GREAT AINT IT !
The camera is safely locked away, the world is not ready yet for pics of Yours Truly is shorts !
Working with Josh and Jelena yesterday Josh kept complaining it was TOO hot. I reminded him of Saturday 3rd
Gary is researching flights for the 2019 trip to San Francisco. Josh says he isn't going if it is HOT. Hey, man this is California !
Flippin Leonites !
Who took that ?
Just how many years ago ?
Thirty ?
Perhaps.
Time I typed up the few thousand words I have scribbled in my notebook.
FOR THE STORY SO FAR CLICK HERE....
OK here we go with the next bit...
There were no tour dates so Jimmy spent the next six weeks in the studio recording a new album. Why was making a movie so much fun while making an LP so totally and utterly and overwhelmingly boring boring ?
No fan club but in Blue Hawaii the parts of Jimmy and Max Robinson were the same. OK, I did not sing but when it came to miming I truly was as big a star as my Rock and Roll brother.
We were in the cinemas every evening and in the record shops every day signing autographs, smiling, promoting the music of Blue Hawaii and my friend Elvis Aaron Presley.
We had top go down to London before all of this started, we went to The Odeon in Leicester Square for the opening. The next day had us at The Geaumont Cinema in Birmingham. We were there an hour before anything happened and had to be sneaked in through a rear entrance. The moment the doors opened and the crowd pushed their way inside one person separated herself from the dash to mob Brother Jimmy to head to myself. I recognised here of course.
"Happy Birthday Max," she said. "I am sorry it is a bit late but I wanted to give you a kiss with the card."
The crowd started to push he aside as people decided they wanted my autograph as well as Jimmy's. She was gone.
We travel;led over the country, cinema after cinema. I wondered if she would appear again. I hoped I would see her again.
Blue Hawaii was the number one album for Christmas. We gained nothing from the record's sales. Even though the film was a huge success we were paid no more than the flat fee Paramount had originally agreed.
New Year 1962. I had not spent very much of that money at all. Although Paramount only paid us the flat fee it was a lot of money. A new tour diary would give Max and his Magic Microphone wages as I introduced acts on the stage so I decided I would treat myself. I would learn to drive. Enthusiastically i spent some of my money on a car. It was delivered to my parent's house as I had yet to have even my first driving lesson. Triumph Motors delivered it on the back of a truck, delivered it from their factory in Coventry.
"How much have you spent on that ?"
"Not much."
"You have not got it on Hire Purchase have you ?"
"No Dad !"
"So where did you get the money from ?"
"Paramount Pictures. There's plenty more where that came from. It's all safe in the bank Dad."
"How come ? You were only lacky. I thought Jimmy was the star."
I never did like my Dad.
"I don't want to lose Max and his Magic Microphone but I have a friend who had an idea you may like. I think you should speak to him."
The style of British pop music was changing and while Jimmy could still get his records into the charts he was no longer the star he had once been. Cliff Richard, Harold Webb as Elvis called him, was appealing to a wider audience, Adam faith, his real name was Terrance Nellhams, had lost all of his popularity. He only ever had two LP albums released. Jimmy did not disappear from the pop music world as did Adam but he was no Cliff Richard.
I never did meet The Beatles, even today I have never shaken hands with The Fab Four. Only two left of course, Paul and Ringo.
I knew Keith Richards and I met, let me remember, Gerry Marsden, Cilla Black, Dave Clark and even Freddie Garrity of Freddie and the Dreamers.
"That friend of mine," Richard said, "he is coming to the show tonight."
Rotherham, we were in Rotherham, I clearly remember that. It was so easy to forget where we were. Arrive, set up, perform, break down and move top the next location. I know for certain this happened in Rotherham.
"So who is this man and what does he want ?"
"His name is Carl but I'll let him tell you himself face to face what it is he wants you for. You'll like his plans."
"So you are Max and his Magic Microphone ?"
I nodded.
"Quite a mouthful, why not Max's Magic Microphone ? Nice bit of alteration." I may not have learned much at school, I did fail the eleven plus, but I do know what alteration is.
I shrugged my shoulders. I was not saying much. Carl was a dominating man and my initial impression was that I did not like him. What did he want ?
"Do you have any of the money left from what you were paid to work with Presley ?"
"Most of it." I had spent only a bit on the car and still not had a single driving lesson.
"I am starting a radio station," Carl began explaining. "I have sold my house, moved into a flat and put all the cash in to buying an old fishing trawler."
What was he talking about ?
"The ship is to be called The Jolly Roger, we will anchor her outside the three mile limit then broadcast non stop pop music all over the country."
My face must have said something although my lips did not engage.
"Oh I can do it, nobody can stop me. Radio Jolly Roger will be a pirate radio station."
"Piracy is illegal." An obvious thing to say.
"We are not going to sink ships, murder crews and bury treasure ! We are Pirate Radio and, yes, it is illegal but nobody can do a single thing about it. We will make money, tons of money, broadcasting adverts and nobody can stop us."
"What about the BBC ?"
"Least of all the BBC."
"So what do you want me for ?"
"Depends," Carl said then hesitated. "I would like you to be a presenter on Radio Jolly Roger. A jockey rides a horse, a presenter on Radio Jolly Roger will ride the records so will be called a Disc Jockey or DJ. I would like you to be one of my Disc Jockeys, DJ Max's Magic Microphone."
I liked that idea even if I did not warm to Carl himself.
Then this Carl continued. "I need two thousand pounds to finish equipping the studio. I do not have two thousand pounds left and I can hardly as the bank to lend it to me so I can set up a pirate radio station and break the law !"
So that was what he wanted. He wanted me to lend him money. Ridiculous ! Never !"
"If you invest money in Radio Jolly Roger and become a shareholder I will make you a director, the station's Director of Music."
"I'm only eighteen, eighteen and a bit" I explained.
"And I am thirty-eight and a big bit. Do you think we could make a good team ? Two pirates ?"
This was crazy ! Almost as crazy as miming a part in Blue Hawaii with Elvis Presley. As crazy as buying a sports car when I could not drive. I did not like this Carl man but perhaps I could warm to him.
Richard came in to join us. He was quickly followed by Brother Jimmy. Their arrival caused mt to tell Carl where he could stick his radio station.
"So am I going to be the man of the microphone myself when you leave ?" Richard said.
"Having you play my records may save my career," Jimmy added with a smile.
How come they both knew Carl ?
"I am thinking I may ask Dad for advice." What a stupid thing to have said. Why ever did that come out of m y mouth ?
The scorn Jimmy then heaped upon me made me feel utterly stupid. Even Richard was laughing. Carl did not understand.
"What will happen to Radio Jolly Roger if I say No ?"
"Take Dad's advice you mean ? if I had take our dear father's advice I would be sweeping the factory floor just like he wanted you to. Perhaps I may have eventually gained promotion to put pennies into envelopes alongside him as a poor little wages clerk."
"I do have a Plan B," Carl said.
"And I am that Plan B," Jimmy said. "I will give Carl the money but I can not become a DJ. You can, you can be the biggest DJ in the world. Stop following behind me, get out there and become a star in your own right."
"But -"
"Stop the buts," Jimmy was now shouting. "Get on with it. Bring Elvis Presley to England, get him live on Radio Jolly Roger."
Elvis Presley never did come to England but Max Robinson did become Director of Music at Radio Jolly Roger.
MORE TO FOLLOW.
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