MUSICIANS & BANDS FROM THE 6Os: 1972/73. NORWAY / DAVE SMITH

1972 /73 was to be a pivotable & exciting period for me, everything seemed to be happening .

On December 13th 1972 we head abroad for the first time with a six month contract in Lillehammer Norway, the town hosted the 1994 Winter olympics as it's a prime skying area. For this residency we needed to up-grade with an additional bass player & that came in the unlikely & dubious form under the name of 'Dave Smith - Howell' (sorry, I just got a shiver down my back)

Our trip accross the North Sea on December 1972 was up till now the worst experience of my life. There were boats lost at sea that night & I thought I was going to die in one of them

The lande Hotel Nordsetter was to be our residency & home for the next six months. It really was a most beautiful part of the country. The Norwegan people were lovely, the older generation kept shaking our hands thanking us for liberating their country from German occupation during the 2nd World war. Not wanting to take all the praise I tried to explain I was merely a small cog in a much larger machine. The truth being I wasn't even born ! ( Norwegan beer prices were so extortionate we would go to any devious means for a free drink)

Dave Smith-Howell our new addition was to become a lifetime friend (well you can't get it right everytime) he previously worked in the band "Kiss" (below) along with L to R. Derick Overy, John Tuttle, Dave, Gary Woods & Chris Bye (We'll hear more about Gary later)

Early pic of John Tuttle a very talented Sax player & singer also in the picture Terry Sealey.

Derek Overy presiding over some serious rehersing!

L to R Terry Westrup,

KISS. L to R. John 'Jim' Jewel, Terry Seeley, Brian 'Bees' Turner, Jack (sadly gone) Dave Knowles, John Tuttle & Dave below.

L to R. Peter Dent, Dave, Gid, Dave Buckingham

Front to Back. Dave, Peter Dent, ?? Dave Cory. ?

Dave with his old school mate Neil Watson.

Back to us in Norway pictured with the male staff

& female staff, brilliant days

Most of our days were spent skiing mainly ''cross country'', we got quite good ( & fit )

As today, alcohol used to cost an arm & a leg in Norway, & It became a matter of 'survival of the fittest' obtaining any form of it. This cocktail lounge picture always gives me a smile. I earned extra cash playing the early cocktail session before the main gig. During this a large brandy or two would frequently be placed on the piano for my consumption, ( costing a million pounds, or so it would seem ). I would always take this back to the digs purposly to taunt Dave as I gently savored the amber nectar.