New Faces Winners, Koffee n Kreme, Meet Their Fate

• Place – De Lane Lea Studio Wembley England
• Time – 1975
• Artist – Koffee n Kreme

Firstly UK Only?

I would like to point out that the following story New Faces Winners, Koffee n Kreme, Meet Their Fate may only hold interest to my UK friends as the act never gained any international notoriety.

The mid 70s

During the mid 70s I was very busy working as an engineer at De Lane Lea, but in what spare time was left I would spend writing songs and record them with anyone I could.

Having gained a few single releases under various fictitious names, my efforts came to the attention of Louis Elman – the managing director of De Lane Lea Studios Wembley.

Louis was starting a brand new production arm to the studio to be called Delben Music. It would be headed up by Ben Nesbit who had just retired from his position as the MD of Feldman’s Music Publishing Company.

The birth of Delben Music and their new talent scout

I was happy to be given the job as a talent scout, being tasked with finding promising new acts for the company, although my engineering work for the studio would always come first.

At the end of 1974, Delben music took out a large advert in Melody Maker, the best-selling music weekly paper at the time.

The banner headline read “Do you think you have got what it takes to be a star?”

This was followed by “contact Kenny Denton,” and a dedicated studio switchboard phone number was added as well as the postal address of the studio.

From the moment the ad appeared in the paper the phone lines were jammed solid, followed by an avalanche of mail in the next few days. 

Buried deep amongst the hundreds of letters that arrived every week, there would occasionally be an act that I believed would be worth bringing in for an audition.

Time for Koffee n Kreme

I received a very professional package from someone called Christy Lee, who managed a duo called Koffee n Kreme. I wasn’t aware at the time but In 1963 Christy and her band, The Beat Chics, supported The Beatles on the their first tour of Spain.

Koffee was Lance Ellington and Kreme, Beth Hannah, they both looked good and both had excellent voices.

Lance was the son of Ray Ellington who was a popular singer, drummer and band leader throughout the 50’s and 60’s.

The Goons

The Ray Ellington Quartet & The Goons had a regular musical segment on The Goon Show from 1951 to 1960, he also had a small speaking role in many episodes.

The Goon Show was a British radio comedy programme, produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960 and starred Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe and Michael Bentine

The Show was a ground-breaking series which revolutionised comedy and has influenced comedians ever since.

Audition time

I contacted Christy and asked them to come in for an audition.

Being pleased with the results, I invited Ben Nesbit down to the studio to listen to the tracks and introduced him to them to the duo and Christy.

Ben saw gold with this clean-cut good-looking duo with a positive pushy manager and so quickly offered them a recording contract which they all duly signed.

We then set about making a single. We chose a Neil Sedaka song called “My World (Keeps Getting Smaller Every Day).”

I had Louis Clark, the renowned string arranger for The Electric Light Orchestra, to write the parts for the rhythm section and orchestra track.

Enter Don Arden

At the same time, Ben obtained a deal with the notorious Don Arden. owner of Jet records. 

Don Arden was an English music manager, agent, and businessman. He managed the careers of rock acts such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Air Supply, Small Faces, The Move, Black Sabbath and Electric Light Orchestra, to name but a few.

In 1966, Arden and a squad of “minders” turned up at impresario Robert Stigwood’s office to “teach him a lesson” for daring to discuss a change of management with the Small Faces.

This became one of the most infamous incidents from the 1960s British pop business. Arden reportedly threatened to throw Stigwood out of the window if he ever interfered with his business again.

 It’s safe to say Don Arden was a hard-nosed businessman. Ian MacLagan said the Small Faces (who had fourteen hit singles and five hit albums in the UK plus commercial success across mainland Europe, Australia, and New Zealand) were on “£20 a week, that was it. Never got a penny from records, never got a penny from gigs.”

The unstoppable Christy Lee

Christy had applied for and achieved, an audition for Koffee n Kreme on the big primetime Saturday night newcomers TV show, New Faces.

