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Later,
fellow Rutlish schoolboy, Jeff Webb joined the group, replacing David
Richards on rhythm. He also
doubled with backing vocals complementing Stuart & Adrian.
In
1969 the group recorded four original songs at local R. G. Jones Studios
in Morden, Surrey. The unique
acetate demo disk EP's were produced for local song writing team Lesley
Blake, Alan Gowing and Terry Brown. These
handful of discs displayed the, later-to-be-famous, “OAK” label and
were catalogued EP RG.J407. For
“The Act” this was where the tale ended.
LISTEN TO OAK RECORDS - MIX
Or
did it?
Today
the group members are all happily married, some with children also in pop
groups. Stuart is well
established with British Telecom. Paul,
set on a career in printing, moved out of the area with his firm. David Fromant. still local, works for London Transport. Jeff
Webb, now a supervising Fire Officer in London, still lives locally.
Adrian runs his own company from Wimbledon also is a member of the
British Aikido Association National
Squad.
Finally the original member. David Richards, his whereabouts not
known.
Ironically,
it was Adrian's interest in Aikido that took him to Japan in 1993.
Where he represented the UK in an International Tournament, the
Squad brought home gold and bronze medals.
Whilst participating Adrian met Australian Aikidoka. Ken &
Morita Roberts. They were
involved in the music business in a small way and wanted to expand this.
After the Tournarnent they travelled to England with a view to
approaching suitable recording studios.
Adrian
recollected his early days as a “pop star!” with Oak
Records and introduced himself,
Ken & Morita to Gerry Kitchingham at R. G. Jones Studios now in
Wimbledon. Since “The
Act’s” early relationship with R. G. Jones Studios, many, now famous,
names have recorded there - David Bowie, Chris Farlow, The Yardbirds, The
Herd, The Rolling Stones, Cliff Richard and more recently Mr. Blobby.
It is this popularity coupled with the unique production facilities
in the beginning that prompted record collector David Wells to produce a
compilation album of those early days.
He contacted Gerry Kitchingham at the studios and was informed that
the master tapes of the early days had been destroyed. Gerry suggested
that he contacted Adrian of “The Act”; which he did.
Many
friends and associates from those early days were contacted and eventually
sufficient information and original material retrieved to enable a double
album to be produced. As a
result of this album many, re-acquaintances were made.
But sadly David Richards of “The Act” was not located. |
