True story of band who bought a Highland cow

T H E Y were t he cha rttopping 1960s pop heroes who stopped off to buy a Highland cow before a Dundee gig.

Andi Lothian admits it was one of the strangest moments during his time as an agent and promoter in the ’60s.

Mr Lothian, who worked with The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Eric Clapton and many others, recalled the time he brought Unit 4+2 to perform at the Top Ten Club in the Palais ballroom, Tay Street, on their first Scottish tour 55 years ago.

The Top Ten Club regularly hosted stars such as Bowie and the Bee Gees.

Unit 4+2’s song Concrete and Clay became a big hit in 1965 and reached the top of the UK singles chart the week that Mr Lothian brought them to Scotland.

He said he was driving along with them when they spied a Highland cow calf.

The band were so smitten that they asked him to stop the car and asked the farmer if they could buy the calf.

They gave the man £50 and then shipped the calf by train down to London.

The incident provided much amusement to all those involved and the daily papers at the time.

Mr Lothian recalled: “It was all very impromptu as I remember it.

“One minute I was driving Unit 4+2 to Dundee’s Palais as the band enjoyed the Scottish scenery.

“The boys suddenly wanted to get close to a calf munching at the roadside.

“Out they poured from the vehicle and one of the band attracted the attention of the bemused farmer, jokingly offering to buy the calf.

“The farmer accepted the offer for real and the poor calf was shipped south a few days later.”

In 1962, Brian Parker, then the guitar player and songwriter with The Hunters, decided to form his own vocal harmony group.

He persuaded his friend David “Buster” Meikle to join him and they asked singer Tommy Moeller and Peter Moules, who were at school together, to join their group which they called Unit 4.

Unit 4 were later joined by Russ Ballard on guitar and Robert “Bob” Henrit on drums forming the +2 for a six-piece, four-part vocal harmony group.

Unit 4+2 released 10 singles on Decca between 1964 and 1967 and a further six singles on Fontana up to 1969 before disbanding in 1970.

Unit 4+2.