!['''Honeybus''' were a [[1960s]] band, who, since their heyday, have often been pigeonholed as one-hit wonders, a tag which belies the rich legacy of material left behind by the band.]( "'''Honeybus''' were a [[1960s]] band, who, since their heyday, have often been pigeonholed as one-hit wonders, a tag which belies the rich legacy of material left behind by the band.")
'''Honeybus''' were a [[1960s]] band, who, since their heyday, have often been pigeonholed as one-hit wonders, a tag which belies the rich legacy of material left behind by the band.
The best known lineup consisted of [[Pete Dello]] (vocals, keyboards, guitar), [[Ray Cane]] (vocals, bass, keyboards), [[Colin Hare]] (rhythm guitar, vocals), and [[Pete Kircher]] (drums, vocals). Material written by the band's main resident composers, Dello and Cane, was astonishingly close in quality and content to those of [[Paul McCartney]] and perhaps the softer sides of [[John Lennon]] of that era. Critics, amongst them [[Kenny Everett]] compared the band to Rubber Soul-era [[The Beatles|Beatles]]. Yet Honeybus never had the right single out at the proper time, and only once in their history did they connect with the public for a major hit with [[1968]]'s "I Can't Let Maggie Go".
"Maggie" hit No. 8 in the UK charts in 1968, but any chance of future success was shattered when Pete Dello resigned during the single's chart run. He had been willing to play live on radio appearances and the occasional television or special concert showcase, but abhorred the live scene and the idea of touring America. Jim Kelly came in on guitar and vocals, while Ray Cane, whose talents and instincts were a close match for Dello's, took over most of the songwriting, they scored a minor hit with "She Sold Blackpool Rock", but the group never really recovered and they disbanded late in 1969.
The band's work is arguably best evaluated by listening to the sublime [[1970]] album ''The Honeybus Story'', which, without an active band to promote it, sank without a trace. Dello and Hare went on to record critically-acclaimed solo albums, sadly without any commercial success. A further surprise for fans came when the Dello lineup got back together in 1971 to record a new body of songs for the Bell label and a complete LP for British [[Warner Brothers]], which was never issued. Eventually, everybody except Kircher gave up music as a profession.
Pete Dello now owns several car showrooms in Britain.
==Discography==
* 1970 Story
* 1973 Recital
* 1989 Honeybus At Their Best
* 1993 Old Masters, Hidden Treasures
* 1997 At Their Best
* 1999 The Honeybus Story
* 2002 She Flies Like A Bird : The Anthology (features unreleased songs such as ''"Big Ship"'')
===Singles===
* 1967 Delighted To See You (Dello)The Breaking Up Scene (Dello) - Deram
* 1967 (Do I Figure) In Your Life (Blumson)/Throw My Love Away (Cane) - Deram
* 1968 I Can't Let Maggie Go (Dello)/Tender Are The Ashes (Dello) - Deram
* 1968 Girl Of Independent Means (Cane)/How Long (Kircher-Cane-Hare) - Deram
* 1969 She Sold Blackpool Rock (Cane)/Would You Believe (Hare) - Deram
* 1969 La Cigona (Italian version of She Sold Blackpool Rock)/Chi Sei Tu (Italian version of Ceilings No 2) - Decca
* 1972 Story (Cane)/The Right To Choose (Cane) - Deram, January 1970
* 1972 She Is The Female To My Soul (Dello)/For Where Have You Been (Hare) - Bell
* 1973 For You Baby (Dello)/Little Lovely One (Dello) - WEA
* 1976 I Can't Let Maggie Go (Dello)/Julie In My Heart (Dello) - Decca
* 1982 I Can't Let Maggie Go (Dello)/Tender Are The Ashes (Dello) re-issue - Decca
==External links==
*[
http://www.honeybus.net/ Official site]
*[
http://www.colinhare-and-honeybus.co.uk/ Colin Hare and Honeybus]
