Welcome to my website. As you'll undoubtedly notice, it's a work in progress but eventually I hope to add other sections including my artwork and access to my musical services.

At this point, I would like to thank my good friend Ron Lindeboom for creating the site for me and for attempting to drag me into the 21st Century (what I know about the Net could be written on the TIP of a pin!).

During June and July of 2004, I toured with my old bandmates, Strawbs, in a 30th anniversary tour of the same five friends who first created "Hero & Heroine" (and later "Ghosts") back in 1974. All the members of that line-up were present: Dave Cousins, Dave Lambert, Chas Cronk, Rod Coombes and your's truly. We also created a new CD entitled "Deja Fou" which is now available at Amazon.com and many of the other usual places. I suggested the name "Deja Fou" as an obvious play on the words deja vu. This, as we had indeed been here before. But "fou" is also French for "craziness" or "insanity" -- something which you have to be to take a band on the road when you are all in your fifties and sixties! During the tour, we also recorded a live concert at the Northeast Art Rock Festival (NEARfest) 2004, which is now the new Strawbs album "Live at NEARfest 2004."



And now, here in early 2006, we are getting ready to go out again on a mini-tour of England that runs Thursday, 2 March in Teddington; Friday, 3 March at The Brook in Southampton; Saturday, 4 March at the Astor Theatre in Deal; and ends with the concert Sunday, 5 March at The Robin in Bilston. The last show in Bilston is being filmed for a DVD release.



I look forward to meeting with you and having the opportunity to say hello to many of you. These tours are always a great experience for all of us in Strawbs and we are grateful to all the friends of the Strawbs who take part in these tours.) To learn more about what Strawbs is doing, you can visit the official Strawbs website at strawbsweb.co.uk.

In this site in the days ahead, I look forward to exchanging news, views, photos, experiences, etc., etc., with like-minded folk, taking trips down Memory Lane (well, at least as far as my memory will allow!), and to share any future musical projects with you.

Let's get started...

Perhaps an introduction to my musical history is in order. Are you sitting comfortably? It's a long story.

I was given classical piano lessons from the age of five until around my 18th birthday. What ultimately de-railed me from these studies was the eruption, in the 1950's, of Rock & Roll and my sudden exposure to keyboard players such as Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Johnson, Otis Spann, etc., etc. Suddenly, I had to learn how to play by ear, without sheet music. Big difference!

In 1960, I was living with my parents in Weybridge, Surrey, in the South of England when I joined my first rock band -- the Cruisers Rock Combo. The personnel consisted of Dave Maine (drums), Pete Harris (bass), Mick Dunford (lead guitar), myself on piano and three singers, Tony Gallagher, Kenny King and Chris Wing. We rehearsed (and occasionally played) at the Addlestone Youth Club (in the town next to mine).

At the same time, Ray Phillips and Arthur Sharp were the singers in a band called the Nashville Teens who also rehearsed and played around the Addlestone area. They split with their band at about the same time we split from our singers and the new Nashville Teens were born. A little later, Roger Groome joined us on drums, John Allen on lead guitar and Terry Crowe became our third singer. This was the line-up that turned professional in 1963 and went to Germany (as most English bands did at that time) to play very long hours in the clubs (including Hamburg's Star Club).

In 1964 (now minus Terry Crowe and with Barry Jenkins on drums) we signed a management contract and recorded "Tobacco Road," at the same time touring with Chuck Berry and Carl Perkins on their very first tour of England. I was delighted to be playing piano for both of them, in addition to playing the Nashvile Teens set. We went to the U.S. in late 1964 to play the "Murray the K" Christmas show at the Fox theater in Brooklyn and subsequently toured extensively in England and Europe.

Peter Harris left in 1966 and was then replaced on bass by Neil Korner, formerly of the New Vaudeville Band (of "Winchester Cathedral" fame). Neil and I also worked together from time to time in a very popular London pick-up band, Frankie Reid & The Powerhouse which also featured Dana Gillespie on vocals and occasionally, the sax section from Cliff Bennett's Rebel Rousers -- John Knightsbridge on guitar (later of Illusion), and many others.

