At a glance
1980
Ricky Piper
Paul Felber
James Graeme
Colin Copperfield
Shaun Harris
Mary Dunne
Jean Rich
Sharron Skelton
Ricky Piper leaves
Peter Olsen replaces Shaun
Val Mitchell replaces Sharron
Cori Josias replaces Jean
The group continues as a seven piece
Siobhan McCarthy replaces Val
1981
Jean Rich returns to replace Cori
1983
Siobhan leaves and group continues as six piece
Maria Morgan replaces Jean
1984
Sheen Doran replaces Maria
Musical Director Keith Strachan leaves
Jim Graeme becomes Musical Director
1985
Karen Page replaces Sheen
1987
Stephen Sparling replaces Peter
Stephen Pert replaces Jim
Lois McLeod replaces Karen
1989
Stephen Sparling (aka Louis Hoover ) leaves
and group continues as a five piece
Dawn Knight replaces Lois
1991
Mandy Franklin replaces Dawn
Ricky Piper
Paul Felber
James Graeme
Colin Copperfield
Shaun Harris
Mary Dunne
Jean Rich
Sharron Skelton
Ricky Piper leaves
Peter Olsen replaces Shaun
Val Mitchell replaces Sharron
Cori Josias replaces Jean
The group continues as a seven piece
Siobhan McCarthy replaces Val
1981
Jean Rich returns to replace Cori
1983
Siobhan leaves and group continues as six piece
Maria Morgan replaces Jean
1984
Sheen Doran replaces Maria
Musical Director Keith Strachan leaves
Jim Graeme becomes Musical Director
1985
Karen Page replaces Sheen
1987
Stephen Sparling replaces Peter
Stephen Pert replaces Jim
Lois McLeod replaces Karen
1989
Stephen Sparling (aka Louis Hoover ) leaves
and group continues as a five piece
Dawn Knight replaces Lois
1991
Mandy Franklin replaces Dawn
Paul's Memory
The group began in early 1980. The original line up was five boys Colin Copperfield, Paul Felber, James Graeme, Shaun Harris and Richard Piper plus three girls Mary Dunne, Jean Rich and Sharron Skelton.
After Country Cousins (March 1980), Richard Piper, Sharron Skelton and Jean Rich left, and we decided it best to replace Shaun Harris with Peter Olsen whom I had worked with in the Stones musical in 77. Val Mitchell, who was in Grease with me and Richard, was briefly co-opted, along with Cori Josias, for Pebble Mill, our first TV, which we recorded on 31st May 1980, the eve of an MU strike. By the time they got back to work, Val had gone, replaced by Siobhan McCarthy. That line up did the first RVP and supported Shirley Bassey, Lena Horne and Sammy Davis.
We replaced Cori with the returning Jean, and the group proper (as Ronnie Caryl would have it) began in March 1981, a year after our inception. This line-up did all the Talk of the Town seasons and our first international gig, for the Grand Prix in Monaco in 1981. This line-up also did the seasons at the Casino Cabaret in Monte in 1981 and 1982, the second RVP, the Royston Mayoh stuff and the first Dutch concerts and TV shows. It was during the last Casino Cabaret season that Siobhan auditioned for and got the role of Evita in the West End, and so left the group (early 1983). The group continued as a six piece from this point on.
Jean left for the second time after her head was turned by success in Italy; she was replaced by Maria Morgan. Maria lasted about a year before she was replaced by Sheen Doran. Sheen's ill health meant she didn't last that long either; she was replaced by Karen Page in I think 1985.
Jim Graeme, Pete and Karen all decided to leave together in 1987; this was the point at which the group could fold or have a major re-cast. Because of promising signs from Holland, with a concert tour on the agenda, and recording, we auditioned for two men and one woman, employing Stephen Pert, Stephen Sparling and Lois McLeod in August 1987.
In 1989 Stephen Sparling (now known as Louis Hoover) left, and we decided to continue as a five piece. Lois lasted until the end of 1989 when her pregnancy meant she wanted to leave. She was replaced by Dawn Knight, who lasted a couple of years, before being replaced by Mandy Franklin in 1991 (I think).
Paul Felber 2012
After Country Cousins (March 1980), Richard Piper, Sharron Skelton and Jean Rich left, and we decided it best to replace Shaun Harris with Peter Olsen whom I had worked with in the Stones musical in 77. Val Mitchell, who was in Grease with me and Richard, was briefly co-opted, along with Cori Josias, for Pebble Mill, our first TV, which we recorded on 31st May 1980, the eve of an MU strike. By the time they got back to work, Val had gone, replaced by Siobhan McCarthy. That line up did the first RVP and supported Shirley Bassey, Lena Horne and Sammy Davis.
