As such, with the extra little bit of time on my hands, I thought I'd compile a little list of my top ten Mill Hill Music Complex studio customers. We have between 500 and 1,000 musicians a week through the door, so here's a pick of some of the most famous and a few notes about them. To qualify for this list you have to have had a chart hit, they are listed in a sort of Chronological order of when their association with us began.
1. The Polecats
2. The Foundations
3. Morrissey
4. The Damned
5. Amy WineHouse
6. Madness
7. Kate Nash
8. Eddie Floyd
9. David Soul
10. The Black Kids
1. The Polecats
Our very first paying customers back in 1979. Boz and Phil were at Orange Hill School with me and they needed a place to rehearse. Still good mates with them all.
2. The Foundations
Alan Warner is an old friend. We recorded our first few demo's in his studio (as did the Polecats!). A great guy and a great band.
3. Morrissey
As Boz Boorer is Moz musical director, much pre production of various albums has been done with us. A true genius.
4. The Damned
As I'm a punk rocker and the Damned released the very first Punk single "New Rose", it was a real buzz to hear this blasting out of room 7. Nice guys
5. Amy WineHouse
Amy rehearsed with us for the year or so before she went big time. She's lovely. When she received her first big cheque from the record company, she marched into the shop and said "wrap that blue guitar up for me" When we asked if she wanted to try it, she said "No I trust you" - three weeks later she was playing it on Top of the Pops.
6. Madness
Lee Thompson is a long standing customer and a great guy. He did a charity gig for me last year, where we raised £3,000 for the MacMillan Trust and Teenage Cancer Trust. Threw his heart and soul into it and sorted out the venue.
7. Kate Nash
Kate is very special. Her dad Steve is a good mate of mine and we sold Kate her first Electric guitar, when she had a broken leg. She still comes down. She's down to earth, looks after her friends and loves her family. She was in the reception chatting to me about her dad's bad leg before Xmas. When she went back to the rehearsal another customer remarked "She looks just like Kate Nash". No airs and graces at all !!!
8. Eddie Floyd
Flew in from the States, had a three hour jam with his band and then immediately set off on a 21 date UK tour. It was great to hear "Knock on Wood" blasting out. Nice guy.
9. David Soul
David came down to a rehearsal with his girlfriends band, who he was doing some singing with. Posed for pictures with all sorts of people. A real gent. Of all our customers, he's the one who EVERYONE instantly recognises.
10. The Black Kids
Flew in from the states and rehearsed with us for two weeks before their first UK tour. A nice bunch. It was great seeing them on the Jonathan Ross Show the day after their slot finished.
Not a bad little list. A good smattering of world wide hits, Brit awards etc. Some days I enjoy going to work !!!!!
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