By Nick Churchill
REGULAR record shops
are off-limits to long-standing Zoot Money fans, it seems.
The stalwart '60s survivor
has been inundated with letters and messages from fans who have
heard about - but never seen - a new live album featuring the
classic '60s line-up of Zoot's Big Roll Band.
The record is called Were You
There? and is available on the Indigo Recordings label in any
number of high street CD emporia, yet Zoot maintains it isn't
getting to his old fans.
"You have to remember,
a lot of these people wouldn't set foot in a big record shop.
It's so rare to find these shops staffed with anyone who knows
anything, let alone gives a stuff about real music," says
Zoot.
As reported in the Daily Echo
earlier this year, the live album is culled from long lost concert
tapes that were discovered in a garage and dated to 1966. Zoot's
band at the time included other local heroes such as Andy Summers,
destined for fame alongside Sting in the Police, Paul Williams
and Colin Allen; while the featured vocalists on the album include
'60s club legend Herbie Goins.
"We didn't do much to the
original tapes, just changed the order a bit. It's all pretty
sweaty - rough but presentable!"
Fast forward to 1999 and, ever
helpful, Bournemouth's favourite musical son has dug up a mail
order address and credit card hotline for timid Big Roll Band
followers looking to provide an answer to the title's question.
To order the record, simply
call Direct Distribution on 0171 281 3465
and have a credit card ready; or write to 50 Stroud Green Road,
London, N4 3EF.
[EDITOR'S NOTE
- Dont!! This information is no longer reliable. Your best bets
to track this CD down are listed on our Buy
Now page]
* MEANWHILE, Zoot is currently
negotiating a package tour that will feature an all-new Big
Roll Band. He wants to get back on the road in a '60s style
touring unit in much the same way as the Manfreds-Chris Farlowe-Alan
Price line-up that is coming to the Pavilion later this year.
"Me and Farlowe on the
same bill would be interesting, maybe with someone like Peter
Yorke and Maggie Bell," he says. "You talk to those
golden boys who made it big in the '60s and none of them could
play anything else. The clubs in those days weren't about pop
hits, even Bigtime Operator. It was all about these obscure
little R&B tunes which we'd make up odd little lyrics to
or change the solos.
"Boz Burrell is with me
now, and Ronnie Johnson from Van Morrison's band. It would be
great to go out with the band on a quality R&B package playing
Big Roll Band tunes."
Before that, Zoot has committed
to a show at Studland Country Fair on August 28 with a band
led by former road manager Chris Hawkins.
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