Alfalpha in 1977

OK here's the story. I'm an American, but grew up in London. My family moved there in 1967. I was 11 and already into music.

Three years later, an underground magazine in London called Oz was busted for so-called obscenity. What became known as the Oz Trial drew people like John Lennon, who put money into the defense fund. It became a kind of cause celebre for the young and hip at the time. Anyway, I was on the scene and so was Nick, who is actually about a year or so younger than me.

Do you know Nick, Brent? If so, then you know how far ahead he is on so many things. He was such a young kid, but because he grew up in Notting Hill Gate next door to Dave Gilmour of Pink Floyd, he was into a lot of scenes and things before most people. He also had longer hair than anyone else. Just like that Alfalpha album cover.

Anyway, Nick and I had a mutual friend named David Scherer, who was also American and went to school with me. I had met Nick just a few times back then.

Seven years later in 1977, I'm back in London, living in a squatter flat and watching punk-rock creep up on everybody's doorstep. I go to Dingwall's, a club in Camden, and recognize Nick in the deejay booth. He was the club's disc jockey, partly because he had a bigger record collection that anybody else (and still the longest hair).

We immediately hooked up and he tells me about his band, a trio called Alfalpha just signed to EMI. I'm a lead guitarist in the country-r&b mold and so he asked me to come down to the rehearsal room to jam. The songs, as you know from the record, are sort of Crosby, Stills & Nash-influenced, but there were a few that had something unique. Anyway, I began to play a few gigs with the band at the trendy Speakeasy club after hours on Thursdays. They used a drummer they called Skully who was actually the brother of a well-known '80s singer whose name I just forgot, and another guy on sax and me on lead guitar. The other two members of Alfalpha were these two brothers who I really liked a lot, Sam and Andy Harley. Unfortunately, it was very hippy music at exactly the wrong time for hippy music. Punk was happening on the streets and everyone was getting into straight-legged black jeans and amphetemine sulphate.

We'd play these Speakeasy gigs, with Nick singing about lying on his back "watching the world go by" and members of the Sex Pistols would be dragging their girlfriends around the club by their dog leashes. Alfalpha wasn't happening.

Anyway, the producer of the album, which they cut at EMI and at Abbey Road studios, was Jeff Dexter, who was also Alfalpha's manager. Dexter was a well-known music scenester in London during the late '60s, early '70s. He was this pixiesh character with long blond hair. If you've ever heard the live Jimi Hendrix album, "Hendrix in the West," it's Dexter that introduces Hendrix on side 1 at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival.

Things wound down after the album was recorded. I added lead guitar to one track. Soon, I left London for the States and Nick went on to form The Act with Dave Gilmour's brother. I actually haven't heard from Nick in many years, but I understand from our mutual friend that he's doing OK. Anyway, hope that clears it up.

Best,

Fred

 
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