The McKenna's Gold Story
Ted McKenna - photo by Mike Pinn
Ted passed away on the 19th of January 2019. He was my friend and was like an older brother to me. It was the most wonderful privilege for me to be his bass player in McKenna's Gold. He remains, for me, the best rock drummer I have ever heard. I'll never forget him ....
The Best Rock Drummer In The World
I first time I saw Ted McKenna playing drums was in Greg Lake's band at Exeter University Great Hall in 1981. That band was, quite simply, phenomenal and featured the incredible Gary Moore on guitar! As I watched the band performing that amazing gig from the balcony, little did I know that just a few years later I would be playing bass in Ted's band. After the gig Cliff Moore, Gary's brother, took me backstage with my friends Mark, Dave and Rob to meet the band. That night I met Ted McKenna for the first time!
Some time after this I went to see Ted play in Taunton at Kingston's night club, where he was performing with a Musician's Union band demonstrating musical styles and techniques. After the gig I chatted to Ted at the bar for some time and bought him a glass of Perrier water ! As we left the venue Ted and I were momentarily alone on the steps outside the hall as we said goodbye. I felt a sense of destiny at that moment!
The Dream
In the late Summer of 1986 when I was 25, I decided I wanted to form the best rock band I possibly could! My dream was to form a world-class band of the highest quality!
I had been playing bass in Cliff Moore's band since 1982.
It was great to work with Cliff, who is a fantastic guitarist and a great song writer and through our friendship I came to know his brother, the late, great, Gary Moore but in 1986 I felt the time was right for me to leave Cliff's band and form a new band of my own.
I had been playing bass in Cliff Moore's band since 1982.
It was great to work with Cliff, who is a fantastic guitarist and a great song writer and through our friendship I came to know his brother, the late, great, Gary Moore but in 1986 I felt the time was right for me to leave Cliff's band and form a new band of my own.
The Barefoot Guitarist
I contacted another brilliant young guitarist called Julian Hutson-Saxby who had been playing in a London-based band called Armistice and asked him if he would like to form a band with me! I first met Julian when he and his brother called to see me at my parents' house in Taunton to ask if I might be interested in joining their band. The time had not been right to play with Julian then but I sensed that this time the time was right!
Julian immediately responded to my suggestion and within a week he had arrived in Somerset, where we spent three weeks jamming and getting to know each other. One thing I immediately noticed about Julian was that he liked to go around barefooted! This didn't seem to affect his amazing guitar-playing though!!! We both felt incredibly excited about the formation of our new band! We now needed our next vital ingredient - a drummer!
Julian immediately responded to my suggestion and within a week he had arrived in Somerset, where we spent three weeks jamming and getting to know each other. One thing I immediately noticed about Julian was that he liked to go around barefooted! This didn't seem to affect his amazing guitar-playing though!!! We both felt incredibly excited about the formation of our new band! We now needed our next vital ingredient - a drummer!
The Phone Call
The first drummer I thought of was a Scotsman called Gavin, who I had played with a few times. He was good, very good, but when I called him he explained that he was committed to his own musical project and felt unable to commit to ours. After that phone call I lay on my bed thinking about who else I could ask - then it came to me - Ted McKenna, another Scotsman, was the drummer I was looking for!
The next question was how to contact him! I decided that the best course of action was to phone Chrysalis Records and ask if they might be able to give me Ted's number. Without further ado I called Chrysalis and spoke to the receptionist. I said "Hi. My name is Alex Bowler and I'm trying to contact Ted McKenna. I wondered if you might be able to help me by giving me his phone number." She replied, " Certainly sir, I'll just go and get it for you." Within minutes I had what I was looking for: Ted McKenna's home phone number! This was quite incredible, as personal phone numbers of rock star drummers are not usually given out like that! It seemed that there was a great plan being put in motion outside of my control! I was one step closer to working with a man who I considered the best rock drummer in the world!
