Don’s new book is beyond his wildest dreams
WEST Bromwich-born Don Evitts has now published the second volume of his planned three-part autobography.
We featured part one, From Copper Tops to Mop Tops, in Bugle 1426 (Decmber 25, 2019) and Don tells us, “The book has found its way into a few libraries and has also been included in the Archives of Social History collections because of its historical content. It’s also been featured on the Smethwick Heritage Centre website.”
Part two is Beyond My Wildest Dreams (1971-1985) and like part one it has lots of music related stories, photos, fashions and humour throughout that will resonate with people that lived through those years.
Don said, “The title relates to how I felt when I finally got into the music business. After years of trying to get record companies and publishers interested in my music and suffering knock back after knock back, I finally got a break. In 1975 I had three records released all on different record labels. One of the songs Do The Buster made a bit of Top of the Pops history when it was performed on the programme on New Years Day 1976. Sometimes it’s the case of right place, right time.
“One of those record companies offered me the job as regional promotions manager. Commercial radio stations were in their infancy and just starting to go on air. Most cities had local BBC radio stations which included a mixture of music and chat, but the new commercial stations were geared up to play music all day long. Record companies were quick to see the potential in all this and started to employ regional promotion people. Suddenly there was another way of getting music heard if Radio 1 and Radio 2 failed to play their product.
“It was now possible to break a record out of the regions with airplay on these new commercial stations. It was all very new and regional promotion people were looked upon as music pioneers, it was an exciting time.
“Another one of my claims to fame is that I promoted the biggest selling 12-inch single of all time, but you will have to look it up in my book to find out what that was!”
Both of Don’s books From Copper Tops to Mop Tops and Beyond My Wildest Dreams can be purchased from him at donevitts@icloud.com or from the Smethwick Heritage Centre website.