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Going under various names, including Crunchy Frog, this was the Bournemouth Beat Contest winning band which got local paper headlines for noise pollution and supported Focus at Chelsea Village with songs by me and Richard Smith (now Mazda).
Led by guitarist, songwriter and schoolfriend Luther, we performed at US bases in Germany doing soul music and our own material, then living in London for a year trying to make it and doing bingo hall accounts by day.
My jazz fusion band at the University of East Anglia featured Phil Smith on sax and Marc Fox on percussion who later joined Haircut 100.
I played solo piano in various bars, interpreting a number of standard songs such as Summertime as well as my own favourites such as Waltzing Matilda and Drunken Sailor.
Embarrassing but true: good band, though.
A show titled Cubicles written and performed by talented young people in Stratford about conversations in school toilets: I rehearsed and played piano with them.
I played second piano to the great Dave Formula in this stylish duo's farewell performance.
Nick Heywood didn't like piano, so I joined as he was leaving, doing a B side with the original band and several singles, an album (the criminally underrated Paint and Paint) and some touring with the new line-up, with Marc on vocals.
Played clavinet with the band led by ex-Roxy Music bassist Rick Kenton on the Thompson Twins Into The Gap tour.
Rehearsed and showcased material with Owen Paul (who was guided by Radio 1 DJ Peter Powell), and got Phil Smith to join in.
Dark Scottish band: did album The Sound Hole, produced by old friend Richard Mazda and engineered by cricket friend John McGowan.
Produced demo of Paul Oxley song with Richard Mazda producing and Boomtown Rats bassist Pete Brickett.
Glam Grand Rock with ex-White and Torch singer on Spear of Destiny Home Service tour: manic but not much fun.
Bumped into Richard Mazda again by chance so decided to write some new stuff ,which turned out to be sort of reggae meets pop. Got to work with Marsha Hunt.
Don't remember this?!
Best band to be on the road with: cultured and generally non-swearing with great musicianship. Very lucky to go to Italy and Japan (where Sting congratulated us all personally for our performance). Season at Edinburgh Festival was scariest of my life.
Artist who got a deal and large advance on the strength of a dictophone tape. I performed on a track Pure Passion International (!), produced by Richard.
Richard again with James Brown's band doing a single. I played piano on I Like It Like This.
Collaboration with best friend Graeme Hughes (Grae Regal), or French and Regal. Recorded many great songs, did a few gigs, nearly finished some masters (with Charlie Scarbek of Rugby World Cup theme fame) and a video, but, sadly, it went no further.
Wanted not-for-profit fun blues band and never thought it would happen. But it did. SE London co-operative with members from Bexley to Walthamstow.
