Downliners Sect

History

In 1962, Mick O' Donnell, later known as Don Craine, started a band called the Downliners, who, despite touring France, were unsuccessful. The name of the band came from Jerry Lee Lewis B-side 'Down The Line'. After several lineup changes, the band folded, but in 1963, O'Donnell and drummer Johnny Sutton formed a new band out of the remnants of the previous act. Keith Evans, formerly a drummer, would join in on bass. Shortly thereafter the band would be named the Downliners Sect. At this time some of the members decided to change their names. Mick O'Donnell took the new name, Don Craine, and Keith Evans became Keith Grant.

The band was iconic during its time in the early 1960s, partly owing to Don Craine's deerstalker cap which he wore to mock the aristocracy. The band has many fans who have achieved commercial success, including Van Morrison, Steve Marriott, and Rod Stewart, the latter two had even auditioned for a place in the band but were turned down because they both wanted to be frontmen while Don Craine and Keith Grant did not wish to relinquish that role.

They subsequently modified their musical style, and after an EP of 'sick' songs (e.g. "I Want My Baby Back") they experimented with both country ("The Country Sect") and rock ("Rock Sect's In"). They later collaborated with Billy Childish's Thee Headcoats, and released two albums under the name Thee Headcoats Sect. They performed regularly at the Studio 51 club in Great Newport Street near Leicester Square tube station in London on a Friday night and Sunday afternoon, from which came the first EP featuring songs like Beautiful Delilah, Little Egypt etc. The EP started off with the sound of the bells of Big Ben, similar to the beginning of a song by The Bulldog Breed called Paper Man on the Nova Deram label album Made in England. The lead guitarist was Terry Clemson (Gibson) who played his Gibson 335. The Downliners Sect were similar in style to Gary Farr and the T bones and their single "Baby what's wrong with you", was released around the same time as Farr's "How many more times". Studio 51 was also known as the Ken Colyer Club and indeed the Rolling Stones made many performances at this club, but according to Rod Harrison, guitarist with Asgaerd and school friend of Terry Clemson, "you could say the Downliners Sect were almost residents." In fact, the Downliners Sect had a residency at Studio 51, usually playing on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons, with the occasional "all-nighter".

Members

Singles

7" E.P.s

The Sect (1964)

1. Hurt By Love
2. One Ugly Child
3. Lonely And Blue
4. Our Little Rendezvous
5. Guitar Boogie
6. Too Much Monkey Business
7. Sect Appeal
8. Baby What's on Your Mind?
9. Cops And Robbers
10. Easy Rider
11. Bloodhound
12. Bright Lights
13. I Wanna Put A Tiger in Your Tank
14. Be A Sect Maniac

Columbia 33SX 1658

The Country Sect (1965)

1. If I Could Just Go Back
2. Rocks in My Bed
3. Ballad of the Hounds
4. Little Play Soldiers
5. Hard Travellin'
6. Wait for the Light To Shine
7. I Got Mine
8. Waiting in Heaven
9. Above And Beyond
10. Bad Storm Coming
11. Midnight Special
12. Wolverton Mountain

Columbia 33SX 1745

The Rock Sect's In (1966)

1. Hang on Sloopy
2. Fortune Teller
3. Hey Hey Hey Hey
4. Everything I've Got To Give
5. Outside
6. I'm Hooked on You
7. Don't Lie To Me
8. May The Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose
9. He Was A Square
10. I'm Looking for a Woman
11. Rock Sect's in Again
12. Brand New Cadillac

Columbia 33SX 6028

The Definitive Downliners Sect: Singles – A's & B's (1994)

1. Cadillac
2. Roll Over Beethoven
3. Beautiful Delilah
4. Shame, Shame, Shame
5. Green Onions
6. Nursery Rhymes
7. Baby What's Wrong
8. Be A Sect Maniac
9. Little Egypt (Ying-Yang)
10. Sect Appeal
11. Find Out What's Happening
12. Insecticide
13. Wreck of the Old '97
14. Leader of the Sect
15. I Want My Baby Back
16. Midnight Hour
17. Now She's Dead
18. I Got Mine
19. Waiting in Heaven Somewhere
20. Bad Storm Coming
21. Lonely And Blue
22. All Night Worker
23. He Was A Square
24. Glendora
25. I'll Find Out
26. Cost of Living
27. Everything I've Got To Give
28. I Can't Get Away From You
29. Roses

See For Miles SEECD398