New Faces

New Faces was a British variety television talent show that first aired in the 1970s with guest panellists Tony Hatch, Danny La Rue Clifford Davis George Elrick

Koffee n Kreme, appearing in their first show, managed to win which meant they went forward to the Gala Final in April 1977. 

It was Saturday night and time for the Gala Final, the all winners show. After everyone had done their performances, the score was extremely close between Koffee n Kreme and one other act. 

Tony Hatch

It was all down to Tony Hatch whose score would effectively be the casting vote, it would be left to him to make the final decision. 

I was aware that the “Hatchet” as he was known then, had taken the duo, Lance and Bet, out to lunch earlier that week during rehearsals, in an attempt to lure them away from us to his own production company.

I was sat in anticipation as part of the TV audience as it came to Tony Hatch and the final score.

I remember thinking that if he didn’t score highly for Koffee n Kreme, I would contact the newspapers and make them aware of his failed act of subterfuge earlier in the week, it would have appeared his low score would have been due to sour grapes.

I couldn’t believe it, I was thrilled as the “Hatchet” gave them a high score and said, “I think they have an enormous future and they will go on to make it BIG.”

The final numbers

		George Elrick	Clifford Davis	Danny La Rue	Tony Hatch	Total
1	Koffee ‘n’ Kreme	94	100	100	97	391
2	Ian ‘Sludge’ Lees	90	85	98	90	363
3=	Jaime Adams	100	80	90	81	351

I know I was biased but I really thought they deserved to win, not only were Lance and Bet great talents, but they were extremely nice people too.

The excitement of the night followed through to the next day, Koffee n Kreme were on the front pages of all the major newspapers. Lance and Bet were the top story of the day.

Time to celebrate

Don Arden had arranged a lavish champagne reception in several adjoining suites at the top of the Hilton Hotel, Park Lane London, to celebrate the New Faces win and to launch their new single.

The rooms were packed with press, special invited guests and plenty of hangers on.

During the reception my wife, Sue, turned to me and asked.

“What does Don Arden look like?”

I explained

“He hasn’t arrived yet, but imagine an English “Don Corleone” from the movie The Godfather.”

Shortly after, he did arrive and Sue spotted him straight away.

He strolled into the room both hands in his trousers pockets looking every bit as intimidating as his reputation hinted at.

The beginning of the end

During this really wonderful, over the top, bash I noticed Lance, Bet and Christy Lee disappear with Don Arden into a side room.

A short time later they all returned to the main reception.

There was a distinct change in their facial expressions, they appeared so optimistic in the last 24 hours but there was a definite change.

I found out the following day that Don Arden had told Christy Lee that he would be taking over the management of the duo.

Sometimes you just can’t win

Much to Don’s surprise, as diminutive as Christy was, she was tough as nails and there was no way she was standing down as manager and going let Don take over.

I’m not sure she was aware of the Robert Stigwood story but I really don’t think that would have made any difference.

She had worked so hard with the couple for a very long time and they had become great friends. She also had a firm contract plus, of course, the full support of Lance and Bet.

Don by name, Don by nature

Don was furious, he had achieved a huge amount of success in his career and was very used to getting his own way.

As the head of the label had said, “no management contract – no release” and that he would bury the act, lucky enough not literally, despite his notorious reputation.

Their fate was sealed

Koffee n Kreme’s career peaked on the Saturday night and was over within 24 hours, they disappeared from the limelight faster than a politician’s promise after election night.

Sadly, Beth passed away at a very young age, but happily Lance went on to have a very successful career, something he rightly deserved. He went on to work with many artists including  Sting, George Michael Gloria Gaynor, Micheal Jackson And Robbie Williams he also made regular performances on the BBC programme Strictly Come Dancing.

Delben Music were never going to swamp the charts with hits, but it was always interesting scouting for talent and mostly a whole lot of fun.

I wouldn’t change a minute of it.

Below is a link to my YouTube channel Denton115 Keeping the Memory Alive.

 https://www.youtube.com/user/denton115/videos?app=desktop

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