Right, here we go!............... I've been asked to write some kind of background to my life as a guitarist , songwriter.........
I've never understood why my past life should be of any interest to anyone other than my family and me. A normal response from me being, 'what the F**K 'S it got to do with anything!!' I live for the present. I've hopefully evolved, like my songs, over the years, each chapter creating a different flavour. Where I am now, whenever that's been, is what drives me. However, I now accept, after all the 'ear bashing' that maybe, for some of our audience, to understand my songs and my music better, to know a little of what brought me to 'this place' it might a good idea.
Not the easiest of tasks, my memory is sh*t, but......................make of it what you will.

As a kid I would listen to the 1812 overture over and over. My brother, nine years older than me, had 2 albums, the 1812 and Acker Bilk & Chris Barber together on a jazz album. I still have a respect for the classics but never got into jazz.
My next musical awakening was Bob Dylan, I would go to sleep with his albums stacked on the Danset record player. It was then that I started playing the guitar, mostly thinking it would get me the girls at parties, but I caught the 'guitar bug'. Going to all the London clubs, to see the likes of, John Mayal, Led Zeppelin, The Nice, Pink Floyd, Taste, you could in those days. It was one such outing, to the Fishmongers Arms, Wood Green, where I first saw Freddy King, I thought he was amazing, that got me hooked on the Blues.
Like I said, it was different in those days, the London club scene was more intimate. I realise now, how fortunate we were, at the time, that's just the way it was....................
Still in my naivety, I met and played with Red Stubbs from Red E Lewis & the Red Caps (ex Jimmy Page), we never got around to gigging, but goes to show what a small world it is, as years later, with another band, The Cleaners, we were signed to Swan Song.
With a little more experience under my belt, ( I had some in those days too, as my day job was making and selling belts and bags in Oxford Street!!) answering an ad. in The Melody Maker, I joined Marabou with Dave Maxwell an American session player now living in the UK. One of our bass player tryouts, being Cliff Williams from Home, AC/DC. Home being, Red's brother, Mick Stubbs's, band. Playing our original material, I'd started writing by then, to packed venues such as The Rainbow, Speakeasy and Marquee we got signed up by Harvest (EMI),  though this was to be short lived, there were too many egos in one band. It was easy come easy go, and we split....................
My old mates, Dr K's Blues Band, a group originally put together, 'though now departed, by guitarist Geoff Krivitt, he'd been with John Mayal between Clapton & Green, were looking for a guitarist and offered me the job. It was a great Blues band with no hassles or inflated egos, and we played the college and club circuit up and down the country. Although, I was still doing studio and session work with other people, Nico, who was to end up with Iron Maiden, Keith Levine from Pil with Johnny Rotten. It was also during this time, I remember, I went over to Richmond one night, to Gary Thane's (Uriah Heep) house/studio, to meet with Paul Kossoff, he'd wanted to buy a Les Paul Custom I was selling, we had a blow in the studio but he didn't buy the guitar, we'd all ended up too 'out of it' to talk money. Gary Thane died the next day.

My next project was to put together my own band, Last Chance, with guitarist Dave Maxwell (Marabou), Josh Brown & Bob Rennie (drum & bass from the Brakes). 'Things' started well, we signed a management deal with Ron Wilson, who was managing the Inmates, were once again on the club circuit, had unlimited rehearsal time at Queen's gear storage warehouse at Edwin Shirley's in East Ham and the Stranglers studio over London Bridge. All our PA and back line speakers came from Pink Floyd, they only used them for one rehearsal then changed them! We knew a man! But...... 'Things' didn't go to plan, and Josh & Bob jumped ship....................
With gigs lined up, Dave and I got in our mate Ron Mathews (ex Iron Maiden), and I took over on bass for a bit, but it never really worked for me. So that was the end of that!
As a side project, just for the fun of it, there were a few gigs with Ron Mathews & Bob Sawyer also ex Iron Maiden, bizarrely years later I also played with Dennis Stratton ex Iron Maiden.
At that time, I was living in Crouch End, North London. It was a 'Buzzing' area, full of actors, artists and musicians. The Tourists (Dave Stewart & Annie Lennox who went on to become the Eurythmics), lived across the road. Singer songwriter Steve Hale & guitarist George Micalef,  lived close by, we used The Tourists studio, pinched their drummer and bass player, Jim Toomey & Eddy Chinn and put together the Cleaners. As the band took off we had to replace Jim and Eddie, as they were signed to the Tourists, and brought in Ken Whaley who'd been with Man & Ozzy Hi hat from Hungry Horse...... Signed to Albion, with Swan Song financing the studio time, Dave Stewart produced the first record, headlining, Dingwalls, The Marquee, Music Machine and a residency at the Nashville Rooms, we were on the verge of a major deal when............... the 'old problem of egos' returned.............. the album was never released and that was that.!!!.......  Yet again!!...............

