David Mylett was part of a special group in the UK mid 70’s called Pinnacle who released only one record. Incredible musicianship, writing and I can only imagine their live performances. ‘Assassin’ was a record I started listening to early in the beginnings of the pandemic and to finally have the opportunity to speak Mylett about his life and everything happened before and after Pinnacle was a real trip. Sit back and dig this heavy band. Enjoy!

I was born in Liverpool in 1954. I began playing music in infants school playing the recorder, but upon entering senior school my interest went to the guitar when I used to watch two older boys playing their guitars at lunchtimes ,with the added bonus of having several girls looking on admiringly at them, ”whats not to like about the instrument I thought that’s for me.” So I set about teaching myself picking up bits here and there from anyone I could find to help. From the moment I started getting ok on the guitar I became quite known around the school as I carried my guitar everywhere with me .it was quite an ego boost I suppose. After a while it became more obvious to me that picking up songs here and there was a very long winded way to get good at guitar.

I came like a lot of Liverpool people from a family steeped in Football and that being the case my parents never had much interest in music in the home and we did not possess a record player or a radio. I had an interest in electronics and together with my friend Brian (who was an electronic wizard) we hit on the idea to go round the houses to see if anyone was dumping old radios etc. One day I was given an old radiogram that was working so that was my first record player and radio at home. I could now get me some Beatles, Hendrix, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Uriah Heep. First Band I ever saw was Black Sabbath at Liverpool Mountford Hall, I then Saw Deep Purple at the Philharmonic hall Liverpool, Pink Floyd at the Liverpool Empire, I Also went many times to the Liverpool stadium (which was a boxing and wrestling venue that started being used by promoters). Saw Wishbone Ash, The Groundhogs, Sha Na Na, Uriah Heep, Hawkwind, Jethro Tull, Mountain, Supertramp and many more

There were also concerts at the Top Rank Suite Liverpool were I saw Emerson, Lake and Palmer. During and after school I was in a couple of bands (Grizelda Plum and Jade) who rehearsed more than gigged I played rhythm guitar and later on I played lead guitar playing the usual stuff of the time Cream, Hendrix, Rory Gallagher, John Mayall, Credence Clearwater Revival with some good and some bad playing, all the time learning. Around early 1972 I joined a band called Fairytale playing covers of Wishbone Ash and again Rory and Cream Stuff. The Main Lead Guitar player was called John Cross he was tremendous he could play like Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath, and over the coming weeks Hawkwind and Sabbath numbers were kicked around during our rehearsals.

I quickly realized they didn’t need another guitar –BUT THEY DID NEED A KEYBOARD, so I said I would get one, and set about learning it in earnest. At Around this time a DJ Friend of mine and an electronics wizard made me a basic synth (Which was more of a signal generator than anything) together with an old spring reverb spring put through a Wha Wha Pedal I sent the signal through an echo unit for the Hawkwind covers and rubbed the spring of the reverb with a lipstick top and swelled the wha wha which achieved a very effective wind sound, this was also good for our version of the Pink Floyd number One of these day’s. The spring was eventually replaced with a recording on tape from a sound effects record as the spring broke after a few months of gigs

We changed the name of the band to UNCLE HARRY ( after the Pink Fairies Song UNCLE HARRY’s LAST FREAK OUT). Playing covers from PINK FLOYD, HAWKWIND, PINK FAIRIES, BlACK SABBATH and URIAH HEEP. We gigged around the clubs and colleges of the Liverpool area playing the Cavern Club ten times just before it shut down in March 1973. UNCLE HARRY’S star moment was as support to Judas Priest when they played there. The band Split in May/June 1974 as John Cross Was going away to University and I had secured a position in PINNACLE as the keyboard player. I first realized that music was my calling after my first few playing gigs especially when you get the crowd on your side hearing the applause. There are some recordings of Uncle Harry playing at a live rehearsal on Soundcloud including our version of Pink Floyd’s One Of These days,

Uncle Harry live at New Cavern with Mylett on the keys.

Mylett at an Uncle Harry Rehearsal circa: September of 1972.

