Wm I ever a Popstai?

I can't remember the reason why we stayed in London in the end. It was the early sixties so I suppose it was 'the place to be.' It was the post Beatles era and the 'swinging sixties' were in fact, in 'full swing.' London was the place!

From top TV and radio shows to working men's clubs and back to the sophistication of residencies in top London hotels. Simultane ously we were recording and releasing records so anything could happen.

We tasted a slice of success when Albert and Richard (in Spain)and Alberto and Ricardo in England, released a Hammond song called Til Do It To You. In the UK we were managed by the same people that looked after The Bachelors, Twinkle and others and they managed to get us on TV on The Lita Roza Shoxo, Scene at 6.30 and most important of all. Thank Your Lucky Stars — which was ITV's answer to the BBC's Top ofthe Pops and juke Box Jury. We were amongst the best the'60s could offer on that show with,Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Searchers, Kathy Kirby,Stevie Wonder and other names of the time.

The 'hit' never came did it? We did a bit here and a bit there, we changed management to the Bernard Delfont organisation. They had everyone on their books and 1 guess we were small fry, so once again interest fizzled out and that's how it goes in this business,off to pastures new you go!

During one's passage through the unpredict able flight to success or otherwise,there is a need to pay the rent and provide sustenance, and when not performing your pockets are rather bare. Casuallabour is what you look out for. We tried a few. Restaurants,shops and department stores — I worked in Whiteiey's of Queensway and Barker's in High Street Kensington and Ratner's the jewellers — hotel work in the accounts department in the Grosvenor House and even as a hospital porter, we did them all. But best of all had to be house cleaning all over London. We joined a house cleaning agency in Covent Garden. We were paid £1 something for about three hours work.

Others on the job were out of work musi cians like ourselves and 'resting' actors. An ex Tornado, who had tasted success with that big instrumental hit Telstar, and whose star had faded, was also seeking work at the agency. 1 remember cleaning silver, de-apple-ing a tree, vacuum and window cleaning and other little jobs on freezing mornings when I had to catch two or three buses to get to the 'waiting to be sanitised' residence! This was necessary to sur vive. On one occasion we found we had 2/6d — a few pence today — to our name.

When I'm chatting to young Gibraltarian musicians or artists, invariably the point about "how long do you give it," comes up. The an swer is, I don't know and nobody knows. You have to keep on going if you really want it and even then it may still not come, although you may achieve something else along the way. Suc cess is hard to get hold ofand even harder, much harder to hold on to, but you must persist and be determined to get what you want.

Albert Hammond fell in love again and returned to the Rock. In the meantime I was approached by another Gibraltarian outfit doing their thing in London. They needed a singer and I went off to audition for the job. By then I'd been singing for about seven years, always in harmony. Consequently when I sang and heard my lone voice for the first time ever, I was thrown to the point the group's managers asked ifI'd eversung before! Just a little obstacle whilst I was on my way to, maybe, becoming a pop star?

Not to worry, Albert returned to the UK and we were able to save face all round and have Albert and Richard join forces with Los Cinco Ricardos. So now we were six.

Plenty of hotel work came our way. We were the resident band at the Grosvenor House and

Royal Lancaster hotels and did many high society dos, barmitzvahs and other corporate functions in other top hotels and conference rooms.

We shared the stage with many top names at the time. Chris Farlow, The Foundations, The Tremeloes, Kenny Ball, Cleo Laine and top orchestras like, Johnny Dankworth, Bob Milller and the Millermen, Cyril Stapleton, Sydney Lipton and others whose names escape me. The type of work we did was great and we wel comed it with open arms, it meant we didn't have to travel up and down the country in a cold Ford Transit van for 30 or 40 pounds a gig, like most groups trying to make it were doing.

This didn't mean we weren't able to record and release re cords. Los Cincos (as we were called then) had released two or three other singles on Philips, and Albert and I now joined them on this next one,a Kinks'song called Most Exclusive Residence for Sale. We made the pirate radio chart, got excited, sang it a lot wherever we played and the excitement faded away again as quickly as it came. This was to happen again under another group name. Paper Dragon. A televi sion appearance or two and a number of radio shows on Radios 1 and 2 producing great vibes once again but all destined for the non-success bin yet again.

