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Post by Halloweenjack84 on Sept 12, 2011 17:14:58 GMT
KEN PITT INTERVIEW JANUARY 1981 BY KEVIN CANN
COURTESEY 'BOWIE BUREAU' (April/May 1981)
Was routing round my attic trying to find my Bowie Glasgow Barrowlands 1997 pix as stated elsewhere and came a cross a big box filled with every fanclub mag and fanzine I've been in since age 12 (hoarding things for moi really is OCD Lol) from the Sue Townshend days,the official fanclub through to Bewlay Brothers, and all the fanzines ie Bowie Bureau,Zi Duang Provence,Scary Monsters,Starzone,,Crankin' Up and countless others and started to flick through a wee interview in Bowie Bureau April & May "81 which makes interesting reading so thought I'd scan it and post it here.
It's a wee bit long so I may have to break it down over several posts.And as it an old fanzine I'll try and correct some of the spelling mistakes & typos but don't hold moi accountable for any remaining as I'm just doing it in a quick fashion.
Also when scanning written text to a text document lottsa weird things happen which take more time to fix and I can't be *rs*d as I have other things to do.
Anyways..first installment shortly.
All stuff you've read in either Ken Pitt's or Kevin Cann's books but more interesting than reading one of my monolithic posts. 
 Jack 
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Post by Halloweenjack84 on Sept 12, 2011 17:33:14 GMT
KEN PITT INTERVIEW JANUARY 1981 BY KEVIN CANN
COURTESEY 'BOWIE BUREAU' (April/May 1981) Part 1. KENNETH PITT INTERVIEW
JANUARY 1981 KEVIN CANN
A lengthy introduction is not necessary,Ken Pitt is well known to you all as the first manager David had in the early stages of his career.Ken resides in London, still in a flat that David once lodged in for two years. He is still as busy as ever though long gone is his Curzon Street office which had to close when"rents tripled".
After just our short conversation,I realised how long and how important his involvement in the music business has been,not just for Bowie fans, but music people in general.Initially,looking around the lounge in his flat there are very few indications that Bowie once stayed there,though as you enter the flat you are greeted by a large oil painting of David.This Ken informed me was the painting used in The Image.It showed David as the distraught image haunting the artist.Not a particularly good impression but I wouldn't mind it hanging in my room!Our conversation began with Ken's first involvement with David.
Q:You first saw David at the Marquee didn't you?
K: Yes that's right.
Q:Didn't he just play accoustic numbers by himself then,like'When You Walk Through A Storm'?
K:Yes,David would do certain parts of the set by himself and the band would not play as they couldn't handle those type of songs.
Later on he did some Sunday afternoon Marquee Shows called the 'Bowie Showboat’.
Q:Aren't those designed to attract interest from tourists in the area?
K: That did happen, it was during the summer and there were a lot of French and German students in London and they would find their way in.
Q:Didn't he have quite a big following then?
K:It was always like that,there would be friends coming down.
Q:And fans?
K:Not really fans as such,a kind of following.He had a fan club,he always had a fan club ever since I knew him.This particular one was run by two girls in his road,I can't remember their names but that kind of thing happened even in the early days.
Q:Did The Lower Third ever have an L.P. promotion or otherwise?
K: No, never.
Q: Did you know about the demo that he took down to Paul McCartney when he was still Davey Jones?
K:No I didn't know about that.
Q:What about the time that David bumping into McCartney while carrying a cutout of him he was using in a cabaret?
K:(Laughs)Yes,I was with him,very amusing.
Q:'Love You Till Tuesday’,what's happening about that?
K:We're still thinking about putting it out.
Q:On video?
K:Possibly on video yes.
Q:Was the clip used on 'Arena' (My Way)taken from it?
K:Yes that's right,and that was my record used as well.I got £75 for that.
Q: Where was it filmed?
K: Hampstead Heath, Feb 8th 1969,(both laugh at his accuracy)and the girl in it was Hermione.
