The Moments (English band)

Career

Before they settled on the name the Moments, the band went through a few identities. They first called themselves the Frantiks or the Frantik Ones, then became Steve Marriott and the Moonlights. Marriott’s restless energy drove these frequent name changes, a habit he only gave up once Small Faces took off and rebranding no longer made business sense. The original Frantiks lineup featured Marriott, Johnny Herve, Tony McIntyre, Colin Green, and Dennis Thompson.

Marriott often sang duets with his girlfriend, English actress Adrienne Posta, whom he knew from their days at the Italia Conti Academy. Buddy Holly was a huge influence on Marriott, and that sound shaped the group’s early work. They cut a cover of Cliff Richard’s “Move It” with help from former Shadows drummer Tony Meehan on production. The single was pitched to major labels but nobody bit, so it never saw release.

After that, Herve and Thompson left the group, prompting Marriott to rename the outfit Steve Marriott and The Moments. The new lineup brought in Barry Hewitt on bass, Tony McIntyre on drums, Marriott on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Johnny Weider on lead guitar, and Allen Ellett on keyboards and vocals. Their sound shifted toward R&B, and they picked up manager Tony Calder, who later co-founded Immediate Records with Andrew Loog Oldham. Each band member pulled in £30 a week, which was £10 more than Marriott would later earn under Don Arden in Small Faces.