Tiles Club, London

August 25th, 1966

In August of 1966, The 'N Betweens played at Tiles , a Mod club in London. Tiles opened at 79-89 Oxford Street in March 1966. Despite a lot of promotion, many that played there remember it as 'lacking in atmosphere' but not The 'N Betweens. 

New Musical Express: August 25th, 1966

It was a basement club and The 'N Betweens were the support act to Crispian St. Peters who was at the zenith of his fifteen minutes of fame.

"We were playing Tiles with Crispian St. Peters and I walked up to him and said 'Hello Crisp, How's business?' The others couldn't believe it. I was only sixteen and he'd had a hit with Pied Piper..."
Jim Lea: Feel The Noize 1984 

'The Cassius Clay Of Showbusiness' did not honour Lea with a response and the band set about doing their show. During their performance, a tall freaky guy in a cowboy hat became very interested in them.

"We rarely played London so we weren't top of the bill. Halfway through our set, we noticed this really tall, streaky figure in the middle of the crowd. It was hard to miss him. Not only was he wearing a cowboy hat, which made him stick out head and shoulders above everyone else, he was also doing this freaky dancing."
Noddy Holder: Who's Crazee Now? 1999

After the show he walked into their dressing room and announced that he was going to make them stars. The freak turned out to be Kim Fowley, who was a somewhat eccentric but influential guru cum producer.

"I'm gonna make you stars. You guys pro-ject!"
Kim Fowley

Fowley and friends (he's in the middle)

Although the group were convinced he was mad, Fowley took them to a studio in London and recorded a version of You Better Run by The Young Rascals. Fowley's attention span was short but his influence, quite effective. He failed to make them stars but he did make them recording artists on a major label, not to mention their 'celebrity status' in the Wolverhampton area.

The 'N Betweens were back at Tiles in March 1967, this time as headliners. Big names such as The Animals, The Who and Otis Redding played Tiles during its two year run. Even Pink Floyd played there  (June 16th. the day they released 'See Emily Play') before it closed at the end of 1967.

In 1966 Jeff Dexter was host and DJ 'presenting all the soul & pop acts....' to a Mod crowd. He later started The Jeff Dexter Light & Sound Show as part of the emerging underground and psychedelic scene. When Tiles closed at the end of 1967 he took up residency at Middle Earth in Covent Garden with John Peel and later promoted and presented rock shows at The Roundhouse Chalk Farm, mainly under the Implosion banner...

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