London—Sonny and Cher took back two Troggs compositions following London visit . . . jazz singer Blossom Dearie composed two songs dedicated to Georgie Fame—“Sweet Georgie Fame” and Scott Walker—“Long Daddy Green” . . . Davy Jones says the new four letter word in the Monkees already there is milk . . . unfortunate that Spencer Davis–Stevie Winwood split occurred just as the big break came in the U.S. . . . P.J. Proby’s return to Britain for a performance at Newcastle, Dolcie Vita was setting for yet another trouser splitting episode . . . Micky Dolenz received a call from Mama Cass while at Grosevenor Hotel in London . . . while Juliet (Jane) was away Romeo (Paul) seen playing with red head Kathy Etchingham.
Scene is the Abbey Road EMI recording studios where the Beatles are cutting an orchestrated track for their LP before an invited audience including the Rolling Stones and Monkee Mike Nesmith. Female journalist who shall remain nameless approaches Mike and asks: “were the Beatles as you imagined they would be?” “To tell the truth,” drawled Nesmith, “I thought they were all coloured before I came to Britain!” “But you must have seen pictures,” replied the reporter. Some people you can send up—some you can not!
Theme song of the Davy Jones fan club here is “Davy Davy”. sung to the tune of “Daisy Daisy” . . . Honey Lantree, female drummer–vocalist with Honeycombs group, now doing solo cabaret act . . . Brian Jones recorded theme music for a short film starring girlfriend Anita Pallemberg . . . Jeff Beck’s return to pop scene after leaving Yardbirds on Orbison–Small Faces tour was a disaster . . . Rolling Stones manager Andrew Oldham recorded four tracks with Del Shannon while in London . . . Chip Taylors’ “Monday Morning Rain” composition written especially for Troggs is his best ever . . . Herman a secret bingo player . . . Bill Wyman roaring around the Kent countryside in new Mercedes . . . Gene Pitney celebrated his birthday so many times on recent British tour from the stage that the whole country knew how happy he was about it!
Remember the man who used to lead the Animals on organ in the days of “House of the Rising Sun”—Alan Price? he’s currently making the scene in Britain again with his own band, the Alan Price Set and his smash—“Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear” presented several publicity problems. “I ordered one bear for a photo session and got two because there is a law forbidding bears to travel on their own,” Alan told me. “It seems they get very lonely and make themselves ill travelling on their own. “Next mistake was taking one of the monsters into Hyde Park where I had it on a chain and suddenly it shot up a tree—bears like climbing trees—and there I was swinging in the breeze on the other end of the chain . . .”
Donovan and Paul McCartney both have a thing about yellow—“Mellow Yellow” and “Yellow Submarine” . . . very strange! . . . Davy Jones appeared on British TV with comedian Harry Seacombe with whom he played as Sam Weller in “Pickwick” . . . Harry made short appearance in top twenty along with “I’m a Believer” singing “This Is My Song” . . . Seekers have “Red Rubber Ball”—Paul Simon composition on new LP . . . unlikely that Mick will ever Marianne Faithful . . . Sonny and Cher refused admission from London Saddle Room because they wanted to keep their coats on . . . Pet Clark an admirer of Tom Jones work . . . Tom Springfield who wrote “Georgy Girl” will not receive any royalties from the film performances in the U.S. under forbidding English composers to receive such money . . . Micky Dolenz had more girls in his suite at Grosevenor Hotel than there were in the rest of the hotel . . . ex-Animal Hilton Valentine launching singing protegee Keith Shields with Donovan composition, “Hey Gyp” . . . Denis Payton of Dave Clark Five married secretary Lyn Griffiths on February 28 . . . Brian Jones and Keith Richard take frequent flips to Tangier to get away from it all . . . this reporter delighted to receive personal letter of thanks from Beach Boy Mike Love . . . Jones, the “in” show biz name now—Brian Jones, Tom Jones, Davy Jones, Paul Jones and Kenny Jones of small faces . . . Harrison, Lennon and McCartney all voted Hollies “On a Carousel” worthy of a number one . . . Eric Burdon and Angie King more than just good friends . . . Chrissie Shrimpton’s friendship with Steve Marriot lasted approximately 2 months . . . Kink Pete Quaife and Mike Nesmith get on well . . .
As the influence of LSD and pschydellic [sic] pop spread here are a few common sense quotes from Spencer Davis on the subject: “There are certain people in this business who are living in another world—you snap your fingers in front of their eyes and they don’t even know you’re there. Some of these drugs may be organically harmless but has anyone established just how much damage they can do to the mind. How much is distortion and how much revelation. I like the world I’m in now and I don’t need an escape.”
