BRIT Certified Award – Showaddywaddy – The Very Best Of". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 14 May 2021. Due to Showaddywaddy's immense popularity in the 1977/1978 period, a number of early singles were re-pressed due to high demand. As Bell Records had by now been subsumed into Arista Records, these were pressed on the Arista label whilst retaining their original catalogue number.

Buddy Gask (born William George Gask, 18 December 1945, Leicester – 7 June 2011, Spain) — vocals (1973–1987) His first band was called Billy & The Fenders, and it was as a teenager that he first met up with Malcolm Allured and then with him formed the Golden Hammers along with another local musician Rod Greaves. Their repertoire as a covers band included "Heartbeat", "I'll Never Get Over You", "Under The Boardwalk" & "Say Mama". In the latter half of the '60s the band spent a lot of time gigging in Germany. They also briefly experimented with a female singer in the line up. The band returned to Leicester and in the early 70s and played the local pub circuit, and it was here that they met up with Choise at the Fosse Way pub, and early in 1973 Showaddywaddy were formed. It was after SWW's formation that Bill became known to fans by his more familiar stage name "Buddy". He became one of the band's lead singers, and occasionally played guitar. His main instrument was the bass, but could also play rhythm. BRIT Certified Award – Showaddywaddy – When". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 14 May 2021.

Notes

Al James (born Geoffrey Betts, 13 January 1946, Leicester – 16 November 2018) [7] — bass / vocals (1973–2008) He could be obdurate, opinionated, belligerent and sheer bloody minded at times but underneath he had a heart of absolute solid gold. Later we became not only band mates but also neighbours when we bought adjacent smallholdings in the Leicestershire countryside. BRIT Certified Award – Showaddywaddy – Bright Lights". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 14 May 2021.

Showaddywaddy have continued to tour, and still do around 100 dates a year in the UK and Europe. The band currently consists of one remaining original member, Romeo Challenger, along with vocalist Andy Pelos, bass player Tom Bull, guitarist and drummer Sam Holland, vocalist and guitarist Billy Shannon, and saxophonist/guitarist David Graham who rejoined the band in 2020 (having previously toured with the band 2009 to 2011). Al James retired from the band in 2008, playing his last gig with the band at the Cheese & Grain in Frome, Somerset, on 20 December 2008. In early 2009, Trevor Oakes decided to take a break from the band due to ill health. He left the band and officially retired on 1 May 2009, meaning his last gig was also at the Cheese & Grain. Trevor Oakes is the father of footballers Scott Oakes and Stefan Oakes. Challenger is the father of Benjamin Challenger who trialled for Leicester City before playing basketball for Leicester Riders then moving into athletics, gained medals in the high jump at the 1998 and 2002 Commonwealth Games. Danny Willson also left the band during 2009 to join Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash, and his last gig was in Denmark on 8 August that year. Bill left the band in September 1987. With the relationship between Bill and the band becoming strained, he was asked to leave. Bill himself was quoted in a Summer 1980 fan club news letter as saying, "I count myself as one of the extremists in the band and always speak my mind. It's the only way to get things sorted out". It was the arguments behind the scenes that sadly led to the original line-up breaking up in the '80s. Bill's final TV appearance with the band was "Why?" on 3-2-1, broadcast on 21.11.87, two months after his departure. The episode was recorded during the summer.

Tracklist

Showaddywaddy's singles in the early years were not released in picture sleeves, but a few were available with a simple information sheet instead. On leaving the band, Bill bought a pub in Battram, Leicestershire, which was his home for around ten years. This was not Bill's first business interest, in the late '70s/early '80s he owned a farm - but apparently could not handle the gruesome part of farm life, and prior to this he part owned a music shop in Leicester called Soundpad, which was opened prior to Showaddywaddy forming