Q:How long did it take to shoot?
K:About a week of actual filming,and a couple of months after that cutting etc.
Q:What was the idea around the film?
K:Originally we were approached by a German T.V. producer who was interested in David and wanted to do a 30 minute colour television show,so we agreed and later decided that we would develop it further to a kind of promotional film to show what David could do.Well eventually they ran out of money and he disappeared.
I took it along to B.B.C. 2 and they didn't want it, but of course when they needed a film when 'Space Oddity'became a hit again they kept phoning me up.
So eventually I let them use that piece and they showed it a number of times.
Q:Who were the girls on the bed in that scene with him?
K:One was the secretary working on the film, the other,she was just hired for that particular scene.
Q:After the “78 Earls Court shows,the film they made there was said to be going towards a surreal documentary,was your film going to be included?
K:No,definitely not,I would never have given my film to Hemmings.
Q: Was David as elusive to you about his early days?
K:You could never question him, David was never that sort of person, he just used to shrug his shoulders.
Q: What about his half brother Terry,did he talk about him much?
K:Yes,Terry was very much David's hero at the time. I remember one particular day David came up here and was in a particularly good mood, he told me, "Terry's just come home from the Merchant Navy", he was very pleased.
Q:What about the time Terry was committed?
K:No,he never talked about that,he never showed any anxiety to me at the time.
Q:What about the Beatstalkers,David was never a member,was he?
K:(Laughs)No,he just supplied them some songs.He did do the backing vocals on one song though,'Everything Is You' which he did with Tony Head and they both got £9.00 each for that.
Q:How did David get involved with them?
K:I used to manage The Beat Stalkers,thats how that arrangement came about?
Q:How about Paul Nicholas,did David ever work with him?
K:No,never.Paul just recorded one of David's songs 'Over The Wall We Go’and put it out under his own name,Oscar.
David didn't do the backing vocals on that.Robert Stigwood set up that connection.
Q:Did David's father ever go to see him perform?
K:I can't remember actually,I don't think I actually saw him at any.Though I do remember that David was asked to make a personal appearance at Brands Hatch for some kind of radio broadcast from there.He drove down with his parents.He didn't play there though.He was often asked to do charities.Actually I do remember his mother and father coming down to Greenwich to watch the filming’Love You Till Tuesday’.It was a shame because his father died before I really got to know him.
Q:What was your favourite part of 'Love You Till Tuesday’?
K:(Long pause)'When I Live My Dream’ I think.
Q:Was it you or Denny Cordell who introducered David to Tony Visconti?
K:It was I. I was up in the office of Denny Cordell, the Essex Music offices and he wasn't really interested in David, he didn't reckon him at all. He said though that this guy was coming over from America and that’s how that came about.Tony was very good for David.He was the first real musician that David had met,he was a classical violinist.
Q: Didn't David cause some kind of crowd disturbance with a short mime act he did at the Festival Hall?
K:Yes, it was quite interesting.All it was was David mimicing to'Silly Boy Blue'which,as you know is an anti-communist song,and a par¬ticular American gentleman in the audience who was obviously a communist shouted out “No Politics!” and that was it.No big crowd disturbance or anything. David was quite pleased actually, he was glad to get any crowd reaction at the time so that pleased him. quite a bit.
Q: Do you know of any songs that have not been heard of generally?
K:Yes I do,I own quite a few.
Q: Have you ever heard of an early song called 'Angel Angel Grubby Face'?
K: Yes I do, he recorded that one here,I still have a copy.
Q: What did you think about Feathers, were they really that bad?
K:No,I thought they were wonderful,actually I saw Hutch last week, he still comes up here quite a lot.We talked about that last Feathers gig at the University of Surrey(Feb llth “69).
That was a fantastic gig.
Just David and Hutch and they were terrific.You know, they had begun to develop a kind of comedy act,the Morcambe and Wise,Laurel and Hardy type of thing.
