Former show producer Les Cocks was back for his second appearance on the judging panel and was joined by Mickie Most, Shaw Taylor and Martin Jackson.

The seven new acts, which included three from Manchester, were in order of appearance;

• Timepiece (five-piece group) from London
• Don Munday (comedian) from Devon
• Heather Whittaker (folk singer) from Manchester
• Jolly Brothers (comedy duo) from Accrington
• Greengage (five-piece group) from Manchester
• Johnny Rich (vocalist) from Manchester
• Judy Peers (pianist / vocalist) from Nottingham

The winner of the show was 24 year-old singer and pianist Judy Peers, who booked herself a place on the final All Winners show of the series just a couple of weeks later.

Judy had been an artist for past eight years and had been a finalist in the Grand Prix de Paris International de la Chanson. She grew up surrounded by show business as her mother ran professional accomodation in Blackpool.

Manchester group Greengage won the viewers panel vote but would have to wait until series five, show eight on 30 October 1976 for their second appearance. Their groupwas made up of four boys and a girl and they went on to win the National Club Acts Award for Group of the Year in February 1977 with their exciting visual and vocal performances.

Comedy duo the Jolly Brothers were real brothers, 31 year-old Jimmy and 24 year-old Tony, but began as separate club comperes before getting together as comedians.

In December 1979 the Jolly Brothers came well down the voting in the Search For a Star talent show when their risque crude schoolboy humour did not impress the judges on a show broadcast at family viewing time.

Singer Johnny Rich came into the show having already had some talent show success.  Johnny won the 1972 All Lancashire Talent Competition, where, smartly dressed in a two-tone shirt and high-heeled two-tone suede shoes and a style all his own he made an instant impression.

Timepiece started life in the East End Of London and after several personel changes they secured their New Faces appearance invite after winning the musical/instrumental category in the Grand Final of the Truman Talent Trail at the Lyceum Ballroom in November 1975, where judge Martin Jackson saw them perform. They performed a song vocalist Martin Lawford had written, called Tell Me The Reason Why?  Their actual performance from the show can be seen at the end of this page. 

Mickie Most liked the band and was impressed by their West coast of America feel but wasn’t crazy about the actual song. The other three judges all had very positive comments about the performance. They scored 27 marks for presentation, 29 for content and 31 for star qualitym giving them a total score of 87

The line-up was Martin Lawford (vocals), Pete ‘Kiwi’ Matthews (lead guitar), Jerry Cunningham (bass), Mal Ward (drums) and Richard ‘Dick’ Searles (keyboards).  Timepeice were managed by Ten Years After drummer Ric Lee who offered them a publishing deal and Martin’s song writing career began in earnest. The group continued for another two years after their appearance, but they eventually split to pursue their own musical projects and direction.

Martin Lawford went on to co-write with Adrian Baker and sang with Adrian’s Band Gidea Park. Martin later performed in the Murcia region of Spain with a band called The Beagles and owns and runs a Spanish Fruit farm.  Dick Searles is a solo artist in Kent, while Jerry Cunningham also performs solo gigs in the UK. Mal Ward lives in Suffolk and still plays drums, performing with his partner Veronica in Tribute Shows while Pete Matthews returned to New Zealand where he performed in a duo with his wife.

Show Footage

Timepiece – Tell Me The Reason Why?