Pink Engine

Line-up (as pictured) 1969 

Dave - vocals (in tree)

Harry "The Fwerk" Greene - bass (behind tree) (later with Sleep)

Barry Yates - drums

Les Brazil - rhythm (later played with Chalice)

Bill Birchall - lead 

also included: 

• Pete Quinn   
• Cliff Plant 
• Mark Solomon - vocals
• Rob Tonge - vocals

I saw the band at the Bee-Hive, and asked if I could be their lead vocalist. I was auditioned and somehow got the job, my first, and played at The Seven Stars with them many times.

I would lead Billy the blind lead guitarist onto the stage. He was excellent believe it or not, his day job was as a piano tuner

The rest of the band was very good and a good laugh, the bass player had a wicked sense of humour.

I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM HIM, OR ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BAND ,OR ANYBODY THAT KNEW THE BAND, ATTENDED THE SEVEN STARS GIG,OR ANY OTHER GIGS WE DID as I cant remember the year, songs we did at The Seven Stars or any of the other gigs we did.

I think we played once in Llandudno but I'm not sure. So please if there,s anybody out there, who has any of this information, I'd love to hear from you.

Rob Tonge - 17/3/11

In March 69 we played at Bury Barracks, with a number of other bands who I can't remember the name of, and would love to hear from them. Topping the bill was Status Quo.

I can't remember anything about the concert and would love to hear from anybody that can.

I can remember 2 things:

Quo arrived in a massive pink open topped cadi and the dressing room was an empty room with a smaller sectioned off room at the back of it, which Status Quo had to themselves. All the other bands were cramped into and had to get changed in the space surrounding it.

Quo at some point took it upon themselves to start throwing things from their room over the top of the door, which we all took upon ourselves to throw back. It was a fun 10 minutes, thinking about it, their room was probably the toilet. Happy days

Rob Tonge - 4/6/11 

HELLO FERKIN HO. I'm still alive, I think, and still tryin to be a Popstar. Not good on PC BETTER ON PFs, weren't we all!.  Will add more vulgarity and smut bout us tossers when I learn how to work this Ferkin Machine. (took 3 weeks to get it out of box).

Harry Greene XXXX - 30/9/12

I was in this band of degenerates and Rob I remember you, you used to sh** all my birds before I did. you were my test pilot, and to your credit I never caught a dose. Ha Ha Fwuerkin Ha !. The band Ii joined was THE KONDORS and as soon as I joined, the keyboard player left, sorry Pete was I that bad? 

Another abnormal friend LES BRAZIL joined as rhythm guitar, and the band changed direction much to Mr Slater's (our Manager and a lovely man) disgust. 

The name PINK ENGINE was not strange cos we were NOT GAY BUT VERY FRIENDLY and maybe some girls might recall that. Some mates called the "Engine" had gone other ways we thought Pink reminded us of Pretty Parts an PRETTY PARTS ENGINE did not suit our scruffy image, PINK ENGINE it was.

We got noticed, not for our playing but for the van with a pink train all around it. Rob has told you some, and the rest cannot be allowed on this site.

Rob joined us an we did some mad gigs,including STATUS QUO. The dressing room was the office and had a letter box, Lots of girls put their hands through and wanted an autograph, and as you can imagine it wasn't always an autograph book held during the signing. Don't remember anyone losin any tackle, thought we all had 8 inch stumps. 

I loved it all, and send my LOVE AN BEST WISHES TO BILLY, BARRY, ROB, DAVE, an LES. All who rember us "You are the Special ONES" THANKS. 

Harry (Fwuerk) Greene. XXXXX - 11/10/12

We always seem to forget our Roadies! And often they were more important than us, cos without them we would have been Fwuerked . 

In "PINK ENGINE", Paddy (Mike) McMahon my Army PAL and Mad Mac (Mike) MacDonald (drummer in FOCAL POINT) were members of our Band, and helped protect us on a number of occasions (Keighley Town Hall !)

The Girls loved us an the fellas wanted to mince us. Don't think we did get a sh*g that night but we did'nt get killed (the roadies got a sh*g and felt obliged to save our lives). Thanks Pals, xx. 

Harry Fwuerk - 27/10/12