Ashton, Gardner and Dyke

Founding band member, Tony Ashton first met the drummer Roy Dyke, when playing with various Blackpool based groups.Ashton was invited to join the Liverpool beat group, The Remo Four as organist/vocalist, whilst Roy Dyke became the group’s drummer, having joined them in 1963. Their best work came in 1966 when they released their album Smile!. Before their break-up in 1968, they backed George Harrison on his album Wonderwall Music.Ashton and Dyke then joined forces with the bass guitar playing Kim Gardner, who had previously played in minor British groups, The Birds and The Creation. The triad simply called themselves Ashton, Gardner and Dyke. Mick Liber played lead guitar with the group.They released their first single "Maiden Voyage"/"See The Sun In My Eyes" on Polydor Records in 1969, but it flopped. However, their next single release on Capitol Records, made them household names. It was entitled "Resurrection Shuffle". They poached their brass section, Lyle Jenkins and Dave Caswell, from Birmingham band Galliard. It entered the UK singles chart on 16 January 1971, had a chart life of 14 weeks and peaked at Number 3. This one-off triumph ultimately garnered for them the tag of one-hit wonder.Equally unfortunately, their follow up single "Can You Get It?" lacked the general boisterous appeal of "Ressurrection Shuffle" and failed to chart. Nevertheless Ashton Gardner and Dyke persevered and recorded three albums.Their last recording together was a collaboration with Jon Lord on the soundtrack for a b-movie called "The Last Rebel" starring former gridiron star Joe Namath. Ashton also appeared on Jon Lord’s first solo album "Gemini Suite" in 1972.The trio finally split the same year.After the demise, Tony Ashton went on to play for Medicine Head, and was briefly in Family before teaming up again with Deep Purple’s Jon Lord as Aston and Lord. Later still he appeared with Lord and Purple’s drummer Ian Paice as Paice, Ashton and Lord. Dyke and then Gardner joined Badger.Ashton died of cancer, on 28 May 2001.Gardner also died of cancer in 2001, in Los Angeles on 24 October also aged 55!The three A G and D albums are :-* Ashton, Gardner And Dyke(Polydor 583 081) (1969)* The Worst Of Ashton, Gardner And Dyke(Capitol EST 563) (1971)* What A Bloody Long Day It’s Been(Capitol EST 862) (1972) ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------- Tony Ashton, Ian Paice & Friends THE RESURRECTION SHUFFLE. ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------- Rick Wakeman and Tony Ashton PIANO DUET ------------------------------------------------------------ -----------------------------John Entwhistle & Tony Ashton GET AMERICA ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------- Ashton, Gardner and Dyke ROLLING HOME ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------- TOTP XMAS 1971 Ashton, Gardner and Dyke THE RESURRECTION SHUFFLE