Bees Make Honey
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1971-73) - Bob Cee (aka Bob C. Benberg, aka Bob Siebenberg) -- drums, percussion - Mick Molloy -- lead guitar, vocals - Deke O'Brien -- guitar, vocals - Ruan O'Lochlainn -- keyboards, guitar, sax - Barry Richardson (RIP 2001) -- vocals, bass, sax
supporting musicians (1973) - Cuff Billett -- trumpet - Fran Bryne -- drums, percussion - Gerry Hogan - pedal steel guitar, dobro - Jedd Kelly -- drums, percussion
line up 2 (1973-74) NEW - Fran Byrne -- drums, percussion (replaced Bob Cee) NEW - Rod Demick -- bass, vocals (replaced Ruan O'Lochlainn) NEW - Malcolm Morley -- keyboards - Mick Molloy -- lead guitar, vocals - Deke O'Brien -- guitar, vocals - Barry Richardson (RIP 2001) -- vocals, bass, sax
line up 3 (1974) NEW - Ed Deane -- lead guitar (replaced Mick Molloy) - Rod Demick -- bass, vocals NEW- Willie Finlayson -- drums, percussion (replaced Fran Byrne) - Kevin McAlea - keyboards - Barry Richardson (RIP 2001) -- vocals, bass, sax
line-up 4 (1977) NEW - Paul Atkinson -- drums, percussion - Rod Demick -- bass, vocals NEW- Stan Grieg -- keyboards - Mick Molloy -- lead guitar, backing vocals - Barry Richardson (RIP 2001) -- vocals, bass, sax
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- Ace (Fran Byrne) - Alias Ron Kavana (Fran Byrne, Ron Demick and Mick Molloy) - Bluesville (Mick Molloy, Deke O'Brien and Barry Richardson)) - The Bucks (Fran Byrne and Ron Demick) - Celtic Orbis (Kevin McAlea) - The Chosen Few (Mick Molloy and Deke O'Brien) - The Creatures (Fran Byrne) - Ed Deane (solo efforts) - Ron Demick and Herbie Armstrong - Rod Demick and Ian Gomm - Donovan's Brain (Malcolm Morley) - The Enemy Within (Ed Deane) - Equators (Ed Deane) - Willy Finlayson and the Hurters - Heads Up (Bob Siebenberg) - Help Yourself (Malcolm Morley) - Il Barritz (Ed Deane and Kevin McAlea) - The Ilford Subway (Bob Siebenberg) - Chris Jagger's Atcha (Ed Deane) - The James
Brothers (Ron Demick) - Juice on the Loose (Paul Atkinson, Ed Deane and Fran Byrne) - Micky Jupp Band (Paul Atkinson) - Paul Lamb & The King Snakes (Ron Demick) - Man (Malcolm Morley) - Kevin McAlea (solo efforts) - Meal Ticket (Rod Demick and William Finlayson) - Malcolm Morley (solo efforts) - Mummy (Ed Deane) - Nightbus (Deke O'Brien) - Ruan O'Lochlainn (solo efforts) - The Real McCoy (Kevin McAlea) - The Barry Richardson Band - Riff Raff (Ruan O'Lochlainn) - Sam Apple Pie (Malcolm Morley) - The Sands (Fran Byrne) - Screaming Lord Sutch (Rod Demick) - The Sharks (Deke O'Brien) - Bob Siebenber - Skid Road (Ed Deane and Willie Finlayson) - Sneeker (Deke O'Brien) - Some People (Fran Byrne) - Supertramp (Bob Siebenberg) - The Strawbs (Ron Demick) - Wheels (Rod Demick) - Ian Whitcombe and Bluesville (Mick Molloy, Deke O'Brien and Barry Richardson) - The Woods Band (Ed Deane) - Writing on the Wall (William Finlayson) - The Yardbirds (Ron Demick) - Yellow Dog (Ron Demick)
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Genre: pub-rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Music Every Night Company: EMI Catalog: EMC 3013 Year: 1972 Country/State: London, UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: UK pressing Available: 1 Catalog ID: 4249 Price: $75.00 Cost: $1.00
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These guys are virtual unknowns in the States, though they were in the foreground of England's brief mid-1970s infatuation with "pub rock". That lack of recognition is sad given they were quite talented and turned in a wonderful slice of rock with their 1972 Dave Robinson produced debut "Music Every Night".