I joined Pinnacle after I met Owen McCann in my local pub, he was with a mutual friend Simon Lucy. Simon had mentioned the band Pinnacle to me a few times over the weeks anyway Owen and I got introduced and Owen said we are looking for a keyboard player and I said “I’ve not been playing that long, to which he it doesn’t matter we write all our own stuff you can play what you like”. The Lads in Pinnacle had already done a few gigs with all self penned material by the time I joined them. It was the summer of 1974. I went down to lead Guitarist Paul’s House (whilst the rest of his family were away on holiday) I added keyboards to this material and then Paul and I started work together on new stuff, composing four new songs three of which later appeared on our album Assassin. These being Astral Traveller, The Chase and Time Slips By.

Lyrics in the main written by Owen McCann and Paul with myself chipping in on the odd line. Rehearsals for new Pinnacle material was always done bit by bit individual musicians would do their bit (say bass) then say (drums ) etc until all parts were added. At this time until early 1975 the line up consisted of Myself – keyboards, Paul Thomas –Lead Guitar, Alan Lawrence –Bass, Owen McCann-Vocals & later some keyboards, Neil McKenna-Drums (later Paul Stewart). Paul Stewart unfortunately died in 2015. After this full rehearsals we would start in anywhere we could get, or hire out usually Formby Old Hall (since knocked down and re-built as an exclusive golf club and function rooms). The first show I played with Pinnacle I can’t really remember. I think it was some school, or youth club.The Tracks that appeared on the Assassin Album and my take on them is as follows as I was not in the band at the time some of them were conceived.

From the back of the original vinyl cover. Above: Alan Lawrence, Neil Mckenna. Below: Mylett, Owen McCann & Paul Thomas.

Assassin - Assassin is about a hitman who glories in the fear he creates with the victims, as he stalks them creating terror in them, finally taking the killing shot glorying in all the blood of the splattered body he leaves behind.

Time Slips By - Is about time and life, about living for today, because you may think you have time but it ever so quickly goes and before you know it age catches up with you. and you are left only with memories or what if’s.

Cyborg - It’s the cyborg man machine ,will AI take over from man? Does the cyborg become the guardian of the world because man just destroys? will it be too late for man as AI makes humanity extinct?

Astral Traveller - About a time lord who travels through the space and time continuum experiencing all that the universe can teach, and seeing and befriending other beings not of human form.

The Chase - Is a sort of protest about all blood sports not just fox-hunting, coming from a fox’s view detailing his fear of what will probably happen to him as he recalls the fear of being chased by horse ,hound and human for sport.

Thumbscrew - About loosing that one person that means the world to you and then getting them back again forever and always.

The Ripper - Just about Jack The Ripper. A Rose Mylett was killed around this time in London but was ruled out as a Ripper Victim.

Bad Omen - About the pain and obsession of unremitting unrequited love.

My take on the bands ultimate vision was of just being a good successful rock band and as they say “make it”. In my opinion Stag Records (so in later years I found out) was one of several small record company’s that sprang up across the country doing private pressings, a similar thing with authors of books called a vanity print had been available to people doing poems or short stories were payment was taken and a print run of x amount of books would be printed and delivered to the customer. It was then up to the customer to sell them. The Stag Records deal was not a deal where they signed you up because they thought you were good it was a similar deal to the book Story above. Lacking any kind of Knowledge and music business experience we thought we were being signed to a record company, but in actual fact the band paid (in this case our manager) for a recording package the record and press with cover 1000 Vinyl Lp’s. The Title of the record as Assassin was to my mind an obvious choice for a rock band it sounded good and presented the right kind of image.

Mylett and Paul Thomas at the Assasin recording sessions doing the synth part to ‘The Chase’.

Owen McCann recording vocals at Abbott Sound for Assasin.

Owen McCann taking a break at Abbot Sound.