David would make the jokes,using Hutch as the kind straight man,very witty.
That was really good.I often wonder what happened to those students who saw those shows.
Q:Didn’t it effect them at all?
K:No,no they just sat there with no real interest,now of course, everyone wants to know.I got the opinion that Feathers was just designed to get Hermione involved with something,he was very keen on her then.
Q:Is there anything available today that David did with Feathers?
K:(Thinks for a second) No I don't think so,though I have some of their stuff still.
Q: Do you know George Underwood?
K:Yes I do,I saw him quite recently.
Q:He's done some lovely work,the back of the Phillips David Bowie album for example.
K:Oh,quite beautiful,he's a marvellous artist.The last time I was down at his place,you know 'The Man Who Fell To Earth'paperback cover,he's still got that,just lying against the wall in his studio.Every time I see him I say “George,how much for that?”but he won't sell,it's about this big ...
(signifies about 3’ x 2')
Q:Does he see David quite regularly?
K:He hasn't actually seen David for a couple of years now, he did go to America with him once though.He definitely hasn't got the recognition that he deserves.
Q: It was a shame that Mercury never used that cover of the UK 'David Bowie' album.
K:Yes it was,I do know why they didn't use it,though I'm not going to tell you.Actually there wasn't any big reason,nothing important.
During our conversation,Ken brought in old file boxes of photographs and general notes and correspondence.One such file box contained all the relevant information on 'Love You Till Tuesday',it even had the original screenplay booklet used during it’s making.The cover was a drawing of David in the mime garb,looking very similar to bits of the recent'Ashes to Ashes'video,arm outstretched and a big BOWIE written underneath.He showed me plenty of old photographs,many which have definitely not been used before,and of course taken by Ken himself covering David's stay with him.Most were proof sheets of David doing mime and also casual photos posing in his room with an accoustic guitar,looking very similar to the 42nd Bureau cover.In fact that photo was taken in the lounge we held the conversation in,the old clock David is leaning on is still in the same position and chimes noisily on the hour.Other photographs included a rare photo of Ken and David together on the roof of his flat, David looking a very young mod and slightly out of focus at the back with Ken looking straight into the camera.Photos of Feathers taken during the filming of 'Love You Till Tuesday’.Decca publicity shots which included a very strange one of David sitting on a stool and best and rarest of all,two photos of David with his first group 'The Kon-Rads'.David must have been all of fourteen or fifteen at the most,he posed stage left with a saxophone which almost dwarfed him.A typical school band pose but amazing because of their subject matter.There were too many to describe thoroughly but I'm sure they will all be seen one day.
Q:What about David's Dylan period,you were quite worried about that weren't you?
K:Yes I was and often told him so.Things were generally bad in the business anyway,to the point when artists would just reject the audience, actually turn their backs on them while on stage which wasn't good.
Q:Did you draw David's interest towards films?
K: When I met David,he was obviously interested, had ideas in his head, but the conver¬sations we had drew those ideas out and made them credible.So,yes I did draw his attention to films,and theatre in general.Before he met me he'd never been to the theatre at all,which to me.You see in my family,the way I was brought up,I used to be taken to the theatre a lot,even from my early childhood my mother took me,my father died when I was very young.
Q:Did David ever keep scrapbooks or cuttings or anything?
K:No,never,his mother did though,and still does, she reads everything on him.
Q:Did he ever bring Marc Bolan up here?
K:Umm,yes,very frequently though I was involved with Bolan long before I was involved with David.Bolan used to live over there (points to the other side of the street) in one of those basement flats.They used to be up here together a lot though.
Q: Were you upset about his death?
K:No not really,only that it was the death of a human being.
Q:Not as important to you as David then?
K:Oh no, nothing like David.
Q:Was David in any kind of competition with Bolan?
K: No, no, it was never like that,not at all. That’s just another press fabricatione
Q:He used to spend alot of money on art objects didn't he?
