The Temperance Seven had this big hit in 1961 and gave the world whispering Paul McDowell.

 The three founder members were Paul McDowell who originally played trombone, Philip Harrison (originally played banjo) and Brian Innes who got together at Christmas 1955.

 Gradually the band evolved into a nine-piece ensemble with a light-hearted and humorous performing style, although they were all serious musicians. The name "Temperance Seven" was suggested from Douggie Albert, of the Albert's fame. The Albert's were cult figures in the art scene in the mid 1950's and were fore-runners to the sort of humour that became Monty Python. The Temperance Seven was a subtle play on words — the number seven being "one under the eight". That there were nine members or "one over the eight" implied intemperance.

It was in 1961 that the Temperance Seven achieved national fame with the number 1 hit "You're Driving Me Crazy" Arranged by Frank Skinner, which was produced by George Martin, quickly followed by "Pasadena" which reached No 4 in the charts.

They toured Britain widely that year and their performances acquired a set routine beginning with the last few bars of "Pasadena" (which became their signature tune) and ending with the stirring strains of the "Gaumont-British News". By the summer of 1961 their fame was such that they appeared at the London Palladium.

During this memorable performance, when opening with the first few bars of "Pasadena" the band members seemed distracted and uneasy: there were only eight of them on stage.

It had been rumoured by the host — Bruce Forsyth — that there had been a dressing room fall-out with vocalist Paul MacDowell. Just as the band reached the point of the vocal, a cloud of smoke saw a megaphone-wielding MacDowell propelled upwards via a trapdoor, to begin his refrain bang on cue. The audience was mesmerised only to be further caught out by Pasadena's legendary double false-ending.

The Temperance Seven came to popularity during the resurgent Jazz era of the early 1960s. Their unique sound, coupled with their musicianship and ingeniously humorous compositions, set them apart from their contemporaries; however, they arrived at the cusp of that era and as popular tastes changed with the emergence of Elvis and The Beatles, the Temperance Seven gradually slipped into obscurity although the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and Bob Kerr's Whoopee Band attempted to wear their mantle for several years whilst claiming no affiliation.

The original Temperance Seven were dissolved in the late 1960s, but the band continues to perform with new personnel. From time to time original members make guest appearances. Many members of the original band reunited for a BBC radio programme about the group in 2003.