Although our subsequent records failed to equal the success of "Tobacco Road," the band was a terrific "live" band and work came fairly steady until I left late in 1968.

In early 1969 I got a telephone call from Jim McCarty (ex-Yardbirds drummer) asking if I was interested in a new project he and Keith Relf (ex-Yardbirds vocalist) were putting together. I turned up at his house in Thames Ditton along with Louis Cennamo (ex-The Herd, James Taylor) and a steel player named Brian (B.J.) Cole. The five of us jammed for several hours. Brian (a brilliant player) didn't make the cut but I later heard that he went on to become a top session player and his work is found on many projects from the 70s.

A little later, Jane Relf joined us on vocals and Renaissance was born. Our live gigs included a tour of the States and work in Europe. We recorded two albums produced by Paul Samwell-Smith (ex-Yardbirds, whose career as a producer included many of Cat Stevens top projects).

Circumstances brought about huge changes in the band. The "Mark 2" version of Renaissance (as it's come to be known) consisted of me on keyboards, Neil Korner (the Teens' second bass player) bass, Mick Dunford (Cruisers and Teens) guitar, Terry Crowe (from the early Teens) sang alongside Binky, the new female singer -- and pinning it all down was Terry Slade on drums.

I was ready for a change when Spooky Tooth contacted me for a three month tour of Europe on the strength of their hit record "I Am the Walrus" from their "Last Puff" album. But before I left Renaissance, I helped my successor -- John Tout -- to integrate with the band. He and Mick went on to record many albums with their new line-up which included vocalist Annie Haslam.

In 1971, I joined Third World War (Britain's first punk band?). Their singer/songwriter, Terry Stamp, wrote amazing lyrics (he still does) and bass player Jim Avery supplied the music. We survived long enough to put down one album (the band's 2nd release). The group also included John Knightsbridge (lead guitar) and Craig Collinge (drums). It seemed that every minority faction in London loved the band (the Black Panthers, White Panthers, Gay Lib, etc., etc.) but this never translated into sufficient financial support to keep us going. I've recently started collaborating with Terry and Jim once again -- but that's another story.

A brief spell with Vinegar Joe (with Robert Palmer) and then on to the Strawbs in 1973.

At my audition for the Strawbs, Dave Cousins introduced me to the Mellotron, an instrument I later learned to love in spite of its quirky reliability. The band consisted of Dave Cousins (singer/songwriter), Dave Lambert (guitar), Chas Cronk (bass), Rod Coombes (drums) and me on keyboards. Our tours included the U.S., Japan and Europe. During my tenure (1973-1975) we produced two albums, "Hero and Heroine" as well as "Ghosts."

In 1977, the original Renaissance re-formed with Jim, Keith, Jane, Louis and me. Unable, for legal reasons, to use the name Renaissance, we chose "Illusion" -- which had been the title of our second album as Renaissance. A tad confusing...

Tragically, Keith Relf was electrocuted at home while working on our music. We re-shuffled the band, bringing in John Knightsbridge (lead guitar) and Eddie McNeill (drums), with Jim stepping up to the mike to share vocal duties with Jane and also playing rhythm guitar. We produced two albums "Out of the Mist" and "Illusion" before things wound down in 1979.

In November 1979 my family and I moved to the U.S.

In 2001, Jim McCarty, Jane, Louis and I also recently released another album, entitled "Through the Fire" -- this time the band's name was "Renaissance Illusion" -- with songs written and produced by Jim.

As for the future, who knows? I intend to work on this site and continue recording musical ideas as and when they occur -- as well as collaborating with any interesting projects that come my way.

Again, welcome, and please feel free to contact me with any questions, suggestions etc.etc.

My very best regards,

John Hawken
john@johnhawken.com