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The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
When a teenage Lulu became the toast of Swinging London
Eventually, she and the band – rhythm guitarist James Dewar, lead guitarist Ross Nelson, drummer Dave Mullen, bassist Tommy Tierney and singer Alec Bell – drove down to London to audition for record companies. The first label, Columbia/EMI, declined, but the next one, Decca, offered them a record contract on the strength of two songs: Shout, a raucous number written by the Isley Brothers (Lulu had been blown away when she heard Alex Harvey singing it), and Twenty-Four Hours from Tulsa, a Bacharach and David hit for Gene Pitney. After the band had recorded Shout, Marie's manager, Marian Massey, hit upon 'Lulu' as a new name for the 14-year-old, and Lulu and the Luvvers as the band's new name. The single was released by Decca in April 1964, by which time Lulu's name was everywhere. Fabulous magazine interviewed her, together with Cilla Black, Sandie Shaw and Cathy McGowan (host of TV's Ready, Steady, Go!), for a piece about pop's new female stars. Maureen Cleave interviewed her for the London Evening Standard; "When I sing I tingle all over and I can see the people's faces lighting up', Lulu told her. 'I'm so thrilled at it all; life's so thrilling." Shout spent 13 weeks on the charts, peaking at number seven. John Lennon, guesting with Paul McCartney on Ready Steady Go!, discussed the latest singles and declared that his favourite was Shout!, 'by a girl called Lulu'. That same year, after a gig in Glasgow in June 1964, Lulu invited The High Numbers – The Who, as they would shortly become – back to her old family home. She met the Rolling Stones, too. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wrote a song for her, called Surprise Surprise. It was released as a single early the following year, with a prolific session musician named Jimmy Page on guitar. Things were beginning to pick up speed. As Lulu recalls in her book I Don't Want to Fight, 'there were radio and TV appearances, magazine interviews, photo shoots and concerts … We appeared on TV shows like Thank Your Lucky Stars, Juke Box Jury and Ready, Steady, Go!, as well as performing on local radio and TV shows in England, Ireland and Wales'. The hit record saw the band increasing its fee for gigs from £30 to £100. And in a posh Knightsbridge restaurant, Bobby Darin, the American singer and actor, made her blush when he told her that she had been 'fabulous' on Ready, Steady, Go! The money began rolling in and Lulu's schedule had barely any gaps for rest and relaxation. She moved into a flat in St John's Wood owned by Marian's parents. And she certainly picked the right time to find herself in London. Even ahead of its coronation in April 1966 as 'The Swinging City', courtesy of Time magazine, it was a vibrant, adventurous place. Lulu and Rod Stewart at Glastonbury (Image: Yui Mok) "London was the centre of the world', Lulu writes in her book. 'Whether it was music, fashion, art, film, photography or design, the rest of the world was taking its lead from London. The streets were full of bright colours, short skirts, jackets without lapels, tight trousers, psychedelic swirls, platform shoes, Cuban-heeled boots and big hair. Pop music and rock'n'roll dominated the airwaves'. This is certainly a line echoed by Graham Nash in his memoir, Wild Tales. Describing the London of 1965, when he was still with the Hollies, he writes: "A full-scale cultural revolution was in progress, with youth and music dominating the scene, top to bottom. The boutiques on Carnaby Street catered to our lifestyle. Mary Quant was introducing miniskirts and Biba was around and Cecil Gee.... Darling and The Knack spoke to us from the screen, cynical and sexy and angry, and Radio Caroline was broadcasting off the coast". Read more: Lulu and her band were still in demand but their chart performance was sagging, causing her to worry that they might just be one-hit wonders. Two singles, Can't Hear You No More and Here Comes the Night (with Page again on guitar) made little impact, though Van Morrison's Them would have a number two hit with the latter song. It wasn't until Leave a Little Love reached number eight in June 1965 that Lulu felt that she had finally arrived. That September she gave a candid interview to Rave magazine, during which she admitted that she felt older than when she first came to London, and that the friends she used to know "suddenly seem worlds away from me. When we meet I am at a strange disadvantage". "My career is important to me," she added. "The first thing I think of when I wake up is, 'What is on today?' It may be TV or radio, or a live show somewhere. Whichever, I decide what to wear and whether to get my hair set. Sometimes my