Dave Munden (76) – The Tremeloes – was born Dec. 2, 1943 in Dagenham, Essex, England.
The group started in 1958 as Brian Poole and the Tremoloes, inspired by Buddy Holly and the Crickets. (They soon changed the spelling of their name.) Joining lead singer Poole were lead guitarist Rick West, rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Alan Blakley, bassist Alan Howard and Dave Munden on drums. As legend has it, they auditioned for Decca in 1962 and were signed in favor of another band, the Beatles.
In 1963, their recording of “Do You Love Me” (originally recorded by the Motown group the Contours) topped the British singles chart, replacing the Beatles’ “She Loves You” at #1. More Top 5 U.K. success followed, including their cover of “Twist and Shout.”
Poole departed the group in 1965 for a solo contract with CBS Records, leaving the Tremeloes a four-piece. In 1966, Howard also left and was replaced by Chip Hawkes. In 1967, as Hawkes relates, the revised lineup found a small publishing company that represented a teenaged songwriter, Cat Stevens. “I remember thinking ‘what a strange name!!,’” he notes, “although when he played us ‘Here Comes My Baby,’ we were very impressed! We recorded it the next week and CBS signed us up to release it, just to keep us and Brian happy.” The single became a #4 U.K. hit.
That same year, they recorded “Silence is Golden,” a popular B-side in 1964 for the Four Seasons that was written by their primary songwriters Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio. The single’s soaring vocals, attributed to guitarist Rick West, returned the Tremeloes to the top of the British chart and earned them their biggest U.S. success, reaching #11 on the Hot 100 on Aug. 19, 1967.
Ahead of the song that week were hits by the Hollies (“Carrie Anne”), Jefferson Airplane (“White Rabbit”), Stevie Wonder (“I Was Made to Love Her”), the Doors (“Light My Fire”) and the Monkees (“Pleasant Valley Sunday”). At #1 were The Beatles, with “All You Need is Love.”
After achieving 11 Top 10 singles in the U.K., the group broke up in 1974. They reformed in 1979 and though there were no more radio hits, they remained a popular live attraction. The latest lineup was to be part of a 2020 Sixties Gold Tour but it was delayed due to the pandemic.
Dave Munden made his final appearance with the group on Dec. 8, 2016, before joining fellow Tremeloes alums Hawkes and Poole. He once was asked by an interviewer what he enjoyed most about the group’s fame.
“Meeting lots of girls, having lots of fun and enjoying the money,” was the reply. “I bought myself both an Aston Martin DB4 and a Jaguar E-type sports car, which I enjoyed tremendously.”
Dave Munden died October 15, 2020, having been in ill health in recent years. No cause of death was revealed; Munden was 76.
