To celebrate the fourth annual Father of Loud Day this April 5, one MK musician recalls an evening spent playing with The Guv'nor in Stony Stratford...
It was mid-March 1997. My phone rang and a drummer friend of mine was calling to ask if I was doing anything that Friday night.
“A bass player is needed for Terry Marshall's birthday party at The Cock Hotel in Stony Stratford,” they said.
'I'll be there,” I promised.
I arrived with a friend and we sat with some of the other players and their pals.
Having been wined and dined, it was then time for some music making.
Keyboard player Trevor Jeavons got a musical phrase going, while one by one, us others joined in and got proceedings under way.
Birthday boy Terry on Tenor Sax, Mick Abrahams on guitar and vocals, Maurice Barratt on drums...and me.
After an hour or so, Mick beckoned to 'Play in a Day' legend Bert Weedon to get up and play a few numbers, including his version of Apache.
Then Jim Marshall joined us on drums, and later fronted the line-up singing some old standards from way back. It was great.
Also among the guests was Frankie Vaughan and his wife, who came over and said how much he had enjoyed the evening.
That is one night I'll always remember. It also introduced me properly to Terry, who I now play regular gigs with.
I've spent decades with Marshall Amps behind me on the stage, but that was the only time I had the man behind the world famous name in front of me on the stage!
Sadly, Jim, Bert and Frankie are no longer with us, but I treasure the memory of that special night...
Nick Jones
