THEY ALSO SERVED
PRODUCER RAS G (below, b. Gregory Shorter Jr, 1979) began his exploration of psychedelic jazz, hip-hop and funk with 2008’s Ghetto Sci-Fi. He would go on to release more than 20 albums and mixtapes on labels including Brainfeeder, Leaving and Poo-Bah, collaborating with talents including Flying Lotus, Thundercat and Open Mike Eagle. Hudson Mohawke hailed him as “a true visionary in his own world ’n’ a weirdo in the greatest possible sense.”
LEAD BARITONE JERRY LAWSON (b. 1944) was raised in Apopka, Florida, singing gospel in church. He sang with The Persuasions for four decades, beginning in Brooklyn in the early ’60s when a no-show by a guitarist forced the group to perform a cappella. Having heard their five-part harmonies over the phone, Frank Zappa signed the group to his Straight label in 1969: they went on to share stages with the likes of Joni Mitchell and B.B. King, and put a sanctified spin on songs by The Beatles, the Grateful Dead and U2. Leaving the group in 2003, Lawson moved to Arizona where he formed Talk Of The Town and released a solo album, Just A Mortal Man, in 2015.
MEMPHIS-born BOB FRANK (b.1944) started out on the early 1960s Memphis folk scene alongside pianist and producer Jim Dickinson before he was drafted to Vietnam. Returning to Nashville in 1968, he worked as staff songwriter for Tree Publishing before relocating to LA in the early ’70s, recording his self-titled folk-blues debut for the Vanguard label in Nashville in 1972. It was his last recording for 30 years, becoming a cult collectable. He returned to recording in 2001, reuniting with Dickinson in 2002 for Keep On Burning and making a fine album of murder ballads with John Murry in 2009.
TECHNIQUES vocalist PAT KELLY (below, b. 1949) was talent-spotted at Edward Seaga’s Chocomo Lawn club: he recorded his first material in the mid-’60s with childhood friend Bunny Lee, who would later produce hits including How Long Will It Take, Jamaica’s biggestselling single of 1969. With a beauteous falsetto, Kelly sang lead on The Techniques’ Duke Reid-produced hits including I Wish It Would Rain and Love Is Not A Gamble. A trained audio engineer, he also worked on sessions for Gregory Isaacs, Johnny Clarke and more.
POLITICIAN EDWARD SEAGA (b.1930), as leader of the JLP, was Prime Minister of Jamaica from 1980 to 1989. As a young man, he was also instrumental in the founding of the island’s music industry, recording folk music in the ’50s and setting up the West Indies Records Limited label and studio. Seaga would also produce musicians including Byron Lee, Joe Higgs and Laurel Aitken. In 1978, he famously held hands in an on-stage gesture of solidarity with his political opponent Michael Manley and Bob Marley at the latter’s One Love peace concert.
MUSIC EXECUTIVE TONY
HALL (b.1928) aspired to become a vocalist before becoming a host on London’s jazz scene in the early ’50s. He joined Decca as an A&R man in 1954, revitalising the Tempo label with productions for Ronnie Scott, Tubby Hayes and others. He also presented on Radio Luxembourg and on ITV’s Oh Boy!, wrote a column for Record Mirror and managed promotion at Atlantic Records. In 1967 he set up Tony Hall Enterprises, promoting Jimi Hendrix, Scott Walker, Black Sabbath and others, and later moved into management. BASSIST BILL CAMERON (b.1947) played with Banffshire’s Johnny & The Copycats, later renamed My Dear Watson, from 1962. After supporting The Beatles in April 1964, two 1968 singles on Parlophone were produced by Vanda & Young. They shared stages with the likes of with The Kinks, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd and more, while their last single, 1970’s Have You Seen Your Saviour, featured a pre-fame Elton John on keyboards and backing vocals. Cameron also played with Running On Empty.
GUITARIST DAVE
CODLING (below, b.unknown), as Maha Dev, played with Ladbroke Grove’s Anglo-Canadian-Australian progressive raga-rockers Quintessence from 1969 to 1972. After signing to Island, Codling would appear on four albums with the divinity-seeking jam-band (1970’s self-titled second LP would reach Number 22 in the UK), played the first two Glastonbury festivals and supported the Grateful Dead and The Who. Codling later formed powerpoppers Made In Japan and resided in Hollywood. Having returned home to Yorkshire, in 2008 he formed Mahadev’s Quintessence and later reactivated Made In Japan.
JINGLE WRITER JONATHAN HODGE (b.1941) composed earworming music for TV adverts, including Do The Shake N’ Vac, Lip Smackin’ Pepsi Cola and A Mars A Day. His pop writing included If I Had Words, a hit for Scott Fitzgerald and Yvonne Keeley (a version appeared in the 1995 film Babe), and songs for his wife Debbie Raymond, the daughter of publisher Paul Raymond.
SOUNDTRACK mastermind GARY LEMEL (b.1939) supervised the music for blockbusters including A Star Is Born, Ghostbusters, St Elmo’s Fire, Harry Potter and the 45 million-selling OST to Whitney Houston’s The Bodyguard. Born in London, he moved to Tucson aged 10, later playing bass for Anita O’Day and recording a solo album of standards for Vee-Jay in 1964. He worked as a publishing executive before his soundtrack work for First Artists, Columbia pictures and later Warners. In the 1990s he released solo long-players including Romancing The Screen for Blue Note and a Bobby Darin tribute for Atlantic.