Breakthru (1967-1970)

The exciting Birmingham band with whom I became a pro musician in 1968. Playing a mixture of soul and Tamla classics and progressive self written material, reviewers spun the phrase ‘Psychedelic Soul’ to describe the music. Signed to Mercury records the band’s first single was unrepresentitive, the better unreleased second single ‘Peer Gynt’ features bassist Frank Farrell who wrote and sang.

Breakthru Personnel were:
Keith (Smoke) Abingdon guitar (still colleague and my writing partner)
Gary Aflalo lead vocal (joined cast of ‘Hair’ in leading role 1970)
Bobby Booth bass guitar (left in 1968, now photographer)
Geoff (Gladys) Garratley Hammond organ (left in 1968, now AV producer)
Jim Leyland drums (left in 1969)
Frank Farrell bass guitar (joined in 1968, now deceased, multi-talented Frank played bass for Supertramp and later worked with Leo Sayer co-writing his no1 hit ‘Moonlighting’)
Richard (Plug) Thomas drums (joined in 1968)
Bill Hunt Hammond organ (joined in 1969, later joined first ELO line up and later Wizzard)

In October 2007 Circle Records released the Breakthru anthology album ‘Adventures Highway’. There is a vinyl album, CD and bonus CD single along with info booklet..all in all a great package. Available now at Circle’s Online Store.
Find out more about the band on Breakthru’s MySpace pages

Breakthru Gallery (photos by Barry Gonen)