Juniors Eyes - 1970 - Star Child FLAC

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Junior's Eyes was a British group led by guitarist Mick Wayne (born Michael Wayne, 1945, Kingston upon Hull - died 26 June 1994), which recorded one album and is notable for acting as David Bowie's backing band during 1969.

Mick Wayne's first group was 'The Outsiders', with Jimmy Page on guitar. After recording one single for Decca Records in 1965, the Outsiders broke up the following year at which point Wayne joined Hull musicians 'The Hullaballoos', replacing Ricky Knight briefly before they too broke up. He made an attempt to form a new line-up in Hull with drummer John Cambridge but soon returned to London (Cambridge later joined Hull band 'The Rats', with guitarist Mick Ronson). Wayne next joined the 'Bunch of Fives' (including ex-Pretty Things drummer Viv Prince) during 1966 and this band evolved into 'The Tickle', with band members Mick Wayne (guitar), Mike Docker (vocals), Dave Williams (keyboards), Richard Dowling (bass) and John Beckerman (drums). The Tickle's only single - "Subway (Smokey Pokey World)" - has appeared on many psychedelic compilation albums, including Acid Drops, Spacedust & Flying Saucers: Psychedelic Confectionery.

 After the break-up of the Tickle, Mick Wayne formed Junior's Eyes in early 1968, initially with drummer John 'Candy' Carr and then with John 'Honk' Lodge (ex-Graham Bond Organisation) (bass) and Steve Chapman (drums). They recorded a debut single with the help of pianist Rick Wakeman and producer Tony Visconti. The trio added singer Graham 'Grom' Kelly and (briefly) organist John Redfern in late 1968 and began work on an album. Battersea Power Station was released in June 1969.

That same month, Mick Wayne and Rick Wakeman were among the guest musicians who recorded David Bowie's breakthrough hit "Space Oddity". For the follow-up Space Oddity album recorded between June and September 1969, Bowie and producer Visconti were backed by a new line-up of Junior's Eyes comprising Mick Wayne (guitar), John 'Honk' Lodge (bass), John Cambridge (drums) and Tim Renwick (guitar, flute, recorder). The same band backed Bowie on a BBC Radio Dave Lee Travis Show session in October 1969, and (without Wayne) on single B-side "Conversation Piece", recorded in January 1970. Wayne had also helped record James Taylor's debut album between July and October 1968, and Honk had played on the album Think Pink (track "Rock and Roll the Joint") by Pretty Things drummer Twink in July 1969. These recording session for other artists disrupted the progress of the band, and the new line-up recorded only one single. They played their final gig on 3 February 1970, supporting Bowie. At this gig Cambridge introduced Bowie to his former 'Rats' bandmate Mick Ronson, and within days Cambridge, Ronson and Visconti (playing bass) were Bowie's new backing band 'The Hype', but Cambridge departed at the end of March.

New link added 26.11.2018