RIVERS INVITATION

 

Rivers Invitation - another of Teesside's most popular bands during the 1960's. This photograph, from the Fearnley Studios, shows Alan Fearnley, Peter "Tubby" Ayton, Merv Jones, Alan Ludley and Ray Johns.


Rivers Invitation was formed after the Denman had toured Switzerland under the name of Gordon James and The Injection and then disbanded. Bass player, Peter Ayton explains: "On arriving back in the UK the band broke up, but we all remained friends. "Alan Ludley, Merv Jones and myself joined some members of the Real McCoy who had just split at this time (Ron Asperey, Ray Dales and Alan Fearnley) and formed Rivers Invitation - but that's another story!"

This photo shows Alan Fearnley (guitar), Ray Dales (sax), Ron Asperey (sax), Peter Ayton (bass), Alan Ludley (lead vocals) and Merv Jones (drummer). The band signed for Polydor Records and recorded a few tracks including an 'unknown' song called "Seasons In The Sun" by Jacques Brel. Rivers Invitation were one of the first two bands signed by the Chrysalis Agency. The other band was called Jethro Tull!!

The original Rivers Invitation playing at the Starlight Club, in Redcar. It show Ron Asperey and Ray Dales on saxes, Alan Fearnley on guitar, Alan Ludley on vocals, Merv Jones on drums and Peter Ayton on bass. At this time the Pete Appleby Trio were resident band at the Starlight. Pete, of course, played alongside Lonnie Donegan at one time and played on the record "My Old Man's A Dustman." Peter Ayton also recorded this song some years later with both Pete Appleby and Les Bennetts playing banjo. Les, who hailed from Redcar, also played lead guitar for Lonnie for a number of years.