English singer Andy Keiller witnessed the nascent R&B scene in West London before moving to South Africa in March 1964. There he recorded a solo album and single before forming R&B group, The Upsetters with future Influence guitarist Louis McKelvey, another West London émigré, in late 1965. Remarkably, the pair reunited by chance two years later in Montreal and formed Influence – arguably one of the most dynamic bands to emerge from the Canadian rock scene. On the eve of Pacemaker’s long-awaited CD release of Influence’s lone album, he talks to Nick Warburton.
Andrew Keiller, South Africa, 1965 (photo courtesy of Andrew Keiller)
