The Foundations, at various times, comprised of:
Alan Warner (b. 21st April 1947, Paddington, West London, United Kingdom)
Arthur Brown (b. Arthur Wilton Brown, 24th June 1942, Whitby, Yorkshire, United Kingdom)
Clem Curtis (b. Clem Curtis, 28th November 1940, Trinidad, West Indies. d. 27th March 2017, Olney, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom)
Colin Young (b. 12th September 1944, Barbados, West Indies)
Eric Allendale (b. Eric Allandale Dubuisson, 4th March 1936, Dominican Republic, Caribbean. d. 23rd August 2001)
Mike Elliott (b. 6th August 1929, Jamaica)
Pat Burke (9th October 1937, Kingston, Jamaica)
Tim Harris (b. 14th January 1948, Raddington, United Kingdom. d. 2007)
Peter McBeth b. (2nd February 1943, London, England)
Steve Bingham (b. Steven Bingham, 4th April 1949, Solihull, Warwickshire, United Kingdom)
and
Tony Gomez (b. 13th December 1948, Colombo, Sri Lanka.)
Originally formed from a couple of members of a group called The Ramong Sound (named after Clem Curtis’ uncle), The Foundations were formed in 1967.
They were a group for three years, playing a U.K. interpretation of R&B.
They comprised of a multiracial, eight member, group, which included three white Londoners, four West Indians and a Sri Lankan.
For a short period, the group featured Arthur Brown (‘Crazy World Of Arthur Brown’).
The Foundations reached number 1 hit with their first release, ‘Baby, Now That I've Found You’ b/w ‘Come On Back To Me’ in 1967.
from the foundations - 1967 / rocking the foundations - 1968
build me up buttercup - 1968 / digging the foundations - 1969
The follow up single ‘Back On My Feet Again’ b/w ‘I Can Take Or Leave Your Loving’ reached number 18 in 1968.
A third single ‘Any Old Time (You're Lonely Or Sad)’ b/w ‘We Are Happy People’ climbed to number 48 the same year.
Lead singer Clem Curtis, and sax player, Mike Elliott left the group in 1968.
Colin Young replaced Clem, and The Foundations achieved two further hit singles, ‘Build Me Up Buttercup’ b/w ‘New Direction’ (which reached number 2 in 1968) and ‘In The Bad, Bad Old Days (Before You Loved Me)’ b/w ‘Give Me Love’ (which reached number 8 in 1969).
The group's last chart entry was 1969’s ‘Born To Live, Born To Die’ b/w ‘Why Did You Cry’ which reached number 46.
The Foundations disbanded in 1970.
Clem Curtis had continued to perform in a revived version of the group called Clem Curtis & The Foundations.
The new line-up had re-recorded new versions of the group’s classic tracks.
Clem Curtis, sadly, passed away in 2017 from lung cancer.
Albums:
From The Foundations (Pye Records 1968)
Rocking The Foundations (Pye Records 1968)
Build Me Up Buttercup (Uni Records 1968)
Digging The Foundations (Uni Records 1969)
