Nick Simper

Music:

1960 to 1961 - The Renegades
1961 to November 1963 - The Delta Five
1963 to 1964 - Some Other Guys
November 1964 to September 1965 - Buddy Britten & the Regents
Nick was also in a group called Cyrano & the Bergeracs from January to March 1965.
September 1965 to April 1966 - Simon Raven Cult
May 1966 to October 1966 - Johnny Kidd & the New Pirates
December 1966 to May 1967 - Pirates
October 1967 to February 1968 - The Flowerpot Men
February/March 1968 - Embryonic Deep Purple line-up
People involved
Ritchie Blackmore (guitar); Jon Lord (keyboards); Nick Simper (bass); Bobby Woodman (drums).
The embryonic Deep Purple considered Chris Curtis and Dave Curtis for the vocalist slot, although neither of them made it any further than that. Bobby Woodman was "a great drummer, but musically not compatible", according to Nick.
March/April 1968 - Roundabout
People involved
Ritchie Blackmore (guitar); Rod Evans (vocals); Jon Lord (keyboards); Nick Simper (bass); Ian Paice (drums).
The name "Roundabout" was only used by co-manager Tony Edwards, and was never considered by the musicians. The name Deep Purple was chosen on the way to Denmark for a Scandinavian tour in April 1968.
April 1968 to July 1969 - Deep Purple Mk I
People involved
Ritchie Blackmore (guitar); Rod Evans (vocals); Jon Lord (keyboards); Ian Paice (drums); Nick Simper (bass).
This pioneering line-up recorded three albums: Shades of Deep Purple (1968), Book of Taliesyn (1968) and Deep Purple (1969). In mid-1969, Nick and Rod left after a tip-off that they were going to be sacked. "The others did not have the guts to tell us!" - Nick.
Late 1969 to early 1970 - Marsha Hunt Band
People involved
Marsha Hunt (vocals); Ged Peck (guitar); Roger Pinah, replaced by Mac Poole (drums); Nick Simper (bass); Bobby Stignac (congas).
Eventually, Marsha Hunt got pregnant and decided to quit touring (or perhaps even music biz altogether). The rest of the guys went on to form Warhorse.
June 1970 to July 1974 - Warhorse
People involved
Ashley Holt (vocals); Ged Peck (guitar); Mac Poole (drums); Nick Simper (bass); Frank Wilson (keyboards). Peter Parks replaced Ged Peck on guitar for the Red Sea album.
Warhorse recorded and released two albums, while a third came to the demo stage. The demo tracks are included as bonus tracks on the 1997 reissue of Red Sea.
Formed in 1970 around Nick, Warhorse were understandably close to early Deep Purple in their blend of keyboard-coloured progressive rock and early heavy metal. The group coalesced when Nick joined soul singer Marsha Hunt's backing band, which formed the nucleus of Warhorse. Rick Wakeman, having left the Strawbs and later to join Yes, was in the original Warhorse line-up but was fired due to unreliability.
With their early hard/rock metal sounds and a singer (Ashley Holt) who could roll into over-serious, high stentorian vocal phrases, the group have been compared to early Black Sabbath, although they lacked the hooks necessary to achieve the same level of success as Sabbath or Purple.
Warhorse broke up in 1974, with drummer Mac Poole joining Gong, and Holt and drummer Barney James (who briefly replaced Poole in Warhorse's final days) going to Rick Wakeman's band.
June 1971 - Lord Sutch & Heavy Friends
People involved
Ritchie Blackmore (guitar); Anette Brox (vocals); Victor Brox (vocals); Matthew Fisher (keyboards); Brian Keith (vcl/trm); Carlo Little (drums); Keith Moon (drums); Sid Phillips (saxophone); Noel Redding (bass); Nick Simper (bass); David Sutch (vocals).
Screaming Lord Sutch assembled some rock celebrities for a one night gig in a London pub. The whole thing was recorded, though apparently nobody besides Sutch himself knew that. The recordings were later released as the Hands Of Jack the Ripper album in 1971.
1975 - Dynamite
People involved
James Royal (vocals); Pete Parks (guitar); Nick Simper (bass); John Carroll (keyboards); Mick Richardson (drums).
Shortlived outfit assembled by Nick and guitarist Pete Parks. Session vocals were handled by James Royal. Strangely the single, 'St. Louis' a re-work of a previous Warhorse single, only surfaced in Italy and is now a highly sought after item. Simper and Parks were involved in protracted legal efforts when another of their songs was, totally uncredited to the duo, made a hit in America by an act called MARIAH in 1976.
Mid 1974 to mid 1978 - Nick came to work as a writer and house musician for a management company together with Pete Parks. This lasted till he formed Fandango sometime during 1978.
April 1978 till 1980 - Nick Simper's Fandango
People involved
Neil McArthur (keyboards); Peter Parks (guitar/vocals); Ron Penney (drums); Jim Proops (vocals); Nick Simper (bass/vocals).
Simultaneously with Fandango, both Simper and Parks were also in a touring band called Flying Fox.
From 1978/79 to 1980 - Flying Fox
People involved
Carlo Little (drums); Pete Parks (guitar); Frankie Reid (vocals); Nick Simper (bass).
August 1980 - Nick Simper's Fandango
People involved
Peter Parks (guitar/vocals); Mac Poole (drums); Jim Proops (vocals); Nick Simper (bass/vocals); Mathew Fisher (keyboards).
From 1980 to 1984/1985 - Flying Fox
People involved
Alan Barratt (vocals); James Royal (vocals); Ron Harwood (vocals); Carlo Little (drums); Pete Parks (guitar); Nick Simper (bass).
From 1985-ish to the present - The Good Ol' Boys
People involved
Peter Parks (guitar/vocal); Alan Barratt (vocals); Simon Bishop (guitar); Nick Simper (bass); Richard Hudson (drums); plus occasional drummers Gary Harvey, Terry Sullivan, Chris Hunt.
When Flying Fox eventually collapsed, Simper and Parks quickly formed a new band.