Plain Loco was formed by Steve Jay in 1990. The original line up was Steve Jay (bass, harmonica and lead vocals), John Henry Ford (pedal steel guitar), Tim Relf (drums) and Tony Caldwell (lead guitar and vocals). Steve began his career in the late 1960s spending seven years in pop band Capricorn. They won the world popular song festival in Japan in 1972 and had a No 4 hit in Japan. When Capricorn folded, Tony Caldwell asked Steve if he would deputise in the Gary Blackmore Band – this was his first taste of country music and he ended up staying for 8 years from about 1974 to 1981. He left to join comedy showband Sweet Illusion and when they folded in 1990 he formed Plain Loco. mmmm Tony Caldwell has played in many different bands since the 1960s most notably country band Colt 45 with John Rayner and fronted by the late Bob Stammers. After their demise in 1977, Tony joined the Gary Blackmore Band staying until 1981. He then joined the Jonny Young Band but spent a year with Spellbound in 1983 before returning to the JY Band. John Henry Ford (real name John Rayner aka John Knee-Levers) has had an equally long career. He first immersed himself in country music in the 1970s taking up pedal steel guitar which eventually saw him perform at Wembley Arena with Colt 45 before touring for seven weeks with George Hamilton IV. John went on to join Highway Shoes who were considered to be one of the best UK country bands in the late 70s. mmmmm Tim Relf had previously been drummer with the Gary Blackmore band but his time in Plain Loco was short and, later in 1990, he was replaced by Trevor Walter. Trevor had already seen pop success as a member of The Look (formerly The Kreed) which was formed in 1979 and fronted by Jonny Whetstone. The band’s debut single, I am the beat, peaked at No 6 in the UK singles chart in 1980. The Look never repeated this success and folded in 1983. Trevor then became a school teacher.
Plain Loco now had a settled lineup and quickly established themselves as a top class act working all over the UK at Country music clubs and major festivals. They also worked in Belgium and Holland. Their first two cassette albums were recorded with this line-up. The first, Alive and Kickin’, was a live recording released in 1993. It featured Dave Anderson on pedal steel as John Henry Ford was unwell and couldn’t make the gig. In 1994 Plain Loco contributed one track to a compilation album The Best of New British Country. Next came a studio album, Smokin’, released about 1995 and a cd album, Whose round is it anyway, recorded live at Harefield FC, also in 1995.
John Henry Ford left Plain Loco in 1996 and Steve invited his former bandmate, Geoff Eatwell from the Gary Blackmore band, to replace him. Geoff built his own Hawaiian lap steel when he was 14 and, whilst still at school, he converted it into a pedal steel. Having been taught to play by Ed Payne of the Ned Porridge Band, he joined his first band, The Mavericks. Having done some gigs with Roger Humphries and The Cherry Pickers in 1979 he became a professional musician.
His next band was the Gary Blackmore Band with Steve Jay and Tony Caldwell. He stayed with them for eight years till the band split up. Next he joined Vic Woodhouse and Lindsey St John in Hickory Lake followed by four years with George Moody and the Country Squires. After a period of ill health, Geoff gave up music and got a job in the concrete industry. He was eventually persuaded back to music and did some sessions with the Private Parts Band and, at one of their gigs, he got to play with Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart.
After being made redundant in 1992, he went back on the road full time with Band Named Sioux and stayed with them until he was offered the job with Plain Loco in 1996.
As with many Country bands, Plain Loco’s lineup has been quite fluid. Next to go in 1996 was drummer Trevor Walter. He was replaced by another experienced drummer and good friend of Wango Wiggins, Steve Dixon. Steve had been in a 7-piece function band called Soul Intention fronted by Paul Cox since the bands formation in 1992.
In 1996 there were plans for Plain Loco to become the backing band for Tony Rouse performing at major concert venues and festivals. Tony Rouse had made his name in London’s West End firstly in Les Misérables in 1992/93 and then as ‘Greaseball’ in Starlight Express 1994 – 1996. The collaboration was, however, short lived and they only ever did two gigs together before parting company. One of the gigs was at the Bottom Line in Shepherd’s Bush.
A new studio cd album called River Road followed in 1997. The album was 11 original songs, four written by Steve Jay, three by Steve Dixon, one co-written by Wango Wiggins and Geoff Eatwell and one co-written by Wango Wiggins and Billy Karloff.
