Honeybus

Honeybus were a pop combo from London, formed in April 1967. Pete Dello played keyboards and guitar and Ray Cane played bass and keyboards. These two were the main songwriting force in the band, and the lineup was completed by Colin Hare (rhythm guitar) and Peter Kircher (drums). All contributed vocals. They are best-known for the Dello composition I Can't Let Maggie Go which rose to number 8 in the UK charts in early 1968: although a prolific singles act, they were a one-hit wonder. Dello quit: to replace him, the band recruited Jim Kelly on guitar, and he appeared on the fourth Top Gear session. Honeybus finally split in late 1969 before the release of Story (1970), which sank without trace since the band were no longer around to promote it.
After the split, Kelly released solo material that was critically acclaimed but failed to sell, a fate shared by Dello and Hare. He died on Boxing Day 1995 after a long illness.
A new lineup led by a returning Dello appeared in 1971 with new songs and an album, yet this effort was sabotaged by a change of management at their new record company, Dell, which meant that Recital was unissued until 2018. The band's sound was compared by Kenny Everett to the Beatles during the Rubber Soul era, and I Can't Let Maggie Go enjoyed new leases of life both as an Italian hit for Equipe 84 and as the backing for a commercial for slimming bread in the 1970s. It was also recorded, with slightly changed lyrics, by Jonathan King aa a tribute to Margaret Thatcher, "We Can't Let Maggie Go", after Thatcher's resignation in 1990
Kircher went on to drum for amongst others Peel favourites Status Quo: he retired permanently from the music business following their appearance at Live Aid (1985).
==Links to Peel==
For a band with obvious commercial leanings, Honeybus recorded a considerable number of sessions for Top Gear (five), with the last one taking advantage of their reformation. Delighted To See You was also played by JP on Radio London pursuant to their first releases. He noted the "unusual sounds" of the song and that it was Tony Blackburn's Climber Of The Week. (Do I Figure) In Your Life was heard on an early Top Gear (and a version of it was in the band's first session), and though it was not a hit, became widely covered (e.g. by Joe Cocker). They were among the acts chosen by JP for inclusion in his ABC Of Beauty, although his sole comment on them was that they "make very good records."
More than 30 years later, John was encouraged to dig out the band's original recording of Fresher Than The Sweetness In Water after airing Gorky's Zygotic Mynci's cover version. He remarked that he could not recall hearing Honeybus' version in his life before, but remembered their session output.
== Festive Fifty Entries ==
*Noneright|335 px
== Sessions ==
*Five sessions, none commercially released.
1. Recorded: 1967-11-15. First broadcast: 19 November 1967. Repeated: 17 December 1967. With strings.
*Maxine's Parlour / (Do I Figure) In Your Life / Good Day Sunshine / Arise Sir Henry / Like An Old Time Movie
2. Recorded: 1968-02-07. First broadcast: 18 February 1968. Repeated: 31 March 1968
*Ain't That Just Bonnie For You / I Can't Let Maggie Go / Francoise / She Comes To Me
3. Recorded: 1968-08-20. First broadcast: 15 September 1968. Repeated: 13 October 1968. With three extra musicians.
*Looking Down / Girl Of Independent Means / Scarlet Lady / How Long / Warwick Town
4. Recorded: 1968-12-17. First broadcast: 29 December 1968. Repeated: 02 February 1969
*Black Mourning Band / Girl Of Independent Means / She Sold Blackpool Rock / Would You Believe? / Incredibly Bad
5.Recorded: 1972-10-02. First broadcast: 05 October 1972. Repeated: 26 October 1972
*I Can't Say It But I Can Sing It / Big Ship / The Lady's Not For Burning / Writing's On The Wall / Lady
== Other Shows Played ==
*01 July 1967: 'Delighted To See You (7") (Deram)
*29 October 1967: '(Do I Figure) In Your Life (7")' (Deram)
*11 October 2000: 'Fresher Than The Sweetness In Water (CD-The Honeybus Story)' (Repertoire)
== External Links ==
*Wikipedia
*Fan site
*Discogs
Category:Artists