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In The Studio
Lunching at mine during a break in recording.

Having been a fan of the Beatles from the outset. Loving their performance, but possibly more so their imaginative melodies, song subjects, and recording genius. In my teens I stood on a seat in the stalls of the Hammersmith Odeon, captivated by such things as the time change in 'We Can Work It Out.' The energy of 'Day Tripper,' and McCartney's riveting Little Richard style vocal when closing out the show with 'I'm Down.' I was spellbound. Five years later, having spent my time playing in various bands and recording, I was saddened at the news of the dissolution of The Beatles. A few months later rumours began to circulate that Paul maybe starting a new band. I was quick to act and wishing to be considered wrote to him at his home. In my enthusiasm totally overlooking the fact that my letter would probably be delivered along with a thousand items of fan mail. Nevertheless a week or so later he was driving along the Kings Road Chelsea in a green Rolls Royce. I tapped on the window which he wound down and I explained. Linda called to me "Write to 1 Soho Square." Rather than mail I hand delivered to Paul's office. I never got to audition, learning soon after that Jimmy McCulloch (the brother of our drummer on 'The Five Day Week Straw People' album) had got the gig.
To go into greater detail as to what happened next is beyond the scope of this overview. But my friend Bernard Brown was at the time the head of The Beatles Apple Music Publishing.
David Bowie
Sound + Vision
International press launch and photo shoot.


In 1990 I was privileged to co-host the international media launch of David Bowie's Sound + Vision tour. Staged at the Rainbow theatre Finsbury Park, where in 1972 David had famously presented his Ziggy Stardust character. The international media gathering was for the purpose of announcing David's forthcoming 1990 Sound + Vision tour. Being of international interest it was an invitation only event attended by global press and visual media, along with senior executives of promotion companies. During the event David played 12 string guitar and sang and answered questions regarding both his past activities and future plans.
David and I were born within two miles of each other. And whilst neither knew the other, co-incidentally in our 20s we lived less than a mile apart in Beckenham Kent. During our time chatting we shared of the pubs and clubs we'd independently played when starting out.
I liked David. Particularly as he always appeared more concerned with the success of a project, rather than his own celebrity or part in it. He spent two or three days at the Rainbow, and aside the press release had a photo shoot there. Many of the photos in the Sound + Vision tour program were taken at the time.
Licensing Deals
As is still true today, fans in the late 70s had a tremendous appetite for images of their favourite artists. High value merchandise was still in its infancy when I spotted the opportunity to arrange licensing deals between artist management and /or record companies, in order that the following artists' images might be silk screened on to what popularly became known as pub mirrors.

Debbie Harry and Blondie courtesy of Chrysalis Records.


ABBA courtesy of Bocu / Polar Music / Century 21. Selecting images and the like required me spending a lot of time with Keith Shackleton at Pinewood Studios. A great man, serving a great band, and for me a wonderful experience.
Rod Stewart courtesy of Riva Records.
Can you believe, having many persuasive friends, the only example that I managed to keep of any of these multi-selling items is one of ABBA. I just couldn't let it go! Too many great memories.

Showaddywaddy and many of their chart peers were also featured in this way.

Nazareth courtesy of Mountain Records. Artwork by Rodney Matthews.
Jimi Hendrix
The Inner World of Jimi Hendrix
by
Monika Dannermann
It was late 1994, whilst sitting in a costal coffee house reading a newspaper, that I came across an article in which was displayed a number of paintings of Jimi Hendrix by Monika Dannermann. Monika Dannermann was Jimi's lover, and the girl who was beside him the day he died. I was immediately struck by the quality of her work and touched by the fact that Monika had dedicated 25 years to painting pictures of Jimi. The article mentioned that Monika lived in a "south coast hideaway." Therefore you can imagine my surprise when I found her number in the telephone directly: and even more surprised to find that she was just ten miles away in Seaford East Sussex. After a brief telephone conversation outlining my thinking, a few days later we met to discuss the possibility of finding a book deal for her. I was successful in my endeavours and a deal was signed with Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. With the book 'The Inner World of Jimi Hendrix' being published the following year.
In the course of several meetings at Monika's home, I met Uli Jon Roth of The Scorpions; but having only been introduced to him as 'Roth', was unaware that they were married.
I feel the following as if it were yesterday: I was standing shaving on the morning of the 6th April 1996, just a few days after having last spoken with Monika by telephone, when the report came on the radio to the effect that Monika Dannermann had taken her own life. To express my thoughts and feelings would serve no purpose. If interested in Monika's work you may be lucky enough to find a copy of The Inner World of Jimi Hendrix on Ebay.






Monika owned the guitar as pictured with Jimi on the front cover of 'The Inner World of Jimi Hendrix,' plus as above featured on the front of Guitarist Magazine. On one occasion whilst visiting Monika's home she told me that she had been offered $400K for the guitar, but said, "I don't want to sell anything of Jimi's." Whatever else might be written or surmised about Monika, I truly believe that she was totally sincere and in love with Jimi, and had never recovered from his passing.
As a matter of interest I believe that if the guitar was to appear in auction today, it would command a figure in the millions.
I have no idea where it is?
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