Hello everyone and welcome to my November Newsletter,
As promised last month we have displayed on the website a special gallery of photographs that were taken at the Eddie Cochran Weekend Event in Chippenham. My thanks to those of you who have contributed photographs including Derek Henderson www.spentbrothers.com who runs an excellent website on the late Gene Vincent and has also written a book about Gene which is available from Derek’s website. Meeting Derek, his wife and friends was a trip down memory lane as we exchanged many stories about Gene. Thanks also to Sam Pagett www.theladyandthesax.com. Sam plays a mean saxaphone and many of you will have heard him play during the weekend. Unfortunately we couldn’t use all the photographs that were kindly sent to us but many thanks to all of you.
I mentioned Charlie Gracie in last month’s newsletter and I know that many of you enjoyed Charlie’s performance on the Sunday evening. A CD of Charlie’s great original 50’s recordings, titled ‘The Best of Charlie Gracie’ has just been officially released on the Cameo Parkway label and is available from your regular CD stockist. Yes, it contains Charlie’s original recording of ‘Fabulous’ which I recorded on my ‘Two Sides of’ LP and Peter Williams has recorded on his ‘Tribute to John Leyton’ CD.

Concerts.
November sees me in concert on Wednesday 1st at Butlins, Skegness with Rockin’ Horse , on Saturday 4th with Mike Berry and The Outlaws at the Amersham Rock ‘n’ Roll Club and on Friday 10th with The Rapiers at Butlins, Bognor Regis. Colin Pryce-Jones of the Rapiers is becoming an ‘Outlaw’ for the evening on Saturday 4th at the Amersham Rock ‘n’ Roll club when he is joining the Outlaws for my set. Thank you Colin for your kind assistance.

Joe Meek 40th Anniversary Concert – 3rd February 2007.
It has been agreed that this very special concert will be filmed and recorded for possible future release as a DVD and CD. The concert is heading for a ‘sell-out’ with 90% of the seats already having been sold. Any of you planning to purchase tickets are advised not too wait too long. It is also planned to produce a very special Souvenir brochure that will be on sale during the evening.
I’m very pleased that many special guests will be with us during the evening, especially members of the Meek family, The Joe Meek Appreciation Society, hopefully many ex-Joe Meek artistes and my good friend and original Musical Director Charles Blackwell.

Joe Meek CD releases.
Whilst we are unable at this stage to give full details a number of CDs are being considered for release to mark Joe Meek’s 40th Anniversary. Meantime Sanctuary have recently released a very interesting compilation CD of recordings made by Joe titled ‘Joe Meek Freak Beat’ - containing 30 Freakbeat, Mod & R &B Nuggets, tracks recorded by Joe including tracks by The Blue Rondos, The Syndicats, Heinz and The Cryin’ Shames. As you would expect no John Leyton tracks on this particular compilation.
However there is a John Leyton link on the other recent release from Sanctuary titled ‘The Flee-Rekkers Anthology’. The link being the song ‘Lone Rider’ that was first released as an instrumental track in 1961 by the Flee-Rekkers before composer Geoff Goddard added the words and I recorded it. Peter Williams has also recorded a version on his ‘Tribute to John Leyton’ CD.
Without a doubt Joe was a very versatile and creative producer.

Gloucester Folk Museum – Joe Meek Exhibition.
‘The stories behind his biggest hits and other songs’.
On Saturday 4th November between 1.00 - 2.00p.m. Rob Bradford of the Joe Meek Appreciation Society is giving a talk on how Joe created his unique sound. Admission is free.

Alma Cogan.
One of the many ‘celebrities’ I was very privileged to meet and become friendly with during the 60’s is the much missed and very talented singer, the late Alma Cogan. This year marks the 40th Anniversary of Alma’s passing and Odeon Entertainment have just released a DVD titled ‘Alma Cogan – Her Fabulous Story.’
I always found Alma to be a really friendly and very talented lady and in my opinion this DVD is an excellent tribute to her memory. I met Alma on many occasions. She was always great company , a very ‘bubbly’ individual who added a great deal of colour to the 50’s and 60’s music scene. Perhaps even an original fashion icon.
Odeon Entertainment are currently working on a DVD Tribute to Billy Fury that will contain contributions from myself, Clem Cattini and Peter Williams. Release is planned for 2007, but more information when we have final details.

Eric and Margaret Gunn.
It can’t have escaped regular readers of the ‘Fans Page’ that Eric and his daughter Margaret are great fans and have a wonderful collection of ‘rare’ items. I am very honoured that they have produced the wonderful banner that is pictured in this newsletter. The banner will get it’s official ‘revealing’ at the concert on 3rd February. Thank you both for this fantastic item.

The Song That Changed My Life – New Musical Express article.
Rock group ‘The Horrors’ rate ‘Johnny Remember Me’...

And finally.
The interview that recently took place with John Howard, editor of UK Rock magazine is published in the December issue of that magazine www.ukrock.net

Always yours.