"Greatest blunder" still entertaining

2:38pm Wednesday 20th August 2008

‘The greatest blunder of all time’, that’s how some people describe Decca Records decision to sing The Tremeloes over the Beatles in 1962.

While the Beatles still managed to become arguably the biggest band of all time, The Tremeloes didn’t do too bad either, topping the charts with hits likes Twist and Shout and Silence is Golden and are still packing out music venues today, more than half a century later.

"We never went out and threw TV’s out of windows or anything like that. We didn’t go over the top and sometimes I think if we had we might have been a bigger band like the Rolling Stones."

Dave Munden

Drummer and singer Dave Munden was one of the founding members of the band and remembers that day at Decca well.

“The Beatles went for the same audition as us but Decca accepted us instead,” he said.

“They weren’t the only record company the Beatles went to, they were turned down by many others too.

“But afterwards in retrospective, Decca probably thought they had made a mistake but there you go.”

While they enjoyed much success, Munden ponders whether they could have been even bigger if they had got rid of their clean image and ruffled a few feathers.

“I don’t think success changed us that much, we were pretty down to earth,” he said.

“We never went out and threw TV’s out of windows or anything like that. We didn’t go over the top and sometimes I think if we had we might have been a bigger band like the Rolling Stones.

“If we had been a bit more controversial maybe we would have had a bigger name but we can’t change that.”

It’s been a long time since the group, who are performing alongside fellow 1960s band The Marmalades, broke into the music industry and Munden admitted the business has changed a great deal since then.

“The music industry has changed a hell of a lot,” he said.

“When we started it wasn’t how much money we made, it was for the enjoyment and meeting the other bands but gradually a lot of the bands have been influenced by record deals and money.

“I think a bit of the enjoyment went out of it though some of the modern bands seem to be getting back to basics now.”

Super 60s, The Tremeloes and Marmalade, Fairfield Halls, Park Lane, Croydon, September 4, 8pm, £16.50. Call 020 8688 9291 or visit fairfield.co.uk.