Loving Kind (Folkestone)

THE LOVING KIND (DOVER, KENT) Derek 'Jason' Knight - lead vocals, front-man (Jan - Sept 1966) Noel David Redding - lead guitar (1964 Fender Telecaster) (Jan - Sept 1966) James 'Jim' Leverton - bass (Jan - Sept 1966) Peter Derek 'Pete' Kircher - drums (Jan - Sept 1966) The Loving Kind formed in January 1966 in Dover, Kent with a line-up of 21-year-old front-man Jason Knight on lead vocals (b. Derek Knight, Monday, March 20, 1944, Hertfordshire, England d. Thursday, January 27, 2005, Folkestone, Kent, England), 20-year-old Noel Redding on lead guitar (1964 Fender Telecaster) (b. Noel David Redding, Tuesday, December 25, 1945, The Royal Victoria Hospital, Dover Road, Folkestone, Kent, England d. Sunday, May 11, 2003 at home in Clonakilty, County Cork, Eire, he was found dead), 19-year-old Jim Leverton on bass (b. James Leverton, Thursday, June 6, 1946, Dover, Kent, England) and 21-year-old Pete Kircher on drums (b. Peter Derek Kircher, Sunday, January 21, 1945, Folkestone, Kent, England). Redding was the son of Horace Reading (b. Horace Albert Reading) and Mrs. Margaret Redding (b. Miss Margaret Berggren, Bromley, Kent, England) who brought up Noel alone, along with his older brother Anthony Redding (b. 1943) and his younger sister Vicki Redding, with help from her Swedish born-mother Nellie Berggren who lived with them at Cliff Road, Seabrook, Kent where she run a guest house. Noel Redding went to St. Leonard's Primary School, Hythe, Kent. He then succeeded in getting an A pass to go to Harvey Grammar School, Cheriton Road, Folkestone. Redding's first instrument was the Jew's harp, then he had a violin from age 9 and then a mandolin. Later his mother swapped the mandolin at the Helping Hand shop, Folkestone for a guitar. He had wanted a guitar ever since, he was standing one day at the Seabrook school bus stop when a Neighbour, a teacher, joined him and his mother with a strangely shaped instrument case. Redding was overwhelmed by curiosity and he conquered his shyness for long enough to ask what it was. She opened it up and she showed him her Spanish guitar. He was completely fascinated and with his mother's permission went round that night and she showed him a couple of chords. From age 10 Noel Redding started playing guitar and used to practice with his older brother Anthony Redding. Redding's first band was The Strangers (from Feb 1960) with him on lead guitar (Futurama). As Redding had been the youngest in the group he was thrown out of The Strangers in November 1961 as they had too-many guitarists. He was devastated and cried, but his mother told him that she had herd it was because he was the youngest, but the best. Then Redding was in The Lonely Ones (formed in Nov 1961 in Folkestone) with 15-year-old Noel Redding on lead guitar (Futurama, later a 1964 Fender Telecaster). In September 1962 he was in the original line-up of Neil Landon and the Burnettes. In April 1963 The Lonely Ones split and reformed in September 1964. In ca. September 1965 Redding left again and was replaced by lead guitarist, vocalist Trevor Williams. Kircher who had been to The Harvey Grammar School, Cheriton Road, Folkestone, Kent had also been in the Lonely Ones as lead vocalist (from Nov 1961) and lead vocalist, drummer (from Sept 1962). When Kircher left in 1963 he was replaced on lead vocals by Derek Knight. He remained with this band until they split later in April 1963. Kircher was replaced on drums by Trevor Sutton. Leverton had started playing a left-handed guitar around 8 or 9 and left school in Folkestone in 1964 and spent a short while as an apprentice bricklayer but it was not long before he decided his future lay as a musician. By the early 60's he was already working in semi-pro Beat groups in and around Dover including The Big Beats (1961 - 1965). In 1964 he was ready to work as a full-time musician and joined Folkestone