Paul Thomas probably decided on it. It can be said that Paul was the band leader. The recording took place in a small 4 track studio in the town of Chester and was called Abbott Sound .By 4 track I believe it was Two 2 track recorders connected together and tracks bounced back and forth between them. All the tracks were recorded in the studio with the full band playing live and all over dubs solo’s and embellishments, etc done later. I didn’t have much communication with engineer Mick John, except maybe “How do you turn this Moog on”) Not for any reason just never got chatting. All synth parts were worked out and done in the control room as I didn’t own a synth, in the 70’s they were very expensive. As it was available for our use I thought I would give it a try. As for Dave Roylance I think he added the rain at the end of Bad Omen from a sound effect record.

The Album was recorded over two days a Saturday and a Sunday and then mixed over (I believe ) a four hour session on the Monday evening. I was unable to attend the mix as I was still working at the Ford car plant in Halewood Liverpool and was on nights that week. I finished a night shift on Thursday, called home, had wash and went straight to do the photo session with Ken Travers without any sleep. Ken as far as I know was part of the package from Stagg. The album cover image was of a guy who everyone knew as Plinky Plink, though his real name is Jackson Nesbitt. He used to get a cardboard guitar and play it while making a plinky plink sound. We were walking through the park and he came up asking for spare change when we were having our photos taken. He posed for the picture and Ken gave him a ten pounds, Guess Ken got the vision at that moment and used his face in the gun sights on the front cover.

In the control room at Abbot Sound. L to R from REAR: Paul Thomas, Mylett, Owen McCann, Gary Dawson (crew), Alan Lawrence FRONT: Dave Roylance, Mick John, Dave Green (Crew), Billy Westhead (Manager) & Neil McKenna.

Gary Dawson, Alan Lawrence & Neil McKenna at Abbot Sound.

Paul Thomas Recording Guitar at Abbot Sound for the Assasin Album Crew Dave Green in the rear.

Neil McKenna recording drums at Abbot Sound.

We played quite a lot in Liverpool in the main the Moonstone, we also did The Banyan tree ,the Metro, and Erics. We also did a lot of universities and a short tour of Holland and went down to London and played a couple of places that I would always see in the Melody Maker gig guide The Golden Lion and the Greyhound and also played a show featuring Supercharge and Nutz at the Liverpool stadium .I used to go there all the time a few years earlier so I was looking forward to it, however it was a let down as there was no room on the stage and I had a monitor of my organ right down my ear, from that day to this I still get tinnitus from that, to top it all being the support we only did 20 mins. Pinnacle did record further material at a small Liverpool studio but we never released it. Though we did play them on live gigs.

Owen McCann at the Banyan Tree In Liverpool circa: 1975.

The Late Paul Stewart on Drums at the Banyan Tree Liverpool circa: 1975.

Owen McCann and Alan Lawrence at the Moonstone Liverpool circa 1975.

Owen McCann at the Moonstone circa: 1975.

Paul Thomas at the Moonstone Liverpool circa: 1975.

Moving through 1975 we were going round in a circle from one gig to another, I was getting fed up of always having no money despite all the work. To top it I met a girl to whom I have been married to for 43 Years, so was no longer one of the boy’s and I just didn’t want to travel down on the bus to rehearse the same stuff endlessly with no career progression in sight. Because of my lack of dedication at this point Owen and Paul did some basic arrangements together, and I had to be taught the initial keyboard riffs from Owen (whom was as untrained as me and used even weirder keyboard fingerings than me). These songs became THE FOREST and LEAD AND I’LL FOLLOW. The songs still needed some parts filled so my pride was left in tact. However I was let go not long after this about late 1975, Owen Left. (I Believe he did not agree to the constant line up changes). The band got in new personnel Frank Lawton on vocals and Dave Goldberg on keys. They started doing new material more like genesis a 30minute epic which chopped and changed but never stopped .They never performed to my knowledge any older Pinnacle material and as far as I know never performed as Pinnacle I saw them at one of our old haunts and they were calling themselves Jiggalo.

