Frank Kenyon, Dave McCumiskey, Mike Harrison, Walter Johnson and Jimmy Henshaw
They liked to play Johnny Burnett numbers and the girls loved Mike singing "Red Sails in The Sunset" The photo on the right shows a later lineup with Mike Harrison in the white jacket, Jimmy Henshaw on lead guitar, Dave McCumiskey on bass, Howard "Bosh" Rice on drums and Colin "Bimbo" Rayson on rhythm guitar. At this time Frank Kenyon had temporarily left the band but returned 18 months later. From the early days at Botcherby youth club up to 1964 Jim Lothian was their roadie. He now lives in Perth in Australia and has supplied us with much of the information on this page. Jim remembers travelling all round the Border region with the band being managed by the Border Dances Organisation run by Duncan Mackinnon. The Ramrods most frequent venue was the Dumfries Drill Hall which often turned into Dumfries Fight Night!
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The Ramrods played gigs with Joe Brown & The Bruvvers, Eden Kane, Shane Fenton & The Fentones, Nero & The Gladiators, Johnny Kidd & The Pirates and The Hollies amongst others.
Jim remembers Jimmy Henshaw building an echo chamber out of an old tape recorder and travelling down to London to try to get a recording contract. In London they played at the "Top Ten Club" in Soho where Bruce Welsh of the Shadows showed great interest in Jimmy's device.
The final lineup of the Ramrods was Frank Kenyon, Dave McCumiskey, Mike Harrison, Walter Johnson and Jimmy Henshaw as shown above
In 1964, after Dave McCumiskey had left and been replaced by Alf (later "Greg") Ridley, they became the VIPs and went on to international success.
Dave McCumiskey went on to play briefly with Eric Clapton's first band and then went on to join the Liverpool Five and play at the Tokyo olympics.
Alf Ridley (as Greg Ridley) went on to play with Humble Pie.