There was a bit of upset within the group and Albert left to pursue his soon to be suc cessful song writing career (his first hit Little Arrotvs made the charts a few months after leaving the group). By this time I was married with two kids and what about my 'not very tuneful voice,' or whatever it was. With much encouragement from Terry, my wife, I enrolled in a singing school. The other group members were ready to take on a new singer if I wasn't up to it. So, you might well think,I'd better get on with it and prove whatever 1 needed to hold on to my job.

The other members of Los Cincos returned from a short holiday in Gib and 1 was ready to meet my fate and give it a bash and prove, hopefully, that the whole issue was to do with having been 'sheltered' during my time with

Albert. It really was a question of having to 'break out of my shell.' And so it came to pass that 1 did rise up to the occasion and slowly gained more and more confidence performing, and my singing voice, which was inside there somewhere, revealed itself and everything was sorted. I would go as far as saying that period and experience in my life, was a major milestone in the development of my personality and character which put me on the path 1 was to follow eventually.

We continued with hotel and club work in London,including seedy clubs and gentlemen's clubs and exclusive clubs like Les Ambas-

Popstar

sadeurs, opposite the London Hilton in Park Lane. We then went off on a two week cruise to the Mediterranean(including a stop at Gibraltar). That was a great experience and P&O wanted us to stay with them for a three month world cruise, but married men with two kids can't go off and do these things so the other poor, poor boys in the band were done out of a good trip! I wasnow a confident singer, so they sided with me, thankfully, and we continued working in London and one or two other places until we were offered a residency in Jersey for a year.

January 1971 saw us kick off in the Woodville Hotel in St Helier. Once again the gig was highly successful and we had a i fantastic summer season there. By this time I'd been 'busy' again and my daughter Claire was bom. She was to become the one and only'Jersey woman' in the family. The season slowly wound down although we remained the resident band at the hotel for the rest of our 12 month contract.

I started to ponder over what was coming next and what the future might hold come January '72 when the year was up. Going back to London was an oprion, but with three kids, the thought of waiting for the nextjob to mate rialise — it doesn't necessarily follow the next job will be waiting when you finish the present one — having to start flat hunting again and all of that rigmarole,the choice wasn't looking too attractive. We weren't the Beatles after all, so maybe it was time for a change.

My wife Terry and I had been thinking about coming back to Gib and starting afresh. I'd got it into my head that maybe 1 could keep in the 'performing or creative line of work,'by getting into radio or television with GBC! Now,wasn't that a great idea!

As it happened 1 was able to keep up the singing bit of my life for a few years when we returned, but as soon as 1 got back 1 rang the then manager at GBC, Henry Rammagge, and well, the rest is pretty much history, seeing as I've now even retired from that organisation, fulfilled, 1 might add.

So you see, in my case, I never really made it. '1 was never a pop star!'

OPEN AIR THEATRE PROGRAMME

Anyone interested in hiring the Alameda Open Air Theatre, for public performances or private functions, should contact 200 41235 or e-mati theatre@gibraltargardens.gi. The full Theatre programme is on vwvw.gibraltargardens.gi.

Thursday 2nd ft 4th April

Santos Productions - Zarzuela "Los Claveles" at John Mackintosh Hall Theatre. Tickets: £5 from 25th March John Mackintosh Hall ticket office 11am to 2pm, Contact Tel: 58008448

Saturday 12th April

Down's Syndrome Support GroupThe 2nd Buddie Walk at Casemates Square 11am. Tel: 54013980

Saturday 12th & 13th April

International Level A Gymnastics Competition at Tercentenary Sports Hall. Competition and local entertain ment from Urban Dance.

Monday 14th to Friday 18th April

GSPCA Children's Art Exhibition

Venue: John Mackintosh Hall Lower Exhibition Room 10am to 9.30pm. Contact Mrs Warren 200 73733

Tuesday 15th April

The Gibraltar Philharmonic Society Favourite Classics, Barbara Doll- Vio lin, Cristina Marton - pianoforte at The Convent 8.30pm Tickets: £20 from The Silver Shop, 275 Main Street & Sacarello's Coffee Shop, Irish Town. For info and credit/debit card pur chase contact Angelo 200 72134 Email: tgpsociety@gibtelecom.net

Tuesday ISth, 16th Er 17th April

Gibraltar Amateur Drama Associa tion presents a play Happy Event at Ince's Hall. Tickets from Ince's Hall Ticket Office 5pm - 7pm (Monday to Friday).

