Upon later graduating to electric instruments, a bass guitarist was now considered essential. Megan recalled; "Cliff and The Shadows was definitely the way to go. It was obvious then, that one of us would have to change to bass guitar. "Well, you're the worst guitarist Megan. You can play bass!" I'm not sure that it was actually said in so many words, but that's the gist of how I got the job." So, yes, you’re going to hear Megan talking about all of this, as well as other details like her other career as a clinical physiologist in neurophysiology in the National Health Service (that basically involves studying people’s brain waves) and just stuff about playing the bass guitar, how she’s still working on her technique and things like that. TELL ME WHEN / WISHING WILL NEVER MAKE IT SO / OVER SUZANNE / HELLO JOSEPHINE / AS A MATTER OF FACT / TOO MUCH MONKEY BUSINESS / MEM'RIES OF YOU / AIN'T THAT JUST LIKE ME / KANSAS CITY / I WONDER / THREE LITTLE WORDS (I LOVE YOU) / BABY JANE / NO TIME / SEE IF SHE CARES / WHAT'S THE MATTER LITTLE GIRL / WHAT'D I SAY / LIKE DREAMERS DO / EVERYBODY FALL DOWN / YOU'RE THE ONE FOR ME / I GO TO SLEEP They notched up a highly respectable number 23 with "Three Little Words (I Love You) during that tour but after that things drifted. Arguments with the record label over their next single and general public apathy meant that like many good bands they faded from public awareness, although they continued touring up to the end of the sixties. So that’s how I know Megan. I am friends with her son, and now I’ve finally taken the initiative to interview her on this podcast. Megan is lovely and she was happy to do this, which I really appreciate. Vocabulary

Originally called The Crestas, they formed in 1961 in Olton, Solihull. Phil Cash - rhythm guitar, Martin Baggot - lead guitar, Don Gould - organ, and Gerald Freeman -drums had been in the scouts together, they were complemented by Megan Davies on bass guitar, who stood out in the same way that Honey Lantree did in The Honeycombs. NOTE: This single (A side) was never recorded but was promoted by the record company as the next release.

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My father, in an effort to support my musical cravings, bought me a "Martin Colletti" six string guitar with 'F' holes, when I was fourteen. I still struggled with chord shapes (today, little is known about Colletti guitars other than they sound Italian but were made in Czechoslovakia in small numbers). Tell Me When" was written by Les Reed and Geoff Stephens. On the suggestion of publisher and producer Frank Poser, Stephens teamed up with Les Reed, with neither having yet written a hit song. After being played part of a tune Reed had written, Stephens thought that the words 'tell me when' fitted exactly. The phrase, used when pouring a drink, was applied metaphorically in the song to refer to a relationship, i.e. per the lyrics 'tell me when you're ready to be mine'. [1] [3] I guess I could ramble on for ages about gigs and groups from the 60s onwards. I still do a few gigs but not in the professional sense. Got involved with a musician so one of us had to get a proper job! I have a good position in the NHS at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London. I miss my music.

The solid body Hofners were an improvement, at least image-wise for a while but the dream of the majority of guitarists was to own a Fender. The year was 1962 and Selmer had just started distributing the Fender range of guitars (Stratocasters were 163 guineas new). "Monk" Mutch ( Johnny Neal and The Starliners) let me use his Fender bass at one of John Singer's Town Hall gigs and I was smitten (by the bass and Monk's playing). Megan Davies recalled; "The downside to this is that we became pretty much isolated as pop artists and out of touch with the local and national music scene. Nevertheless, those three years at sea were great fun." Gerry & The Pacemakers Born Gerard Marsden in Liverpool on 24 September 1942, Gerry formed his first group with his brother Freddie. A skiffle outfit, the…I know Megan because I’m mates with one of her sons, Jake – or Jacob as she calls him. I met Jake at sixth form college and we played music together in bands over the years. The Scouting movement was a big feature of my upbringing. Dad was a Scout Master and mum, a Guide Captain. At the age of fifteen, I moved from Girl Guides to assist with Wolf Cubs and in 1960, the 1st Olton Scout Group were preparing a Gang Show and when asked "Can anyone play an instrument?" a few of us took up the challenge. Martin Baggott, Phil Cash and I possessed guitars and Gerry Freeman was the obvious choice as the drummer because he was the lead drummer in the Scout band. In 1965 Megan Davies married drummer Gerry Freeman, making them probably the tightest rhythm section in pop.

We met Geoff and Les and were given a copy of their demo. The session was a Decca's studios, just off West End Lane. Mike Leander and Mike Smith were assigned to us by Decca. Mike was responsible for the piano intro on Tell Me When." Recorded at Decca Studios in January 1964, it was released as a single a month later with the B-side "Baby Jane", written by Pete Dello and Ray Cane, who would go on to form Honeybus and have their own hit " I Can't Let Maggie Go". [3] Personnel [ edit ] Cliff and The Shadows was definitely the way to go. There were very few other role models to choose from anyway, and we gradually went electric. It was obvious then, that one of us would have to change to bass guitar. Here, I think the story goes, "Well, you're the worst guitarist, Megan. You can play bass." I'm not sure that it was actually said in so many words, but that's the gist of how I got the job.

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The 1960s was a really fruitful period in terms of modern British culture and I am proud of that part of our history. I find it fascinating, I like the music and I like the stories of the people involved, and I hope you do too. Drummer Gerry Freeman persuaded Megan Davies, a fellow Sunday School teacher (and later his wife) to come in on bass. Adding organist Don Gould in 1962 the band went forth as The Jaguars, specialising in instrumentals. They signed to Decca late in 1963 and their first single "Tell Me When" was released in February 1964 reaching umber 7 in the Record Mirror chart (number 5 in the much more influential Melody Maker chart Melody Maker chart listings here) Entire Decca output accompanied by new sleeve-notes featuring quotes from the band's bassist, Megan Davies