Barry Richardson started his career in the Irish show band The Alpine Seven. By the late 1960s he'd relocated to London where he played in a number of professional and semi-professional bands, including Jan & the Southerners. Richardson eventually reunited with fellow Alpine Seven alumni Deke O'Brien (guitar), Ruan O'Lochlain (guitar) and Mick Molloy (guitar). Adding American drummer Bob Cee (aka Bob C. Benberg) to the line up, they started playing local clubs, eventually landing a semi-permanent gig at North London's Tally Ho pub. Latching on to the 'Bees Make Honey' moniker, the band also attracted the attention of manager Dave Robinson. Already enjoying some success via his work with Brinsley Schwartz, Robinson helped The Bees record some demo material, eventually attracting the attention of EMI Records.
Signed
by EMI, the group made it's recording debut with a 1972 single "Knee
Trembler" b/w "Caldonia"
(EMI catalog number 2078).
The 45 did well enough for EMI to finance an album, resulting in the release
of 1973's "Music Every Night".
Produced by Brinsley Schwartz manager Robinson, I'd agree with the notion
this is one of the best of all the so
called "pub rock" albums. The debut LP featured
a mixture of originals largely written by Richardson and O'Brien
rounded out by three cover tunes, including one of their bets known efforts
- a boogie rock version of Fleecie Moore's "Caldonia".
As demonstrated by tracks like the rollicking "Kentucky
Chicken Fry", the earlier single"Knee Trembler" and the
eclectic "Chee
"Music Every Night" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Caldonia (Fleecie Moore) - 3:30 rating: *** stars A nice horn powered slice of jumpin' jive, there wasn't anything particularly original or enlightening on their cover of Fleeice Moore's "Caldonia". At the same time it was the kind of song that would have gone over much better had you heard these guys live in a small club (preferably after you'd had a couple of cold beers). And speaking of small clubs, YouTube has a clip of the band playing the song at a 1973 appearance at High Wycombe's Nag's Head pub: Bees Make Honey - play caldonia at the Nag's Head The song was also released as a French single and tapped as the "B" side to the English "Knee Trembler" single.
- 1973's "Caldonia" b/w "Knee Trembler" (EMI catalog 2C 008-95.007)
2.) Music Every Night (Barry Richardson) - 2:59 rating: ** stars "Music Every Night" underscored England's odd infatuation with country-blues. Personally I don't get the appeal, though this tune had an okay melody and there was some nice lead guitar. 3.) Knee Trembler (Barry Richardson - Deke O'Brien) - 2:42 rating: **** stars "Knee Trembler" was a classic slice of pub rock, I forget who told me what the title meant - might have been my buddy Mark who seemingly knew more about sex than the rest of my social circle combined. Anyhow it was an English reference to an upright sexual position. Elsewhere the song referenced early band supporter DJ Charlie Gillett (who also contributed liner notes). Funny that EMI tapped an edited version of the song as a UK single..
- 1972's "Knee Trembler" b/w "Caldonia" (EMI catalog number EMI 2078)
4.) Kentucky Chicken Fry (Gerry Hogan - Barry Richardson) - rating: **** stars A surprisingly funky tune, "Kentucky Chicken Fry" wasn't something you'd expect to hear from a bunch of Irishmen living and working in London. Every time I hear it I can't help buy wonder what Rick Hall and his Muscle Shoals crew would have thought of it. 5.) Booterstown (Deke O'Brien) - 3:14 rating: **** stars Imagine if all four members of CSN&Y were Irish and you'd get a feel for what the acoustic guitar powered ballad "Booterstown" sounded like. With a '70s West Coast country-rock vibe it was very different from their pub rock sound and one of my favorite tracks. Guest musician Gerry Hogan was featured on pedal steel guitar.