group The Burnettes (Aug - Nov 1965), who included his friend Noel Redding on lead guitar. They broke up 18 months later having released two singles and Leverton along with his friend Redding joined The Loving Kind (from Jan 1966). On Friday, September 18, 1966 The Loving Kind released their third single 'Ain't That Peculiar' (Smokey Robinson, Marv Tarplin, Pete Moore, Bobby Rogers) and 'With Rhyme And Reason' (Gordon Mills) on Piccadilly 7N 35342. It was produced by John Schroeder (b. John Francis Schroeder, Saturday, January 19, 1935, London, England d. Tuesday, January 31, 2017 at home in Leatherhead, Surrey, England). In September 1966 The Loving Kind split. It was September as Redding auditioned for the New Animals on Thursday, September 29, 1966 at the Birdland, Jermyn Street, Soho, West London only to be told that the vacancy for lead guitarist had already been filled by Vic Briggs (b. 1945). So, the New Animals bassist Chas Chandler (1938 - 1996) asked Redding if he could play bass and he said no, but he would give it a try. So, Chandler lent him his Gibson EB-2 semi-acoustic bass and Redding sat in with American guitarist Jimi Hendrix (1942 - 1970), Mick O'Neill (of Nero and the Gladiators) on piano (1938 - 2013) and Aynsley Dunbar on drums (b. 1946). After the audition Hendrix and Redding went to a nearby pub for a drink and Hendrix told Redding to return the next day. On Friday, September 30, 1966 Redding returned to the Birdland but nobody was there. So, he went to Anim Offices, 39 Gerrard Street, Soho, West London, where Michael Jeffrey (1933 - 1973), Chandler's business party offered him the job as bass player in the Experience. This was confirmed on Monday, October 3, 1966 when Chandler phoned Redding to tell him he had the job as bass player. So, Redding joined The Jim Hendrix Experience along with drummer Mitch Mitchell (b. 1946), who had auditioned on Wednesday, October 5, 1966 at the Birdland. So, the new band rehearsed at the Aberbach Publishing House, 17 Savile Row, Soho, West London on Thursday, October 6, Friday, October 7 and Monday, October 10, 1966. They then went on their first tour supporting French singer Johnny Hallyday (1943 - 2017). On Friday, September 30, 1966 at the Birdland Hallyday had been in the audience that evening when Hendrix jammed with the Brian Auger Trinity and he had invited Hendrix to tour with him in France. The Jimi Hendrix Experience flew out on Wednesday, October 12, 1966 from Heathrow Airport to Le Bourget Airport, Paris and they headed straight to the Paris Olympia, 28 Boulevard des Capucines, Paris to rehearse. The first date of the tour was on Thursday, October 13, 1966 at Novelty, 22 rue Chartraine, Evreux supporting Johnny Hallyday, Long Chris and the Blackbirds. This was the first gig by the Jim Hendrix Experience whose set was only 15 minutes. UK 45's Friday, February 18, 1966 Accidental Love (Gordon Mills) / Nothing Can Change This Love (Sam Cook) Piccadilly 7N 35299 June 1966 I Love The Things You Do (Derek Knight) / Treat Me Nice (Gordon Mills) Piccadilly 7N 35318 Friday, September 18, 1966 Ain't That Peculiar (Smokey Robinson, Marv Tarplin, Pete Moore, Bobby Rogers) / With Rhyme And Reason (Gordon Mills) Piccadilly 7N 35342 Some The Loving Kind concerts: Sunday, June 12, 1966: The Agincourt, 487 London Road, Camberley, Surrey, England Also on the bill: The Condors. Advertised in The Aldershot News/Camberley News as Follow The Crowd Agincourt - Camberley Sunday, 12th June The Loving Kind Pye Recording of 'I Love the Things You Do' Plus The Condors Members 5/- 8 p.m. Saturday, July 2, 1966: The Starkers Royal Ballroom, 570 Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, Hampshire now Dorset, England Some Loving Kind concerts: Sunday, January 14, 1968: The Cofton Country Club, Warren Lane, Radnal, Birmingham 45, Staffordshire, England Also on the bill: Breakthru (Birmingham).