Rainbow
Line-Up:
Ricky Ball (Drums)
Paul Lee (Saxophone)
Paul Woolright (Bass
Guitar)
Josie Rika (Vocals)
Neil Edwards (Guitar)
Rainbow was one of those groups that evolved rather than was formed, and kept evolving. In the early seventies, one of the many combinations of Cruise Lane, evolved into an outfit called the Tommy Ferguson Goodtime Band. It wasn't around for very long and when Tommy left, the remaining members called themselves Rainbow in 1974.
Ricky Ball had also previously played with Challenge and Ticket. Paul Woolright was also in Ticket. Neil Edwards was from the Underdogs, Le Frame and Human Instinct.
They only recorded one single, which was released on the Family label in 1974 called "Doctor Rock and Roll"/"Only You".
Rainbow, with a number of line-up changes, lasted through to late 1976 in a residency at the Tainui Tavern in Auckland. When Paul Lee left, he was replaced by Walter Bianco for a short while, but soon he also left. Ricky Ball left to join Hello Sailor and he was replaced briefly by Dennis Ryan, who had also been in Cruise Lane, before Jimmy Hill took over on drums. Jimmy Hill had been around a long time having played with both Max Merritt and the Meteors and Ray Columbus and the Invaders and also the original Headband. Mo Dawson was another to have been in the Rainbow line-up at some time.
Ron Craig came in on guitar and Josie Rika left. Tommy Adderley was floating around at that time and he joined on vocals. Tommy was looking to reform Headband and soon left, taking Neil Edwards and Jimmy Hill with him, but Jimmy soon returned.
At this point, early 1977, the group renamed themselves Jimmy and the Jets, and consisted of Jimmy Hill on drums and vocals, Ron Craig on guitar, Peter Woods on keyboards and Paul Woolright on bass guitar. After a year, Josie Rika returned and she was eventually replaced by Beaver.
This group kept evolving and soon became known as Woody, and by the early eighties after more line-up changes, the group became the Pink Flamingos.