The Admirals

info courtesy Clive Smith, image courtesy Graham Moores

Line-up

• Graham Moores - lead
• Phil Smith - rhythm
• Clive Smith - bass
• John Ormerod - drums
• John Kitchener - vocals
• Dave Knott - bass

Formed at Reddish Green Youth Club around 1960.

Clive left in 1963 to go to university and Dave Knott took over on bass, although Clive did return for a short while after Dave broke his arm.

The group produced one record - "The Promised Land" on Fontana: TF/597 26/482 TF.

Memories

The bass player Dave Knott was a good mate of mine. We were Telegram Boys in Manchester starting in 1960 in Spring Gardens.

Dave did break his arm, on that day we were playing for South East Delivery Office on Stockport Road in the Manchester Wednesday League. I went with him to hospital after the game also I went back to his house in Reddish in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Sadly, Dave died in 2002. Clive Smith passed away on 04/05/2008. 

Pete Johnson

I used to run the football team at Reddish Green, first as Reddish Green Y.C. then Reddish Green F.C. Graham Moores played when a gig would allow, and Dave Knott and Clive Smith were also on the books.

The band used to practice at the youth club premises and the church and buildings were later made into sheltered housing - Russell Fox Court.

I remember the single being released, obviously there were not enough members in the club to put it high into the charts.

Sorry to hear some of the lads have now gone to higher things.

Robert Squire

I remember the Red Admirals ... they played at a summer BBQ at our Youth Club on St Petersgate in Stockport. The secretary of their fan club was a girl called Marilyn (Lawson ???) - she was in my class all through junior school (All Saints school in Stockport). Anyone remember????

Joanna Egleton - 19/11/10

We are the sisters of John Ormerod, who was the drummer in The Admirals. It's nice to hear that people still remember the band. Phillip Smith and John are still enjoying life, though sadly Graham Moores died a few years ago.

The best memory we have of The Admirals was when they were the warm-up act on Top of the Pops. On the bill that night were The Ivy League, Sandy Shaw and Tom Jones (who we were very excited to walk past in the coridor!).

Joan Steans (nee Ormerod) and Margaret Ormerod - 10/2/11

The Admirals only recorded one single that I know of, in 1965 on Philips Fontana TF 597 in mono The Promised Land penned by Phillip Smith with a cover of Freddy Cannon's Palisades Park on the flip side. Two great tracks.

John Hesford - 15/9/11

Forty-eight years on and, for me, the Admirals' record is still an on-and-off ohrwurm (German: ear-worm) that REFUSES TO #$%$#@# CURL UP AND DIE!!

The reason's simple - if you hung around the Salford Tech admin office at all in 1965, you heard it over and over and over again. Co-managers of the band were David Mond (treasurer of the student union?) and his buddy Stewart (union president?), who blasted the damn tune nonstop, ad nauseam on the office record player.

Pleas for surcease, respite and JUST ONE #$%$#@# MINUTE OF PEACE AND QUIET!! availed nothing.

Now excuse me, I gotta go bang my head against the wall - the bloody thing's here again ...

Jack Grimshaw  - Dana Point, Southern California - 23/7/13