Next to depart was Wango Wiggins in April 1997. Steve Jay has never had a problem finding top class musicians and Wango’s replacement was Tony Crooks.
Tony began playing guitar at the age of nine and ten years later he was working 4 nights per week all over the North West playing a diverse mix of pop, rock, blues, soul, whilst still holding down a day job. In 1986 he moved to London and joined The Kick, a new band formed by Leo Lyons a founder member of the late 60s Rock band Ten Years After. After eight years, The Kick disbanded but Tony and Leo continued to write songs together mostly for the Nashville market, having become interested in Country music over the years. With this new found love of Country, Tony was keen to find full time employment in a country band and eagerly accepted the job with Plain Loco.
In 1998 Geoff Eatwell left and was replaced by Billy Levin. As Billy is a guitarist, for the first time Plain Loco did not have pedal steel guitar in the lineup. In the early 1990s singer/songwriter Billy Levin had fronted his own band, The Hollywood Cowboys with his brother Tommy and prior to joining Plain Loco he was with Johnny Earle & Southern Star. At this time, Steve Dixon couldn’t make all the band gigs as he was still playing with Soul Intention, on these occasions the band played as a trio with Tony Crooks programming the drum tracks. Steve Dixon eventually left later that year and it was decided that Plain Loco would carry on as a trio.
In 1999 they recorded the CD album Blue Memory; this is still considered to be a milestone in British Country music. Again, it is an album of original songs; Billy Levin contributed five songs including Call me when it’s over and three, including the title song, were co-written by Tony Crooks. The album was recorded in Sean Kenny’s studio and featured Karl Brazil on drums; Karl is now in Robbie Williams’ and James Blunt’s band.
In mid-2001 Billy Levin left and Plain Loco became a duo. They remained busy on the club circuit but by 2009 they were becoming known as a line dance act playing mainly new material. This meant that some clubs that preferred more traditional Country stopped booking them. In order to cater for all tastes, Plain Loco reinvented themselves as the Loco Boys playing a wide range of pure Country music from the 1940s to the present day. Both duos functioned side by side and the new arrangement worked well as bookings increased.
Two more cd albums were released, Stick Together in 2012 and six of the best + 1 4 luck. Both were covers apart from Silver shadow a Steve Jay original song.
The duos continued until the end of 2013 when Steve decided to retire from full time gigs and he and Tony went solo. They still do the occasional gigs together either as The Loco Boys or Plain Loco and even come out as a trio if required with Cliff Weston on pedal steel. Steve and Tony have also been running line dance weekends with top Country acts since 1998.
After leaving Plain Loco, Tony Caldwell went back to the Jonny Young band and was often seen depping with other bands. He joined an American band, Eddie Choate and Texas Nightlife from RAF Lakenheath between 1999 – 2001. He finished his career with the Jonny Young band in 2008 and no longer plays. He is now a strength and conditioning coach at Aylesford Rugby Club in Kent. Tim Relf also played with the Jonny Young band until they came off the road in 2008. Having an interest in Country music, in particular the pedal steel guitar, John Henry Ford’s (Rayner) musical career changed direction after he listened to Marty Robbins’ album, Hawaii’s Calling Me. He joined a band called The Hawaiian Islanders and still plays bass with them.
After leaving Plain Loco, Trevor Walter worked with the Mike Scott Tracy band. He is retired from teaching and now plays with northern soul band the Hi Fi Sneakers. Steve Dixon stayed with Soul Intention until they disbanded in 2017 and was also a member of Gary Moore’s band in 2010. He and Paul Cox also played in a Free / Bad Company / Led Zeppelin tribute band called Fire and Water. Steve released a solo album a few years ago and now does occasional sessions and gigs. mmmm After Plain Loco, Wango Wiggins became a music teacher, session guitarist and composer of music for radio adverts and jingles. He is now retired from education but still plays occasional gigs and sessions. After leaving Plain Loco, Billy Levin formed Dartford Crossing but they were not keen on touring and quickly folded. In 2012 he was lead guitarist/vocalist in the reformed Porridge Country Band but only stayed for a year before leaving to concentrate on his own band Billy Levin and The Twang Daddies and now Billy’s Band; he is still busy writing. Geoff Eatwell hasn’t played since leaving Plain Loco. In 1998 Tony Rouse was back in Starlight Express playing Greasball (1998-99) and Swing (1999-00), He is now working as a soloist on the country circuit.
Research by Nick Catford.