This month’s last-minute replacement as the Under-Appreciated Rock Band of the Month is the Sons of Fred. Bandmembers in the Sons of Fred were Ray Redway (lead vocals), Alan “Boh” Bohling (rhythm guitar and vocals), Mick Hutchinson (lead guitar), Pete Sears (bass guitar), and Tim Boyle (drums). Alan Bohling wrote 5 of the 6 songs on their three singles; “Baby What You Want Me To Do” is the Jimmy Reed blues standard. Pete Sears was just 16 when he joined the band. The Sons of Fred are described by Allmusic as an “obscure but intense British beat band”.
There is some misinfomation out there about the Sons of Fred – such as the caption on the above photograph – and I found a letter from Pete Sears that was reprinted on the Radio London website at:
www.radiolondon.co.uk/rl/scrap60/fabforty/65fabs/jun65/fab130665/fab130665.html . Much of what I am presenting in this post is based on this letter. Contrary to what Allmusic says, the Sons of Fred are not from the coastal town of Great Yarmouth. The band was actually based in Dulwich and Beckenham, where Ray Redway and Alan Bohling were from. Mick Hutchinson and Tim Boyle were from Chislehurst, while Pete Sears grew up in Hayes, near Bromley. However, Sears does not know where the band name the Sons of Fred came from. Also, the Sons of Fred are not at all related to another band called Odyssey, despite what is shown on Allmusic, along with plenty of other Internet sites.
(March 2014/2)
