The Buttons (Swinton)

The group were formed around 1963.

Based in Swinton the group consisted of John Norton on Lead/Rythm guitar , Dave Dale on Bass guitar and his brother Doug Dale on drums.

As every group had to have a manager Eddie Massey, who was DJ at Swinton Palais, took on this role.

Eddie had good contacts around the Manchester clubs and a good collection of Uk & USA records to use for new material.

A fan club was also set up, run by two girls from Hime & Addison record shop on John Dalton St in Manchester.

These girls did a great job flyposting around Manchester and keeping us in touch with the music scene from their customers at the music shop.

John Neale joined the group on Tenor Sax and a practice venue was found at the Beehive in Swinton.

George Land who was the booking agent for The Beehive, Swinton Palais and The Wishing Well Club (all in Swinton) gave the group its first bookings at the Beehive and the group was underway.

Bookings at Swinton Palais followed and these were unusual bookings as the first half you played at the Palais and for the second half the group took all its kit, drums included, down the back stairs and played on stage at the Wishing Well Club.

From late ‘63 the group played regularly each week at Youth clubs and local pubs.

It was a great time but still difficult to break into the bigtime. It was time for a change. As two of the group came from Heald Green it was decided to change the name to The Cheshire Set.