Michael,
I could not agree more with the various comments made here that the lasting nature of Man and offshoots, or at least the support of it, must surely be down to your efforts, especially during TWC's "magazine years".
I remember as if yesterday - it wasn't yesterday, it was somewhere between 25-30 years ago - seeing a copy of the BGO reissue of Maximum Darkness in The Record Shop, Fife Road, Kingston and spotting Cipollina's SG on the cover. Wondering who the fuck this lot were, this lot who could magic Cipollina over the ocean, I kept an eye out and sure enough as if in answer there was your excellent Record Collector piece - the one that had the Rhinos band pictured with Morley's award winning denim turnups - and the die was well and truly cast. By you, my friend.
Sure enough, TWC magazine was mentioned in the closing overs of the piece and I subscribed (I took the luxury upgrade of buying issues 1-5 and starting properly at TWC6), set about RC for every last album, spending a fortune even then on vinyl copies of Padget, Patti and GTP, and after consulting the gig listings of TWC, going to see the band on that tour with TYA and Wishbone Ash. It was a pitifully short set, so we were delighted when the next TWC announced a London date at the Royal Standard, Walthamstow. That was it. I met Deke at the very first gig and he was so gracious to chat to two stoned teenagers who had just discovered the band.
I can still remember wholesale chunks of TWC editiorial. Ten questions was great. Micky: "What do you enjoy most?" - Sleeping. "What item(s) do you always carry?" - a pillow. Clint: "What would most improve the quality of your life?" - An enormous bank balance, dick and line of coke....
Deke spoke, Tweke Lewis wore a traffic cone on his head and Will Youatt looked stupidly heroic on the cover of (I think issue 7) in a bandana, US military shirt and toting a gorgeous stereo Gibson ES345. And who can forget the heart-rending saga of the perpetually unsold TWC hardbacked binders....
What a ride. Putting up for the night with Clive when I couldn't get a hotel... the Royal Albert Hall fiasco... those fantastic Feltham conventions where we were treated to Clint, Tweke, Iceberg, Gary and Taff...and the sight of Spunk Rock with Ray Williams on bass. Cooking Sunday lunch for Ace after the 40th gig at Herne Hill. Walking downstairs to find Ace sitting in the kitchen, bleary eyed because a VERY young Olga who'd he'd bought over with him decided to wake up at 5am and have a sing song...
Forging a very good friendship with Phil Ryan and ultimately wishing I was playing organ and electric piano in Port Talbot for any other reason at all than his passing.
All this for reading that bloody Record Collector article and subscribing to the Welsh Connection....
Bless you mate. I won't hold it against you that you went gallivanting off around the world and didn't see me play C'Mon...
