busy .. busy ... busy .... not until november
1975 SH & Cockney Rebel USA
This second half of the year was a bit boring sitting around in a not so comfortable studio, in Wardour Street, London. I guess it was to do with being right in the middle of London, and it being a lovely sunny, hot summer outside as I remember. I didn't really like being trapped inside a windowless room all day and night. We recorded most of the next album 'Timeless Flight' here at Trident Studios, a famous place, where loads of great albums were produced by people like Elton John and David Bowie. But after the album was recorded, off we went to the States supporting The Kinks, and that has it's own funny stories.....
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A photo of what Trident Studios looks like from outside, but click the image to find out so much more about what went on inside the studios of this very famous music recording studio.
Likewise below Manticore Studios, a rehearsal room in the Fulham Road, owned by ELP. We used it along with loads of other bands around this time. I went to visit Mal Ross who was looking after Renaissance and who were rehearsing there. Mal coincidentally took over from me on the Wishbone Ash US tour at the end of '74.
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There is a scan out of my diary for July/August petty cash expediture while the new album, Timeless Flight, was being recorded in Trident Studios. There's a pattern to it: Food, Car Park, Booze, Car Hire, Petrol..... The scans are in the 'diary entries' at the top of this page.
Likewise in more detail is a record of my dealings with Renaissance, looking after two of their shows in the middle of October for Miles Copeland, who was their manager at that time.
Three days after working with Renaissance I went to Wembley to see Roxy Music live for the first time. I loved their records and the different style they owned. I have got to say though, the sound at the concert was awful and very disappointing. Several years later in 1981 I got to go on tour with them, as tour manager for the Australian band 'Icehouse', who supported them at arena level around Australia. Check out 1981 and see the tour.
I was asked by Miles Copeland to look after one of his bands for 3 days in October. Renaissance, what an interesting band, with famous lead singer Annie Haslem. I remember they all had their own mini mixers on stage next to themselves so they could control their own mixes in their monitors. At that time quite an interesting and different way to do things. The video below gives you a great insight into the performance that I witnessed in 1975.
I have added a Linda Lewis live track to the YouTube collection here. Linda was to marry Jim Cregan soon and we all went to see her at the Royal Festival Hall as you can see in my datesheet to the left. What a lovely girl she was.....a lovely couple...
I have a feeling that these two video clips below of The Kinks in '75 are from their May concerts at the Beacon Theatre rather than the November concert I was at with Cockney Rebel supporting. Steve Harley absolutely loved The Kinks and in particular Ray Davies and so this tour was a bit of a dream come true for Steve. Anyway, some fantastic footage of The Kinks and Ray Davies in fabulous form.
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Wow what a great gig the Chicago one was for me. After our show we got to watch Little Feat, one of my favorite bands. Little did I know that the following year in '76 I was to work with them again .....3 times......
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I had never seen it before that day or since, but after one show The Kinks came off stage at the end of their set so I watched as they had a drink and waited for the audience to cheer them back on stage for an encore. The keyboard player didn't seem to want to go back on, so Dave Davies just took a swing and flattened him to the floor, then the rest of them went back on for the encore.....wow...
