Biography Wikipedia
Group Members: The Ian McMillan Orchestra
Wikipedia:
The Poets were a Scottish blues, freakbeat and psychedelic pop band, who were managed and produced by Andrew Loog Oldham. Some of their singles were released on his Immediate Records label. Their cover version of "Baby Don't You Do It", was produced by Immediate in-house record producer, Paul Raven (Gary Glitter).
Musically the band's style contained elements of both the hard R&B of the early Small Faces (both bands would cover "Baby Don't You Do It") and The Action along with the more melodic sounds of The Kinks, The Searchers and the later period Small Faces. Visually they sported an Edwardian look similar to the early Kinks with matching velvet jackets, ruffled shirts, tight pants, Beatle Boots and shag haircuts. Within the West of Scotland however, their look was interpreted as based on the Poet Rabbie Burns appearance in paintings of the time.
Their singles, while praised, were not chart successes outside Scotland and no full album was completed.
Some of their singles are on various compilation albums, including the Nuggets II box set on Rhino Records (one song) and The Immediate Records Story (four songs) on Charly Records. One of their tracks "That's The Way It's Got To Be" was on the soundtrack for the films Factory Girl and Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster.
Their former member, Hume Paton, died on 30 April 2011, from a heart attack in Grenada, at the age of 66. Another former member, Alan Weir, died on 9 June 2010 from cancer in Cambridge, at the age of 66. Another former member John Dawson Bass Guitarist, Died on 6th January 2002 of Cancer, at the age of 57.
In 2011, The Poets reformed with original members George Gallacher and Fraser Watson, and on the 2nd December, they played at the Eyes Wide Open club's 7th anniversary celebration. This was meant to be a one off, but just before the gig, The Poets' name appeared in the line-up to Le Beat Bespoke 8, listing them as playing on the 8th April 2012.
