THE Falling Leaves became one of Oxford’s best-known pop groups.

The unlikely combination of two factory workers, a hairdresser, a carpenter, an electrician and one full-time musician worked its magic on audiences far and wide.

The rhythm and blues group was formed in late 1963. Their chosen name was a variation of that of one of their favourite bands, The Rolling Stones.

It wasn’t long before they were appearing at Oxford’s three main dance venues, the Town Hall, Carfax Assembly Rooms and the Forum in High Street.

And it was Mick Jagger and his fellow Rolling Stones who helped establish The Falling Leaves as a popular support group.

In June 1964, they were booked to play with the Stones at the end-of-term Magdalen College Commemoration Ball.

Bookings began to flood in from all over the country and the group, supporting stars such as Manfred Man, The Animals and Mike Berry, spent many hours on the road travelling between gigs.

They were the resident band at clubs in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Portsmouth – and were often at one venue one night and the other the next!

They appeared in the ITV talent show Ready, Steady – Win! and recorded She Loves to be Loved on the Parlophone label. They also supported Billy J Kramer and Gene Pitney at the New Theatre, Oxford.

During an appearance at the 100 Club in London’s Oxford Street, there was another break for the group when Jack Bruce, playing with another group, received an electric shock from his guitar.

His fingers were burned, he was hurled six feet across the stage, knocked unconscious and was unable to continue.

The Falling Leaves, who had been booked to play for 45 minutes, stepped in and extended their performance to an hour and a half. “We went down a bomb,” manager Adrian Hopkins said afterwards.

Eventually, the constant travelling and gigging began to take their toll and the group decided to call it a day and go their separate ways.

The last performance of The Falling Leaves, acclaimed as Oxford’s first group to hit the national scene, was in Birmingham in September 1966.

Who were these likely lads?

The Falling Leaves’ line- up was: Drummer Larry Redd (real name Larry Reddington, of White Road, Cowley), harmonica player and vocalist Rod Steven (Rodney Crisp, of Iffley Road), rhythm guitarist Radburn Edwards (Edward Radburn, of Newton Road, New Hinksey), bass guitarist Malcolm West, of Home Close, Wolvercote, pianist Neil Robinson, of Henley Road, Sandford-on-Thames, and lead guitarist Will Patrick (Will Jarvis, of Marston Road).

Will Jarvis and Neil Robinson formerly played for the Madisons, the Oxford group which supported the Beatles in their only concert in Oxford, before 300 music fans at the Carfax Assembly Rooms on February 16, 1963.

Mr Jarvis, who died recently, later recalled meeting the Fab Four, John, Paul, George and Ringo, whose single Please Please Me had just entered the charts.

He said: “We arrived in the afternoon and ended up rehearsing with them, Paul on the piano playing old Chuck Berry numbers. They were really nice lads.”