In the late summer of 1979, I had been to see The Kids Are Alright documenting the life of The Who and was standing on the Northern Line northbound platform in the Leicester Square tube station, when I was joined by a group of American students. To one side was an eye-catching girl who sat opposite me when we boarded the train. We got talking and this led to our spending a couple of evenings together – I was working for GRE at the time in St James’s Street, so my days were occupied. Kathryn Johnston was her name and we enthusiastically agreed to stay in touch.
Kate was as artist from Everett, near Seattle, and after an exchange of entertaining letters over the winter, she lined up a return to London in June the following year. I was living in a basement flat in Edith Grove in Chelsea’s World’s End by then – renowned for being the street where Jones, Jagger and Richards of the Rolling Stones had their notorious flat in 1962.
I remember writing to Kate’s parents to reassure them that she would be taken care of and that all was generally safe in my part of town. Not long after she arrived, we spent a week in Inverness and even visited the remote Muir of Ord by train, which wasn’t probably what Kate had in mind, but we had some fun nevertheless. Back in London, a few sweaty gigs at the Marquee proved a hit and my purchase of a Fylde acoustic guitar from Ivor Mairants helped too.
When my landlady informed me that her brother was coming to stay and that she needed the room back, we swiftly found ourselves homeless. Turning up at my brother’s home in Kingston wasn’t the most welcomed turn of events, but we slept on his front room floor for a few nights. Various alternatives, such as the North London Poly halls in Caledonian Road served us well too before we struck lucky. A work colleague said that her friend in Hammersmith rented out rooms and may have a place for us. Saved! The wonderful Paola Ferrari gave us an attic room (for £17 a week) in Dalling Road, Ravenscourt Park, and it was our home for the next nine months, until Kate’s visitor visa expired.
We hadn’t been there long, before Kate announced she had been asked to join a SW London based band, The Rich and Famous. The most ‘poorly paid and least known group in the world.’ This was led by Ralph Beckford Forbes (lead vocals, songwriting and guitar), Phil Ames (no apparent relation, on excellent bass), a drummer whose name I can’t remember – apologies – and Kate on keyboards and backing vocals. Gigs arrived, after much rehearsing in Kingston, including a night in a basement club called Snoopies in Richmond, which also featured the very first solo gig by Ben Watt of future Everything But The Girl fame.
One moment I had complete forgotten until my discovery of a track on YouTube, was the band’s recording of a Ralph song, Machine Gun, early in 1981 I believe. This was accompanied by a photo shoot and a couple of pictures have survived. An amazing discovery after 45 years. I wonder what the foursome are all doing now…
