The Newcastle Five

The Newcastle Five didn't release any records while they were active, but their lineup did include a few musicians who'd make a larger impact in subsequent bands. Singer Lydia Pense would later front Cold Blood, while brothers Rich Martin and Tom Martin would go on to play in the proto-power pop outfit Powder, and then record soft rock as Thomas & Richard Frost. The Newcastle Five, however, were a folk-rock-oriented band, formed in 1965 in San Mateo, a little south of San Francisco. They didn't last long, as Pense was more interested in singing soul, splitting with bassist Bob Miller to form Profound Sound. Before the break, however, the Newcastle Five did record a three-track demo in late 1965, all of the songs being Rich Martin originals. Very much in the British Invasion-influenced early Bay Area folk-rock style of Autumn Records artists such as the Vejtables and Beau Brummels, the demo was issued as a 7" EP by Sundazed in 1997.
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