As the phone started ringing I felt quite nervous with excitement and then the phone was answered! "Hello" came the response and I said " Hi, is that Ted McKenna?" "Yes" came the reply. This was it! I introduced myself to Ted and reminded him of our meeting in Taunton at the MU gig. He was very polite and said he remembered meeting me. I then explained that I had just formed a band with a brilliant young guitarist who was really influenced by Gary Moore and that we would like Ted to join us! Ted's response was "Well, slow down, I haven't heard you play yet!". This was a fair comment and something I had overlooked in my nervous excitement!!!! We chatted further and then Ted invited Julian and me to come to his house in London so we could discuss things face-to-face! The very next person I phoned was Julian to tell him the good news! Can you imagine how excited we both were?
The next question was how to contact him! I decided that the best course of action was to phone Chrysalis Records and ask if they might be able to give me Ted's number. Without further ado I called Chrysalis and spoke to the receptionist. I said "Hi. My name is Alex Bowler and I'm trying to contact Ted McKenna. I wondered if you might be able to help me by giving me his phone number." She replied, " Certainly sir, I'll just go and get it for you." Within minutes I had what I was looking for: Ted McKenna's home phone number! This was quite incredible, as personal phone numbers of rock star drummers are not usually given out like that! It seemed that there was a great plan being put in motion outside of my control! I was one step closer to working with a man who I considered the best rock drummer in the world!
As the phone started ringing I felt quite nervous with excitement and then the phone was answered! "Hello" came the response and I said " Hi, is that Ted McKenna?" "Yes" came the reply. This was it! I introduced myself to Ted and reminded him of our meeting in Taunton at the MU gig. He was very polite and said he remembered meeting me. I then explained that I had just formed a band with a brilliant young guitarist who was really influenced by Gary Moore and that we would like Ted to join us! Ted's response was "Well, slow down, I haven't heard you play yet!". This was a fair comment and something I had overlooked in my nervous excitement!!!! We chatted further and then Ted invited Julian and me to come to his house in London so we could discuss things face-to-face! The very next person I phoned was Julian to tell him the good news! Can you imagine how excited we both were?
The Meeting
On the day of our planned meeting Julian and I stood excitedly outside Ted's front door armed with our guitar and bass demo tapes as we waited for it to open! We were greeted by a friendly guy called Tim Stone who lodged at Ted's house and he invited us in. It turned out that Tim had been the guitarist at the MU gig in Taunton! I told him how much I had enjoyed the gig and we all chatted until Ted arrived about one hour later. We all greeted one another and shook hands and Ted said he'd like to hear the tapes of our playing! First of all we listened to my bass tape. I was quietly confident, knowing that Gary Moore had already heard the tape and had told me that I sounded like Stanley Clarke, which boosted my confidence no end!!!! Ted seemed impressed with it too, which was great!
Next came Julian's guitar tape featuring a BBC Radio 1 studio recording of his band Armistice. To say that Armistice were a heavy band was an understatement! They were so heavy that a turntable made of granite would have been needed to support their records!!!! Julian's guitar riffs cut through like a chainsaw on the opening track Roses and his amazing guitar solo rose in a dramatic crescendo of virtuosity! You could not fail to be impressed! As I went on to describe that the next track, Land Of Giants, was really heavy too, little did I know that Ted did not really want to form a band playing REALLY heavy rock and that he had a different plan! This tape of Julian's guitar playing did the trick however and Tim Stone was also impressed, as he made clear to Ted! We had passed the first test!
As Ted sat in his chair thoughtfully I seized the moment and asked Ted if he would be interested in having a jam with us. He said that he would and the scene was set for our next encounter with him in Hammersmith Studios!
Next came Julian's guitar tape featuring a BBC Radio 1 studio recording of his band Armistice. To say that Armistice were a heavy band was an understatement! They were so heavy that a turntable made of granite would have been needed to support their records!!!! Julian's guitar riffs cut through like a chainsaw on the opening track Roses and his amazing guitar solo rose in a dramatic crescendo of virtuosity! You could not fail to be impressed! As I went on to describe that the next track, Land Of Giants, was really heavy too, little did I know that Ted did not really want to form a band playing REALLY heavy rock and that he had a different plan! This tape of Julian's guitar playing did the trick however and Tim Stone was also impressed, as he made clear to Ted! We had passed the first test!
As Ted sat in his chair thoughtfully I seized the moment and asked Ted if he would be interested in having a jam with us. He said that he would and the scene was set for our next encounter with him in Hammersmith Studios!
