Wimple Winch were one of several bands around the mid-Sixties whose limited output (only three 7″ singles in their case) command very / extremely high prices when they happen to appear for sale.

From Liverpool’s Huyton area, they originally formed, in 1961, as Dee Fenton & The Silhouettes. (‘Dee Fenton’ was the stage name of vocalist / guitarist, Demetreous Christopholos.) However, with established local bands, Shane Fenton & The Fentones and another, Mark Peters & The Silhouttes already doing the rounds, they changed their name to The Four Just Men.

A deal with EMI’s Parlaphone label was offered after the band had appeared on various TV shows and indeed written the theme music for the ‘Friday Night’ show.

All was looking good until, just prior to their first single being released, they were served a court injunction by a band of the same name. Cleverly, and very simply, EMI had the band changed their name to Just Four Men, under which they recorded two singles, neither of which made any commercial impact.

(This was the B-side to the band’s second single, ‘There’s Not One Thing.’)

It was decided then a fresh approach was needed, and in January 1966 they re-invented themselves as Wimple Winch. (No – me neither!)

They were quickly granted a ‘residency’ as house band at the Sinking Ship pub in Stockport city centre’s Mersey Square which was run by their manager, Mike Carr.

A record deal soon followed with the Fontana label and ‘What’s Been Done‘ became their first single in 1966. It’s more Merseybeat influenced, I’d say, than was their Just Four Men output, and yet is not typical of what Wimple Winch have become known for.

The follow up, ‘Save My Soul‘ falls more into the ‘Freakbeat’ category – more hard edged, but with psychedelic undertones and fuzzed up guitar.

Again, it pretty much bombed at the time, though copies are nowadays very much sought after.

Their third and final release of the year was ‘Rumble on Mersey Square South,’ a tale of local street fighting in the area around The Sinking Ship. The B-side was ‘Typical British Workmanship’ a rather bemusing, whimsical, almost novelty song – a cross between The Small Faces and Bernard Cribbins!

Somehow, though, a small number of copies were mis-pressed with the song ‘Atmospheres,’ a much more credible offering, and one I think would have been worthy of release in its own right.

Needless to say, while all their releases trade for hundreds of pounds, copies of these mis-pressings are rare as hens’ teeth and goodness knows what they’d sell for.

Unfortunately, in 1967, before Wimple Winch could record and release any further material, The Sinking Ship pub was destroyed by fire, taking with it all the band’s gear. They did re-group for a short while that summer and committed some tracks to tape. Though some have surfaced in recent years on CD and various compilations, none were released at that time, and sadly the band broke up in June 1968.

WIMPLE WINCH

Demetrious ‘Dee’ Christopholos – Vocals / Guitar
John Kelman – Lead Guitar
Barry Ashall – Bass
Lawrence Arendes – Drums

TITLE	FORMAT	YEAR	LABEL	NOTES
What’s Been Done	7″ Single	1966	Fontana
Save My Soul	7″ Single	1966	Fontana	One copy passed hands on Discogs for over £2,000
Rumble on Mersey Square South	7″ Single	1967	Fontana	Average selling price on Discogs = £280
Rumble on Mersey Square South ….(mispress copy)	7″ Single	1967	Fontana	Not yet sold on Discogs. Classed as ‘ultra rare.’