adventurous. The bands tunes were mainly 16th to 18th Century English where possible, obtained from a variety of historic sources, especially the British Library, Bristol Library and Vaugham Williams Memorial Library.

Facts and figures:

Gigs

Musicians and callers who made it to double-figure apprearances:

  1. Dr Bowser 387
  2. Steve Bazire - melodeon (mainly) (386)
  3. Tom Randall - tenor banjo (233)
  4. June Smith - violin and piano (168)
  5. David White - drums (164)
  6. Andy Brewer - bass (158)
  7. Nigel Shires - bass (125)
  8. Dave Constantine - violin (114)
  9. Tony Delaney - drums (95)
  10. Bob Bush - violin (83)
  11. Tim Maude - guitar (74)
  12. Bronwen Lloyd - violin and flute (69)
  13. Steve Palmer - percussion (61)
  14. Graham Sewell - guitar (48)
  15. Martion Lear - trombone (41)
  16. Gill Corbett - melodeon (32)
  17. Ian Woodhouse - drum (26)
  18. Tony Light - bass (22)
  19. Jerry Mangan - drums (18)
  20. Jeff Dando - melodeon (13)
  21. Derek Adams - guitar (12)

Top callers

  1. Tony Slinger (113)
  2. Grant Glanville (81)
  3. Tubby Reynolds (57)
  4. Martin Hewett (27)
  5. Dick Carlyon (20)
  6. Adrian Ayley (16)

Recordings:


a. "A Good Run for your Money", 1981. Cover designed by Leo Reynolds. Sold about 450 copies, with about 50 tapes.

b. "Not to be sniffed at", 1985, cover by Peter Lord. Sold about 500 copies and 200 tapes, plus an extra 35 with calls by Tony Slinger added. N.B. A copy was seen in a record fayre in Bristol in the "Rare" section at £25 in 1998!
c. One track for a tape that didn't come out

Trivia

First Christmas gig, at Bath University Small Hall, on 4th December 1976. Left to right: Ian "Bag" Woodhouse, Paul Woods, Steve Bazire, Jeff Dando, Martin Lear, Tim Maude, Dave Constantine's violin bow, and caller Adrian Ayley.

3rd December 1977, Small (only!) Hall, Bath university.
Steve Palmer, Martin Lear, Tim Maude, Dave Constantine, Gill Corbett, Steve Bazire

3rd March 1979, Keynsham.
Nigel Shires, Steve Palmer, Steve Bazire, Dave Constantine, Mrs Bowser, Tim Maude

9th February 1980, the band's 100th gig.
David White, Nigel Shires, Martin Lear, Adrian Ayley, Jim Cook, Graham Sewell, Dave Constantine, Bob Bush, Jeff Dando, Gill Corbett, Steve Bazire, mc Grant Glanville

21st October 1981, at Bristol University, with caller John Coop.
David White, Nigel Shires, Tom Randall, Bronwen Lloyd, Bob Bush, Steve Bazire

9th December 1983, Bedminster.
Andy Brewer, Tony Delaney, June Smith, Tom Randall, Steve Bazire

February 1985, Playford Ball in Bath, pose for album cover.
June Smith, Andy Brewer, Tom Randall, Tony Delaney, Steve Bazire

6th December 1985, Hanham.
Tom Randall, Andy Brewer, m.c. Tony Slinger, Tony Delaney, Steve Bazire, June Smith

12th April 1986, Bristol
Top: Tony Slinger, Tom Randall, Gerry Mangan
Seated: Andy Brewer, Tony Delaney, June Smith, Steve Bazire

Farewell gig, at Hope Chapel, Bristol on 31st December 1986. Tom Randall, Andy Brewer, Dave Walbridge, Tony Light, Ester Randall, June Smith, Steve Bazire

Where are they now?

In case you cared:

Got anything to add? Let Stephen Bazire know.
Last update November 2007.