The Jam
At last the great day for our jam with Ted arrived and Julian and I drove to Hammersmith Studios to meet him! After greeting each other we started setting up the gear. This was it, I was about to play bass with the legendary Ted McKenna!
The opening track was chosen: Nuclear Attack by Gary Moore! This awesome song was the opening track on Greg Lake's solo album 'Greg Lake' and featured Ted's powerhouse drumming! As Julian started the opening chords I just knew this was going to sound VERY special. As the bass and drums came in, the force of the rhythm section was unbelievable! A herd of angry elephants charging across the African savannah trumpeting at full volume may have sounded more powerful ... but I'm not sure!!! With my bass line working in unison with Ted's double bass drum pedals as Julian's screaming guitar-playing cut through above us, the sound we made as a unit was awesome! What struck me was the sheer power of Ted's drumming and it's total preciseness! Julian and I had suddenly entered a world-class level and there could be no looking back for us!
After playing Nuclear Attack, Ted played the most complicated drum pattern I had ever heard and said "See what you can do with this Alex!" I thought to myself "What was that?" and made a split decision to leave a few gaps and not to overplay! That way I would not bring a note in at the wrong time awkwardly! Whatever I played, it seemed to impress Ted, and I secretly sighed with relief!
After jamming for a little while Ted suggested that we should go for a drink and a chat. As we chatted together Ted told us that he had written some songs and that he would like to play one of them to us on a small keyboard he had with him. Upon returning to the rehearsal room Ted played us the song on his keyboard and we played along with it ... then Ted returned to his kit and we played it for real! The name of the song was Lucky Star! There was an incredible atmosphere in that room as we played the song together and it was clear that something VERY special was happening!
As we all packed up our gear at the end of the session no one was saying anything, so I thought I would say something cheeky to break the ice! I looked confidently at Ted with a smile on my face and said, "Ted I just want to say how much your drumming complimented my bass playing today!" Julian looked at me with a horrified expression as if to say, " What are saying Alex?". Ted burst out laughing! My joke broke the ice! Ted then told us that he would like to get together with us again the following week to teach us some more of his songs! Julian and I knew at that point that we had crossed the first and most important hurdle! It was the end of a VERY exciting day for Julian and me and the start of a VERY exciting time in our lives!
The opening track was chosen: Nuclear Attack by Gary Moore! This awesome song was the opening track on Greg Lake's solo album 'Greg Lake' and featured Ted's powerhouse drumming! As Julian started the opening chords I just knew this was going to sound VERY special. As the bass and drums came in, the force of the rhythm section was unbelievable! A herd of angry elephants charging across the African savannah trumpeting at full volume may have sounded more powerful ... but I'm not sure!!! With my bass line working in unison with Ted's double bass drum pedals as Julian's screaming guitar-playing cut through above us, the sound we made as a unit was awesome! What struck me was the sheer power of Ted's drumming and it's total preciseness! Julian and I had suddenly entered a world-class level and there could be no looking back for us!
After playing Nuclear Attack, Ted played the most complicated drum pattern I had ever heard and said "See what you can do with this Alex!" I thought to myself "What was that?" and made a split decision to leave a few gaps and not to overplay! That way I would not bring a note in at the wrong time awkwardly! Whatever I played, it seemed to impress Ted, and I secretly sighed with relief!
After jamming for a little while Ted suggested that we should go for a drink and a chat. As we chatted together Ted told us that he had written some songs and that he would like to play one of them to us on a small keyboard he had with him. Upon returning to the rehearsal room Ted played us the song on his keyboard and we played along with it ... then Ted returned to his kit and we played it for real! The name of the song was Lucky Star! There was an incredible atmosphere in that room as we played the song together and it was clear that something VERY special was happening!
As we all packed up our gear at the end of the session no one was saying anything, so I thought I would say something cheeky to break the ice! I looked confidently at Ted with a smile on my face and said, "Ted I just want to say how much your drumming complimented my bass playing today!" Julian looked at me with a horrified expression as if to say, " What are saying Alex?". Ted burst out laughing! My joke broke the ice! Ted then told us that he would like to get together with us again the following week to teach us some more of his songs! Julian and I knew at that point that we had crossed the first and most important hurdle! It was the end of a VERY exciting day for Julian and me and the start of a VERY exciting time in our lives!
