...THE
OF A SOPHISTO-ROCK SAXOPHONIST BY ANNIE McCLEAN
In July ‘68, the band performed on one of the hippest UK tv music
shows of the time, the "Simon Dee Show" and also made it to
London’s Royal Albert Hall for a show which included Joe Cocker
and the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. The latter was a highly eccentric and
comic combo featuring the late Viv Stanshall, a bespectacled, blond haired
and bearded brass player with more than a passing resemblance to John,
as would be subsequently commented on by the media in the 70s. As an aside,
the BDDB eventually recorded “Little Sir Echo” which John
would occasionally choose to perform in his future solo “guest spots”
with Supertramp.
A second album “Second album” was released and John continued
on with The Alan Bown over the next four years, successively recording
“We Can Help You ’; “Outward Bown"; "Gypsy
Girl"; "The Alan Bown - Listen" and "The Alan Bown
Stretching Out" .
The latter, a 1971 album, contained the only Helliwell composition to
date, "Turning Point". A number of personnel changes occurred
in the latter years, not least in ’69 with the addition of the late
Robert Palmer as new vocalist. Dougie Thomson came on board on bass for
what was to be the last six months of the band’s life.
In March 1972 The Alan Bown disbanded leaving the 27 year old Helliwell
in search once more of a new musical vehicle. Dougie and he had by now
formed a firm friendship and the two attempted to start up a new band
“Wizard” (not to be confused with Roy Wood’s band).
Their venture was short lived and both (now married) men had to resort
to taking whatever music jobs they could. John was in the nightmarish
position of also having to deal with an overdue tax bill, the result of
a mix-up whilst playing with The Alan Bown. He found a day job working
in a dry cleaners but also had to work evenings playing the clubs, pubs
and even seedy strip joints of London till the wee hours of the morning,
grabbing sleep whenever he could till the tax bill was paid off.
Around this time Dougie joined forces with a struggling Supertramp and
meanwhile John, taxes paid, did a spot of UK touring, then took off for
Germany, reluctantly leaving his wife Christine back in England. The work
involved playing around various American Air Force Bases but after only
a few months (Aug. ’73) John was glad to return to his family back
in Blighty. Rumour has it that the gifted “20 stone multi-instrumentalist”,
Pete Lancaster whom he was gigging with at the time, is still performing
in Germany to this day.
OF A SOPHISTO-ROCK SAXOPHONIST BY ANNIE McCLEAN