Laurels press release from 1980, written by: Julian Henry THE SWINGING LAURELS story starts in1980, when GAZ BIRTLES and JOHN BARROW, (both newly graduated from "Dr Sax's Tune-a- Day Course") got together for an informal recording session. It was, however, to be no run-of-the-mill rehearsal. As their two CROONING TOOLS swept together for the first time, it suddenly became apparent that the two men had more in common than fully paid up subscriptions to the ARCHIE SHEPP APPRECIATION SOCIETY. Indeed, their two DUELLING SAXOPHONES became as LONG LOST BROTHERS, flung together by some mysterious act of fate. Before long, the two were chatting like old friends, and common ground was immediately established; An in-depth understanding of pre-Roxy Music ANDY MACKAY riffs, a laboriously cultivated knowledge of The History of Popular Music, and a shared close friend in ERROL MANTINI, sharp scissored stylist of MANTINI'S HAIRDRESSING EMPORIUM, a well known cultural HOT SPOT in downtown Leicester. (ERROL was later to be immortalised by THE LAURELS' own personal tribute "HAIR BY MANTINI". However, the picture was far from being complete. It wasn't until the TWO LAURELS placed an advert in DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE that fresh faced MARK O'HARA appeared at the door, nervously hiding behind a pair of SEAN CONNERY nylon 'V-grip' wrap around sunglasses. He was obviously the man for the job, and when his catalogue of keyboard fills was examined and found to include a healthy amount of red hot GEORGIE FAME AND THE BLUE FLAME riffs, he was immediately positioned in charge of 'The Boiler House' of THE SWINGING LAURELS, armed and ready with a handsome ROLAND TONE-WISE Mark 6 Rhythm machine - an ample SURE-FIRE ORGAN in any situation! Meanwhile, word was beginning to filter back through the LEICESTER UNDERWORLD of a new arrival in town; a kid who packed his trumpet with 6 sticks of SHORT-FUSE TNT and had a THREE STOREY 'ERASERHEAD DELUXE' HAIRCUT to match. Gaz was straight on the case, and within days DEAN SARGENT was lining up with a score of classic JOHN BARRY SEVEN blasts, ready and willing to add his own distinct seal of approval to the proceedings. With the team CHECKED IN and MATCH FIT, the next step was decided upon; A series of concerts were arranged, and before long THE SWINGING LAURELS were 'treading the boards' of the East Midlands Club Circuit. Decked out in matching DRIP-DRY, ALL WEATHER, BRI-NYLON SKIING SLACKS, and sporting a tasty line in loose fitting 'BRITISH HOME STORES' CHEQUED SWEATERS, they were all the rage on the local Marine Pavilion/Holiday Inn/ Trust House Forte Cabaret Circuit where they were to undergo their initial sortie into the field of Popular Music. The new songs were now appearing THICK ' N' FAST as the four TUNESMITHS found their footing and began to get to grips with the job in hand: To find the elusive formula that would utilise the FASHIONABLE NEW SYNTHESISER TECHNIQUES that are SO POPULAR these days, with a SKILLFULLY GRAFTED Horn Section adding that CRUCIAL SOUL FEEL. Little did they know that their LUCKY BREAK lay just around the corner. It happened when an OFF-DUTY REPRESENTATIVE of UP-And-Coming Independent Record Label, ALBION RECORDS of London, was hosting a "CHRIS MONTEZ WILD SURF" Party at his local Rotary Club. THE SWINGING LAURELS were billed as 'Star Attraction', and the second that they took the stage Our Man knew that he had stumbled upon a RARE DIAMOND. The band were barely in the Dressing Room after the show when our HYSTERICAL REPRESENTATIVE burst through the door laughing wildly and waving his cheque book in the air. That very night, a lucrative publishing deal was signed, and a further contract inked, allowing the ALBION CORPORATION to release the groups' first single, "PEACE OF MIND/SWING THE CAT". With their first disc 'on the street', it wasn't long before other bouquets of critical acclaim were being flung upon the group's MODEST and UNASSUMING shoulders. However, no one was expecting THAT PHONE CALL when it came one grey Wednesday afternoon. JOHN was busy ironing his latest purchase; a brand new Polyshine Coolman Deluxe ADAM FAITH-endorsed shirt, while humming along to his favourite record, "IT MIGHT AS WELL BE SWING" by FRANK SINATRA AND THE COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA. Imagine his surprise when he picked up the phone and found none other than SUPER COOL 1983 Pop Hero TERRY HALL of THE FUN BOY THREE on the line. It transpired the TERRY had heard of THE LAURELS 'on the grapevine', and he, NEVILLE and LYNVAL had been so impressed by their ear-bending "SWING THE CAT" tune that they wanted THE LAURELS to appear AS SPECIAL GUEST STARS on the new FUN BOY 3 single "THE TELEPHONE ALWAYS RINGS", it seemed almost by the cards of destiny, The rest, as the well seasoned Record Business types might say, is history. The single swept up the UK Charts taking our HAPPY-GO-LUCKY foursome with it, and after numerous appearances on PRIME TIME TV SLOTS such as 'TOP OF THE POPS', 'SOMETHING ELSE' and 'CHEGGARS PLAYS POP', THE SWINGING LAURELS began to sample the numerous delights of UNLIMITED WEALTH and WORLDWIDE FAME. A further appearance on the JERRY DAMMERS produced 2-Tone single by THE APOLLINAIRES, and a session with MUSICAL YOUTH, and every BIG TIME A&R MAN in London was to be seen grooving and jiving in fits of UNABASHED ADORATION every time that the group played live. A far cry from the endless nights spent slogging around the BINGO HALLS and SALOON BARS of the East Midlands, where the band had so unerringly 'paid their dues'. THE SWINGING LAURELS eventually signed to MULTI COMGLOMERATE, WEA RECORDS of London a deal involving many thousands of pounds, and went on to cut their first WEA disc, "RODEO/HAIR BY MANTINI" in the VIP Quarters of Trident Studios, with top-notch SCRITTI POLITTI and ORANGE JUICE producer ADAM KIDRON at the controls, though the final mix was supervised by Trident's own STEVE SHORT. "RODEO" - Name the Guilty Men With their new record now in the process of being manufactured, the wheels of big business began to grind into actin. The group's affairs were now the responsibility of THE TEN-PER-CENT BROTHERS whose job it was to carry the briefcase and talk telephone numbers with the MUSIC BIZ LACKEYS who were constantly pestering the group for various appearances, interviews and other promotional beanos. With RODEO hot off the presses THE BROTHERS wasting no time in exploiting some of the contacts that they had made over the years - it took just one call to the PLUSH BBC OFFICE of RADIO ONE DJ, SIMON BATES, and the record was immediately played! Other votes of confidence in the group came from the smart Covent Garden Offices of the Glossy Pop Weeklies, after THE BROTHERS' H-reg. WOLSY CAMBRIDGE had been seen parked outside the Chiswick home of glamorous young SOUNDS pop writer, KAREN SWAYNE. Click here to read the next interview.