Rubettes at war
Singer says bandmates planned a breakaway group behind his back
IN their trademark white suits and flat caps, they topped the charts with debut single Sugar Baby Love in 1974.
But it seems there is now little love left between certain members of The Rubettes as they battle it out in the High Court over the band’s name.
Frontman Alan Williams, 74, has accused three former bandmates of launching a breakaway band ‘behind his back’ and is suing them for calling themselves The Rubettes.
The case sees him up against bassist Mick Clarke and drummer John Richardson, both 75, who, like him, were original members of the group from 1974 to 1980, and Steve Etherington, who joined one of several later incarnations on keyboards and guitar.
All four played together for several years on the 1970s nostalgia circuit until 2018, when barrister Michael Smith, for Mr Williams, claimed Mr Clarke was ‘sacked’ following a dispute about fees.
Soon after, Mr Clarke applied to register the UK trade mark for The Rubettes and started his own band with Mr Richusing ardson and Mr Etherington. The central issue in the dispute is whether Mr Williams and his company, Alan Williams Entertainments Ltd, have the right to prevent his former band mates from the name The Rubettes. Mr Smith said Mr Williams’ company had a monopoly on using the name.
The barrister claimed Mr Clarke and Mr Richardson had hatched a ‘secret plan’ to split from Mr Williams, adding: ‘This was all going on behind his back.’
Mr Williams had ‘been told by one of the main promoters of 60s and 70s acts that he cannot promote his band because of the presence of Mr Clarke’s band in the UK’, Mr Smith added. But Mr Clarke said he and Mr Richardson only began discussing whether they would ‘walk away’ or carry on without Mr Williams when he said he was planning to relocate to Australia. They assumed he would be out of the picture.
Mr Clarke was also frustrated with Mr Williams’ controlling style, the court heard, claiming he was secretive about cash the band received and pushed it into taking on tour dates ‘when no one was turning up for some of the shows’.
Mr Etherington has now quit the band, but is still a named defendant. Judge Pat Treacy reserved decision in the case.
‘No one was turning up for the shows’