Long, long ago, (well OK maybe not that long ago) in the early 60’s I would have been in my early teens and whilst I was aware of music I wouldn’t have said that my life depended on it. In fact if I remember rightly, I ducked out of singing in the school choir by singing flat! Fact is I ducked out of anything that involved singing in front of an audience. No, not for me, although I do remember singing to myself or while I was doing something not realising that certain individuals could hear me. I remember singing English Country Garden by Jimmy Rodgers, in a fashion, and Soldier Boy by The Shirelles.

Then, one day, in the summer of 1964 I heard for the first time, probably on Radio Caroline, The Beatles singing Can’t Buy Me Love and it was like that big hand they used to advertise the National Lottery and saying “It’s you!”, only back then it was saying “You will be a singer and musician!” and from then on my life seemed to change completely.

I used to write songs like they were going out of style and I was a big fan of Donovan, so much so that because everywhere I went I would take my brand new Philips cassette recorder blaring out Donovan songs all over the place that I ended up being known as Donovan myself, or Don for short. I even wore a denim cap, a denim jacket and denim jeans as well as denim shirts. In fact as time went on lots of friends and colleagues didn’t know that my real name was Alan, and everyone called me Don.

For most of the mid-60’s I was more interested in writing, recording and arranging (I still did not have a hankering to appear in front of people), so I did a lot of experimenting with multi-recording bouncing 2 reel to reel tape recorders, originally with friend and fellow musician, Tony Millward (Tony, are you out there? If so do get in touch). I still have the tapes but alas no longer have a reel to reel tape recorder to play them on.

It was at this time I was a member of Wrexham Youth Club, at the back of Mount Street in Wrexham, which is where we did most of the recording. I was known as the ‘football sock it king’ in those days, I well remember some nights arriving at the club, putting one sixpence into the sock it machine and being on there all night. I just couldn’t get off it, I always seemed to partnering someone.

It was also around this time that I got involved with amateur dramatics, playing the title role in a play called ‘The Odd Job Man’, I think that was what it was called (see the Photo Gallery). We came second, as I remember, in an ‘am-dram’ competition.

In December ’67 Ray Williams at Liberty Records was advertising in the Melody Maker for songwriters/performers so I went down to London by coach on a very snowy night armed with all my tapes. This would have been round the time that Reg Dwight (Elton John) met up with Bernie Taupin, although I don’t remember bumping into either of them at the time.

Talking about being in the right place at the right time, this time I obviously wasn’t otherwise who knows, Reg Dwight might have been introduced to me instead of Bernie Taupin, and history may have been changed, for better or worse. Anyway, needless to say, my first visit to the capital did not bear any fruit.

I only found out recently that this was where Mike Batt (of Wombles fame) had his first big break but I don't remember bumping into him either.

In 1968, a local pop group started rehearsing at the club called The Facts. Sherrine Matthias on vocals, John Birkenshaw on lead/rhythm guitar and vocals, Phil Hartwell on rhythm guitar, Terry Lloyd on bass guitar and Graham Mills on drums.

They were a tight unit but lacked harmonies so when they practiced or played at the club I would sit on the side singing harmonies, either out loud or in my head.

They were managed/road managed by the drummer’s sister’s husband Bill Crump which to begin with, made for a good family atmosphere, but was later to prove to be to the detriment of the group's success.

Not long after I joined the group I pal'd up with Dave ‘the Rave’ Keenan. 15 years old and learning to play the drums in his bedroom! This was to come in handy because Graham, the group’s drummer seemed to lose interest for one reason or another. One night he didn’t turn up for the Thursday night youth club gig and Dave was invited to stand in, it was the first time he had played with a group and we had to keep winding him up, literally. From then on he remained the group’s drummer.

Break ups happen for the silliest of reasons as was the case with the group’s disagreement with Bill the manager. He wanted the group to rehearse one song and the group wanted to rehearse another, simple as that, but then it got dirty. Bill wouldn’t let the group use their PA system because it was being paid for in his name. He wouldn’t let the group use their van because it was bought in his name. It was pretty much Bill wouldn’t let the group use this or that if it was in his name.

In 1969, there was another break up. Phil had made an acquaintance with Gordon Griffiths (ex-Tuxedos lead guitarist), a Hank Marvin fanatic and he eventually took John’s place in the group mainly because John was not really a very good guitarist while Gordon, on the other hand, was brilliant.

We were all growing up and coming of age, money now meant more than it did when we first started. Then it was just fun, now it was getting more and more serious.

Later in ’69 Bill decided to let us know that we had been invited to audition for Hughie Greene's Opportunity Knocks in Manchester, about a week before, on a Friday if my memory serves, and then another Op Knocks audition in Birmingham on the Monday.

At the Manchester audition, although we performed the most wonderful rendition of The Shirelles' ‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow’ we couldn’t follow it through with an uptempo tune because they were sick and tired of hearing ‘Puppet On A String’! Needless to say we didn’t pass the audition.

You would think having been given a second chance to do another audition we would have got it right for Birmingham but we didn’t. I guess it was Bill Crump getting his own back not letting us know a lot sooner in order to give us more time to prepare. It might sound like sour grapes but that’s the way it was.

If any one has photographs that are relevent to this time please get in touch.

To Be Continued