Oceans Showband
Story
As
told by Robert Magee
I bought my first saxophone in Boosy & Hawks in Oxford Street,
London at the age of 13 while visiting my English Grandparents in
Finchley. It cost me 50 pounds and I’d saved it in my post office
book. I travelled across Belfast every week to learn the theory of
music at Billy McFadden’s house. I didn’t practise as I should have,
but eventually the "squeaks" from the reed had got minimal.
When I was 16 a guy called Alan Jones called at our house; he’d
heard from somewhere that I played sax (Alan must’ve been about 20)
and would I be interested to join a “group”. This was early in 1962.
I went to the rehearsal room which was the front room in Alan’s
parent’s house in Sydenham Belfast. When we had enough material put
together our manager Alan Jones got our first gig. We played an
hour doing the interval for the “Witnesses Showband” at Belfast
College. We rehearsed once a week and we did a few more breaks for
the Witnesses before we got our first full gig.
The first photograph of “The Oceans” (above right) was taken at
Sydenham with Belfast Lough behind us. The line up was - left to
right: Robert "Crocket" Magee (sax), Victor Mawhinney (guitar), Billy Johnstone (RIP
- vocals),
Kenny Dowden (bass), Jackie Martin (drums), Front kneeling "Wee" Harry Whitley
(guitar).
Victor and Kenny had
already played in a group together.
Now
this all happened 44 years ago and the ould memory ain’t what it
used to be! I think our first full gig was at St Teresa’s Hall in
Belfast and the hall was packed with mostly youngsters like
ourselves. Billy had a voice like Billy Fury and the girls went wild
for him. Anyway it was our first full gig and it was a great
success.
We rehearsed “Hey Hey Paula” (we’d seen the Witnesses doing ‘musical
comedy sketches’) I got a dress from somewhere and stuffed balloons
in for ‘Boobs’ and that was our first “sketch” which went down well
with the audiences. Of course all the time we did do “the steps” and
swing our instruments from side to side & up and down, as all of the
Showbands did.
Alan suggested that we should have a female vocalist, so he and I
went to see “Elisabeth Jamison” who had sung in our school choir and
lived not far from me. She came to a rehearsal and was accepted. Her
stage name became “Paula”. She had a great voice. This was still in
the first half of 1962. We got many many gigs all over Belfast and
outlaying country towns. We played the “Tonic Teenage Show” in
Bangor Co. Down which was a show with 3 or 4 other Groups / Bands.
The Tonic was a cinema and the seats were always packed with girls
screaming as Billy did his thing!
Shortly after Paula joined, Billy left and was replaced by “Joe
Reid”. Alan, our manager, reckoned that we needed “brass” so I knew
of a guy called Alan Aston who played trombone and who also lived
not too far from me. Alan joined us and we were an eight piece
band! Then after a short time Alan brought trumpet
player Leslie Brooks along to our weekly rehearsal ……Now we were a 9
piece showband!
Kenny left the band sometime at the end of 62 and went to Australia
after that. Ivan Johnston took over on bass. Jackie was replaced by
Albert Craig.
The lineup was then Ivan Johnston,Victor Mawhinney, Albert Craig,
Elisabeth
“Paula” Jamison, “Wee” Harry Whitley,
Robert”Crocket”Magee, L to R front:- Alan Aston, Leslie Brookes and
Joe Reid.
One Saturday night –must’ve been early 63 after we had finished
playing at The Top Hat Ballroom in Lisburn, Alan Jones announced
that he had sealed a contract for a couple of months at “The Irish
Club” in Moseley Birmingham and we were to fly there the next
evening. “Wee” Harry had a steady day job as had Alan Aston, and
Leslie Brookes, Our manager found a quick replacement for “Wee”
Harry Whitley.
Sunday evening we flew to Coventry Airport with our new lead
Guitarist Sammy McEwan - we were once again a 7 piece Band. When we
returned to Belfast 2 to 3 months later Alan and Leslie rejoined the
Band. (9 piece again).
Alan Jones, our manager and originator of “The Oceans” was replaced by our
Ivan Johnston's brother and not long after that I was replaced by
Peter Harris (Sax/Clarinet). The only original “Ocean” was now
Victor on Rhythm Guitar.
Victor recently made contact with me after 44 years through a piece
I wrote for another website and sent me some newspaper clippings
which follow below. Eventually he also was replaced by (he thinks
the name was) Kit Carson. According to Victor “The Oceans” never
made any records. I’ve tried to be as exact as possible with what
I’ve written, but many notes have been played since then and the
dates have long left the “oul grey cells” (and the same goes with
Victor).
Victor could only tell me that Jackie “Spud“Martin became very
religious, and went to America where he opened a church. “Wee” Harry
Whitley has passed away. Joe Reid and Sammy McEwan played (together
with some other musician) their last “official gig” on New Years Eve
2004. In 2006, Victor visited Sammy who was working in a butchers
shop in “Comber” Co. Down when he learned that Sammy’s wife had
died.
Photo Gallery
Click on thumbnails for full images
