Music Reissues Weekly: Sean Buckley & The Breadcrumbs

Although Dagenham’s Sean Buckley & The Breadcrumbs are less than a footnote in the story of beat boom-era Britain, appearances on archive releases have prevented their name from vanishing.

In 1986 “Everybody Knows,” the B-side of their lone single, resurfaced for the first time on the pivotal Searching In The Wilderness compilation album, alongside top-drawer Dutch Sixties bands Golden Earrings, The Outsiders and Q-65, as well as crunching Swedes Namelosers. Originally issued in 1965, “Everybody Knows” stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the best of these hard-edged Euro nuggets.

Built around a version of the “Leave my Kitten Alone” riff, “Everybody Knows” was R&B-inclined, stomping mod-beat of the highest order. As a session player, Jimmy Page played the lacerating lead guitar line. It was a pity though that the sleeve of Searching In The Wilderness bore a picture of Mickey Finn & The Blue Men, another band Page worked with, rather than Sean Buckley & The Breadcrumbs.

Other comp appearances followed but the most significant collection was 2018’s Planet Beat, which included a previously unissued alternate take of “Everybody Knows.” Planet Beat was dedicated to the productions of Shel Talmy, the US producer who had come to UK in 1962 and went on to work with The Kinks, The Who and The Creation. Talmy had picked up Sean Buckley & The Breadcrumbs in January 1965. "It Hurts Me When I Cry” was the top side of the single – a soulful ballad along the lines of “That’s How Strong my Love is.” It was good, but not as striking as its flip. These days, the single sells for anywhere between £60 and £250.

Now, a new – the second – Sean Buckley & The Breadcrumbs single has arrived. Its B-side is the original version of “Everybody Knows,” taken from the master tape and sounding better, clearer and punchier than on any of the compilations on which it has featured. The A-side of the new single is “Bye Bye USA,” a hitherto unreleased band original along the Downliners Sect lines. Again, it is top-drawer R&B-inclined mod-beat. This splendidly packaged single is essential for anyone with an interest in the UK’s Sixties scene.

“Bye Bye USA” was recorded in July 1964. Though the band didn’t encounter Talmy until early the next year it was recorded at Portland Place’s I.B.C., the studio where "It Hurts me When I Cry” and “Everybody Knows” would be taped in February 1965. Despite not being issued at the time, “Bye Bye USA” is where – as far as the outside world of 1964 was concerned – the Sean Buckley & The Breadcrumbs story began.

The band had coalesced in 1963: Sean Buckley (vocals), Colin Banyard (bass), Vince Nichols (rhythm guitar), Kevin Sheehan (lead guitar) and Dave Simmons (drums). Their manager Kenny Johnson got them a regular booking at The Two Puddings pub in Stratford, East London. When press ads appeared in May and June 1964 for the Ready Steady Go! offshoot series Ready Steady Win!, Sean Buckley and co entered. The winner would get a record contract. A proviso for entering was the submission of a studio recording. “Bye Bye USA” was one of four tracks they duly got onto tape. It was also what they performed on Ready Steady Win!

There were 13 Ready Steady Win! programmes, the first broadcast on 15 June 1964, the last on 25 August. Each of the first 10 – the heats – featured four, five or six bands with different judges for each show, with each entrant hopeful of making the final cut. The 11th and 12th programmes were semi-finals. The 13th was the final. The programme with Sean Buckley & The Breadcrumbs was recorded on 28 July and broadcast on 10 August. The other bands on the show were The Moon-Trekkers (not the Joe Meek-related band), The Deltones with Tony Lane, Tony and The Telstars (oddly, another Meek reference), Satellite One and The Jaguars. The judges were Long John Baldry, Julie Grant and Tony Hatch. From this programme, The Deltones with Tony Lane ended up in one of the semi-finals but didn’t make it all the way. The overall winners of Ready Steady Win! were The Bo Street Runners. Sean Buckley & The Breadcrumbs had had their shot, and that seemed to be it.

However, the increased profile the TV appearance brought got the band onto package tour bills. Manager Kenny Johnson secured an audition with Shel Talmy, then very hot from producing The Kinks (The Who had not yet come along). They showcased for Talmy at Soho’s 2i’s in January 1965 and entered I.B.C. with the producer on 10 February. Their next try for the big time.

Shel Talmy’s production company Orbit-Universal had a deal with the American independent label World Artists, who are listed as the client on the master tape for "It Hurts me When I Cry” / “Everybody Knows.” Via this upside-down route, the single was issued in the UK with a credit to World Artists on 28 May 1965 on the EMI imprint Stateside: a label usually dedicated to licensed-in American material. For those reading the small print on the single’s label, it looked as if Sean Buckley & The Breadcrumbs were an American band. In this tortuous context, the record was barely promoted. Sean Buckley & The Breadcrumbs had had their second shot, and that was it.

Sean Buckley then left the band, formed the Sean Buckley Set and played Germany where a single was issued in 1966 along with a so-so album of cover versions. The remaining Breadcrumbs got day jobs and went on in 1969 to record a poppy single for the Jay Boy label credited to Mike Quinn & The Breadcrumbs. In time, Buckley became an actor, his credits including parts in The Fifth Element, Jonathan Creek, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, Inside No. 9, Toast of London, Detectorists and Peaky Blinders. He died in 2016.

The fabulous new single came about after Breadcrumbs guitarist Vince Nichols went through what he had from his time with the band. He found the recording of “Bye Bye USA.” Sixty years on from performing it on Ready Steady Win!, it is now possible to hear that – irrespective of their eminence – the judges on the show must have had cloth ears. 1964’s loss is 2024’s gain.

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