BIOGRAPHIE

SchooldaysI

grew up in a house filled with Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Ricky Nelson, Roy Orbison, Chuck Berry and so on, two older sisters jiving with the living room door. One of the first 'Fanzines' Elvis Monthly came with the post, and pop idol posters taken from magazine centre pages hung on their bedroom wall. Along with Motown and Stax, I listened to the Beatles, Stones, Kinks etc and like many others at the time, graduated to my teens finding Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Leadbelly, and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, suddenly realising where Elvis and Buddy had found their music. At around 14 my sister gave me an acoustic guitar, and with a few chords I learned basic blues and folk, and became more aware of Dylan, and the depth of his songwriting.

With his influence I started to write a few simple songs, none of which are memorable..

1970I

left school with only the intention of making music, which seemed a better option than working for a living, and formed a band 'Sheba' with good friend Alfie Barton, who I'd met at local concerts, and who also ran a local youth club, booking my pretty awful school bands. I did short lived jobs as a wireman with the new telephone exchange, Thermos, and then stepped up the music league joining local hero's 'Castle Farm'. They had it all together and were playing all the school and college dances, a few of the major clubs, and were on the brink of signing an album deal with 'Worldwide Enterprises' who it turned out were a bit 'shifty' to say the least. They came from the same stable as Sharon Osbourne's dad, who had apparently fleeced 'The Small Faces' and 'Black Sabbath', and Peter Grant, who by now was managing 'Led Zeppelin' famously using his former occupation as an all in wrestler, making 'offers that could'nt be refused'.

In 72,

with the collapse of the album deal the band decided to register 'Farm Records' and released an independent single 'Hot Rod Queen', which sold out of it's original pressing in a matter of weeks, and can still be heard on the internet today bouyed up by a 'cult' following. With this last ditch attempt not securing much of a future 'Castle Farm's' demise soon followed, they were unfortunate not to be able to transfer great songs and a 'monstrous' live set to record.

1973 - 78

To make ends meet I became a 'graphic artist', laying out pages for magazines like 'Coin Monthly' and 'Dog World' and although enjoying this, art having been my best subject in a school where music was'nt available, my only real interest was to get back into a band, and I continued to write songs, do self financed studio sessions at 'Pathway' the cheapest studios available, and form bands destined to go nowhere, while trying to bring up a son 'Scott' solo. His mother left knowing I was'nt the best catch with a head full of unfulfilled music, growing alchoholism, and the job went the same way. During this lost time, the only other achievement was adding to my song catalogue, which by now was my only route forward. It got to the point where I had no instrument left, having sold the last, a 'Saxon, Hummingbird' acoustic. I got £30, to buy food and some new jeans for Scott, all his others were 'kneed'. It could'nt get much worse so I borrowed a twelve string EKO from Alfie. It only had six strings, did'nt tune very well, but at least I did'nt go completely nuts, I'm sure there are those who would disagree as possibilities in music were being drawn farther away by the 'Punk Revolution'.

1979 - 88

It was a Wednesday afternoon in September, my Council flat in Hampden Crescent, Brentwood. I'm sitting penniless in the armchair, trying to think what would be a good 'three chord' punky type single with a hook line for the end of the decade, before I pick the chap up from school.

'Here come the 80's' was the first line I had. With the borrowed guitar I'd finished the tune in about half an hour, beginning with a countdown from 10, three verses, with the hook 'this is the 80's' repeated after each line, and I thought, got it.

A couple of days later Alfie came by and I played the tune, saying I thought I had something. We needed a demo so went to a pal, Graham Weiland, at 'Dog Kennel Studios' and recorded four or five songs. Strangely I can't remember who played the session, whether I played bass or guitar, who the drummer was, Mick Clewes I think.

A few weeks passed and nothing was said. Alfie at that time was a 'roadie' for 'Manfred Mann's Earthband' and unbeknown to me played Mannie the demo. The story goes that his children suggested he do the song, he made a few changes, put one of his synth lines on, and with the addition of the 'put up a parking lot' line from Joni Mitchell,

'Lies, Through the 80's' became his next single in October 1980, featured on the 'Chance' and 'Live in Budapest' albums, and has appeared on at least three Manfred compilations, and amusingly sandwiched between Cliff Richard and Robert Palmer on 'Radioactive Hits' which was a compilation of chart stuff, on sale at Woolworths. Over the next few years I wrote 'Killer on the Loose' for the 'Criminal Tango' album, and 'Telegram to Monica' for 'Masque', did many sessions providing vocals and bass for these tracks plus the vocal for 'Geronimos Cadillac' the single from 'Masque'. I wrote a few other tunes for this album, which were recorded but never used, still, in short, I owe Mannie and Alfie a lot, I was in a bad place then, but made some great friendships with musicians that endure to this day.

