[2] Tomlinson was born in Isleworth, Middlesex, England, and attended Spring Grove Grammar School, where he was classmates with drummer Mick Underwood.
In June 1966, Tomlinson and Marsh joined forces with two members of The Noblemen – bass player Bryan Stevens (born 13 November 1941, Lha Datu, North Borneo) and keyboard player and singer Mike Ketley (born Michael Ketley, 1 October 1947, Balham, South London) – in a new version of The Noblemen, which changed name in November to The Motivation.
The Motivation supported visiting US soul acts including Lee Dorsey, Edwin Starr, Alvin Robinson, The Vibrations and The Coasters.
[1] The group shared the bill with notable acts including Jethro Tull, Fleetwood Mac and David Bowie among others.
While Tomlinson was with Gethsemane, he participated in a BBC radio session at Aeolian Hall with Elton John on 28 October alongside guitarist Caleb Quaye and bass player Boots Slade.
The pair also appeared on an unreleased LP by Toronto singer Jay Telfer while Tomlinson guested on Life's eponymous album for Polydor Records.