The Celebration
Two more 'rehearsal' sessions followed, with Ted showing us more of his great songs including 'Nobody Said It Was Easy' and 'When I First Met Rock and Roll' and after the third session Ted took us to the local pub
.... and informed us that he would like to form a band with us! We all drank a toast to the future of the band, the band that was to be named McKenna's Gold. We were now all committed to working together in this wonderful new band and I am sure that we all believed that it was going to be a very, very special band indeed! As Julian and I travelled back to Somerset we shouted for joy in the car! Our dreams really were coming true!
.... and informed us that he would like to form a band with us! We all drank a toast to the future of the band, the band that was to be named McKenna's Gold. We were now all committed to working together in this wonderful new band and I am sure that we all believed that it was going to be a very, very special band indeed! As Julian and I travelled back to Somerset we shouted for joy in the car! Our dreams really were coming true!
The Keyboard Player
Our next series of rehearsals were held at Unicorn Studios in Bow and we were joined there by Ted's friend Alan Thompson on keyboards. Alan helped us to rehearse the songs before Ted invited the very talented jazz keyboard player Steve Franklin to join the band as our permanent keyboard player!
Our next job would be to find a singer!
Our next job would be to find a singer!
The Trip To Derbyshire
Our first public performance as a four-piece band, before we found our singer, was to be in the county of my birth and in the town where my father went to school and where he later taught English - Chesterfield.
It was here that Ted did a drum clinic - an instrumental concert showing different musical styles and drumming techniques.
How great it was to perform the music in that packed concert hall and how special it was for me to be able to play my bass with Ted and the band in front of my uncle Charlie and my cousins!
Derbyshire truly played a special part in our story for the final person to join our band, our singer, would be someone who, like me, was born in that lovely county, in the Peak District National Park!
It was here that Ted did a drum clinic - an instrumental concert showing different musical styles and drumming techniques.
How great it was to perform the music in that packed concert hall and how special it was for me to be able to play my bass with Ted and the band in front of my uncle Charlie and my cousins!
Derbyshire truly played a special part in our story for the final person to join our band, our singer, would be someone who, like me, was born in that lovely county, in the Peak District National Park!
The Singer From Glossop
An advert was put in Melody Maker for a singer and demo tapes were asked for. Before long we had made a short list of possible singers who had been sent demo tapes of Ted's songs to learn. One of these singers was Charles Bowyer from Glossop in Derbyshire, who was living in London at the time. I will never forget the moment when Charles Bowyer walked into the room! From the moment he started singing Lucky Star he commanded the stage! I think we all knew that we had found our singer!
Charles later received the call from our friend and administrative manager Andy Longman that he had the job, as he celebrated his birthday! What a great birthday party that turned out to be for him!
McKenna's Gold was almost ready to rock and roll! We now needed to
find somewhere to rehearse! That rehearsal room was to be found in West Somerset near the sea!
The Mansion By The Sea
Chapel Cleeve Manor lies in an idyllic position on the edge of a wood and overlooking fields near Blue Anchor Bay in West Somerset. This beautiful and grand house was to be the venue for our band rehearsals during the Summer of 1987. At the time the house was owned by the entrepreneur Philip Stubbs, who very kindly invited us to rehearse in the large cellar room - free of charge!
What a wonderful and inspiring venue it was for us as we worked on our set! Our song list contained mainly songs written by Ted and also MSG classics, like Into The Arena and Desert Song and Faith Healer by SAHB. We would often go to the Blue Anchor Hotel for lunch and later for an evening meal, joined by our roadies Chris Parsons and Phil Coakes and often we would go down to the beach. These were halcyon days indeed!
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It was during this time in Somerset that we did our very first gig, at a night club in Taunton ... and what a fantastic debut gig it was!
From the moment we opened the gig with Midnight, which was written by Ted and Charles, the audience was hooked! There in that small club they were witnessing the very first gig by an unknown world-class rock band led by a drumming legend!
After an idyllic Summer at Chapel Cleeve we were offered the chance to rehearse at an even grander country mansion - Tortworth Court in Gloucestershire! It was time to waive goodbye to West Somerset and head for the neighbouring county further north.
