Note from Andre: I have altered the original email texts for continuity and editorial purposes. Bracketed information in green is contextual and from me.
David's initial email on 19th October 2017
Hi Andre,
- My name is Dave Hepworth I am 65 and have played guitar since I was 11 years old .
- Part of the inspiration to take up the guitar was due to an old friend Clive Robinson ,who sadly is no longer with us . He was 10 years older than myself and was in the RAF. I remember him coming home on leave , frequently passing our house with his electric guitar in a rexine soft case. Eventually we became very good friends. My close friendship with Clive lasted up to his passing . We spent many an hour talking guitar, although predominantly playing six string electric in country bands he did a stint as bass player in my 60s band.
- Clive did a spell in Aden in the 60 s and was in a band there , I have a couple of " action shots " of his band in Aden on my music room wall . I am contacting you to see if you could give me any info/ name etc on Clive's Band and his posting . Best Regards Dave Hepworth.
Andre replied on 25th September 2017
Hi Dave .....
- Sorry to take so long in getting back to you.
- I am afraid the name Clive Robinson rings no bells with me. I think the only possibility we have is for you to send me copies of your 'action shots' photos and I can post them on the site and, you never know, someone might just recognise somebody or the venue. What do you think?
- You will notice that the 'King Bees' website has a 'Responses' area, where I post anything that people send about that time in Aden. This is the place that I would put your e-mail and photos.
- Hope to hear from you soon.
- Best regards
Further email on 26th September 2017
Hi Andre,
- Great to hear from you.
- Please find enclosed pictures of Clive Robinson. All Clive Robinson pics below. I reckon he was in Aden in the early to mid 60s . I know he ended up at RAF Fylingdales after Aden. I'd love to know the name of the group in the photograph and the venue too.
- Best Regards
Andre replied on14th May 2017
Hey Dave .....
- Finally got round to processing the pictures you sent ... and on reflection, I might have some answers for you. Incidentally, I have posted your stuff to the King Bees website under your name.
- First, I think the venue (in photo 1) is the 'Get With It' club. If you look at our King Bees photos, you will see the same stage set-up.
- Second, I am fairly sure the drummer is Johnny Fry, who drummed for us for a few months, and who you can see in some of our photos. His glasses are slightly different in your picture ... but it certainly looks like him!
- Finally, and I have got nothing concrete to go on here other than a hunch, but for some reason 'The Royales' popped into my head. Clive looks a bit 'Hank Marvin'!
- I hope this is useful to you. Please let me know.
- Best regards
Further email on 19th May 2018
Hello Andre,
- Many thanks for the reply and insertion of my query regarding Clive.
- What a great web site you have about this moment in history. It sounded a very exciting / heady / fun era, especially if you were young and in a band too. I reckon you had loads of bookings / venues to play at, with a captive audience too, just when rock and roll was starting .
- I think on reflection I might have heard Clive mention the name the "Royells " or " Royals" , I think you have jolted my memory , thanks.
- The " Get with it" club sounds cool. Where and what was that building?
- Do you still play in a band Andre?
- As I mentioned Clive ended up at Fylingdales in the stores or something like that.He did tell me how they queried him in " head office" when he put a requisition in for several hundred, (or was it thousand), fluorescent light tubes .
- Apparently some top brass came to check the requisition as they didn't believe him until they realised just how long the entrance tunnel to the site was !!
- Best Wishes
and another email on 19th May 2018
Hi again Andre,
- Just checked my memory stick and found quite a few more pictures of Clive's band. All Clive Robinson pics below.
- I think there are some of his band with Emile Ford here too !!?
- See what you think and I hope it sparks a few more memories of those days. Incidentally the singer in some of his photos looks like the singer in some of yours !
- .........on listening to your recordings he is good isn't he......Reminds me of Mick Jagger !
- Once again Best regards Dave
Andre replied on 20th May 2018
Hey Dave .....
- I am glad you like the site and, yes, it was a great time for us in Aden. We were young and had our lives ahead of us. The band had quite a few bookings and the only regret was that we didn't have more photographs or audio recordings of the time. The 'Get With It' club was at RAF Steamer Point and was simple a stage, dance floor and of course bar.
- I do not play in rock/pop bands any more but I still sing in a 40+ member SATB choir and an 'a capella' quartet. Details of these can be found through the 'Contact Us' section, where it gives some details of both my other RAF camp and personal website. I have also posted some of my own recordings using backing tracks under 'Extras' on my personal website.
- As regards your second email, I am not sure about Emile Ford or Karl Denver? Karl Denver died in the late 90's and Emile Ford has just recently died (2016). Looking back at pictures of Emile (he was a good-looking guy), I cannot see him on any of the photos!
- The singer (with the mic) in our photos was Dave Gratton (he was army) and I am quite sure he was not the same one in the Clive photos. However, I am convinced that the drummer in Clive's pictures IS Johnny Fry, who, as I mentioned above, drummed with us (The King Bees) for quite a few months ... he had a huge convertible American car which carried a lot of his drum kit!
- Finally, Dave Gratton, our solo singer, was repatriated a couple of months before me and the voice you hear on our recordings is me ... seemingly putting on my best Mick Jagger impressions!
- I have slightly reorganised your emails and pics on the website. Please check that they are OK.
- Best wishes
