The Mighty Avengers

A Rugby based quartet, the Mighty Avengers fell into the orbit of Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham, who got the band signed to England's Decca Records in 1964. The band -- Tony Campbell on lead guitar and vocals, Mike Linnell on bass and lead vocals, Tony Machon on rhythm guitar and harmonica, and Biffo Beech at the drum kit -- released four singles in two years and made a specialty of covering songs by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, of which only "(Walkin' Thru The) Sleepy City" and "So Much in Love" ever made much of an impression. One is intrigued by the B-side of their final single, "Sir Edward and Lady Jane," which manages to squeeze references to the founder and head of Decca and a notable Jagger/Richards song into its name. In 1966, lead guitarist Tony Campbell hooked up with ex-Pinkerton's Assorted Colours bassist Barrie Bernard and keyboardist Clive Scott and drummer Des Dyer, who'd written songs for Engelbert Humperdinck, to form Jigsaw, which had a long, successful history in England. ~ Bruce Eder