The Victorian Country House
I will never forget the day when we arrived at Tortworth Court to begin rehearsals. There it stood in all its Victorian grandeur, with its great central tower rising above us! Phil Stubbs gave us the complete run of the servants' wing with its enormous Victorian kitchen, where Phil our roadie would prepare meals for us! It wasn't long before we had each chosen our bedroom in that huge wing. The funny thing was though that when it came to night time the thought of sleeping in our own rooms in a vast and creepy mansion didn't seem so appealing and Charles, Julian and I moved our mattresses into Ted's room, which became our dormitory! So much for the rock and roll lifestyle!!!!
Our manager Roger Smith had organised for a local PA company called Porky Pig to supply us with a PA system and before long everything was set up in our splendid rehearsal room!
Our time at Tortworth Court was an amazing time! In between rehearsals we spent time wandering around the grounds or visiting the local pubs where we were viewed as the 'rock stars' from the big house! The band was REALLY cooking! There in that great Victorian mansion we made some fantastic music and those who came in to watch us rehearse felt
that they were watching a VERY, VERY special band indeed!
Our time at Tortworth Court was an amazing time! In between rehearsals we spent time wandering around the grounds or visiting the local pubs where we were viewed as the 'rock stars' from the big house! The band was REALLY cooking! There in that great Victorian mansion we made some fantastic music and those who came in to watch us rehearse felt
that they were watching a VERY, VERY special band indeed!
The Two Gigs
It was during our time at Tortworth that we did a very special gig in Milton Keynes at the Woughton Centre. That gig was truly memorable. It was the first time we performed on a big stage. It was an incredible gig!
We also did a gig in Lambourne at the home of the well-known racehorse trainer Rod Simpson. Whilst driving to the gig in my father's camper van I spotted Cozy Powell, whom Ted had replaced in the Michael Schenker Group, walking across the square in Lambourne! I stopped the van and wound down the window and introduced myself. Cozy was
surprised to learn that we were going to play at the party, which he was actually going to, and promised to bring some drums sticks for Ted! Sure enough he came to the gig with the sticks, which Ted was thrilled to recieve! It was great to spend some time chatting with Cozy about his time in Rainbow and Emerson Lake and Powell and later on he entertained us with a drum solo on our articulated lorry stage! Cozy Powell became the opening act before McKenna's Gold took to the stage that night!
We also did a gig in Lambourne at the home of the well-known racehorse trainer Rod Simpson. Whilst driving to the gig in my father's camper van I spotted Cozy Powell, whom Ted had replaced in the Michael Schenker Group, walking across the square in Lambourne! I stopped the van and wound down the window and introduced myself. Cozy was
surprised to learn that we were going to play at the party, which he was actually going to, and promised to bring some drums sticks for Ted! Sure enough he came to the gig with the sticks, which Ted was thrilled to recieve! It was great to spend some time chatting with Cozy about his time in Rainbow and Emerson Lake and Powell and later on he entertained us with a drum solo on our articulated lorry stage! Cozy Powell became the opening act before McKenna's Gold took to the stage that night!
The Return To London
After our times of idyll in two of the West Countries most interesting mansions, the time came for McKenna's Gold to return to London. It was indeed a time of change, with new management too, Ted Willis and Doug Ross, assisted by their friend Edison.
Rehearsals switched back to Unicorn Studios in Bow. I remember that one of our neighbours in a rehearsal room was none other than Buster Bloodvessel! Our last two gigs were in London and at The Cliff's Pavilion in Southend.
Rehearsals switched back to Unicorn Studios in Bow. I remember that one of our neighbours in a rehearsal room was none other than Buster Bloodvessel! Our last two gigs were in London and at The Cliff's Pavilion in Southend.
The Rainbow's End
After two years McKenna's Gold disbanded. It was the end of a very special time. What a privilege it was to work with four great musicians, Charles, Julian, Steve and Ted. It really was a privilege to be the bass player in the only band that Ted had as his own band! Those days will always be special days! A dream became a reality! There really was a pot of gold at the foot of the rainbow - McKenna's Gold!
PS
Our Roadies - Chris and Phil
We were blessed to have two wonderful roadies, Chris and Phil. Chris Parsons was our guitar/bass tech and Phil Coakes was Ted's drum tech. They helped to make McKenna's Gold what it was! Thanks guys!
