Barnsbury Boys
  • Home
  • Editorial
  • New Articles and Images
  • School
    • Barnsburian Magazine
    • Bunking Off
    • Corporal Punishment
    • School Anecdotes
    • School Band (1958-?)
    • School Holidays >
      • School Journey to Champéry, 1955/1956
      • School Journey to Paris, 1959
      • School Journey to Austria, 1960
      • School Journey to Champéry, 1961
      • School Trip to Boulogne, 1961
      • School Journey to Germany, 1962
      • School Journey to the Isle of Wight
      • School Journey to Lloret de Mar, 1963
    • School Memories - Chris Zindilis
    • School Memories - Russell Profitt
    • School Photos
    • School Sports
    • School Uniforms Post War
    • School to Work - Tony Alger >
      • School to Work - Tony Alger [Part 2]
    • School to Work - James Sanderson
    • School to Work - John Tythe
    • Schoolboy Jobs
    • Schoolboys – Where are they now?
  • Teachers
    • Peter Stechman on Rozzer Richards
    • Barry Page on Harry Godsall
    • Mr. Witriol's Journal
    • Mr. Witriol vs. Johnny Williams
    • Tony Lawrence on the Teachers of 1951/1952
  • Personal Memories
    • Growing up between the Wars
    • World War Two Tales
    • Family Tales
    • Chris Zindilis - Childhood Memories of Cyprus >
      • Chris Zindilis - Childhood Memories of Cyprus Pt 2
      • Chris Zindilis - Journey to Mistras
    • Anecdotes
    • The Games We Played
    • Tony Bernie
    • Peter Coldicott
    • Alan French >
      • Music - the early days
      • Music - Into the Studio
      • Music - On The Road: Billy Fury
      • Music - On The Road: Bruce Channel
      • Music - Our First Album
      • Music - Cruising
      • Music - Trident Recording Studios
      • Music - Back into Trident Sound
      • Music - The day we turned down Son of my Father
      • Music - Running Out Of Time
      • Music - Our Last Album
      • Music - End Of The Road
    • John Golding
    • Terry Hayford
    • Raymond Hunter
    • Dave Hollowell-Geddes
    • Micky Isaacs
    • Richard Jones
    • Tam Joseph
    • Brian Karavis
    • Paul Kenealy >
      • Music - the early days
      • Music - Movin' On
      • Susan - the mid-teen years
    • David Naylor
    • Peter Nelson
    • Barry Page - Memoirs Online
    • Music - Bill Pitt-Jones >
      • Baby, I go for you - The Blue Rondos
    • Tom Pratt
    • Ken Pratley
    • Russell Profitt - Chuck Berry
    • John Prysky
    • Micky Simmonds
    • Bill Tanner
    • Paul Tully
    • Bruce Weir
    • Ray Wilkerson
    • Bike Lovers Everywhere
    • GS 150 - A Love Affair - Ray Silk
    • Hobbies
    • Manze's & Chapel Market
    • Retirement
    • You a Cab Driver?
  • Natter
    • Club Tempo, Highbury Corner.
    • Department Stores, Cinemas and other Buildings
    • Early Tastes and Adventures in Music
    • General Natter
    • Giles, the Cartoonist
    • Guy Fawkes Night
    • H. J. Nichols
    • Swimming Lessons
    • The Scariest Film You Have Ever Seen.
    • The Two Puddings Pub, Stratford.
    • Underage Drinking and the Art Circle
    • Uniforms & Caps
  • Local History
    • The Winter of '63
  • Reunions
    • Reunion December 2014
  • Obituaries
  • Archives
    • Happy Christmas 2014
    • Letters and Comments
    • 2013 Editorial
    • Christmas with the Family
  • Miscellaneous Images
  • Mod Dress in the Sixties
  • Template with Header to Copy

BARNSBURY BOY - ALAN FRENCH. music: into the studio

Picture
​It was 1968, we were playing two 45 minute spots at Silver Blades Ice Rink in Streatham, South London. After the gig we drove to PYE Studios, Marble Arch, London to record our first single, "My Old Man's A Groovy Old Man”. We were absolutely shattered. New energy had to be found.

We were allowed a quick run through to get the feeling of the studio. As this was our first time in a recording studio we could have been out of our depth. We put the backing track down first, then Fred sang the vocal over that, after which, Jenni included, we put down the harmonies. There wasn't any time left to listen to the finished product. The session just flew by. One of my ambitions had arrived.

Picture

There wasn't much airplay apart from a plug on Radio Luxembourg on the Kid Jensen Show. I listened in but the reception on my radio was poor. I managed to hear the record though and afterwards Kid Jensen said, "Success is just around the the corner for this band.” Well, I went and had a look; nothing there!

The record was next played on Radio One, on a programme where new releases were aired and celebrities gave their opinions. Suzi Quatro said, "Sounds as if the singer has been gargling with pebbles.” We took that as a compliment. Now we all had a 45 rpm disc of our own.

Picture
I don't remember the circumstances but DMP had a chance to back Craig Douglas in cabaret for a week. Taking up the offer we drove to Newcastle, staying in digs and surrounded by all sorts of characters. We never rehearsed with Craig because he had the music sheets and we could all read music, so no problem there. This gig taught us a lot about audiences which stood us in good stead for the future.

Craig's set list included typical cabaret songs; for example, ’Can't Take My Eyes Off You' and of course his smash hit, 'Only Sixteen.’ He was a great bloke, one of the lads. We laughed our way through the week and got to see Newcastle. We were then booked for another week with Craig in Wakefield.

After all this we were back in London. With a record release that was fading on sales, we had to get some work. Sitting in the office at The Arthur Howes Agency in Piccadilly, someone called out to us, "Would we like to back Billy Fury?” Now Arthur Howes was the real thing. He put on all the Sunday concerts back in those days.

Becoming one of Billy's many backing groups would take us to the next level so we immediately accepted. And we weren’t wrong, it proved to be a really great experience.

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.