The Spectres

Formed in South London back in 1962 and gradually developed playing local dates and backing visiting American singers, the Spectres were one of the longer-lived local bands from London, enduring through five years of club dates and backing visiting American singers. The band -- Francis Rossi (guitar, vocals), Alan Lancaster (guitar, bass, vocals), Rod Lynes (keyboards), John Coughlan (drums) -- were later joined by Rick Parfitt of the Highlifes on bass and keyboards, and they hung onto in this lineup long enough to get signed to Pye Records' Piccadilly imprint in 1966. They ma...