| The Fortunes | |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Origin: | Birmingham, England |
| Years Active: | 1961–present |
| Label: | Decca, United Artists, US World Pacific, Capitol, Target UK |
| Current Members: | Michael Smitham Chris Hutchison Eddie Mooney Glenn Taylor |
| Past Members: | Chris Capaldi Gary Fletcher Tony Britnell Rod Allen Barry Pritchard Andy Brown Glen Dale David Carr Shel Macrae George McAllister John Trickett John Davey Ricky Persell Paul Keatley Paul Hooper Bob Jackson Geoff Turton |
The Fortunes are an English harmony beat group. Formed in Birmingham, the Fortunes first came to prominence and international acclaim in 1965, when "You've Got Your Troubles" broke into the US, Canadian, and UK Top 10s. Afterwards, they had a succession of hits including "Here It Comes Again" and "Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again"; continuing into the 1970s with more globally successful releases such as "Storm in a Teacup" and "Freedom Come, Freedom Go".
In 1966, their manager, Reginald Calvert, was shot dead in a dispute over pirate radio stations.[1]
The Fortunes (Rod Allen, Glen Dale, Barry Pritchard as vocalists, Chris Capaldi as piano player, Gary Fletcher as drummer and Tony Britnell as saxophone player) were formed in 1961 and were resident at Clifton Hall in Rugby, Warwickshire where many 60s rockstars formed their career.[2] The three vocalists had been the Merrie Men backing Robbie Hood (A.K.A Mike West, previously co-singer with Fred Heath in Johnny Kidd & The Pirates). The Fortunes were originally backed by an instrumental group known as the Cliftones, and the band placed an instrumental track on a compilation album, Brumbeat, issued by the local Dial record label. "Cygnet Twitch" was a working of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake", and they subsequently signed to British Decca in 1963. Their first single, "Summertime, Summertime", was credited to the Fortunes and the Cliftones. However, the vocalists picked up guitars, jettisoned the Cliftones, and added Andy Brown on drums, and David Carr on keyboards. The follow-up disc "Caroline", co-written by the singer-songwriter and future Ivy League member Perry Ford and songwriter Tony Hiller, is still in use as the signature tune for the pirate radio station, Radio Caroline.
The group's next two singles, Gordon Mills's co-composition "I Like the Look of You" and a revival of "Look Homeward Angel" — like the initial brace of releases overseen by the American record producer Shel Talmy — also failed to chart. Their fifth release, the Roger Greenaway/Roger Cook number, "You've Got Your Troubles" (1965), reached Number 2 in the UK Singles Chart[3] and was a worldwide hit, including reaching Number 1 in Canada and the American Top 10. Their next two singles were "Here It Comes Again", a UK Number 4, and "This Golden Ring" a UK Number 14. These sold well, but each less than the previous release. When Glen Dale left in the summer of 1966 he was replaced by Shel McCrae. Three more singles ("You Gave Me Somebody to Love", "Is It Really Worth Your While?" and "Our Love has Gone") all failed to chart.
At this point in 1967, the Fortunes left Decca for United Artists. They reunited with Talmy for their next release, "The Idol", a song they had written themselves, and although it did get some airplay in the UK, it did not become a hit. Around this time they released a fine version of 'Seasons in the Sun' which also failed to chart.
The Fortunes also recorded an advertisement for Coca-Cola in the United States.[4] Their first recording in 1967 was a version of the theme tune, "Things Go Better with Coke", but they are most remembered for introducing the 1969 new slogan recording, used as the main theme for Coca-Cola on both radio and television commercials — "It's The Real Thing".
In 1968, they tried covering The Move's hit "Fire Brigade" for the US market, but with little airplay or sales. In 1970, they recorded an album for the US World Pacific record label, and then signed with Capitol in both the UK and US in 1971.
Then followed a steady succession of singles, some of which were hits outside of the UK and US. It was during this period they had worldwide hits with "Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again" and "Freedom Come, Freedom Go" in 1971, along with "Storm in a Teacup" in 1972.
Founding member and lead vocalist Allen continued fronting an ever changing version of the Fortunes from 1963 up to his death in 2008.
In 1983 and 1984 respectively, Michael Smitham and Paul Hooper joined Barry Pritchard and Rod Allen in the Fortunes. This line up of the Fortunes were awarded a gold disc in 1987 for over 100,000 sales of their All The Hits and More album.[4]
In 1991, Glen Dale, whilst living in Tenerife, reformed the group as Glen Dale's Fortunes alongside Martin Cox (guitar) (who has gone on to be one of the world's top Elton John tributes).
In March 1995, Bob Jackson was added to the Fortunes' ranks, after founder member Barry Pritchard left through illness. Jackson, a former member of the group Badfinger, paid homage to his former bandmate on stage, with a version of the Badfinger penned song "Without You". Jackson left for a year to follow other obligations and Geoff Turton, who was originally a member of the Rockin' Berries, stood in for him. Barry Pritchard died from a heart attack on 11 January 1999 in Swindon, Wiltshire, UK.[5]
On 10 January 2008, Rod Allen died after suffering for two months from liver cancer. The remaining members of the band said they would continue touring and recruited the Dakotas lead singer Eddie Mooney.[6] During 2008, the band regrouped, recorded a new album Play On, and appeared in Las Vegas, the Netherlands and Belgium as well as the UK. They toured Canada, the Netherlands, and Sweden, in addition to the UK during 2009. The band had a busy schedule in the UK, Netherlands, Germany, and Italy during 2010 and 2011, appearing in Belgium at the Vostertfeesten Festival in August 2010. Drummer Paul Hooper left the band in early 2010 and was replaced by Glenn Taylor, formerly of Marmalade. The band then released a new studio album, Another Road.