I did a bit with No Dice when they were looking for another guitar player, but it came to nothing. I was also approached by Manticore Managements who wanted to fly me out to the States to try out for PFM, Carl Palmer's (ELP) new band..................I said no!! Why I'll never know!!
It was around this time I was listening to more and more country rock, not fingers down your throat Jim Reeves etc., but the likes of The Outlaws, Manassas, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, as well as Jackson Browne with David Lindley on guitar...............Out of the blue I got a phone call from old manager Ron Wilson, he was now handling The Mike Khan Band, he wanted to know if I'd be interested in a tour of Europe with them. I did, ending up staying with them for 5 years! With more tours of Europe and the States playing some great stadium gigs. We were joined for a while by Carlos Morales guitarist with Julian Lennon and The Gap Band. I've some great memories of playing with 'Khan' . At The Venue in London, Joe Cocker jumping up and joining us on a few numbers. In the States, playing with the Rocking Razorbacks in Portland,  jamming on stage at the Key Largo Club with Buddy Guy and with Robin Trower (Procol Harum) at a club I've now forgotten the name of.
I did a side project when we weren't touring with a guy named Steve Hobbis and a band called Reporter. We had  Mick Cook who was with me in 'Khan' on drums, I'd known him since his days with Home, Al Stewart & the Groundhogs. Steve Hobbis was a great songwriter and singer, we recorded some good tracks. I've not seen or heard of him in a long time, hope he's doing okay!
We only recorded one album with Khan, for me it didn't work. I found it overproduced, It was time to move on....................
....................Another phone call, another tour, France this time, a singer who's name escapes me. His band had split but the gigs were booked. George Micalef, Keith Bailey (also a one time Cleaner') on drums, Tony Nelson on bass & myself went. The tour was okay but the singer, unable to keep up with the 'partying' called it a day and George Micalef stayed in France with the promoter, he's still there to this day!
Returning to England, Keith, Tony and myself together with a session singer, Buggsie put together Perfect Strangers. We were  a good working line up, playing the London club and pub circuit, with a residency at the Canarvan Castle, Camden. We gained a huge 'biker' following and were approached by The Hells Angels with a management deal. We took it! It seemed like a good idea at the time!

The 'Angels' connection lead to us doing a lot of 'biker do's' like the Bull Dog Bash and the Kent Bike Show. We got to record with Tom Newman who'd produced Tubular Bells for Mike Oldfield. I also wrote some music for, and the band played in, the cult movie Double X, starring Norman Wisdom, the only 'straight ' role he ever did. I'd been a huge fan of his when I was a kid, it was wiered watching him in a role like that. But like I said it's now a cult classic. If you've not seen it check it out! Anyway, by this time Mark Mawson had joined us on second guitar and Buggsie had left so I took over the lead vocals. But the involvement with the Hell's Angels, at that time, was hard work from both sides to say the least. The overindulgence in everything became too much, the band fell apart with a lot of bad feeling all round. However, I lived to tell the tale.................  I decided to take some time out to get my life and head sorted before my next venture!!
Having always maintained my soft spot for Country music, I ended up joining a country band, doing a lot of line dancing gigs. It was fun and the money was good, but it gradually did my head in!! There were guys turning up dressed like Roy Rogers, guns and all!!! I had to get out!!!.......................
A lot of the songs I'd been writing had been put to the back catalogue, due to them being too country or too laid back, as an outlet for them,  I put together a 6 piece Country Rock band, changed the name to just Strangers and set about the country circuit However, the rock music that was in my blood started to creep back into the set ,and the so called 'Country Market ' wouldn't accept it..................... Another door closes!!
Older, yes. wiser, maybe?..................I wanted to get back to playing my songs my way!! No compromises!!!!!
I moved to France......................................STRANGERS KNOW MORE !!!!!.......................................................