LUTHER GROSVENOR discography
- with the V.I.P.s

The V.I.P.s formed in Carlisle in 1963 and the first line-up was Jimmy Henshaw (guitar, keyboards), Walter Johnstone (drums), Frank Kenyan (guitar), Greg Ridley (bass) and Mike Harrison (vocals). They released a couple singles for RCA in 1964-65 before signing to Island in 1966. The band toured the Continent a lot and built up a following in Germany and France especially - and released several France only EPs along the way.

In 1967, Henshaw, Johnstone and Kenyan were replaced by Luther Grosvenor (guitar), Mike Kellie (drums), and Keith Emerson (keyboards). This line-up only lasted for about three months, before Emerson quit to form The Nice with Davy O'List. The remaining quartet hooked up with Guy Stevens and changed their name Art.

Repertoire Records in Germany released the definite V.I.P.'s collection in 2006, compiling all their singles and some live recordings on a 2CD set entitled "The Complete V.I.P.s". Having said that - all the material have been available on bootleg LP and CD over the years - and some of the tracks on the Repertoire CD are indeed culled from the bootlegs!

The Complete V.I.P.s (2006) Tracks: Don't Keep Shouting At Me / She's So Good / Mercy Mercy / That's My Woman / Wintertime / Anyone / I Wanna Be / Don't Let It Go / Straight Down To The Bottom / In A Dream / Smokestack Lighting / Back Into My Life Again / Every Girl I See / Stagger Lee / Rosemarie / Late Night Blues / I Wanna Be Free / Smokestack Lighting / You Don't Know Like I Know [live] / Stagger Lee [live] / No Use Crying [live] / I Wanna Be Free [live] / Fannie Mae [live] / Talk About My Babe [live] / Grapes Of Wrath [live] / I Got A Woman [live] / Blue Feeling / Sad Story - Germany CD: Repertoire Records REPUK1088

Comments: This fine twenty-eight track collection from Repertoire includes all their singles and EP tracks, as well as an 'unreleased' acetate recording and eight live tracks (recorded at TWEN Radio studios in Holland). The EMI disc acetate recordings of "Blue Feeling" and "Sad Story" were produced by Larry Page and were previously only available on a mid-80s bootleg single.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Festival 67 - Live In Paris (2002) Artists: The V.I.P.s / Pretty Things / Ronnie Bird / John Walker / Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich / Jimmy Cliff / Troggs - France CD: LCD Records 29-2 Comments: this was recorded at the 1st International Festival of pop music in Paris, Palais des Sports on 1st of June 1967. The V.I.P.s line-up at the time was the final one, featuring Luther Grosvenor and Keith Emerson!

Tracklisting: V.I.P.s: My Babe / Stagger Lee PRETTY THINGS: Children / Roadrunner / Reincarnation RONNIE BIRD: C'Est Un Hold Up(Headline News) / Tu En Dis Trop (You Don't Know Like I Know) / Fa Fa Fa (Sad Song) JOHN WALKER: Do You Wanna Dance / Land Of Thousand Dances DAVE DEE, DOZY, BEAKY, MICK & TICH: Hold Tight / Hideway / Frustration / Save Me JIMMY CLIFF: When A Man Loves A Woman / Give And Take TROGGS: I Can Only Give You Everything / From Home / With A Girl Like You / Give It To Me Babe / Peggy Sue / Somewhere My Girl Is Waiting / Hip Hip Hooray / I Can't Control Myself