Robin Box

Box's career started in 1964, as a member of the British rock group, Five's Company. Between 1966 and 1968, Box toured with former Manfred Mann frontman Paul Jones, and between 1964 and 1966, toured with Peter and Gordon.[1]

From January to February 1968, Robin was in the group, Wainwright's Gentlemen, a London-based soul ensemble known for alumni such as Ian Gillan (later of Deep Purple) and Mick Tucker and Brian Connolly (both later of The Sweet).[1][2][3] Box took over on lead guitar, after being invited to join by the bands bass guitarist and Robin's close friend, Jan Frewer.[3] He remained in the group until its split in February 1968, when the band decided to end when their frontman and drummer, Brian Connolly and Mick Tucker, left to form what would become The Sweet.[1]

The remaining members of Wainwright's Gentleman would do a three-month tour of Hamburg, Germany under the name Rupert's Spoon. Rupert's Spoon would contain drummer Carlo Little. When Little departed the group in September 1968, the remaining members (Box, Tony Hall, and Roger Hills) were asked to join the studio project The Flower Pot Men.[1]

Upon joining The Flower Pot Men in September 1968, the group already had commercial success with their song, Let's Go to San Francisco, peaked at number 4 on the UK charts in August 1967.[1] Box remained in the Flower Pot Men until October 1969, when they rebranded into The White Plains.[1]

After shifting managing duties to Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook, the lineup of Box, Tony Burrows, Robin Shaw, Pete Nelson, and Ricky Wolff (who replaced Flower Pot Men frontman Neil Landon, after he left to form Fat Mattress), rebranded the Flower Pot Men into White Plains. In late 1969, the White Plains recorded their first hit, My Baby Loves Lovin'.[1] Although Box was the guitarist for the band, it would be Burrows, Shaw, Nelson and Wolff who would be the face of the band during their prime in early to mid 1970. Box remained in the group until they disbanded in 1976.

In 1978, Pete Nelson and Box briefly reformed the group to record two more singles for PVK records.[1]

A reformed version containing Hills, Shaw, Box was active from 2004 to 2006.

In 1971, Box and other former Flower Pot Men and White Plains members Ricky Wolff, Roger Hills and Robin Shaw would start a project called "Crucible". Although the project was shelved, four of the sixteen tracks have since been released.[1] From 1974 to 1975, Robin was in the band, Zenith, along with Pete Nelson, and in 1982, he recorded his only solo single, "I Ain't Got You". In 1976, Box, Shaw, Hills, and Hall recorded a cover of the Christmas song Sleigh Ride, under the name Uncle Tone & His Magic Sax.[1] In 1980, Robin and Gordon Waller (from Peter and Gordon) recorded their own take on Silent Night. From 1988 to 2002, Box (and Robin Shaw) toured in the newly reformed Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers.

In 1983, Box, along with Gordon Waller and Robert Duncan, put together a musical about Leonardo da Vinci entitled Leonardo: The Musical (Not to be confused with 1993s Leonardo the Musical: A Portrait of Love).[1] Under the direction of Peter Wheeler and with the help of sound engineer Bari Watts, the play made its debut at the Players Theatre in Thame. After a while, the musical was moved to London, although its time in London was short-lived, as it was panned by many critics.[1]

The soundtrack for the musical was released on CD in January 2011.[1]