hairdresser, Vidal Sassoon, thinks I'm mad getting it re-set, because it looks O.K. But I feel awful if my hair isn't just right. I suppose when you are the instrument of your business you get self-centred in some ways. Anyhow, once I've sifted through the day, I relax, and things run smoothly enough." However, as Scots music historian Brian Hogg has noted, moves had long been afoot to prise Lulu from her 'backing' musicians, the Luvvers. TV slots for the singer alone, added Hogg, "already outnumbered those for the group as a whole. Although useful live, they were deemed superfluous in the studio where subsequent appearances were strictly limited'. This was illustrated by the line-up of musicians on Lulu's 1965 debut album, Something to Shout About; the Luvvers appeared on just three tracks, one of which was Shout. 'Lulu, with the Luvvers on some tracks, and a positively glittering showcase for her voice…', began an approving review in Record Mirror that October. The album's 16 tracks combined to show Lulu's sheer versatility as a vocalist beyond her gutsy performance on Shout. Try to Understand, Not in This Whole World, Tell Me Like It Is, and Holland-Dozier-Holland's Can I Get a Witness, previously a hit for Marvin Gaye, were among the highlights. As a calling card for a young woman in her teens, still relatively new to the recording business, it was pretty good. 'One of the most versatile voices on the scene', Record Mirror's review continued. 'Big bash for 'You Touch Me Baby', but the mood switches all the way. Main thing is the clarity of the punchiness Lulu injects all the way. A variety of backings, choral and instrumental, behind her. 'Can I Get a Witness' gets a brisk new reading. 'Shout' is in, of course, and Lulu's new single, 'Tell Me Like It Is'. 'Chocolate Ice' is a gas …. 'Leave A Little Love' is another stand-out. But then the overall standard is very high'. As Lulu notes in her book, the album had been successful, 'but session musicians had been used on some of the latest recordings. Although nothing had been said, I knew the boys were unhappy'. And there was also the undeniable fact that media attention had alighted on her, not on the boys in the band. Read more On the Record: James Dewar was first to leave the Luvvers, in 1965 – he went on to play with Stone the Crows and with the brilliant guitarist, Robin Trower. The other band members soon followed, retreating to Glasgow. 'I tried to hold us all together', Lulu recalls, 'but Decca had wanted this all along and did nothing to help me'. Her profile continued to rise. Magazine and newspaper writers sought her out. There was a groundbreaking package tour of Poland with the Hollies, and there were gigs in support of the Beach Boys in 1966. 'Lulu proved conclusively to me that she should be allowed to close the first half by virtue of the fact she is so beautifully professional', Keith Altham wrote in the NME after a Beach Boys/Lulu concert at the Finsbury Park Astoria in London. 'Five numbers from her were not enough — 'Blowing In The Wind', 'Wonderful Feeling' and 'Leave A Little Love' which Spencer Davis — who joined me to see the second house — was still raving about half an hour after the show, were her best numbers!' Lulu had also bought a car, and a townhouse in St John's Wood. At seventeen, she was 'hanging with the coolest, hippest crowd. Cynthia Lennon, Maureen Starkey and Pattie Boyd were my girlfriends'. In 1966 she had a role in a Sidney Poitier film, To Sir With Love, and the title song, sung by her, became a huge hit in the States in 1967, selling two million copies and sitting atop the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks. Her sudden fame in the US led to an appearance on the top-rated Ed Sullivan Show. Media attention in Lulu was proving to be relentless. In November 1968 Disc and Music Echo caught up with her at her plush St John's Wood home, and the journalist was most taken with it all - the four-poster brass bed from Heal's, the pined kitchen, the huge pine chest housing a gigantic collection of albums, the small room that combined Lulu's office, [[TV]] room and general "flop out" space. "My house is my little refuge', Lulu told her. 'Whenever I get a moment I fly straight down to London and collapse inside its four walls!' * Lulu's latest book, If Only You Knew, is published on September 25. Dates for her series of 'intimate conversations with songs and stories' can be found on her website, lulu
The Herald Scotland
07-07-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Scottish bus company in liquidation with all staff redundant
