Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs

Terry Dactyl and The Dinosaurs was an English novelty band, which issued a few recordings under that name in the early 1970s.

Career

Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs was the specially created name for Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts to promote the hit single "Seaside Shuffle".One of the band's singers, Jona Lewie, (born John Lewis, 14 March 1947, Southampton) was a UK vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. He started as a session pianist, joining this cult blues band in 1968.

Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts had already been invited to play at London's Studio 51 Club by the late British blues singer, Jo Ann Kelly. They soon became the resident band there, and for four years ran a Sunday session as a drop-in spot for blues musicians. Amongst the famous visitors were: Howlin' Wolf, Fred McDowell, Dave Kelly, Medicine Head, Steve Miller Band, Lol Coxhill, Mick Taylor, Larry Johnson, Tony McPhee, The Groundhogs and Long John Baldry.

Brett Marvin's mainstream hit was with "Seaside Shuffle" (1972), released under the one-off 'nom de disque' of Terry Dactyl and The Dinosaurs, band members being fellow Bretts Keef Trouble, Jona Lewie, John Randall, and Graham Hine. Sometimes believed to be borrowed (see below) from Mungo Jerry's 1970 chart-topper "In the Summertime", "Seaside Shuffle" was an unashamedly commercial disc, quite at odds with the Thunderbolts' usual delta blues style.fact|date=August 2008 Jona Lewie composed the lyrics and melody to the song. In production, Keef Trouble suggested adding sound effects of gulls, thunder, rain, and moving car to enhance the record. The track was issued on the UK Records label, and reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart in August 1972. It earned them a silver disc.

But after the follow-up "On A Saturday Night" only just made the Top 50, Hine left the band over musical and financial differences, followed subsequently by Lewie. It consigned the outfit to perennial one-hit wonder status.

"Seaside Shuffle" in performance predates "In the Summertime", from which it is often intimated to be derived. Interestingly Mungo Jerry, again before "In the Summertime", played as a backing act for Brett Marvin on a number of occasions, particularly at the Studio 51 club, "Seaside Shuffle" being a song in the Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts repertoire. "Seaside Shuffle" was released before "In the Summertime" to little effect. It may be fair to say that, according to band members Keef Trouble and Jona Lewie, the Brett Marvin / Terry Dactyl management and record company, realising the similarity between the subsequent Mungo Jerry hit and "Seaside Shuffle" decided to re-release the song, when it then achieved hit status.fact|date=August 2008

Opening lyrics

"It's a warm day
The sun is shining
Someone says "Let's go to Brighton"

ingle discography

* "Seaside Shuffle" b/w "Ball And Chain" - (1972) - UK Records - Number 2
* "On A Saturday Night" b/w "Going Round The World" - (1973) - UK Records - Number 45
* "She Left; I Died" b/w "Too Self Centred" - (1973)cite book
first= David
last= Roberts
year= 2006
title= British Hit Singles & Albums
edition= 19th
publisher= Guinness World Records Limited
location= London
pages= p. 133
id= ISBN 1-904994-10-5]

References

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/essex/johns_journey_archive/johns_journey_8_8_72.shtml Mini biography from BBC website]
* [http://www.youtube.com/user/BrettMarvin Recent 'Terry Dactyl' (Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts) videos]