cheetahs

The Brum Beat scene had been building momentum for a while, bands were forming, breaking up and members moving from outfit to outfit on almost a daily basis. Amongst those who came out from the scene were The Cheetahs, The Steve Gibbons Band, Black Sabbath, Wizard, Led Zeppelin, The Moody Blues and The Move.

When Carl Barron left The Cheetahs in 1963, Ray quit The Firebirds to drive The Cheetahs to success. Stories were flying around of the Rockin’ Berries lording it up in the Bahamas; of The Monopoly getting film star treatment on the French Riviera, and of The Cheetahs taking tea with The Beech Boys on Viennese delicatessens. Of course these were mainly just stories. In reality The Cheetahs were hopping around the world famous Hamburg Star Club, in their world famous sweetbox stage suits, playing a 6 week stint of rock ‘n roll 8 hours a day. The Beach Boys were in town to play a concert at Vienna’s Stratta Halle, and with a 10,000 capacity crowd, The Cheetahs were there to perform their support duties admirably, rating the gig as the best in their career.

“When we finished,” said Ewan Rose, “Bruce Johnson commented that we sounded like Herman’s Hermits ought to sound.”

In 1964 The Cheetahs signed their record deal with Phillips, possibly one of the largest labels of its time. With the backing now in place the boys went on to chart success with “Mecca” and then “Soldier Boy”, crowning their place in Birmingham’s rock history, by taking the front cover of NME in September 1964.

The tales are endless, tales of touring with Ozzy, hangin’ with Robbo (Robert Plant), police checks on the German borders and even crashing Ozzy’s tour bus. These are the tails of Grand Harmonic’s past. Nat recalls being picked up in a black limmo one morning just to go to school, but whose limmo was it? Perhaps only his dad knows as Nat was too young to know who Ozzy was. Grand Harmonic’s past has been a rollercoaster of rock ‘n roll, and now 3 generations old maybe the story is only beginning. With a new tuning, a new generation and 25 new heart felt songs, Grand Harmonic’s legacy starts here. The inspiration of a generation, and the centre of what was a worldwide movement.

“Whatever happened to The Cheetahs? They were one of the best bands I have ever seen. Their live shows were amazing, I used to go and see them every week.” – John Aston, International Sales Director, Sony Europe at the Manic Street Preachers album launch at Cardiff Castle