(side 2) 1.) Chinee's Dead (Barry Richardson) - 3:34 rating: **** stars The lyrics were mysterious to my American ears, but "Chinee's Dead" has always reminded me of something that Nick Lowe would have written and recorded. It certainly rocker - one of the album's most commercial tunes. 2.) Bloodshot Eyes (Hank Penny - Ruth Hall) - 3:28 rating: *** stars A cover of a 1950 country tune by Hank Penny, Bees Make Honey gave the tune a piano powered bar room boogie feel. Another tune that probably would have attracted far more attention from me in a live club setting. 3.) Blood Brother (Barry Richardson) - 3:09 rating: ***** stars Another Nick Lowe / Rockpile-ish performance, "Blood Brother" had the album's prettiest and most commercial melody with some nice shared vocals, though to this day I don't know who the singers were. 4.) Highway Song (Barry Richardson - Deke O'Brien) - 3:36 rating: ** stars Pedestrian piano powered boogie rocker ... 5.) My Rockin' Days (Kenny O'Dell) - rating: ** stars Showcasing Ruan O'Lochlainn's piano the bluesy ballad "My Rockin' Days" displayed the band's tight backing vocals, but wasn't particularly noteworthy.
In 1977 Richardson and Molloy decided to resurrect The Bees. Recruiting drummer Paul Atkinson and keyboardist Stan Grieg the quartet released an EP for the UK Charley label - "Bees Make Honey" (catalog number CEP 117). The EP featured four tracks recorded during a performance at London's The Nashville Rooms.
"Bees Make Honey" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Sylvia (Barry Richardson) - 2.) Namalee (Rod Demick) -
(side 2) 1.) Boogie Queen (Barry Richardson) - 2.) Don't Stop Now (Barry Richardson) -
Following the band's collapse Richardson returned with the Barry Richardson Band. Byrne hooked up with Ace, while Demick and Finlayson reappeared in the band Meal Ticket. Actually tracking all of the bands and solo efforts the members went on to is a major task. I've made an effort above.
© Scott R. Blackerby May 2026
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ne's
Dead" the album was full of taunt and
enthusiastic rockers. At the other end of the spectrum, barroom boogie
rockers like "Highway Song" and
"Bloodshot Eyes"
and the country-blues tinged title track
may have been standouts in their live sets, but the studio versions didn't
do much for me. If you were a lyric person, be forewarned that the
words were suitably obscure (witness the previously mentioned "Knee
Trembler" or "Chinee's Dead"). Still, the set was
imminently likeable and there were only a few
missteps including the mildly country-flavored title track and the closer
"My Rockin' Days". Curiously
the set didn't see an American release. Adding to their problems,
during the recording sessions at Rockfield Studios personality conflicts
emerged. About to embark on
a tour in support of the LP things came to a head, the band undergoing a nasty personnel shakeup with
O'Lochlainn and Cee both leaving (Cee ended up with Supertramp). The
two were promptly replaced by ex-Wheels guitarist Rod Demick, drummer Fran
Byrne and former Help Yourself keyboard player Malcolm Morley.
The new line up began touring, but within a matter of months a second set of
personnel changes saw Morley head off to join Man. Original members
Molloy and O'Brien tendered their resignations shortly thereafter, with
guitarist Ed Deane, drummer Willie Finlayson and keyboard player Kevin McAlea being brought in as
further replacements. Things turned even uglier when EMI refused to
release an already recorded sophomore set. The band subsequently
recorded another album for DJM, but it met the same fate and was
shelved. Frustrated with their lack of progress they called it quits
in late 1974.
