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Coll Michaels
Okay. Coll's
the bloke typing this stuff onto these webpages,
which you're probably not reading. He (excuse
his use of the third person) plays guitar, sings,
arranges and writes some of the songs - and books
most of the gigs. Off-stage he's a community pharmacist
with a practice in Luton,
and is a consultant in pharmacy IT and marketing.
Coll lives in Watford with Andy, his gorgeous
wife of more than 30 years. They have four
daughters, two grand-daughters and a grandson.
Coll has
played guitar since age 12 and joined Blues Apex,
his first performing band, while still 14. His
story is the Story of the
Band.
John
Curtis
Yes, we
do call him "J.C". Right, he
is the oldest bloke in the band! He plays electric
bass guitar, supplies backing vocals and provides
essential transport for the band's amplification.
You could say that he drives the band. In both
senses. His powerful, accurate play projects the
band with extraordinary energy and gives Cadillac
Blues its tight edge. A professional musician
for a large chunk of his working life, he moved
to London from Portsmouth in 1969 with a band
called Cherry Smash, headed-up by singer Brian
Hugg.
John worked
with Brian's brother Mike on Mann-Hugg advertising
jingles including Corona Lemonade, Ski Yoghourt,
Manikin Cigars, Trebore Mints before recording
an album, Blue Suede Shoes Again. These
ssessions included work with Qaleb Quay (Dr Hook
& Elton John), Micky (when do I get paid?)
Waller and Henry Spinetti.
John next
joined Gary
Moore and toured with his band for
18 months, recording the Grinding Stone
album and playing at the fabled Alley Palley (Alexandra
Palace). After departing the Moore band John
spent two weeks in the orchestra pit at London's
Cambridge Theatre backing Billy Connolly and accompanying
legendary guitarist Adrian Legg. The last memorable
high from this era was when he called round to
say "hi" to Pink Floyd guitarist Dave
Gilmour and was invited to help him with his demo
session.
All this
happened before John was introduced to Coll who
was playing with the late Chris Cheale's Great
Escape. Invited up for a quick jam, Coll
was knockd out by J.C.'s bass playing. When long-serving
bassist Ian Charles threw in the towel John was
grabbed with both arms, staying until the band
fizzled out a couple of years later.
John was
re-called to duty following the departure of Frank
Lawton and Brian Scott from Cadillac during the
middle of a busy tour. By day John is a
master electrician and lives in Watford with his
wife Diane and daughter Holly May.
Kimberley
Rew
Kim's
first band at 14 years old was Blues Apex - a
Harrow County School creation with Coll Michaels,
Ian Worsfold, and Ian Charles. A truly gifted
musician, Kim has enjoyed international success
throughout his long career. His prolific and innovative
writing and playing has been showcased during
years with The
Soft Boys and subsequently with Katrina
and the Waves:
Kim first made his mark in the late seventies
as a member of Robyn Hitchcock's Soft Boys (a
primary influence on REM). In 1981 he made a solo
single backed by American band the dB's before
forming Katrina and the Waves, writing most of
the group's songs including the worldwide top
ten hit "Walking on Sunshine"
(produced by Hitchcock's Pat Collier and REM's
Scott Litt). The Bangles also covered Kim's "Going
Down to Liverpool".
Katrina and the Waves toured opening for the Kinks,
the Beach Boys, and Squeeze among many others.
Rew concurrently recorded and made guest appearances
with Ashley Hutchings, Robyn Hitchcock, Julian
Dawson and Boo Hewerdine. In 1997 Katrina and
the Waves won the Eurovision Song Contest for
the UK with the Rew composition Love Shine
a Light, a Europe-wide top ten hit.
In 1999 Kim appeared on Julian Dawson's album
Under the Sun and Robyn Hitchcock's Jewels
for Sophia and its associated tours. 2000
saw his first solo album, Tunnel into
Summer. Mainly produced by Andy Metcalfe
(from the Soft Boys, Robyn Hitchcock's Egyptians
and Squeeze), it features contributions from Julian
Dawson, Robyn Hitchcock, Dave Mattacks and Glenn
Tillbrook.
In 2001 the Soft Boys reconvened to re-release
their Underwater Moonlight album,
now hailed as a gem from the vaults, and tour
the US and UK.
2002 saw the release of Kim's second solo album
Great Central Revisited and the
Soft Boys' reunion album Nextdoorland.
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