Happy Birthday John Mayall.

I suppose it was Mayall who I first heard play blues, which lead me to listen to many other blues performers both old and new. I remember seeing the band with Jon Mark, Johnny Almond and Larry Taylor, first time his band had had no drummer. I thought Bare Wires was even better than Laurel Canyon (I still have my mono LP).

It's true that at one time if you were to be taken seriously as a rock musician part of your CV had to read 'used to play with John Mayall'. Probably the only bloke who's sacked more musicians than Ashley Hutchings!