Tornados, The

The house band for pioneering record producer Joe Meek. Their original and classic line-up comprised Alan Caddy (guitar), Clem Cattini (drums), Heinz Burt (bass), George Bellamy (rhythm guitar) and Roger LaVern (keyboards). Their instrumental material was composed and produced by Meek, and frequently had a futuristic sound which reflected Meek's interest in electronics and sound manipulation. Although their first single "Love And Fury" bombed, the follow-up "Telstar" caught the public imagination and was a number one hit in both the UK and USA (they were the first British group ever to top the US Hot Hundred). The quintet enjoyed several more UK hits, though the original line-up began to fall apart when Heinz Burt left for a solo career as a vocalist in 1963 (he scored one major UK hit, "Just Like Eddie" later that year), and none of the original members remained by the time the Tornados finally disbanded upon Meek's death in 1967.