The Joystrings

After appearing on Cliff Michelmore's BBC Tonight television show, they were given a recording contract by EMI Records. In 1964, they became the first Salvation Army pop group to achieve chart success with "It's An Open Secret" and "A Starry Night". The main members through the years were Joy Webb (who wrote the group's first hit), Peter and Sylvia Dalziel, Bill Davidson, and Wycliffe Noble. The group had a number of other singers drawn, at intervals, from cadets at the William Booth Memorial Training College, Denmark Hill in London.

They also recorded a version of "O Little Town of Bethlehem," using the music of The Animals' "The House of the Rising Sun" - an unusual blending.YouTube, "O Little Town of Bethlehem"

In September 2013, 50 years after the Joystrings' formation, group member Sylvia Dalziel published her memoir, The Joystrings: The Story of the Salvation Army Pop Group.Dalziel, S. 2013 The Joystrings: The Story of the Salvation Army Pop Group, Shield Books, {{ISBN|978-0854129065}} [https://www.amazon.com/The-Joystrings-Story-Salvation-Group/dp/0854129065]

Wycliffe Noble died on 1 April 2017, at the age of 91.{{cite news |title=Obituary: Salvation Army drummer was part of one of Britain’s first Christian pop groups |url=https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/news/obituary-salvation-army-drummer-was-part-one-britains-first-christian-pop-groups |access-date=9 October 2023 |publisher=The Salvation Army |date=10 May 2017}} Joy Webb died on 1 October 2023, at the age of 91.{{cite news |title=Promoted to Glory: Major Joy Webb (OF) |url=https://www.southernspiritonline.org/promoted-to-glory-major-joy-webb-of/ |access-date=9 October 2023 |publisher=Southern Spirit Online}}

• "It's An Open Secret" (1964) – UK Number 32{{cite book

| first= David

| last= Roberts

| year= 2006

| title= British Hit Singles & Albums

| edition= 19th

| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited

| location= London

| page= 291

| isbn= 1-904994-10-5}} (Regal Zonophone: RZ501)

• "Million Songs" (1964)
• "A Starry Night" (1964) – UK Number 34
• "All Alone" (1965)
• "The Only One" (1965)
• "No Time To Lose"/"Love That's All Around" (Epic Records (USA): 5-10195)
• "Christmas Can Be Every Day For You" (1966)

• The Joy Strings (1964)
• Have Faith in God (1965)
• Christmas with The Joy Strings (1965)
• Joy Strings abroad (1966)
• The song break (1967)

• Well Seasoned (1966) Regal Zonophone, LRZ4016 mono; SLRZ4016 stereo, UK
• Well Seasoned (1966) EPIC Records, US
• Carols Around The World (1967)
• Joystrings Restrung (2011)
• Joystrings Christmas Collection (2012)[https://web.archive.org/web/20040421201413/http://www.joystrings.co.uk/track_listing.html]

• {{cite book

| title=Joy and the Joystrings: The Salvation Army's 'Pop Group'

| author=Gilliard, A.J.

| publisher=Lutterworth Press

| year=1967

}}

• {{cite book

| title=Bridge of Songs

| author=Joy Webb

| publisher=The Salvation Army

| year=2000

}} {{ISBN|085412683X}}

• {{cite book

| title=The Joystrings

| author=Sylvia Dalziel

| publisher=The Salvation Army

| year=2013

}} {{ISBN|0854129065}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.joystrings.co.uk/Rhythm_Finds_Its_Groove.PDF Rhythm Finds Its Groove: History of the Joystrings]
• [http://www.joystrings.co.uk Joystrings tribute site]
• [http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Gospel_Roots/7802/p1/ Page at Cross Rhythms]
• [http://www.1960schristianmusic.com/1960s_Christian_Music/Joystrings.html "The Joystrings" at 1960s Christian Music]
• [http://www.britishpathe.com/video/by-pop-to-salvation/query/Webb Pathé News report of the Joystrings performing "It's an Open Secret"]

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Category:English pop music groups

Category:English Christian musical groups

Category:English Salvationists

Category:Musical groups established in 1963

Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1969

Category:1963 establishments in England

Category:1969 disestablishments in England

Category:British gospel music groups