Friday 18th April

Mount Productions Runaway 2008 at John Mackintosh Hall Theatre 8.30pm. Tickets: £10 from John Mackintosh Hall ticket office 5-7pm.

Contact Mark Tel: 20040338 or email: mount@gibraltar.gi

Saturday 19th April

GONHS - Outing Barbate & Cape Trafalgar - Spring Flowers Sam - Spanish side of the frontier. Con tact GONHS Tel: 200 72639 E-mail: gonhs@gonhs.org

Saturday 19th April

Gibraltar Botanic Garden Tour Meeting Place: George Don Gates (at the south end of Grand Parade)

10.30am. No fee but donations wel come. Contact Tel: 200 72639 Email address: alameda@wildlife.gib.gi

Monday 21st April

Gun Salute The Queen's Birthday at The Tower (Berth 41) Naval Base

12.00 noon. Contact Tel; 200 55083

Tuesday 22nd April

GONHS - Meeting • The Rif Connec tion - Our plant work in Morocco by Leslie Linares at The Cottage- Alameda Botanic Gardens 8.30pm. Contact Tel: 20072639 wtlh homemade cbi|l»

Admirals Prime Fillet Steak £11.50

Srni-il willi MiLalimotti, Pepper, Hrand; or Huurbnii naiiee, hnmemadri-hipa Aulad|nmi<h

Fillet Of John Dory .£7.25

Kreali llllel <irjciliii Dory euut^rd in u green pealo aduee and lop^ with ebeeaeaii gmtln

Chilli Con Came £5.75 lloiiii'iiiiuic clillll aer\rd on a bed of rier

Spaghetti Bolognaise £5.25

'1\|iic'iil lliiliiiii pn.slu dish wiih miiicrd meol In IniiiBlDMot'e

La.sagne /..'..£5.50

'I1u- loilliiti liiMiiiriie. Inyep'ol pnsiaaiKlmlwed bttef,served with tuioieiiiade chip*

JIMS Breakfast £5.00

2 enp.i sausages,2 rashers of baemi.InM.muslirounis.Ininalues, baked twaiM. ehlps

Vegetarian Pasta Baked £5.25

Simgliciil (SKikt-d (IIII nUi loinalosaiHr. Uippnl wtth ibi-esennd baknt in the oven

Steak & Ale Pie £ 5.50

Our OH II sieak « ale pie served wltJi liuiiiriiiadr i'hi|M

Wednesday 23rd b 24th April

Gibraltar Horticultural Society Flower Show at John Mackintosh Hall. Entry forms can be obtained at the recep tion of the John Mackintosh Hall

Sunday 27th April

Caipe Rambles. Meet Spanish Side of the Frontier just to the right of the Aduana Vehicle Exit at Sam. Contact Ray 200 71956 or John 200 74645

Gibraltar Heritage Trust visit to Buffadero Battery Training Centre 10.30am. Meet Buffadero Battery

42844

Swordfish £7.75

Sennl ellher plain grilled. Midi gnrilr biiltrr or nilli a loinaloaiid basli saurr(berbohr la yours.

Chicken curry(m) £5.50 lloiiieitiade Hili'krn iviiry served on a bed of rise, anntliernf iiiirshrras|>ei'ialafruin the Star Ibir.

Breaded Scampi £8.75

Siimileni srampi needs no inlniductioii. serted with our boineinade ehlpa and a salad gamiah

The chefs .special of the day please ask your waiter

We nl.so serve u range of Home made Pizzas, Burritos, Jacket Potatoes, Burgers & Sizzlers

GIbrallar Live Music Society

Venue of the Year

gibMTar

A * R * M * S

U<- M-m- lirc'iilifiisls. Iiiiniliis, inirgei's, llrili.sli Ush ,1: chips, ciispy sntiids, sicnks. spi'cini pliillcrs. jiickct jiotHldcs iiiiil niort' Day & Mghl

Official Sponsor & Home to The Gibraltar Rugby Club

FREE WTFI giBRMiTar

NEW Ice Cream Sundae Menu at the Lordy & Gib Arms

Kxciling NEW Menu msh w , iprdnelson.gj

^ launcJied at Uie SUu- Bar " to Urn lairionils mul In i lii-osr your party menu

Lfeisuie Islortd, Gibialtai.

Oihrnlt.-ir's Only Siilltcnlic Irish Ihir. Opening 2008