Keeping The Summer Alive !

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO GIDEA PARK'S MUSIC NOW

Alec Duncan

Born 14/08/1947 in Welwyn Garden City, Herts.

Grew up in North London and Enfield. Left school in 1963 and worked for Southern Music in Tin Pan alley until being (discovered?) by Pretty Things drummer, Viv Prince, who recommended me to a Hackney based band,

Linda and The Panthers. Hit the road and sold my soul to chaos, travel and as many good times as was legally possible. Left the Panthers to tour with another London based band called the Londoners, another girl singer another error of judgement. Quit the Londoners in 1965 and moved to Germany with a band called The Prompt Sound. Germany and especially Hamburg gave me an education in growing up that possibly no other place could have. A very wicked place indeed! GREAT FUN!!!!

Returned to Blighty in 1966, a 19 year old with an old mans head and a memory full of some unbelievable adventures.

Decided that being a drummer, whilst most enjoyable, would not sustain me for life and so, for reasons that I cannot recall, served an apprenticeship as a watchmaker, graduating from college in 1970 and settled down for a future of routine and sanity. The ensuing advent of quartz crystal watches soon bought and end to watches that ticked, and my career. In 1972 I took a drumming job at a Top Rank cabaret club in Brighton which I drove to daily in a 12 year old Ford Zodiac convertible for fifty quid a week. Several other residencies followed including, in 1978, a four night a week stint with a band called Joker in Romford. It was here that I was introduced to Adrian Baker and Roger Whatling who, a couple of years later, appeared on Top of the Pops as members of GIDEA PARK playing Beach Boy Gold.

In 1983 Adrian invited me to join him on a visit to the Beach Boys lead singers home in Santa Barbara, California where the idea of forming GIDEA PARK as a touring band was talked through and it was agreed that it might be fun so we discussed the line up and returned to the UK ( coincidentally on the same day that Dennis Wilson drowned ) to recruit the other members. It was decided that the original members from the TOTP show would be approached and Roger Whatling, Gerry Chapman, and Dave Walker subsequently reformed GIDEA PARK along with Martin Lawford .

By the spring of 1984 rehearsals were under way and the line up was Adrian, lead vocals and lead guitar, Roger, bass guitar & vocals, Gerry, keyboards & vocals, Dave, 2nd keyboards & vocals, Martin, 2nd lead vocals and me on drums.

Our first gig was at Stubbs Club in Stratford east London in 1984 and since then, although members have come and gone, we continue to amaze audiences around the world with our hairy legs. It has given me, for the most part, the time of my life......SO FAR!!!!!

Oh, and he also played drums for Bobby Crush!!!...........

E-Mail: alec@giddy1.demon.co.uk

Contact Gidea Park