John Dalton (musician)
| John Dalton | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 May 1943 |
| Origin | Enfield, Middlesex, England |
| Genres | Rock, pop |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Bass, guitar |
| Years active | 1959–present |
| Labels | Pye |
| Associated acts | The Mark Four, The Kinks, The Kast Off Kinks |
| Website | http://john-dalton.kastoffkinks.co.uk |
| Notable instruments | |
| Bass | |
John Dalton (born 21 May 1943, Enfield, Middlesex) is a British bass guitar player, best known as a member of The Kinks from 1966 & 1969 to 1976, replacing original member Pete Quaife.
John Dalton was educated at Cheshunt Secondary Modern School at the same time as Harry Webb (who later found fame as Cliff Richard). Dalton's desire was to be a full-time musician, and in 1959 he joined "Danny King and The Bluejacks" as bass guitarist (although he claimed in a 2009 interview that he couldn't play a note when he joined.) He played alongside Norman Mitham who had just left Cliff Richard's first band.
Although successful locally, The Bluejacks recordings of "Say Mama" and Vince Taylor's rockabilly "Brand New Cadillac" did not feature in the UK Singles Chart, and in 1962 Dalton left to become a founder member of the Mark Four along with Mick 'Spud' Thompson (rhythm guitar), Eddie Phillips (lead guitar), Jack Jones (drums) and Kenny Pickett (vocals). Mark Four quickly became one of the most popular live bands in North London and shared billing with other London-based groups such as The High Numbers (later to become The Who), Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers, and even sharing a stage with Little Eva.
However, the band's singles failed to make the charts, making it difficult to earn enough money to support a family. In 1966 Dalton left Mark Four to join the building trade. Shortly afterwards Phillips, Jones and Pickett founded The Creation, one of the most influential bands of the late 1960s.
In June 1966, Dalton was asked to substitute for The Kinks' bass guitarist, Pete Quaife, who had broken his leg in a car accident. Dalton auditioned as a temporary replacement on 9 June 1966 at Carling Music, Savile Row, London. That same evening he appeared with the band on BBC Television's pop music flagship, Top of the Pops (filmed in the BBC Studios, London). His first live appearance with the Kinks was two days later at The Plaza, King's Heath, Birmingham giving him no time for rehearsals. This was quickly followed by a tour to Norway and Spain. The first recording sessions he took part in with the Kinks were on 26 June 1966 at Pye Studios, London for "Little Miss Queen Of Darkness" (Although Quaife claimed he was the bassist for that track in a 2005 interview). Dalton also played bass on "Dead End Street", recorded on 28 October 1966 during an evening session (unusually, without Shel Talmy). Shortly after his accident, Quaife announced he was not returning, only to change his mind and successfully requesting to come back in November 1966, leaving Dalton to return to his day job.
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