This heat was originally scheduled to air on 31 May 1975 having been recorded on 27 May 1975, however the ITV industrial action over the previous Bank Holiday weekend resulted in the shows being rescheduled.

The panel of four judges for this heat were Tony Hatch, Clifford Davis, Arthur Askey and George Elrick.

The seven acts that had to wait an extra few weeks for their TV debut were;

• Muscles (four-piece group)
• Jayne Sullivan (female soprano) from Surrey
• Arlton Browne (magician / muscleman) from Birmingham
• Ray King (comedian) from Liverpool
• Dickie Gibb (vocalist) from Scotland
• Just Us (vocal / instrumental duo)
• Helen Day Band (five-piece group) from Nottingham

According to many TV listings originally billed to appear were guitar duo Double Trouble but based on the broadcast screen capture below it appears that they were replaced in the line-up by John and Sue the Llanelli duo who performed under the name Just Us.  Despite only scoring 73 points on the show in 1976 the duo were given a 19-week season at Butlin’s in Barry Island.

The judges gave 116 points to the heat winner the Helen Day Band with all four judges awarding maximum marks for Star Quality. 20 year-old Helen Coleman, a miner’s daughter based in Nottingham, recruited the four man backing group from Bailey’s nightclub in Hull and their appearance on New Faces was their first as the Helen Day Band.  Judge Tony Hatch was so impressed with the performance of their own song Supachild, written by group member John Jowitt, that he offered to record and produce the group.

With their victory the group booked the last remaining place on the following week’s All Winners Show, where a name change would see them perform as Helen Day and Catch.

Their actual performance in their winning heat can be viewed in the video clip below.

First to perform were Muscles a Birmingham based funk band. Their line-up for New Faces consisted of Geoff Brown (vocals), Richard Ford (bass), Steve James (drums) and Stuart Scott (guitar), however they would later recruit drummer Mel Gaynor, who in 1982 joined Simple Minds as a session drummer on their New Gold Dream album and later joined the band permanently remaining with them until 2017.

Muscles released several singles and an album in the seventies many of which can be listened to on a You Tube playlist.

Muscles singer/songwriter Geoff Brown later moved into the video game industry founding publishing company U.S. Gold which merged into Eidos in 1996, and were involved with the development of the Tomb Raider game.

The second act was 21 year-old soprano Jayne Sullivan.  Jayne had a versatile act, one moment singing an operatic aria as though she were on the stage at the Royal Opera House, and the next, a country and western song with her own guitar backing as if she had just flown in from Nashville.

After her New Faces appearance she appeared on television and in Cabaret and concerts throughout the country and was never short of work. In fact just eighteen months after her TV debut Jayne appeared on BBC TVs The Good Old Days and also appeared as Snow White in pantomime at Gravesend.

In 1978 she played the Princess in Emu in Pantoland with Rod Hull and Billy Dainty at Wimbledon and performed in Southport with Windsor Davies and Don Estelle in The Big Laugh-In Company.  In October 1980 Jayne headed to the USA to perform her new country act in a genuine old time music hall in Santa Monica.

In October 1982 Jayne finished fourth in a talent contest held at Rolls-Royce Sports and Social Club, Leavesden which was won by the Harrow Youth Big Band. Runner-up in the same contest was a 21 year-old semi-professional comedian and former Pontins blue coat named Bradley J. Walsh.

Show Footage

Opening Credits and Introduction

Helen Day Band – Supachild

Archive: A copy is held by the BFI – Work – 570063