Johnny - Remember Me?

John Leyton, the man who gave Joe Meek his first No 1, talks to Russell Newmark

John Leyton was slightly bemused when a pair of knickers were hurled from the crowd at a recent show. At the height of his fame, he regularly drew screams from female fans, but he was hardly expecting that kind of behaviour just past his 67th birthday. “I didn’t see them at first - the band told me they were there, down by my feet,” says John. “I said to the audience, ‘That’s very kind – were you expecting Tom Jones?’ and then I joked ‘If whoever threw these at me would like to come back to my dressing room after the show, I’ll give them back to her.’ What is terribly sad is that nobody came backstage to collect them.”

Leyton’s enduring popularity dates back to the early 60s. Despite having first stepped into the showbiz spotlight as an actor – his screen career would flourish again after he decided to quit music – he became one of the most successful performers in the pop stable of maverick independent producer Joe Meek.

His 1961 chart-topper, Johnny Remember Me, was an instant classic. It was followed by Wild Wind, which peaked at No.2, and singles such as Son This Is She, Lone Rider and Lonely City. This month, it will be 40 years since the mercurial Meek brought matters to a tragic conclusion at his home-made studio on London’s Holloway Road. …

by Russell Newmark
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