WHILST PERFORMING TO SHOPPING TROLLIES AT ROSELANDS, ANOTHER DRUMMER, WAYNE THOMAS, ASKED ME TO JOIN HIS BAND CALLED "FLAKE".THEY WERE GETTING REGULAR WORK AT DANCES AND DISCOS & THE LIKE. WE WORKED A LOT .AT ONE STAGE, WE WERE PLAYING 6 NIGHTS + SAT AFTERNOONS. WE ONCE PLAYED ON "THE REX MOSSOP CLUB SHOW". THIS WAS A UNIQUE SATURDAY NIGHT VARIETY T.V. SHOW,WHICH INCLUDED LIVE CROSSES TO THE GREYHOUND RACING. WE HAD 3 MINUTES TO PERFORM "WHEELS ON FIRE". IT DIDN'T FIT. WE DIDN'T DELETE A CHORUS OR SOMETHING, WE JUST PLAYED IT FASTER, AND FASTER, UNTIL IT DID FIT! WE THEN MIMED IT ON AIR. WE HAD RECORDED OUR FIRST 45, AND "WHEELS" WENT TO THE TOP OF THE LOCAL CHARTS. ON THE FLIP SIDE, WE RECORDED "YOU GOT ME THINKING". MY SHORTCOMINGS AS A SAX PLAYER WERE EXPOSED! I WAS REPLACED BY ANOTHER GUITAR. I JOINED" GALADRIAL" AS A FLAUTIST. THEY WERE AN UNDERGROUND BAND PERFORMING THEIR OWN MATERIAL. THEY HAD ALREADY RELEASED AN ACCLAIMED ALBUM, AND WERE CONTRACTED TO "FESTIVAL RECORDS". WE BROKE UP BEFORE GETTING BACK INTO THE STUDIO. THE WRITERS, GARY ADAMS & SPIDER HAD BLUE ABOUT SOMETHING. I THEN WENT ON TO TORMENT GUS McNEIL IN"WHITEWINE" WHO WAS TRYING TO PROMOTE FRANK LEWIS AS A SINGER/SONGWRITER. IT WAS A FORLORN TASK. I MUCKED AROUND WITH GARAGE BANDS TRYING TO GET SOME JAZZ INFLUENCES HAPPENING. I WASTED MY AND OTHERS TIME. I THEN SHARED A FLAT WITH A CRAZY BEBOP SINGER, CALLED JOE LANE. WE JAMMED ALL NIGHT WITH JAZZ LEGENDS LIKE BERNIE McGANN . MY SHORTCOMINGS AS A JAZZ MUSICIAN BECAME OBVIOUS TO ME. I WAS 21, BUT I EXPECTED MYSELF TO PLAY LIKE ROLAND KIRK. I THINK I MAY HAVE BEEN A TAD HARD ON MYSELF. I ALL BUT GAVE UP PLAYING, FELL IN LOVE & GOT MARRIED. MARGARET, MY LONG SUFFERING WIFE, THINKS THE MARRIAGE DISTRACTED ME. I KNEW IT WAS SOMETHING ELSE.
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