Force Five, (not to be confused with the group of the same name from Southend on Sea, who cut some records and appeared on Ready Steady Go), were one of the many groups formed in Birmingham in the early sixties. They didn’t record anything or appear at any top venues but had fun playing the music of the day. They were active between 1962 and 1966

There were many members:-

Richard (Rick) Gale. Rythmn Guitar

Paul Davies. Bass/Vocals

Barry Gummery. Lead Guitar

Dave Curtis. Lead Guitar

John Rawson. Drums

John Proctor. Bass/vocals

John Goodchild. Drums

Dave Hall. Drums

Gordon Lee. Lead Guitar/vocals

Bill Taylor. Vocals

Ron Comley. (non playing, but wrote songs)

The most settled and active line up was Gale/Curtis/Goodchild/ Proctor and Taylor.

The band was managed by Rick Gale’s father, Dick, who also came up with the name.

The band started with friends Rick and Barry, who went to Kings Norton Grammar School getting together with Paul who went to Moseley Art School and was in the same class as Roy Wood. John Rawson, also of KNGS, was recruited and the band (then called The Deltones) used to go to the dances held each week at Bournville Church Hall and borrow the booked band’s amps and drums and do a few numbers in the interval. One of these bands was Carl Wayne and The Vikings who were really nice to us. Curtis and Proctor also of KNGS joined along with Taylor who went to Bournville Technical School. Bill’s friend Ron was a good songwriter and wrote several songs for us. Force Five then started playing at youth club dances, clubs, weddings and other social events around Birmingham. In the summer of 1966 Gale got a place at one of the London Universities, Proctor went off to train as a PE teacher in Loughborough, Curtis started a course at Aston University, Goodchild went to study Architecture and Taylor moved away with his job, so the band broke up. Fast forward to 2010…. Ron Comley, who in the Force Five days had also fronted The Impacts (mentioned on this site), had reformed The Impacts, which featured Bill Taylor on vocals. Bill had been a long time member of The Taylor Made Band. Ron was also in a second band called V60, playing bass and singing. V60 needed a guitarist and although they hadn’t been in contacy for nearly 50 years, he managed to trace Rick Gale through facebook. Rick then joined V60 who were playing much the same set list as Force Five did in the 60’s. In 2015 Ron, who by now, was over 70, decided to retire. V60 then recruited Bill Taylor from the now defunct Impacts. Tom Houghton took over on bass and vocals, to join Pam Holiday (drums/vocals) and Chris Watts (vocals/guitar). V60 changed their name to The Vintage Sixties Company. They rehearse regularly and play the occasional gig.

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