This little known soul act was active from around spring 1967 through to the end of 1969 and had an extremely fluid line-up with tonnes of musicians coming and going.
The only musicians I’ve been able to link to the group are guitarist Fred D’Albert who’d been in Tony Knight’s Chessmen; trumpet player Pat Higgs from Bluesology, Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement and Geno Washington’s Ram Jam Band; and South African sax player Mike Faure, who’d played with tonnes of groups at home before moving to the UK, including Freedom’s Children.
I’d be grateful for any further personnel in the comments below as well as stories and notable gigs.
The band was billed as both The Cat Soul Packet and The Cat Road Show, but mainly the latter.
An early mention in Melody Maker from April 1967 reveals the group was initially a 14-piece act but on another UK tour in August that year, there were 12 members. A show in September 1969 lists only nine members.
As well as starring singer US Flattop, the band also featured several guest singers over years, including Lorna and Lesley in late 1967, Jacqui and Sue in summer 1968 and Leroy and Jacqui in late 1968.
I have found the following gigs from Melody Maker and would welcome any additions:
15 June 1967 – Public Hall, Epping, Essex
16 June 1967 – Hemel Hempstead Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Herts
17 June 1967 – Iron Curtain, Birmingham
18 June 1967 – Blue Room, Edmonton, north London
25 August 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Beds
15 June 1968 – Civic Hall, Guildford, Surrey
22 June 1968 – La Bamba, Tunbridge Wells, Kent
28 June 1968 – Hemel Hempstead Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Herts
6 July 1968 – Alex Disco, Salisbury, Wiltshire
30 August 1968 – City Hall, St Albans, Herts
31 August 1968 – Town Hall, Torquay, Devon
2 September 1968 – Richmond Athletic Ground, Richmond, west London
14 February 1969 – Cue Club, Paddington, central London
15 March 1969 – Burton’s, Uxbridge, west London