K:Yes, he would bring them back here and show me. He used to buy them at some kind of antique supermarket,owned by some friends of his.
I think that they used to let him have the stuff a lot cheaper than normal.He got hold of some good stuff.Later when he started to get bigger cheques he would start bringing in glassware,Lalique and that sort of thing.
Q:Was it you that helped him develop his art noveau taste?
K:Oh yes,you've just got to look around you,he was definitley influenced by this type of art.
Q:What did Christmas mean to David,did he go home?
K:Christmas meant alot to him,he used to worry a lot about how he would be able to afford presents and we would put our heads together and discuss ways that he could earn £20 or what¬ever to buy presents..
Ken suddenly goes to the bookshelf and brings back a book to show me.
K:This was my present from David one Christmas.The book was of childrens poems,illustrated by Caldecott and the inside cover read in typical Bowie handwriting,'To Ken, very best wishes for “68, Bowie'.
K:Yes he would enjoy Christmas,he did go home.
Q:Did he smoke as many cigarettes when you knew him ?
K:Oh yes(allows a concerned expression) coffee and cigarttes,coffee and cigarettes.
Q:Did you ever go down to Haddon Hall?
K:Yes,all of his art objects went down to furnish that place.That would have been a lovely house but the landlord had split it into three so it wasn't as good as it could have been.
Q: Didn't it have a staircase that led nowhere?
K:Yes, thats because it had been split into flats t hat 's all.
Q:Evidently David had an old King Charles dog lounging around the place.
K:I didn't see that,though he used to have a King Charles at home though,at Plaistow Grove,the family dog.
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Post by Halloweenjack84 on Sept 12, 2011 17:51:27 GMT
KEN PITT INTERVIEW JANUARY 1981 BY KEVIN CANN
COURTESEY 'BOWIE BUREAU' (April/May 1981) Part 2. Q:Do you know if David is ambidexterous?
K: What? Oh,I thought it was another one of those carefully disguised bi-sexual questions (laughs.)Actually I don't know,I do remember that he used to have a curious way of writing though(picks up a pen and continues to write in a very uncomfortable position)his hand-writing was quite attrocious though.
Q:Can you tell me a bit about the Lyons Maid commerical that he made,did it ever get screened?
K: He only had a small part in it,he had to lift the product above his head.It was called 'LUV and Lyons were putting the product out on a trial basis, this advert was a kind of pilot but it was never used.They never even released the product for some reason.
Q:Didn't David do some printing for awhile?
K:Yes he did,through someone he met somewhere or other.
He would feed the paper into the machines.The good thing about the arrangement was If we called him about a job coming in,he would be able to leave everything immediately,they didn’t mind at all.
Q: Did he work there for long?
K:No,not at all really.
(The printers was near Russell Square and folded some years ago)
Q:Do you have any favourites of any of his early recordings?
K:I like ‘Conversation Piece’ a lot.I think that a lovely track.
Q:Do you still keep up with his recent releases?
K: No,not anymore.
KENNETH PITT INTERVIEW PT 2
INTERVIEWER KEVIN CANN
We talked for a while about specific singles and Ken brought in from his office an old box of singles and we continued to look through them. If you are a serious collector then you need to take a couple of Valium before looking through this particular collection of records,the bulk of which seemed to be taken up with one sided Accetate demo tracks.These included of course,the original 'Space Oddity’demo,the label of which David had written on himself. As well as the Phillips singles that came from it,there was'Regazzo Solo,Regazza Sola’ in the original Italian Phillips colour cover.The idea of this single was evidently inspired by Phillips who sent a guy down to the studio and taught David the lyrics and pronounciation.All of the early Deram material was there and alao plenty of cover versions of David's songs which included a 'Regazzo Solo’ cover version by the Computers,an Italian duo who copied David's version right down to the string arrangements,thus damaging the singles sales.Evidently this happened a lot,Ken had the same trouble when he managed Crispian St Peters. Other cover versions were'Over The Wall We Go’,'The Prettiest Star’ by Simon Ward,'The Laughing Gnome’ by Ronnie Hilton','Silly Boy Blue' by Billy Fury and a few Beatstalkers singles that David had written. He also showed me 'Angel Angel Grubby Face' proudly, and two different versions of the 'My Way’track that David had done.One with the English title, and one with the French ‘Comme D'habditude'.The rarest tracks he hid from my eyes as we came to them,though he did show me one I'd never heard of before,which was a Feathers track.Ken Pitt must have the only recordings Feathers ever made,I think there were about four in all.David couldn't have entrusted them to anyone better,as Ken is as keen as anyone to keep them unpublished,another black eye for bootleggers!