I reported last month that James Dewar and Alistair McAlinden from Interpath were appointed as joint provisional liquidators and two local authorities are making arrangements for affected school travel. Dundee-based Fishers Tours private hire coach company provided short and long-distance travel in Scotland. The company employed 27 people and operated from Mid Craigie Industrial Estate with a fleet of 18 coaches. The liquidator said: "In recent months, the business has faced financial challenges amidst rising costs but operated with fixed price customer contracts, which impacted its ability to meet its financial obligations." The business ceased trading and on appointment of the joint provisional liquidators all staff were made redundant. The liquidator also told The Herald: "All services, including pre-booked hires, group travel and music event travel, have ceased. Customers with bookings are advised to seek alternative travel arrangements, while customers who have paid deposits are advised to speak to their bank or credit card provider." Dundee City Council and Angus Council are "making arrangements to ensure the continuity of school transport services". THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN BUSINESS HQ MONTHLY Alistair McAlinden, managing director at Interpath and joint provisional liquidator of Fishers Tours Limited, said: "Fishers Tours has been a core part of the local transport network in the Dundee City and Angus region for more than two decades and we recognise the devastating impact the closure of the business will have on staff, customers and wider community. "Regrettably, all bookings and services have been cancelled and customers are advised to seek alternative arrangements and engage with their bank or credit card provider if a deposit has been paid. As provisional liquidators, our immediate focus is to explore the circumstances of the liquidation and support affected employees to ensure they have access to the necessary guidance in making claims to the Redundancy Payments Office." 'Multi-billion redevelopment' of nuclear submarine base Plans have been unveiled for the 'multi-decade' programme. (Image: PA) Elsewhere last month, there was momentous news on the 'multi-billion' pound redevelopment of a nuclear submarine base in Scotland. Plans have been unveiled for the 'multi-decade' work at the Faslane base which is the Royal Navy's main presence north of the Border. An initial £250 million of funding over three years will support 'jobs, skills and growth'. The move was announced as part of the UK Government's Spending Review nuclear strategy that includes the £14.2 billion investment to build Sizewell C plant in Suffolk. The new "Clyde 2070 programme represents one of the most significant and sustained UK Government investments in Scotland over the coming decades". It said it demonstrates commitment to UK defence and bringing the economic, skills and employment benefits to Scotland, "driving defence as an engine for economic growth and supporting the government's Plan for Change". READ MORE: The £250m allocated immediately for the next three years 'will help adapt and improve the working environment and infrastructure at the site, preparing it to welcome the new Dreadnought Class of deterrent submarines and SSN-AUKUS, the Royal Navy's next generation of attack submarines'. As part of the Strategic Defence Review, the UK Government has committed to build up to 12 SSN-AUKUS submarines, which will replace the current fleet of Astute Class attack submarines. The Defence Nuclear Enterprise - the partnership of organisations that operate, maintain, renew and sustain the UK's nuclear deterrent as part of a national endeavour – is "investing to sustain the deterrent for as long as required". Ian Murray, Scottish Secretary, said: "This extra £250m investment for HMNB Clyde is another fantastic example of how Scotland is at the heart of the UK defence policy. "As home of the Royal Navy Submarine Service - including the UK's nuclear deterrent - HMNB Clyde will play a crucial role for decades to come as we restore Britain's readiness, deter our adversaries and help drive economic growth across the UK, as part of our Plan for Change. "Over 6,500 military and civilian personnel are employed at HMNB Clyde, making it the second largest employment site in Scotland, with a total of around 25,600 jobs across Scotland supported by an annual multi-billion pound Ministry of Defence investment." John Healey, Defence Secretary, said: "We have an unwavering commitment to our nuclear-powered submarines. The long-term, sustained investment for HMNB Clyde will provide the infrastructure necessary to keep our submarines maintained and at sea - continuing to protect us around the clock. "This funding, and the continued dedication and skill of the men and women that help build and operate our submarines, will ensure we are able to meet the threats we face, while supporting the Plan for Change and showing how defence is an engine for growth, creating good jobs across Scotland."
