THE NEXT DISASTER

This is the one that led to Jim joining the band . We had a manager called Ray Coates who was a Karate instructor, Black Belt Third Dan. He was well over six foot tall and wore winged trousers. He had contacts in the music business and secured for us a recording audition with Decca.

Aha, we thought. They failed to sign the Beatles; surely they will not make the same mistake twice. Anyway we drove down in the van overnight. Mick Simons was acting in his usual bizarre fashion having progressed from the cough medicine stage to other more dynamic medicines.

There was an altercation and he bopped Pete. As a result our seven-foot ninja turtle manager performed a drop kick on Mick with spectacular results. We slung an unconscious drummer in the van and headed off to our date with fate in London. Les points out that our manager used his contacts to have drummer Cozy Powell on standby in the studio control room in case of further mishaps. I can only vaguely recall that.

We somehow got through the session and headed wearily home. Once back home we decided we could no longer work with Mick. Jim was kind of on the periphery as he tells it in his own words. Fearing for our safety we all went together to Mick’s place and delivered his drums and told him he was out of the group.

To our surprise he did not beat us all up. I remember clearly he said, “OK if that’s your decision” I felt a bit sad.

Enter the new drummer, Jim (double bass drums) Harle.

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