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Recordings
McKenna's Gold made studio recordings of several of Ted's songs, the song which Ted and Charles co-wrote - Midnight and the SAHB classic Faith Healer. We worked with three separate producers, Tim Juckes, Mick Parker and Ian Stewart of the band Strangeways. A video of the band performing Faith Healer in Unicorn Studios exists. We did have a tape recording of the band playing Into The Arena at Chapel Cleeve Manor but it's not turned up yet!
McKenna's Gold made studio recordings of several of Ted's songs, the song which Ted and Charles co-wrote - Midnight and the SAHB classic Faith Healer. We worked with three separate producers, Tim Juckes, Mick Parker and Ian Stewart of the band Strangeways. A video of the band performing Faith Healer in Unicorn Studios exists. We did have a tape recording of the band playing Into The Arena at Chapel Cleeve Manor but it's not turned up yet!
Photos
Charles and his girlfriend at the time, Deeta, took a lot of photos of the band at Tortworth Court but unfortunately nearly all of them were destroyed! Charles takes up the story here: "I just couldn't believe it when Deeta sent me the photos that are now included in The McKenna's Gold Story! (You don't know the story!!..) In brief, I contacted Deeta, knowing she'd taken loads of pics.. 'rehearsals, gigs, moments' etc!!.. So, she took stacks of photos', and put them in the boot of her car.. in order to send me relevant pics, the next day, from work'!!.. Then, her car got 'Fire-bombed' that night!!!! TRUE STORY!!! (There just isn't an appropriate emoticon'???!"
Chris took a few photos at Chapel Cleeve Manor and elsewhere and we have included 3 of them on this page. STOP PRESS: My good friend Rob Male has informed me that he has a number of photos taken at our gig in Taunton, so I will add them to the page as soon as possible!
Where Are They Now Musically?
Charles joined Strangeways for a while after McKenna's Gold. He has worked on various musical projects since and and moved back to Derbyshire after living in Cyprus for several years.
Julian plays lead guitar in his own band JSB. He has also played lead guitar in Chris Glenn's band, Chris Glenn and the Outfit. He achieved his boyhood dream of playing guitar for the Sensational Alex Harvey Band after Zal Cleminson's departure in 2008! Julian also played guitar in Nina Hagan's band on tour in Europe and the USA.
Steve is busy working in the studio and in live performances as a jazz keyboard player.
Alex is the lead vocalist and bass player of LUCKY MAN.
Charles and his girlfriend at the time, Deeta, took a lot of photos of the band at Tortworth Court but unfortunately nearly all of them were destroyed! Charles takes up the story here: "I just couldn't believe it when Deeta sent me the photos that are now included in The McKenna's Gold Story! (You don't know the story!!..) In brief, I contacted Deeta, knowing she'd taken loads of pics.. 'rehearsals, gigs, moments' etc!!.. So, she took stacks of photos', and put them in the boot of her car.. in order to send me relevant pics, the next day, from work'!!.. Then, her car got 'Fire-bombed' that night!!!! TRUE STORY!!! (There just isn't an appropriate emoticon'???!"
Chris took a few photos at Chapel Cleeve Manor and elsewhere and we have included 3 of them on this page. STOP PRESS: My good friend Rob Male has informed me that he has a number of photos taken at our gig in Taunton, so I will add them to the page as soon as possible!
Where Are They Now Musically?
Charles joined Strangeways for a while after McKenna's Gold. He has worked on various musical projects since and and moved back to Derbyshire after living in Cyprus for several years.
Julian plays lead guitar in his own band JSB. He has also played lead guitar in Chris Glenn's band, Chris Glenn and the Outfit. He achieved his boyhood dream of playing guitar for the Sensational Alex Harvey Band after Zal Cleminson's departure in 2008! Julian also played guitar in Nina Hagan's band on tour in Europe and the USA.
Steve is busy working in the studio and in live performances as a jazz keyboard player.
Alex is the lead vocalist and bass player of LUCKY MAN.
Alex, Ted and Julian at a Band Of Friends gig near Taunton on 20th June 2014.
More details and stories may be added from time to time - so watch this space!