Dick
Taylor (The Pretty Things)
Likening
bookings with Clayson to 'running downstairs at full speed without a handrail',
guitarist Dick Taylor has been conspicuous among accompanying musicians at
recent engagements. A founder member of The Rolling Stones, Dick formed and
remains a mainsta
Wreckless
Eric
At Brighton's Cafe Prague last April,
Alan Clayson was joined on the boards by a
local-born guitarist named Eric Goulden. When introduced by Alan as 'the artist
otherwise known as Wreckless Eric', the near-capacity audience exploded.
Afterwards, a middle-aged lady recalled a Melody Maker feature in which both
Eric and Alan were cited as contenders for 'a premier position on rock's Lunatic
Fringe'. She told us that the show we'd just done was 'the most inspired piece
of casting since Kirk Douglas was pitted against Tony Curtis in The Vikings.
Dave
Berry
With deceptive casualness, Alan Clayson came into the life of the remarkable
David Holgate Grundy - known to Europe, Australasia
and pockets of North America as
'Dave Berry' - in 1984. Over the next
three years, Alan graduated from starstruck fan to producing and composing the
lion's share of Dave's recording output since 1996's Hostage To The Beat, a
cause celebre of an album - and, most surreal of all, was recruited into his
backing Cruisers. In reciprocation, Dave Berry served as careers advisor, father
confessor and a major catalyst in the recovery of Alan's artistic confidence.
Jim
McCarty
(The Yardbirds/Renaissance)
Co-writer of 'The Moonlight Skater', Jim McCarty's fiftieth birthday celebration
at London's 100 Club in July 1993 brought together representations from every
trackway of his professional life. Among those queueing for the buffet were
former member of The Yardbirds, Renaissance, Stairway, The McCarty Blues Band
and The British Invasion All-Stars plus Richard MacKay, editor of Yardbirds
World, the magazine for those with an insatiable appetite for all things
Yardbird. And then there was Alan Clayson, hoping he wouldn't let slip some
inane remark if Jeff Beck spoke to him. As it happened, Beck passed a plate of
sandwiches to Clayson, who said 'Thank you.' Clayson has since expanded the
story of this fleeting exchange when dining out on it.
Tw
'Please wait at the gates of heaven for me. Te-erry...'
Twinkle left her mark on
pop as indelibly as Lady Macbeth's damned spot with 'Terry', her 1964 debut
single about a biker who roared off to a moonlit end of squealing brakes and
gore-splattered tarmac. Copious plugging on pirate radio provoked the headline
DROP THE DEATH DISC, JOHNNY! from Melody Maker, and some MP condemned the song
as 'dangerous drivel'. How could it miss?
Copyright Alan Clayson