The National
03-06-2025
- Business
- The National
All jobs lost as liquidators appointed to Dundee travel firm
James Dewar and Alistair McAlinden from Interpath were appointed as joint provisional liquidators to Fishers Tours Limited on Friday, after the transport firm ceased operating in May after more than 20 years in business. The Dundee-based private hire coach company provided short and long-distance travel across the country, along with several long-standing contracts with local councils, including transportation agreements to take pupils to and from schools in Dundee and Angus. The collapse of Fishers Tours has left Dundee City Council and Angus Council having to make alternative arrangements for school transport for hundreds of pupils. READ MORE: Sam Heughan to play Macbeth in Royal Shakespeare Company debut The firm employed 27 people and operated from Mid Craigie Industrial Estate with a fleet of 18 coaches. Last week Fishers Tours listed 10 of its coaches on the auction website Sweeney Kincaid. Administrators said the business faced financial challenges in recent months amid rising costs, but operated with fixed-price customer contracts. Fishers Tours ceased trading on Friday, May 23, and all staff were made redundant upon the appointment of the liquidators. All services, including pre-booked hires, group travel and music event travel, have been cancelled. Customers with bookings have been advised to seek alternative travel arrangements, while those who have paid deposits have also been advised to speak to their bank or credit card provider. Alistair McAlinden said: 'Fishers Tours has been a core part of the local transport network in the Dundee City and Angus region for more than two decades and we recognise the devastating impact the closure of the business will have on staff, customers and wider community. 'Regrettably, all bookings and services have been cancelled and customers are advised to seek alternative arrangements and engage with their bank or credit card provider if a deposit has been paid. 'As provisional liquidators, our immediate focus is to explore the circumstances of the liquidation and support affected employees to ensure they have access to the necessary guidance in making claims to the Redundancy Payments Office.' Last month, one employee told The Courier the decision was unfair after it was revealed the business had closed suddenly, they said: 'This has come completely out of the blue. 'Everyone was stood on the yard completely shocked. We feel totally helpless. 'That's more than 20 drivers and mechanics who won't have jobs next week. How is that fair?"
STV News
02-06-2025
- Business
- STV News
All jobs lost at private hire and school bus firm
All jobs have been lost at a Dundee-based private hire and school bus firm. James Dewar and Alistair McAlinden from Interpath were appointed as joint provisional liquidators to Fishers Tours Limited on Friday. The Dundee-based private hire coach company provided short and long-distance travel across the country. The company's collapse has also left Dundee City Council and Angus Council to make alternative arrangements for school transport for hundreds of pupils. The firm employed 27 people and operated from Mid Craigie Industrial Estate with a fleet of 18 coaches. The administrators said in recent months that the business faced financial challenges amid rising costs but operated with fixed-price customer contracts. Fishers Tours ceased trading on Friday, May 23 and all staff were made redundant upon appointment of the liquidators. All services, including pre-booked hires, group travel and music event travel, have been cancelled. Customers with bookings are advised to seek alternative travel arrangements, while those who have paid deposits advised to speak to their bank or credit card provider. Alistair McAlinden said: 'Fishers Tours has been a core part of the local transport network in the Dundee City and Angus region for more than two decades and we recognise the devastating impact the closure of the business will have on staff, customers and wider community. 'Regrettably, all bookings and services have been cancelled and customers are advised to seek alternative arrangements and engage with their bank or credit card provider if a deposit has been paid. 'As provisional liquidators, our immediate focus is to explore the circumstances of the liquidation and support affected employees to ensure they have access to the necessary guidance in making claims to the Redundancy Payments Office.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