We replaced Cori with the returning Jean, and the group proper (as Ronnie Caryl would have it) began in March 1981, a year after our inception. This line-up did all the Talk of the Town seasons and our first international gig, for the Grand Prix in Monaco in 1981. This line-up also did the seasons at the Casino Cabaret in Monte in 1981 and 1982, the second RVP, the Royston Mayoh stuff and the first Dutch concerts and TV shows. It was during the last Casino Cabaret season that Siobhan auditioned for and got the role of Evita in the West End, and so left the group (early 1983). The group continued as a six piece from this point on.
Jean left for the second time after her head was turned by success in Italy; she was replaced by Maria Morgan. Maria lasted about a year before she was replaced by Sheen Doran. Sheen's ill health meant she didn't last that long either; she was replaced by Karen Page in I think 1985.
Jim Graeme, Pete and Karen all decided to leave together in 1987; this was the point at which the group could fold or have a major re-cast. Because of promising signs from Holland, with a concert tour on the agenda, and recording, we auditioned for two men and one woman, employing Stephen Pert, Stephen Sparling and Lois McLeod in August 1987.
In 1989 Stephen Sparling (now known as Louis Hoover) left, and we decided to continue as a five piece. Lois lasted until the end of 1989 when her pregnancy meant she wanted to leave. She was replaced by Dawn Knight, who lasted a couple of years, before being replaced by Mandy Franklin in 1991 (I think).
Paul Felber 2012
BIOGRAPHIES
Colin CopperfieldColin was a founder member of the group and was with it for its entire lifetime. Colin was blessed with the ability to make the rest of the group laugh 24/7 and so inevitably became the clown of the group despite having a great voice and being a great dancer. He also wrote a number of songs including, notably, Susie's Bar.
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James GraemeJames was founder member of the group and was always recognisable as the guy with the trilby. He was with the group for much of its existence but left in 1987 with Peter. They formed an events company together but James went on to play the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera among many other theatre roles. Read more
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Jean RichJean was a founder member of the group but left quite quickly only to return about a year later. Jean had an awesome voice and when the group had a hit in Italy with You Don't Have To Say You Love Me she left to pursue a solo career
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Ricky PiperRicky was a founder member of the group but left after the Country Cousin Club launch in 1980. He since moved to Australia where he has enjoyed a successful career as an actor. And now?
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Cori JosiasCori joined the group in 1980 and was with it for a year. She had a great voice and brought a jazzy texture to the group. Her performance of Twisted was particularly memorable.
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Siobhan McCarthySiobhan joined the group in 1980 replacing Val Mitchell. She had just played the Mistress in the original UK production of Evita directed by Hal Prince. She stayed with the group for three years leaving to play the title role in the same musical and still in the West End. She continues to work in theatre and television. See imdb
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Maria MorganMaria joined the group in 1983 replacing Siobhan. Maria had been a co-presenter on a 70s childrens TV show called A Handful Of Songs. She had also worked as a Playboy Bunny! (It says on the internet so it must be true)
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Sheen DoranSheen was previously in a group called Toto Coelo who had a #8 UK hit with I Eat Cannibals Part 1 in 1982. She joined Wall Street Crash in 1984 as a replacement for Maria. She left after less than a year through ill health.
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Karen PageKaren joined the group in 1985 as a replacement for Sheen. She was a member of the group until 1987 when she left along with Jim and Peter.
Inevitably, with half the group changing, the musical style of Wall Street Crash changed too.
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Stephen PertReplaced Jim in 1987. This is the point of greatest upheaval in the group since Keith's departure in 1984. James Graeme and Peter Olsen who had both been with the group for seven years left to pursue other ambitions, and Karen Page departed with them. Stephen Pert replaced Jim and also wrote some of the group's material thereafter. Sadly Stephen passed away in August 2022
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Stephen Sparling (aka Louis Hoover)Louis joined in 1987 to replace Peter. He stayed with the group for two years and went on to perform as Frank Sinatra in The Rat Pack.
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Lois McLeodLois joined in 1987 to replace Karen and stayed with the group for over two years. She left to have her first child at the end of 1989.
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Keith Strachan
And not forgetting Keith Strachan who started it all in 1980 and was the musical director of the group until he left in 1984. He appeared in one television performance with the group on the Paul Squires Show in 1981 playing the piano on Try A Little Harder. He co-wrote the Cliff Richard Christmas single Mistletoe and Wine which was the tenth top selling UK Christmas single of all time. He has since written music for television, notably Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and has also directed dozens of musicals and plays in the West End and on National Tour including Dancing In The Streets and Dreamboats and Petticoats.