The band was formed in
Hoboken, Antwerp by Fred "Bekky" Beekmans and Bob "Bobott" Baelemans, initially calling themselves 'The Fredstones'. In 1965, they met producer
Norman Petty, who was on a promo tour in Europe. They recorded a couple of singles with Petty, who also suggested the change of their band name into 'The Pebbles.' In 1967, they signed with manager Louis de Vries, who was also working with
Ferre Grignard. De Vries managed to get them signed with record label
Barclay. One year later, they released their single "Get Around", which became their first hit. Their next single "
Seven Horses in the Sky" became their biggest success. The band scored a couple of hits in Belgium, France and Spain and started to build a good live-performance reputation, which resulted in them sharing the bill with
Jimi Hendrix and
The Small Faces at the
Olympia in
Paris. Because Barclay was not interested in the Anglo-Saxon world, they never released anything in the United Kingdom. The band decided to send a copy of their single "Incredible George" to
George Harrison, who was the main theme of the song. Harrison was charmed by their music, which led The Pebbles into almost signing with
Apple Records, the label founded by
The Beatles, and sent them a telegram congratulating them. However, Barclay would not let them go so the record deal was off. In 1969, they released their first album
The Pebbles, though the sales were not as good as hoped for. The discussions between members Luc Smets and Fred Bekky, about the musical direction the band was heading in, reached its climax, dividing the band into two. As a result, the band went through some personnel changes. Years later, they finally managed to end their obligations with Barclay and signed with United Artists, wanting airplay in the UK and United States. In 1973, they released their second album
Close Up. They had some minor hits, but never managed to have the same success as before. The band split in 1974, with certain members starting their own projects. Keyboardist Luc Smets (1 August 1947 – 20 August 2023) died aged 76. Fred "Bekky" Beekmans {18 February 1944 - 21 February 2025) died aged 81. ==Members==