One of those frienships was with Tom McGuinness, the guitarist from 'Manfred Mann' in the 60's, and 'McGuinness Flint' in the 70's.

Tom was putting together a band to fill time while Paul Jones was away from 'The Bluesband' for a year doing 'Kiss me Kate' at the 'Old Vic'. He asked me to play bass and sing, and of course provide some songs. His idea was 'The Guitars' which would also feature Dave Kelly and Mick Green, it did'nt last long,

but morphed into 'The Kelly McGuinness, Rythmn Method' with other guys from 'The Bluesband', Hughie Flint and Rob Townsend. It was a pleasure to play with Hughie, a 'Bluesbreaker' from John Mayall's 'Beano' album, featuring Eric Clapton. There were lots of 'Rythmn Method' recordings, a few festivals, and nice times, jamming with Noel Redding and Joanne Kelly at the Half Moon, Putney same venue with Lou Martin, and getting back together with Mick Green playing bass and singing for the 'Pirates'.

1988 - 1999

the mid 80's working at Manfred's studio, 'The Workhouse' the various musicians from the 'Earthband' and the regular session players who came in were always happy to come out and play when they had the chance.

I put together two options 'The SOS' playing the Manfred type songs I'd written, and also set up a Sunday Night Blues Club, at the Essex Arms, Brentwood, with a house band to back invited guests.

'The SOS' featured various line ups and recordings, studio and live, some of which are available on the 'Play and be damned' album. This band in various forms includes guitarists, Geoff Whitehorn, Mick Rogers, Clive Mulcahy, Tommy Willis, Dave Flett, drummers John Lingwood, Simon Holdgate and Mick Clewes, and probably many more I don't recall right now. I played bass and sang, and it usually worked as a trio, in a 'Police' kind of way.

The Blues Club house band were Malcolm Taylor, bass, Tim Rojek slide /harp, John Aldrich guitar, Simon Holdgate, drums, and myself, guitar. We invited quite a few guests including Tony McPhee, Steve Waller, Stevie Smith, Tom McGuinness, Dave Kelly, Gerry MacAvoy, Mick Abrahams etc...etc.

We did try to record a live album here, and did this over two nights, the results are still in the hands of Alfie Barton?

What materialised eventually was a studio album, my first.

In 1990 we recorded 'Bless Tupelo'. John Lingwood, Malcolm Taylor, Tim Rojek, and me, Geoff Whitehorn guested on two tracks and I put it out independently, pressing up 1000 on vinyl, as they sold well added 1000 on cassette, and then 1000 on cd, some are still available now.

With this album I did a tour of Iceland with Bobby Harrison, formerly of Procal Harum and SNAFU, and put together a trio with Simon Holdgate and my son Scott, now 17, to tour in Europe.

We visited Germany, Holland, Belgium and France and played a live session for GLR where presenter Mary Costello introduced me as

"the best kept secret in British blues".

In 1993 I was asked to organise the 1st Brentwood International Blues Festival, as part of the town Festival. We sold out three nights at 'The Hermit Club', Saturday's headline being Snowy White. With the success of this we moved the Sunday blues club to this venue and I started working for Essex County Council, running the club and organising the now annual blues fest.

The festivals at Brentwood gradually became bigger, we then used Brentwood Theatre, along with the Hermit Club to make 'International Blues Festival Brentwood' a great gig, inviting many great names from the world of R'n'B. Zoot Money, Tony McPhee, The Yardbirds, Peter Green, Honeyboy Edwards, Nine Below Zero, Dr Feelgood, Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts, Johnny Marrs, The Hamsters, Dave Kelly and many, many more, individual musicians that came to guest and play. For instance, Robbie Macintosh, (Pretenders, Paul Macartney, John Mayer, Norah Jones), without doubt, one of the best guitarists around, and, the last time we spoke still a good friend. These shows were the best that town will ever see. John Lingwood's mixing and general help on 'Bless Tupelo' (1990) led us to my second album 'Noah's Great Rainbow' (1995). I'd still been writing and had a batch of new songs, some of my best, inspired by 'The Band'. This album is still good, from my point it stands up, it's Scott's debut on bass, and John did some great 'extra' work programing, and producing. To promote this album, clubs wanted to see this band, John became unavailable, but did do a small tour in France, was available where possible, and Hilary Briggs who played keyboards and recorded it seemed to disappear? until he re-appeared threatening me with action from the MU for a recording fee, (and re-re-appeared gigging with Mick Taylor, a gig which he got through me, via Alfie Barton) when the agreement was we'd split the money from gigs, paying for the album first.

