Darts (band)


Darts were a nine-piece British doo-wop revival band that achieved chart success in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The London-based band had a number of UK top 20 hits including three successive number twos with revivals of early US rock and roll and R&B songs.

History

Founded in 1976, by Den Hegarty along with Griff Fender, Rita Ray and Horatio Hornblower, all former members of the band Rocky Sharpe and the Razors. Joining the band was Iain "Thump" Thomson, George Currie and John Dummer, all ex members of the John Dummer's Blues Band. The line-up was completed by William "Hammy" Howell and ex Mickey Jupp singer Bob Fish. They built up a large following playing clubs and universities, although their break came after they appeared on Charlie Gillett's show on BBC Radio London in October 1976. This secured the band a recording contract with Magnet Records, where they were teamed up with record producer Tommy Boyce who had previously produced The Monkees. Covering 1950s rock and roll hits, they scored their first UK hit in November 1977 with a medley of "Daddy Cool" and Little Richard's 1957 hit "The Girl Can't Help It". More cover versions followed in 1978 with "Come Back My Love", and "The Boy from New York City". Their next single of 1978 was an original song "It's Raining" written by band member Griff Fender. All three of the aforementioned hits reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart and sold a combined total of 1.25 million copies.
Following "It's Raining" in September 1978, Hegarty left the band to tend to his terminally ill father, and he was replaced by American singer Kenny Andrews. Their final hit of 1978 was "Don't Let It Fade Away". "Get It", followed in early 1979 and they also covered Gene Chandler's US 1962 hit "Duke of Earl", produced by former Wizzard frontman Roy Wood. This was their last UK Top 10 hit, their only other sizeable hit coming in 1980 with a cover of The Four Seasons "Let's Hang On!". During the year, the line-up changed with Currie, Fish and Dummer leaving the band. Duncan Kerr and Keith Gotheridge, both formerly with Plummet Airlines joined, and ex-Mud guitarist Rob Davis briefly joined the band, before moving into songwriting and production work. Another later member was Mike Deacon on keyboards. By the end of 1980, their hits had dried up and in 1983 they began to do theatre work appearing in the theatre production of Yakety Yak.
In 1979, Hegarty became a television presenter, first with the Newcastle upon Tyne-based Alright Now, and later as part of the team fronting the children's programme, Tiswas. In 1985, Fender and Ray managed and produced the UK a cappella female group The Mint Juleps who scored two minor UK chart entries with "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" in 1986 and "Every Kinda People" in 1987.
The band remains in the Top 500 selling list according to the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles.
The band reformed in 2006 for occasional appearances.

Band line-up

Discography

Records released prior to 1981 were released on the Magnet Records label. All placings are as recorded in the UK Singles Chart and UK Albums Chart.

Singles

Albums