ST.VALENTINE'S DAY MASSACRE feat. JON LORD

A - Brother Can you Spare a Dime
B - Al's Party
From DPAS .... "The most bizarre stage in the Artwoods' career followed soon after. During their absence, Johnny Jones had secured another one-off deal for the band, this time with Fontana. The label's manager, Jack Baverstock, had come up with the idea of dressing the group as gangsters, and relaunching them under the new name of the The St. Valentine's Day Massacre. In reality, the proposal was a lame attempt to cash in on the gangster craze sweeping the country following the success of the film "Bonnie and Clyde". Wood was unequivocal in his condemnation of the episode. "It was a bloody stupid idea . but they reasoned that Georgie Fame was getting away with it — and we badly needed a gimmick." In a fit of desperation the group agreed to the idea, and a single, Bing Crosby's "Brother Can You Spare A Dime" / "Al's Party", was released under their new name, initially coming in an appropriate picture sleeve. Though it flopped in the U.K. it went to number one in Denmark and the group spent three weeks touring Scandinavia as chart topping stars, although Derek Griffiths looked back on the trip merely as "a few heavy-hearted gigs with a changed line-up."



"Actually I felt bloody ridiculous," says Lord. "It wasn't too bad abroad but back in England we had to wear these suits and I felt stupid playing R&B dressed like that. We all did." Despite the Scandinavian success, various promotional appearances with actress Faye Dunaway (who'd played Bonnie Parker in the Hollywood film), and a show in the window of the Lord John shop in Carnaby Street which was covered by cinema newsreel, the group disbanded. Wood concluded: "It was a sad way to go, but when all is said and done it was a good single. It had a great atmosphere and I still really like it."

in 1968 a new vocalist and keyboardist to St. Valentine's Day Massacre (Rod Goodway ,vocals and Steve on keyboards)
The itinerary was; two gigs in Paris & then back to England for fourteen nights without a break. A grueling enough schedule without the accompanying tour partying with such bands as The Spencer Davis Group, The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band & The Move.
Once this tour ended, there was no work on the horizon, so the band disbanded. Malcolm Poole went on to play with John Mayall, Derek Griffiths went on to be a session musician & then joined 'Satisfaction' in 1971. Colin Martin went on to be a BBC Producer & Rod ran into Andy Rickell who was playing with a band called 'White rabbit'.
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