Mittell was bassist of Merthyr Tydfil based band The Crescendos, who amalgamated with another Merthyr band The Rebels to form The Bystanders in 1962. Mittell changed his name to Gerry Braden, and became lead singer in a line-up with:
- Micky Jones – guitar and vocals
- Clive John - guitar, keyboards and vocals
- Ray Williams - bass
- Jeff Jones - drums
The band signed to Welsh label Pylot records in 1963, with initial release "That's The End", with "This Time" as the 'B' side. They were then signed to Pye Records, where they released the double-sided cover single "98.6" (backed with Marvin Gaye's "Stubborn Kind Of Fellow"), which went to number 45 in the national Top 50 chart on 9 February 1967
Gerry Braden left The Bystanders in 1967, to be replaced by Vic Oakley from The Meteorites, who was, in turn, replaced by Deke Leonard, when The Bystanders became Man.
Owen Money reformed the Bystanders in 1998 for a one-off performance at Maesteg Town Hall for his TV programme
Read more about this topic: Owen Money