The reviews were good, we did a live session for Paul Jones 'BBC Radio 2' blues show, Paul said "the session had intense guitar", Jazz FM Manchester, apparently played the whole album, and the general consensus of opinoin was 'let's see the band'. Unfortunately a band was not there, and a good album was, but nobody knew.I carried on regardless and played with various line-ups, the drummer always being the variable.

The most regular was Denis Mayor, but in 1999 I finally said enough, tired of driving home half drunk at 2am, living hand to mouth and seeing no future in music, I spent a year searching and eventually, with my partner of 5 years, we sold everything and moved to Suffolk, buying a pub, The Raliway Tavern, Mellis, in December 2000. I did the last festival at Brentwood, basically walked out of the job, and said goodbye music, thanks, life seemed positive for once?

2000

Sometimes at Mellis, it was wonderful. After closing I often used to sit with my dog, Jess, an English Springer Spaniel, a glass of white wine and just look at the stars, listening to Procal Harum or John Mayer, from the open door, as close as I wanted to be to music. Running a pub is long hours, hard work, and no thanks for it, what ever you do to improve your business you're challenged, criticised and disliked, if you don't serve lates, they vote with their feet, having said that, we did have some great customers, friends, who I miss to this day.

I saw trouble coming when I was told by a local, loads more would come but, people are waiting for you 'to do something' ie play. After some time I relented and decided to do an impromtu concert on a Saturday, maybe every couple of months, just for a bit of fun. The next thing, Mick Taylor comes by to say hello, telling me he'd come and play with me if I do anything. Before I know it I've booked 'Mick Taylor and his band' (I did'nt want the band at all), and I'm running a concert at the Diss Corn Hall. It happened to be a great success, selling out, and pre selling enough tickets for a second concert. We finished up doing an annual 'Christmas Jam' which I have to say, apart from the real graft, and crap some musos come up with, my wife once did Mick's washing, was great fun. Ruth was a great cook and we'd always cater for the bands at the pub, on one occasion, while I prepared the gig, pa, back line and so on, she worked all day serving behind the bar, cooked a wonderful Greek style 'Stifado', all local ingredients, with side salad, new potatos, I think there was dessert, a few bottles of good wine on the table, and the 'Yardbirds' roadie said, "got any chips"? Oh well, we did get the bar, which sometimes gave us a well deserved holiday, and once paid for a BMW!!!!!!

Now

Mick Taylor's keyboard player, Max Middleton, started to drop by and play, with him old friend Jeff Allen, and along with Scott, this became the 'pub band'. It was called 'Regulars'. I don't remember exactly how, or why, but we ended up at Jeff's 'Sensible Music Studios' in London, and did the 'Sleepwalking with you' album (2005). This band supplied the first set at the Diss concerts, and one of my customers recorded the 2006 show, this became the basis of the next album 'Liva La Regulars' (2009).

Seven and a half years at Mellis was long enough, and we sold up in April 2008, moving to a nearby village, Botesdale. I really did'nt know what I would do to make a living now, but with the albums to promote it seemed music was the only option, it would be a long haul without an agent or real management, but for me, it had always been that way. It seems when there appears nothing, something comes up.

Mick Taylor was getting tour offers and said, "why don't I play with you guys". With some 'politics' Kuma Harada who had been playing with Mick, replaced Scott, and tours of Germany, France, Japan and USA followed as 'Mick Taylor's All Star British Band'.We also did festivals in the UK, Spain, Holland and Italy before it collapsed due to Mick's constant health problems. There were no recordings, but one DVD, 'Mick Taylor, the Tokyo Concert'. This includes one of my songs, 'Burying Ground' but the promise of writing did'nt materialise, I don't think I was sacked, more lost interest, so I suppose I left, and so did my wife!!!!!

I moved and settled in Germany in 2010. After playing the 'Kammgarn International Blues Festival' in Kaiserslautern, the year previously with Mick Taylor's band, it seemed a good place to restart.

Small tours playing clubs and bars have followed, with occasional more 'prestigious' gigs. The band, now called 'Regulators' with John Lingwood back on the drum stool, in 2010 headlined in a series of concerts at 'Mannheim Hauptbahnhof Blues Nights' where they played to a capacity crowd, returned to the 'Kammgarn Festival' in 2011 again playing to a full house. In a break from 'Regulators' I toured Holland with 'Snowy White's Bluesdrivers' in March 2013, and in October after gigs in the UK and Holland, 'Regulators finished a nine date tour with a concert in Baden Baden. The concert, 'Kopfhörer Live' is a recording and broadcast by SWR1, where they were very warmly received by the 300 strong crowd. The resulting tracks form the band's fifth album and feature new songs along side their normal live set. The album is currently untitled and in production at the moment, with a projected release date for September, followed by a promotional tour in October.............................. .