Jet Harris
Following on from my earlier story about my pisshead father, I was talking to my mother today about it, and she regaled me with this story:
Back in the 60's, just when I was a toddler, we lived in Finchley, and my dad was a barman at the Tally Ho pub there. It was quite a "celeb" hang-out of the time, as it was owned by Eric Morecambes brother. I digress, but it sets the scene a bit.
At that time, an up and coming band called "The Shadows" were knocking around, and had just had a big hit with a song called "Apache", and Jet Harris was the bass player, and a frequent heavy drinker at said pub, so he got to know the barmen pretty well. One night, my dad came home with this "4 string guitar", as my mum called it, signed by Jet Harris. Fender Precision Bass it was actually, and one of the first imported into this country, especially for aforesaid Mr. Harris.
Now, I know not why my dad had it, or how he got it, the words "drinking debt" were bandied around, but all I know is my mum swears she saw it, and it was in the corner of our digs for a couple of months and I probably drooled over it a couple of times- not because it was gorgeous, its because I was teething!
And then, one day, it was gone. Went for a pittance, according to mum, but thats the story of my dads life, one bad decision after another.
I don't know how much its worth now, but mum said that many a time he bemoaned the fact he sold it to a shyster for a couple of quid. Me? I laughed my bollocks off when I heard this today, serves the old shit right- he's dead now, but I still felt a little bit of glee when I heard this.
( Duke Of Belmsford has got 99 records, but Jay-Z ain't one, Sat 16 Aug 2008, 23:55, Reply)