The keyboard player in the original line-up, David Carr, lived and worked in Hollywood, California, doing session work, frequently working with The Ventures and also Kim Fowley. Carr died on 12 July 2011 from a heart attack.[7]
Since 2011, the Fortunes have continued to appear on various 1960s theatre package shows with other artists of the era. Additionally, they have appeared in their own Past and Present theatre show and in 2015 released the accompanying Past and Present live album. In 2018 the Fortunes successfully toured Australia and keyboard player Bob Jackson retired later in the year due to ill health. He was replaced by ex Merseybeats and Tornados keyboard player and vocalist Chris Hutchison. The band continues to feature on 1960s theatre shows such as "Sensational 60s" and "Sixties Gold" as well as cruise appearances and toured the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany in 2022.
Glen Dale died at a hospice care facility after a battle with heart disease, on 13 January 2019, at age 79.[8] Singer Shel Macrae died in 2022 at the age of 77.
In 2021 the Fortunes had two hit singles on the Amazon, Spotify and iTunes download charts with "Never Too Far" (Smitham/Mooney) and "One Special Moment" (Smitham) the band's first chart entries since 1972. The band resumed a UK theatre tour as part of the Sensational 60s Experience package in October 2021 and released an album "Special Moments" in December 2021. The Fortunes signed to US label "Creative & Dreams" in 2022, releasing the singles "Hello My Friend" and "One Special Moment (US Remix), both hits on the UK Heritage Chart, hosted by Mike Read. In 2023 the Fortunes again charted in the Heritage Charts with their live cover of Dusty Springfield's 60s hit "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself".
Current members
Former members
Timeline
Colors = id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:guitar value:green legend:Guitar id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:keyboard value:purple legend:Keys id:sax value:skyblue legend:Saxophone id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:lines1 value:black legend:Studio_album id:bars value:gray(0.9)
Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:1BackgroundColors = bars:barsScaleMajor = unit:year increment:2 start:1961ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1961
BarData = bar:Rod text:Rod Allen bar:Eddie text:Eddie Mooney
bar:Barry text:Barry Pritchard bar:Glen text:Glen Dale bar:Shel text:Shel Macrae bar:Ricky text:Ricky Persell bar:Michael text:Michael Smitham
bar:Chris text:Chris Capaldi bar:David text:David Carr bar:George text:George McAllister bar:Bob text:Bob Jackson bar:Geoff text:Geoff Turton bar:Chris2 text:Chris Hutchinson
bar:Tony text:Tony Britnell
bar:Gary text:Gary Fletcher bar:Andy text:Andy Brown bar:John text:John Trickett bar:Paul text:Paul Hopper bar:Glenn text:Glenn Taylor
PlotData=
width:12 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Rod from:start till:10/01/2008 color:vocals bar:Rod from:01/01/1963 till:10/01/2008 color:bass width:4 bar:Rod at:10/01/2008 text:† bar:Eddie from:01/01/2007 till:end color:vocals bar:Eddie from:01/01/2007 till:end color:bass width:4 bar:Glen from:start till:01/01/1963 color:vocals bar:Glen from:01/01/1963 till:01/01/1966 color:guitar bar:Glen at:13/01/2019 text:† bar:David at:12/07/2011 text:† bar:Barry from:start till:01/01/1963 color:vocals bar:Barry from:01/01/1963 till:01/01/1995 color:guitar bar:Barry at:11/01/1999 text:† bar:Tony from:start till:01/01/1963 color:sax bar:Chris from:start till:01/01/1963 color:keyboard bar:Gary from:start till:01/01/1963 color:drums bar:David from:01/01/1963 till:01/01/1968 color:keyboard bar:Shel from:01/01/1966 till:01/01/1977 color:guitar width:4 bar:Shel from:01/01/1966 till:01/01/1977 color:vocals bar:Shel at:22/11/2022 text:† bar:Ricky from:01/01/1977 till:01/01/1980 color:guitar bar:Michael from:01/01/1983 till:end color:guitar bar:George from:01/01/1970 till:01/01/1974 color:keyboard bar:Bob from:01/01/1995 till:01/01/2018 color:keyboard bar:Geoff from:01/01/2013 till:31/12/2013 color:keyboard bar:Chris2 from:01/01/2018 till:end color:keyboard bar:John from:01/01/1977 till:01/01/1984 color:drums bar:Paul from:01/01/1984 till:01/01/2010 color:drums bar:Glenn from:01/01/2010 till:end color:drums bar:Andy from:01/01/1963 till:01/01/1977 color:drums
width:2.5 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(11,-4)
LineData = at:01/10/1965 color:lines1 layer:back at:01/06/1970 color:lines1 layer:back at:01/06/1971 color:lines1 layer:back at:01/01/1999 color:lines1 layer:back at:01/01/2004 color:lines1 layer:back at:01/01/2008 color:lines1 layer:back at:01/01/2010 color:lines1 layer:back at:01/01/2021 color:lines1 layer:back
See main article: The Fortunes discography.