Q: Some of the early shows he did were quite big affairs for an emerging talent,he seemed to take them all in his stride.
K:All the shows he treated as an artist,an artist who was learning his trade,all those shows were done to build the David Bowie you know today. When David walked out on stage for his first night as the 'Elephant Man',he was working on skills he developed while he was working with me, from groups like Feathers and all those other things he was involved in,everything mattered.
Q:Did he ever get stage fright?
K:Yes I'm sure he did, but he never showed it.
Q:Do you remember the Palladium concert appearance he made for Save-Rave,did he sing 'Space Oddity’?
K:Yes,I remember it and he did sing 'Space Oddity', again it was another experience thing,he learnt an awful lot.Who wouldn't learn from playing at the Palladium? He would look around backstage and take it all in,watching Dusty Springfield prepare for her act,the way she went on stage,handled the orchestra etc.It was all important.
Q: Were you with him,watch him backstage?
K:Yes I did,all the time,actually I managed to get him that particular spot,I knew the guy who was putting it together and asked if he had any room for David and he was in.
Q:Has the Curzon St part of Kenneth Pitt management closed down now?
K:Oh yes, many years ago,when the rates trebled,I just couldn't afford it.David would often come down to the office and botherthe girls,they would often come up to me and say "Alright if we go and have a coffee with David?",I'd say yes and they would go off.David used to spend alot of time in coffee bars, never paid for the coffee,always got it free.
Q:How did David feel about his early fans?
K: Early fans,well he never really thought he had fans as such,he wasn't like that.He certainly had a following,always had a following but on an individual basis,he never had friends who were fans though.He couldn't relate to that type of person.
Q:Was it very difficult trying to get early press?
K:Yes very difficult the first good one was for that(Points to the original 'David Bowie’album we had looked at) I've still got that cutting,I've got most of the early ones.
Q: Wasn't David awarded the Ivor Novello award for song-writting for'Space Oddity’?
K: Yes he was,it was presented at the Talk Of The Town and was on one of those live sattelite T.V.link up things with America.They got it over there on Cable T.V.,I'm not sure what he got,a scroll or something I suppose.I wasn't there that particular night,I don't know why,must have been busy with something.
Q: Do you think that if David had stayed with you, he would have been able to do everything he had done with De Fries?
K: He would have achieved as much and I am certain he would have done everything better,he would be ahead now, further ahead than he is now.
He wasted five years,he would be five years ahead of his time if he had stayed with me.
Q:Angie's book is supposed to be coming out soon.
K:Yes I know,I haven't seen it yet though. Actually she signed a contract when David was getting big stating that she would never write anything about David.
Q: Do you think that David will ever get another manager?
K:He's got managers,he always had people handling his affairs,he just hasn't got one individual, it's not like it used to be,he doesn't need that particular type of personal management. A manager who helps him get bookings,he doesn't need that, not with the kind of parts that have been pouring in on Broadway.
Q : Did David finally get on with Marty Kristian ?
(they had a shakey introduction)
K.: Oh yes,he became quite fond of him,when I see David now he always asks me "How's Marty?"
A lot of the early photos Ken showed me on proof sheets also had shots of Marty Kristian on the same reel,looking very similar to David in dress and manner.
