..........David's musicology!

This is how it began for me! The Spring of 1967:
Crude Oil before our first major gig! Terry Kilpin, David Bryant, Dick Neale and Kris Reason. This photo was taken in the back garden of our official groupie, Kate. She hand-sewed Sgt Pepper jackets for all of us and her Dad let us rehearse in his lounge! All these guys are, I believe, still playing out there somewhere, even if only at jam sessions! We acquired a fantastic lead player in 1970: Stan MacDonald who once performed 'Albatross' note perfect at a gig, having heard it once!

The School I attended (Hornchurch Grammar in Essex) was a real nursery of talent! This lot, who were a couple of years above me, began as 'The Sugarbeats', playing at end-of-term concerts. They had a good guitarist then: a teeny little guy called John Weeks. I still remember their seminal version of the Stones 'Off the Hook' Nice!
They mutated into 'Grapefruit', were awarded a contract by 'Apple', and became crap! Clockwise from the left: John Perry, Geoff and Pete Swettenham and George Alexander. A couple of them became backing singers for Cliff Richard: sic transit gloria mundi!
Recognise him? This is Mike Oldfield, who was in my year at HGS! We all thought he was a bit of a dork for playing keyboards and not liking R & B! He 'left' in 1968 after a discussion with the Head about his long hair! In fact, it was about six inches shorter than in this photo! I believe he moved to Holland... The rest, as they say, is history. Know what? I NEVER owned OR listened to "Tubular Bells"!
After leaving school, there followed a spell of short hair as an Officer in the Royal Navy. Here I often got to stay up after 'lights out' by going over to the Senior Division to play guitar with Nick Argent, brother of Rod from 'Argent'. He is apparently recently deceased, having retired as a two and a half ringer....I think the Navy found me a bit rich for their tastes: I crashed three planes in two weeks! Rather than pay them back, I resigned and went to Teachers' College in Essex!
There I met several people who were to change my life: though I don't think they realised it THEN and they still don't! One, of course, was Graeme Douglas. This is Bob Collins. He (the g*t!) introduced me to Folk Music!!!!!!! I have to say: Bob was a fantastic bloke to work with: he could sing 'on the money' harmonies even when he was caned, and played a mean Jew's Harp! We definitely tended to capitalise on Bob's resemblance to Art Garfunkle! And in fact he STILL looks like old 'Bright Eyes' to this day! Just as well: Headteachers aren't meant to have long hair! This is a lovely, LOVELY man!
In 1972 we got a band together: it was called 'Culverin' and played a mixture of traditional and 'Fairporty' electric stuff. The band rapidly became extremely popular: so much so that I forget going to any lectures that Summer Term! We played residences at Blackmore, Brentwood and Ongar, and once gave Martin Carthy a one-song floor spot! This is Perranuthnoe Bay, Cornwall: scene of Culverin's memorable Summer Tour, 1971....
....and this is Rose Cottage, Goldsithney, where we stayed during our summer 'Tour of Cornwall' Click here to read about a horrible experience we had there! Looks really serene in this photo, but........
There was a cauliflower field behind the cottage. Guess what we ate every night the whole time there!