The 004's - You've got what it takes

The 004’s were a South African band formed in 1965 at the suggestion of Trevor Boswell, husband of Eve Boswell, and one of the owners of the Boswell-Wilkie Circus. The original members were all from Britian, but they settled in South Africa and quickly became a popular fixture in the local live music scene:

1. Pete Clifford (born on 10 May 1943 in Whetstone, London) - lead guitar. He previously played with “The Jesters”, worked with Georgie Fame, and toured South Africa with Dusty Springfield as a member of her backing band, “The Echoes”. He also toured with Tom Jones in the UK before forming The 004’s.
2. Brian Gibson (born on 17 March 1942 in Newport, South Wales) - rhythm guitar and singer. He previously performed with “The Laurie Jay Combo”
3. Jack Russell (born 29 April 1944 in Caerleon, South Wales) - bassist and singer. He previously toured the Costa Del Sol and Morocco with French pop artist Teddy Raye, following the breakup of their previous band, “The Victors”.
4. Peter Stember (born in London) - drums.
5. Nick ‘Doc’ Dokter (born on 24 July 1945 in Kampen, Overijsel, Holland) – drums. He joined In August 1966 to replace Stember (who returned to the UK and later became an internationally renowned photographer, based in California) and was previously with “The Leemen Limited”.

The 004’s arrived in South Africa on board the Cape Town Castle on 10 June 1965, and on 1 July began performing at the Al Fresco Night Club in Durban. They soon relocated to Johannesburg where they performed at the 505 Club in Hillbrow, signed to CBS Records and started releasing several 7” singles, the first being a cover of Dobie Gray’s “The In Crowd” in November 1965. They returned to Durban soon after.

In December 1965 The 004’s began a three-month residency backing Gene Vincent during his South African tour, which significantly boosted their popularity. The band also shared the stage with a variety of acts, including Jackie Frisco and South African groups like “The Ivy League” (not the British group), “The Gonks”, and “The Dream Merchants”. The band released their only album, “It’s Alright”, in June 1966, showcasing a blend of original material and R&B covers. Brian Gibson contributed several originals, i.e. “She’s Going Back Home Today,” “I’ve Found Her,” and “Beverley.” Pete Clifford and Jack Russell also worked as studio session musicians, collaborating with artists such as Eve Boswell, “The Dream Merchants”, “The Sandpipers” (South African version), and Johnny Collini.

The 004s gradually disbanded as members moved on to different ventures:
1. Pete Clifford joined the very popular band, “The Bats”.
2. Nick Dokter worked as a boilermaker before emigrating to Canada where he continued his music career with “Five Man Cargo” (later “Cross Town Bus”) and did session work for the Bruce Allan Agency. He now resides in Vancouver.
3. Jack Russell joined John Kongos’ band, “Kongos”, and was a member until 1969 when he began a career in advertising. He released several 7” singles in the UK as a member of Scrugg, and currently lives near Hampton Court.

This song is from the ablum "It's Alright", released in 1966.