John Leyton Joe Meek's Tea Chest Tapes - The Johnny Remember Me Sessions (LP, 10inch)

(Western Star Records) 10 tracks

Part of the highly collectible and sought-after series of 10-inch vinyl mini-LPs from Joe Meek's Tea Chest Tapes focuses on Joe Meek's first number one hit

Johnny Remember Me in 1961, which catapulted John Leyton to pop stardom and established Meek as an independent producer.

This release explores the various stages from the humble early demo through studio chatter and false starts, lyric changes (the legendary “death” lyric is included here) to the final hit in all its glory along with the original B-side of the single There Must Be.

Hear studio chats, demos and alternate versions never heard before! An essential record for rock 'n' roll collectors and Joe Meek fans.

John Leyton,

born John Dudley Leyton in Frinton, Essex, on Feb. 17, 1939, was another actor who turned to singing by chance. He played Ginger in the ATV Biggles series and then Johnny St. Cyr in another TV series, Harper's West One which is where he got his first chance to sing 'Johnny Remember Me' and which led to the record's success in 1961. It was expertly produced by Joe Meek and featured an echo effect that masked the inadequacies of Leyton's voice.

His other records were all remarkably similar and the public quickly tired of him. Written by Geoff, Goddard, they were 'Wild Wind', 'Son This Is She' and 'Lonely City' in 1962. He later returned to acting and appeared in The Great Escape (1963), Von Ryan's Express (1965) and Krakatoa (1968). Possibly his only lasting claim to fame was that he was one of the first artists to be handled by Robert Stigwood, later to find his fortune as the producer of Jesus Christ Superstar and owner of RSO records.