I heard that only a few months had gone by and there was only Paul Thomas and Frank Lawton left. The manager of the band had insisted that they go into the cabaret and working mens clubs with a different act to earn some money to support the band between Jiggalo gigs. They called themselves Bobby Sox and The Prizeguys. Doing a bonzo dog student type act mixed with some 50’s Rock n Roll. Anyway the other members did not wish to do this and left. So in late 1976 I was asked by Paul Thomas to play bass guitar in the band. I have great memories of rehearsing into the early hours quietly doing a shadows type routine at three in the morning whilst his parents were in bed. The band was able to gig at cabaret shows and rock out in clubs like Eric’s also. In the summer of 1978 Paul split the band up. It was a very well received act doing all the top supper club venues doing full weeks and also doubling up on shows, so I decided to keep the act going.

With myself and Frank Lawton and new replacement musicians we were back working (now on a semi pro basis) after only three weeks and as popular with the audiences as ever. I had to leave in 1979 the work was getting to far away I the others were self employed or not working and I was not willing to jack in another job. Frank Lawton AKA BOBBY SOX still works to this day as a duo or solo artist. I also worked on a few failed projects with Paul Thomas on and of around the late 70’s early 80’s. I formed other bands using the same successful model playing 50’s rock n’ roll with a charismatic frontman. The most successful of these was called the SENSATIONS (the names a long political story) we were together from 1984 Aug 1992. We never travelled more than fifty miles to a gig charge top money and could not do all the work offered us most times working 3 to 4 nights a week ,I earning more money in the band than my job & this was a six piece band we had many a good laugh also. We did support slots to all the top comics and supported the drifters, Bobby Vee and those types of oldies acts and got all sorts of variety club awards for best musical act and stuff like that .

Bobby Sox and the Prizeguys mk4 circa: 1978/79.

In 1986 the band appeared on the second show of the returned TV series NEW FACES with Marti Caine and from around this time till 1992 also worked extensively for radio Merseysides Billy Butler & Wally Scott Road show doing live radio shows from around the area. The Sensations called it a day in 1992 the members going their separate ways. In early 1993 Paul Thomas got in touch he was playing banjo and Mandola in the just starting Irish music scene they needed a bass player” would I be interested ? I said not in the slightest. Anyhow he talks me round to come and see as lets faces it, I was doing nothing else. So that’s how I joined THE HOOLEYS. I did have a ball and loved the traditional Irish fiddle tunes played like the Pogues it also gave me interest in playing the mandolin. I left the Hooley’s in 1997( I think) ,same reasons day job late 2am gigs, but did stand in a few times till they kept a bass player. I moved on to play mandolin for several years with a small outfit Called the Barry Jones Band also using Trevor (from early band Uncle Harry )on bass for quite a few gigs. In 2006 I hooked up with Paul Thomas once again to form a duo it lasted 6 months I was playing 5 string banjo, bass,& mandolin and he was playing guitar, mouth organ, did lead vocals and played a bass drum and snare with his heels we were called Blackjack Davy.

From Summer of 2007 till summer of 2013 I did various stand in positions on bass, mandolin and banjo. when not doing this I attended various open mic nights and Irish/Folk music pub sessions. Then come early summer 2013 formed a Duo with former Vocalist with the Sensations Stu Gedling ,again playing 50s Rock ‘n’Roll music. We are called SH-Boom and have worked semi pro on a regular basis till March 2020 when all Music venues closed. During this time my partner in SH-BOOM Stu, suffered a small stroke and it has caused him voice problems so I will see what 2021 brings. I am currently getting to grips with Ableton 11 recording software and hope to continue making music even if I can’t perform it. The wife keeps me busy doing D.I.Y around the house and garden. I have said this before, but I don’t mind repeating it at the time of writing The Assasin album is over 46 years old and cd, mp3 were not even around when it was recorded. It seems to have hit a chord (ha ha) with many generations and I am continually amazed that so many people have taken the time and trouble to make small Youtube video’s of many of the tracks.

So I give you all a big THANK YOU for showing your appreciation and continued interest in Pinnacle. -DAVID MYLETT.

Dakota Brown

David Mylett - Pinnacle

Jim Roos - Zipper

Allan Atkins - Judas Priest