Carl Wayne and The Vikings – Nostalgia Central

In 1958, a skiffle group called The Vikings was formed in Birmingham by Terry Wallace and George “Duke” Mann, whose younger brother Johnny Mann also joined as guitarist.

With the decline of the skiffle craze, The Vikings exchanged their acoustic guitars for electric ones and became a rock ‘n’ roll band with a frequently changing line-up.

Colin Tooley joined The Vikings in 1961 as a temporary replacement singer when their then-frontman, Keith Powell, became ill and was unable to complete some bookings.

Colin changed his name to Carl Wayne and proved so popular that he remained in the group, singing alongside a recovered Powell until internal friction developed between the two vocalists and Powell departed.

After a six-month stint playing in Germany, Carl Wayne and The Vikings quickly established themselves as one of the top live acts in the Midlands, alongside Mike Sheridan and The Nightriders and The Spencer Davis Group.

The group signed to Pye Records in 1964 and recorded What’s The Matter Baby for their first single.

Soon after, bass guitarist Barry Harber left the band for a career in life insurance to be replaced temporarily by Tony Lewis, before they added Chris “Ace” Kefford as their permanent bassist.

Their follow-up single, This Is Love, was produced by Disc Jockey Alan Freeman but failed to chart. A cover of Otis Redding‘s My Girl was issued in the USA only but met with little interest.

Their Pye contract was subsequently cancelled, and the group secured more German bookings (in Düsseldorf and Cologne ) in early 1965, replacing drummer Dave Hollis with Bev Bevan.

After returning to Birmingham, the Vikings secured a residency at The Cedar Club (the top venue in Birmingham to see “happening” groups). Local bands would often join each other on stage for impromptu jam sessions, and it was after one of these that Trevor Burton from The Mayfair Set, Ace Kefford from The Vikings and Roy Wood from Mike Sheridan and The Nightriders discussed forming their own group.

Carl Wayne offered his services as frontman, and Bev Bevan was chosen as the drummer after future Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham turned them down. The Move was born – and that was the end of The Vikings.

Guitarist Johnny Mann became Roy Wood’s replacement in The Nightriders, and Terry Wallace joined Mike Sheridan’s New Lot.

Terry Wallace died from cancer in August 2008.

Carl Wayne
Vocals
Terry Wallace
Guitar, vocals
John “Johnny” Mann
Guitar, vocals
Dave Hollis
Drums
Barry Harber
Bass
Tony Lewis
Bass
Chris “Ace” Kefford
Bass, vocals
Bev Bevan
Drums