Q:When you were his manager, did you worry about the money you were losing?
K:No, because I always knew that one day I would get it back,that David would make it.
Q: You were always out of pocket while he
was with you?
K:I was always out of pocket by thousands,in the long term though,I haven't lost out.
Q:I've heard that your collection of Oscar Wilde books is the best in the country.
K:Yes,so I'm told,well when anyone wants to sell a particular Wilde they seem to call me.
Q:And Beardsley?
K:Yes,well I'm related to him,through my great grandfather.His niece was Ellen Pitt,Aubrey's mother.
Q:Wasn't David very fond of your book collection?
K:Yes he was.
Q: Wasn't Wilde's'The Happy Prince' his favorite?
K:I don't know about that,he definitely read them though,that was amongst them.
Q:Wasn't Rackham another favourite?
K:Yes,well Rackham wrote a biograpghy of Wilde.
Q:Did he like Surrealism,Dali for example?
K:Yes, very much,that was definitley his taste.
The breaks in our conversation allowed me to have a closer look at the decor and bits and pieces around.The most notable piece being an award on Ken's legendary coffee table, it was a blue presentation case and had a replica
gold disc in its centre.Underneath was an engraved plate that read’DAVID BOWIE BRIGHTEST HOPE 1970’it had been awarded to David through Disc and Music Echo and David had given it to Ken.Another trophys rests against his bookshelf,it was another award,this time awarded to Bob Dylan in 1964,Ken helped start his career in Europe in the ealy sixties.Ken pointed out various objects that David had brought in to cheer the place up during his stay,this included some dried flowers in a small china pot,looking as good as new.
Q:You recently been to see the Elephant Man, did you enjoy it?
K: Yes I did,David was very good.
Q: So you still keep in contact with David then?
K:Oh yes,we're still very close.
Q:Will David be coming around here again?
K:I'm not telling you or I'll have you all camping outside.
Q:Your probably more qualified than most, do you think that David has changed much over the years?
K:(after much thought)No,I don't think he's changed that much,not really at all.
Q:When are you going to write a book?
K:Don't worry I will(smiles) though I'm always a bit worried about things like that,you know, people write about people to cash in...
Q: Did you like the 1980 Floor Show Convention?
K:Yes I did,I think it went rather well.It was very amusing,in Chicago now there are bootlegs of my speech and they've even put out a Videodisc.I arrived on the Friday I think it was,David Fletcher met me and apologised that everything was in such a hurry, he was dashing here and there,setting things up.I just said,go on,don't worry about me,I'll be alright.It all went alright though.
Q:During your speech you said that David would say "Don't worry Ken,there's always Chicago"Did he really say that?
K:Oh yes,you see Mercury Records was Chicago based.David was never signed to Phillips,his contract was only with Mercury.
Q:As well as the Major Tom boots,you also sold the athletic support David wore during the Mask sequence didn't you?
K:(laughs)Well before I went I was thinking how I could spice it up,make it interesting.So I took it along just in case,to see if I could get away with it.As it turned out the crowd was very good, everyone took it well and was laughing and genuinly interested,flash bulbs and everything going off.So I thought lets give it a try,got it out of my pocket and auctioned it off,it went well.
Q:Don't you think that your own collection gets diminished over the years?
K:Yes well that happens but I thought,well I had to contribute something I suppose.It was for charity,that was the main aim and as it was,they weren't going to make much out of it for the cause.
Q:David Fletcher lost a lot of money over it?
K:Yes I know,it's a pity.
Q: Was the Mask scene dialogue the only dialogue in the film?
K : Yes it was.
Q:Didn't you take a copy of 'The Image’ with you?
K:Yes I did,there's a funny story to that.They asked me if I would bring a copy over with me,and as I didn't own one I phoned up a friend who found out that there was one copy around at,believe it or not,Clapham Junction Odeon.
