The group, sponsored by UK’s Vernon’s football pools started out as a singing group of 70 members. They sang songs like ‘Nymphs and Shepherds’. The choir was reduced to 16 by the end of the 1950s and was regularly seen on pop television shows like ‘Oh boy’. They recorded for the Parlophone label between 1958 and 1961, but no hit singles resulted from these recordings. Their only hits appeared on Decca when they were reduced to the trio of Maureen Kennedy, Jean Owen and Frances Lee in 1962 and 1963. The first hit was a cover of Clyde McPhatter’s “Lover please”, which reached no. 16 in the UK chart. Other hits were covers of “Loco-motion” and “Do the bird”, and the original song “Funny all over”.
The group continued with frequently changing personnel, playing the cabaret circuit in the UK and recording on different labels, such as PYE and Galaxy.
One member, Joyce Baker, later married singer Marty Wilde. Members of the original television group have been frequently seen backing artists on UK television and been heard singing backing vocals on countless hit records.

This US rock group were formed in December 1966 and comprised organist Mark Stein (born 11 March 1947, New Jersey, USA), guitarist Vince Martell (born 11 November 1945, New York City, New York, USA), bassist Tim Bogert (born 27 August 1944, Richfield, New Jersey, USA) and drummer Joey Brennan. All were previously members of the Pigeons, a New York-based group modelled on the (Young) Rascals. Brennan was latterly replaced by Carmine Appice (born 15 December 1946, New York, USA), and having established a style in which contemporary songs were imaginatively rearranged, the unit was introduced to producer Shadow Morton, who had a reputation for melodramatic pop with the Shangri-Las.

Dubbed Vanilla Fudge by their record label, the quartet scored an immediate success with an atmospheric revival of the Supremes’ hit, You Keep Me Hangin’ On. The slowed tempo, studious playing and mock-gospel harmonies set a precedent for the group’s debut album which featured similarly operatic versions of the Impressions’ People Get Ready, Sonny And Cher’s Bang Bang and the Beatles’ Eleanor Rigby and Ticket To Ride. The audacity of this first selection was impossible to repeat. A flawed concept album called “The beat goes on” proved overambitious, while further selections showed a group unable to create original material of the calibre of the first album. Subsequent records relied on simpler, hard-edged rock.

When Vanilla Fudge split in 1970, the bassist and drummer remained together in Cactus before abandoning their creation in favour of Beck, Bogert And Appice. Stein worked with Tommy Bolin and Alice Cooper before forging a new career composing advertising jingles, while Martell later appeared in the Good Rats, a popular Long Island bar-band. The group briefly reformed in 1983, releasing the album ‘Mystery’ which failed to make any impact.

Michael graduated from the British College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1964 and is now one of the UK’s most well known osteopaths. He has been presenting on LBC for 25 years and is a regular on national and regional TV and radio, including Carlton Food Network and Granada and has contributed articles to most national newspapers and consumer magazines.

Michael’s first career after graduating was in retail. Whilst running a health food business he became friendly with Dame Barbara Cartland and became involved in a number of radio interviews with her on the subject of nutrition, vitamins and supplements. Subsequently he received invitations to appear on more radio shows and was eventually invited to present his own slot on Breakfast TV with Angela Rippon and David Frost.

As well as being a presenter, Michael writes extensively and still has his own patients. He has written 15 books, and sees patients two days a week in London. His media and speaking work has taken him all over the world and enabled him to meet various people. These include the Dalai Lama, a rainforest Indian, a Kalahari bushman, Goldie Hawn and Charlton Heston.

In 2003, he released the DVD 10 Day Detox with Kim Wilde.