The Ferris Wheel (band)
| (The) Ferris Wheel | |
|---|---|
| Origin | London |
| Genres | Rock, soul, psychedelic pop |
| Years active | 1966–1970 |
| Labels | Pye, Polydor |
| Associated acts | Diane Ferraz & Nicky Scott, Emile Ford & The Checkmates |
| Past members | Diane Ferraz Mike Liston (aka Michael Snow) George Sweetnam (aka George Ford) Dave Sweetnam Mike Anthony Keith Field Barry Reeves Dennis Elliott Marsha Hunt Linda Lewis Terry Edmunds Bernie Holland Jim Cregan |
The Ferris Wheel were a British rock and soul band, who have been described as "one of England's great lost musical treasures of the mid- to late '60s" and as "one of the most popular club acts" of the time. They released two albums, Can't Break the Habit (1967) and Ferris Wheel (1970), the latter featuring singer Linda Lewis.
The group formed in late 1966. Original singer Diane Ferraz, born in Trinidad, had previously performed in a duo with singer Nicky Scott. They had been paired together and promoted by manager and record producer Simon Napier-Bell, who gained substantial publicity for the duo through his contacts in the London music business and because a pairing of white male and black female singers was unusual at the time. Ferraz and Scott released three singles on the Columbia label in 1966, and toured with a backing band, Simon's Triangle. The group included keyboard player Mike Liston, also known as Michael Snow, who had previously been a member of the group West Five and backed The She Trinity. Ferraz and Scott had little commercial success together, although Napier-Bell's promotional skills on their behalf allowed him to move on to become manager of The Yardbirds. After Scott left, the group were briefly billed as Diane Ferraz and Simon's Triangle.
Ferraz and Liston then formed The Ferris Wheel with Dave Sweetnam (saxophone), George Sweetnam (bass, vocals), and Barry Reeves (drums), who had been members of singer Emile Ford's backing group, The Checkmates. The Sweetnam brothers (the name is sometimes incorrectly spelled Sweetman, and the brothers also used the surname Ford) were half-brothers of Emile Ford. The line-up of the Ferris Wheel - who took their name from that of Ferraz - was completed by guitarist Mike Anthony, later replaced by Keith Field. Vocals in the group were shared between Ferraz, Liston, and George Sweetnam.
The Ferris Wheel quickly became a popular club act in London, and toured more widely. They were signed to Pye Records by producer John Schroeder, who recorded an LP with them, Can't Break the Habit, in 1967. The record drew on both psychedelic pop and soul influences, with some of their songs and arrangements being likened to those of The Fifth Dimension while others were described as a Motown-influenced "gently trippy, soaring, and occasionally searing brand of soul music". Three singles were released from the LP: "I Can't Break the Habit" (1967), "Let It Be Me" and "The Na Na Song" (both 1968), but none reached the UK singles chart.
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