They had been using it as a filler between films so it had been shown up to quite recently.It's only 15-17 minutes long and was about a painter who was working in his studio and the picture he was painting was of a boy who had died,which was David.It kept cutting to David's face and David sort of came up into the window.That always puzzled me,why they had him hanging from the upstairs window and not the downstairs, a lot less dangerous.Anyway, I thought it was quite good.
Q:Was David proud of it?
K:Oh yes,of course.
Q:Did it go down well in Chicago?
K: When I got to Chicago,we discovered that the film was the wrong size,or rather it was the right size but their equipment couldn't handle it.They made mad last minute efforts to try and find suitable projectors but it was too late so,it never got shown after all that.I must say though,that I did enjoy the convention and I'm glad that I went.
Q:Did you speak to Cherry Vanilla?
K:Yes I did,I found her very nice actually,normally I don't like any of that Mainman lot but she was alright, I was pleasantly surprised.
Q:They showed 'The Man Who Fell To Earth',you didn't like that film did you?
K:No I didn't, I didn't like it for a number of reasons.I thought that David was manipulated and used by that director for his own devices,I mean,that director has got a thing about rock stars.David should really have known better and in fact he nearly got out of it,had second thoughts but it was too late.
Q:Did you go to the 'Just A Gigolo’ premier?
K:No, I never go to things like that,that was a bad film too.
Q:Do you ever listen to David when he's on at Capital Radio?
K:Er,yes sometimes.
Q:Did you hear the show when he was interviewed by 12 fans?
K:Yes, I think so,I think he came here straight after that one.
I remember doing something for Capital Radio, Kerry Juby had me over there twice I think,they were doing some kind of in depth programme on him.He told me that they had been chasing after David all over town to try and interview him. They had quite a few people who had been involved with David on,Tony Visconti and some others.
Q:Did that ever get aired?
K:I'm not sure,I remember that Kerry Juby promised to send me a copy when it was finished,so I expect it never was.
Q: How long ago was it?
K:Oh,I suppose about four or five years ago.
We also spoke about Frank Sinatra who Ken has been friendly with since the fifties.
K:"If you think David had it bad you should have seen what it was like trying to get Sinatra in and out of the Palladium,the place used to be surrounded."Ken brought out two old framed photographs,the first had two people in it,one I recognised immediately as Sinatra but questioned Ken who the other was.
K:"That's me!”I know we were a lot younger then but..."The other was taken at some kind of function with Sinatra at the end of the table,with his date,Shirley Anne Fields,Ken and some other friends.Both photographs dated back to the fifties and Ken seemed very proud of them both"These are two photographs you won't see in any Sinatra books"He also made a comparison between Bowie and Sinatra."That was the difference between David and Frank,if anyone came up to David and hassled him he wouldn't do anything about it,but if someone approached Frank he would just lay one on them,no problem.David could never handle a confrontation situation."
We also looked through some very old editions of NME,in fact they were some of the first copies.During Ken's first trip to the U.S.he interviewed various artists for the NME in the days when"music papers were really music papers,you can't call the papers today music papers"Those particular copies were dated 1952,I think it's fair to say that he has been involved in the music business for quite a while!
He told me that David Bowie wasn't the biggest thing to happen in his career and having taken the time to look a bit closer I can believe it.
I also didn’t realise before I met him, how much Bowie had gained from Ken Pitt as an individual, Bowie's very mannerisms are very similar to Ken Pitts. Bowie couldn't have picked a better guide for that part of his career,and to my mind it's a great shame and mystery why any kind of break had to happen at all.It’s nice to know though,that they are still the best of friends and probably always will be.
Although David is very quiet about his early days in public,Ken assures me he spends a lot of time talking about the old days,reminising. Ken is really David’s only link with those days now.
Q: Do you think that you have been lucky in your career?
K:Oh yes, definitely, to do anything comparable today would be impossible. What are the chances today of going into a cafe and finding a Cleo Laine,no,today the music business is completely different altogether.
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Jack 
