THE CLEFS

The Clefs formed in Adelaide during 1963 as an R&B group by Winston "Tweed" Harris on keyboards. The early line-up included: Garry Love (drums), Denis Marshall (sax), Howard Michael (guitar/bass), Michael Atkins (bass), Dick Richards (guitar). Briefly Pat Aulton joined on co-lead vocals, and he later became a record producer. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, observed, "they became an in-demand dance band on the city's thriving club circuit." Barrie McAskill (ex-Fabulous Drifters) replaced Aulton as co-lead vocalist in 1965. Further lineup changes included Brenton Haye (sax), Tony Shepp (sax), Bob Jeffery (sax), Les Tanner (guitar), Keith Drage (drums), Vinnie Jones (drums), Trevor Pridham (vocals), Glenys Shearman (vocals) and Bev Harrell (vocals). The Clefs played many venues around Adelaide including residencies at the Princeton Club, the Thornton Club and The Miami Club, they also became the resident backing band for a weekly pop T.V. show called “Seventeeners” (ADS Seven).

Harrell left the group and started her solo career, "she was one of the most popular solo singers on the mid-1960s pop scene." Signing to EMI they recorded their first single on the Columbia imprint in 1965, ''March Of The Siamese Children'' taken from the film The King And I, followed by, "I Can Only Give You Everything" and "A Boy Like Me" in 1966. In 1967 the band relocated and stamped their mark on Melbourne’s trendy Dance and Disco scene and appeared regularly on the top T.V. show of the time, Ken Spark’s Komotion, produced at Reg Ansett’s newly formed Channel 0. They also appeared on Bobby & Laurie's Dig We Must.

Some of the many venues the band played at were, The Thumpin Tum, Berties, Sebastian’s, Tenth Avenue, The Winston Charles, Opus, 431, Black & Blue, The Catcher, Show Go, Q Club, Ginza, Show Go, 5th Avenue and Pinocchio’s. Then another lineup change occurred when Vinnie Jones returned to Adelaide and was replaced by Gil Matthews (drums), Bruce Howe, Les Tanner and John Young returned to Adelaide and were replaced by Les Stacpool (guitar), Doug Stirling (bass) and Bob Jeffery (sax). In 1967 Harris quit the Clefs forming the supergroup The Groove, leaving Barrie McAskill to take over the reins and renaming them Levi Smith's Clefs (a reference to Four Tops' lead singer Levi Stubbs).. Tweed Harris (1941–2004) died of throat cancer, aged 63.

Members

Winston “Tweed” Harris (keyboards), Garry Love (drums), Denis Marshall (sax), Howard Michael (guitar/bass), Michael Atkins (bass), Dick Richards (guitar), Pat Aulton (vocals), Brenton Haye (sax), Tony Shepp (sax), Les Tanner (guitar), Keith Drage (drums), Vinnie Jones (drums), Trevor Pridham (vocals), Glenys Shearman (vocals), John Young (guitar), Bruce Howe (bass), Barrie McAskill (vocals). Bev Harrell (vocals),Les Stacpool (guitar), Doug Stirling (bass)

SINGLES

''March Of The Siamese Children / Last Night'' 1965 Columbia
''I Can Only Give You Everything / Roberta'' 1966 Columbia
''A Boy Like Me / Bring It To Jerome'' 1967 Phono Vox

References

https://www.mcaskill.com.au/clefs_history.html