By Jason Barnard
David Ambrose talks about his new memoir ‘How To Be a Rock Star’, memories of playing bass in Shotgun Express, Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity and discovering the Sex Pistols, Duran Duran and The Pet Shop Boys.
Firstly, congratulations on your compelling book which is a revealing history of the British music history, as well as your life. Was that something you aimed for?
I aimed to do this autobiography with Terry Weston, as he persuaded me to make a record of my life, as he felt I had a story to tell. But I had no set plan – I set out to write my autobiography. It just so happened that, having been on this earth for so long, I had much more to tell than I realised! Talking to Lesley-Ann Jones, my co-writer, brought back memories from both my personal experiences in music and also in the music business. I remembered some great things that I had forgotten.
Can you describe your first steps into music and your early influences?
Elvis Presley, Eddie Cochran and the Everly Brothers were my early influences, through listening to records with friends. As I became a teenager in the late 50s, The Shadows and Duane Eddy were my heroes, and I learnt to play the guitar listening to Duane Eddy and Hank Marvin.
How did The Peter B’s form?
The Peter B’s came to life after Pete Bardens left THEM (Van Morrison). Pete wanted to get back to his old mates, Mick Fleetwood and yours truly. Peter Green joined later.
The line-up of The Peter B’s seems incredible looking back. Was it obvious the talent in the band?
No, it was not obvious. Mick and I were not too sure about Greenie to begin with, but Peter B was adamant! We were to be proved wrong very quickly!
How did The Peter B’s evolve into Shotgun Express?
The Shotgun Express evolved out of the Peter B’s as our manager Johnny Gunnell (who also owned the Flamingo Club) needed to make the Looners more viable. He then brought in vocalists Rod Stewart and Beryl Marsden, and they fronted the band performing a lot of Motown covers, we then went out on the road all around England for nearly a year.
Do you agree that The Shotgun Express deserved better than the singles you made?
The song they gave us was rubbish [‘I Could Feel The Whole World Turn Round’], so yes, they could have given us something better! Interestingly, EMI were responsible for this choice! We recorded it in Abbey Road.
‘How To Be A Rock Star’ describes the moment you turned down the opportunity to join Fleetwood Mac. However it seems that the sixties had so many twists and turns it would be mad to dwell on a particular moment. Would that be fair?
Yes, that would be fair. There was no seminal point when I turned the opportunity down; it just evolved.
How did you get involved playing with Brian Auger?
Roger Sutton was a friend of mine. When he left Brian Auger, he recommended me for the job.
The band seem to be unsettled by the management and media’s focus on Julie Driscoll. Did that happen before ‘This Wheel’s On Fire’?
Yes. Julie was on the front cover of our first hit, ‘Save Me’, which went to No. 1 in Europe. The management always claimed that her being on the sleeve was a ‘clerical error’.
What was it like riding chart success? How did things change?
I ate better food, had more girlfriends, drove a better car, bought a big house, and wore tighter trousers!
What led you to split?
It was becoming too jazzy, and I knew Brian had had enough of the ‘pop’ scene, which I loved. Time to go.
What did you do in the early 70s?
I played with Arthur Brown’s Kingdom Come, and co-wrote some of the ‘Galactic Zoo Dossier’ album. They were wild days. Arthur was a complete inspiration, and stopped me being the boring muso I had become! At this time I had also started my own Fine Art company, selling door to door and supplying hotels and wholesalers. It did remarkably well, for a short time! I then answered an ad to work on an art exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), and my life moved in a different direction after that.
Your role in getting The Sex Pistols signed to EMI seems to understated by others. Can you describe your role at the time?
A journalist friend of mine rang me and said that I must go and check out this band at the 100 Club. He thought I might be interested. I was. They were outrageous, and perfect as an antidote to the anodyne songs that we had all been listening to. It was time to set the cat among the pigeons! I got on very well with Malcolm McLaren, we threw ideas at each other.
You also had a hand in championing Dexys Midnight Runners. What was it about Kevin and the group that stood them apart from other unsigned groups?
Kevin stood apart from all the Two Tone bands, Madness, Selector and The Specials. They also had a unique soul vision and they had written a hit song, ‘Geno’, one of the reasons for signing them.
Can you describe your work with Duran Duran in that period? How long did you support them?
After signing them, I A&R’d their first three albums, ‘Duran Duran’, ‘Rio’ and ‘Seven and the Ragged Tiger’. I was very involved, as I loved their music, and they meant a lot to me, and still do. I was also involved with the band in selecting singles.
What were your other highlights from working in publishing and A&R in the 1980s and 1990s?
After Duran, Tom Watkins gave me a tape with two songs on it from a duo that he had just taken on the management for. I liked the sound, and after some difficult negotiations, I managed to sign them. The two songs were ‘West End Girls’ and ‘Opportunities’, and the duo was The Pet Shop Boys. I lived to fight another day! I also signed Kajagoogoo and Sigue Sigue Sputnik. They both had their own success. Still in the 80s, I put out a single for Kim Wilde doing a cover of ‘You Keep Me Hanging On’, went straight to No.1 in US and UK, so you could say the 80s were a good decade for me.
You’ve also rekindled your own music in recent years. When does the Dave Ambrose’s Dark Nebula material date from? Can you tell us more about the project?
Dark Nebular was formed in 1973. I was booked at Holloway College with my mate Martin Glover (lead guitarist extraordinaire), and we needed a name! We ripped the college apart with the sound, and it was the only gig we ever did. We did however have the brains to put down all the songs in a studio, so the tapes live on in their original raw form, and have recently emerged from a barn on an island in Essex! They are available on Spotify, YouTube and Amazon, under the title ‘Dark Nebular’.
How can people find out more about your current activities and ‘How To Be A Rock Star’?
I am apparently on Google! I still write songs, I lecture at City Uni on the Music Business, and I am in the process of putting out a single, ‘Little Bit Like Me’, on my own label, Wise Owl. Other than that, I am enjoying life with my wife Angie, and my family and friends, despite lockdown. My book is available at LittleWingBooks.com
