The Senior Service (Hammond organ instrumentalists) are the latest band to burst forth from the little clutch of towns known collectively as Medway. However, they are no newcomers (as their name may suggest), for they have been in some of the biggest bands to have come from that area. These bands include -
The Prisoners
The Mighty Caesars
The James Taylor Quartet
The Masonics and
Billy Childish and The Buff Medways.
The band members -
Jon Barker - organ,
Graham Day - guitar,
Darryl Hartley - bass guitar
Wolf Howard - drums and percussion
have been close friends throughout and have always been into film themes and instrumental music.
Amongst their influences are John Barry, Barry Grey, Booker T and the MG’s, Ennio Morricone and The Small Faces.
“We got together to play instrumental covers because I happened to have bought a Hammond organ” says Jon, “but we dropped that idea before we played a note and quickly moved onto our own stuff.”
The recordings, done at Borstal Road Studios (Jon’s house) have an organic feel to them that only close, like-minded friends can achieve, and it feels like the time is just right for a fresh batch of exciting tunes played on antique instruments by young-minded lovers of Sixties instrumentals!