MICK HEARN

Michael Hearn was born on 21 May 1945 in Kesgrave, Suffolk

Band timeline:

The Seminoles

The Nightriders

Jimmy Martin & The Kryptons

Unit 4

Little Jimmies Jamboree Bag

Mick Hearn by Mick Hearn Feb 2017

May 21 1945. Thats the year I was born at Bell Lane, Kesgrave as dad was in the RAF and stationed at Martlesham. When about two years old we moved to a council house at Norwich Road, Ipswich. My memories of those years was dad sitting in the front room strumming his ukulele and singing George Formby songs. I would quietly pick up his Uke and stand in front of the mirror pretending to be a star. He caught me and threw me a chord book and said “Here – learn something.” So I did.

1960 a memorable year. I had just left school and off to college when The Shadows released Apache. Immediately I was a fan, and every dinner time I would go to the cafe opposite the college, put my money in the juke box and sit there and dream while listening to Apache.

I had to learn to play guitar and several weeks later was fortunate to meet up with Pete Keeble – now my brother in law. His father was playing the piano at The White Horse Public House on the Whitehouse estate. Pete asked if I had ever heard of Johnny Cash and Hank Williams. No I had not, but who cared. If this was a journey into playing guitar then I wanted part of it.

We used to meet up at his house or mine singing and playing and learning new chords all the time. That was my introduction to Country Music but Hank Marvin was still at the forefront. What was next I asked. Well that came in the form of an ad in the Evening star. Rhythm guitarist wanted. Having made the contact I found the others were no further forward in their playing than I was but it was a start. Ricky Martin was the lead guitarist, Pip on bass and me. We called ourselves The Seminoles. We had some fun but did not progress very far.

We stayed together for a while but changes were being made so that eventually the lineup was me on lead guitar, Terry Featherstone on rhythm guitar and John Mayhew (of Genesis fame) on drums. The bass player tended to change.quite regularly. We played at the Gaumont (now the Regent) in Ipswich. No – not a big show – we played at the Saturday morning picture show before the show kicked off. At last my claim to fame. Or at least we thought it was even if no-one else did. It was this show that led to a residency at The Plough Public House every Friday and Saturday night under the banner of The Nightriders. This residency was rather limiting so eventually we threw in the towel to the disgust of the landlord, who was also angry due to an escapade with his daughter.

Lots more venues now and even Geno Washington would join in and became a regular feature with the band. The band name stayed the same until the arrival of Jimmy Martin and we went out under the banner of Jimmy Martin and the Kryptons. More popularity and fame was spreading but then Jimmy got the call from Unit 4 who were the biggest band in Ipswich at the time. Well he had to go so we carried on. At that time Unit 4 consisted of Terry Poulson (formerly of The Vapour Trails) on lead guitar, Morton Lewis on Rhythm, John Game on bass, and Gerry Gillings on drums.

The Kryptons carried on still pulling in the work but then one day I got the call. Morton Lewis was leaving Unit Four and would I join them taking his place on rhythm guitar. Well of course who would not turn down the offer of joining the biggest band in Ipswich. I was very happy but the rest of the Kryptons were not. My name was mud after that move.

Here then was the turning point. Gerry Gillings left the band prior to my arrivsal and was replaced by Kenny Proctor on drums Some really good gigs were played and then the icing on the cake. The call came to appear at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg. What a winner. We thought it was great cos this was the place where the Beatles had been playing. This was 1964 and off we went., flying via Amsterdam all paid for. Oh the joy of it – well so we thought but the reality soon put us in our place.

When you are booked to play a month it means that – every night – and August had 31 of them. We played 8 in the evening until 2 in the morning one hour on and one off alternating with another band. On Friday and Saturdays it was 5 in the evening until 5 in the morning. What a killer. Everyone got sore throa.ts and lost voices and our standard fell. At least so we thought. What we didn't realise was that during that month our standard increased until by the time we came home we were better than when we went. The hard work did us good and it was a chance to look around Hamburg. What I did not realise was that the Reeperbahn was the equivalent to Soho. After all the Top Ten Club was sandwiched between two strip clubs.

But thats another story – to continue.