Grosvenor Guests. From left: Wee Willie Harris, Kay Garner, Vicki Michelle, Colin Pryce-Jones, Billie Davis, Sue Glover, Neil Ainsby, Nathan J. Hulse.
"Lots of people told me they hadn't seen a group like ours in 40 years!" said Colin Pryce-Jones, delighted with the vibe at Sunday's Heritage Foundation Benefit in memory of the late Tommy Bruce.
More highlights, emailed and phoned in by various eyewitnesses:
- Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman's Prokofievian version of Eleanor Rigby. "Outstanding playing, technique, phrasing and notation," said an awed Colin, certainly no closet prog rock fan. "Hands and feet from another planet—he played it semi-classical, altered chords, brilliant. He got a standing ovation. 'My goodness,' I thought. 'How do we follow that?' As it turned out, "Rick spoke highly of us and said he 'thoroughy enjoyed' our set."
- 'Allo 'Allo! TV sitcom star Vicki Michelle posing for photos.
- Legendary studio voices Kay Garner and Sue Glover, veterans of Dusty Springfield, Dionne Warwick, Frank Zappa, Joe Cocker and Burt Bacharach sessions no less, joining Billie Davis on I Want You to Be My Baby.
- Les Reed shouting, "Play it then!" after Colin namechecked the pianist, crediting him for 1964's uber suave Spanish Armada recording—"which The Rapiers did too". Play it? "We'd need about 15 musicians up here to do it right," Colin replied.
- A roster of musical celebs lending their good karma to the afternoon, including Craig Douglas, Brian Poole, Graham Fenton, Clem Cattini, Mike Sarne, Danny Rivers, Chas McDevitt, Jess Conrad, Wee Willie Harris, Russ Sainty and Vernons Girl Sheila Bruce, Tommy B.'s widow.
A P.S. from Ralph Gowling: "Billie and The Rapiers led the audience in singing 'Happy Birthday' to a beaming Graham Fenton, lead singer of Matchbox."
Posted by: | 29 May 2007 at 08:58 PM