Tony Ashton, of Ashton, Gardner and Dyke sat opposite me, a glass of brandy in one hand, a cigarette in the other and a broad grin all over his face. He drinks brandy because that's what he's offered, but you can tell he'd be just as much at home with a pint of Guinness or a half of mild.
This is the guy who cheerfully admits to being sacked from Billy J. Kramer's backing group and still laughs about it.
"Roy Dyke and I were both in the Remo Four and we used to back Billy J. in cabaret. He used to do things like "Little Children" which was alright but then he'd do a medley from "The Sound Of Music" which really made us fed up. So we just messed around and finally got kicked out."
He is also the guy who hobnobs with George Harisson.
I did some work with him on the "Wonderwall" album and he seemed to like what I was doing - then I didn't see him again until the Delaney and Bonnie tour."
George, by way of return, had done his bit for Tony and is listed on Ashton, Gardner and Dyke's LP as one of the "friends" who helped to make the album possible. He was also one of the guests at Tony's wedding last Christmas.
The first time I heard of Ashton, Gardner and Dyke was some three years ago when Vince Melouney, then of the Bee Gees, kept whispering he'd got a new group who were fantastic. What happened was that Tony and his old mate Roy Dyke met up with Kim Gardner in a pub and decided to "get it together" at Kim's home in Uxbridge. Tony meanwhile thought he would go out and get the group a manager and was staggering aimlessly about (his words!) until he met up with Vince.
"Vince and another guy, Norrie, managed us for a while, but now we are with the same people who look after Deep Purple."
Now Tony and Co. have a hit single to their credit and a successful appearance at the Royal Albert Hall behind them.
"I was petrified before we went on stage but once we got out there it was all right and I felt quite elated afterwards. Actually I bought my boots for the Albert Hall," he laughed and indicated his huge pair of red leather 'bovver' boots complete with yellow laces.
He's hardly anyone's idea of a pop star - hairy, pretty or otherwise. Described by his publicist as a "rough diamond", Tony wears blue denim jacket, blue denim jeans, a yellow vest and his 'bovver' boots - but he couldn't give a damn.
"I don't want to look like a pop star," he says, then with a deadpan face adds "I'm always the epitome of sartorial elegance."
But he's not so blind to fashion that girls in London flashing around in 'hot pants' have gone unnoticed and he actually claims he's been a fan of hot pants for years.
"I've always been a firm fan of netball and I love going to watch girls in netball teams. Now that's what I call hot pants - navy blue nickers!"
As some sort of sanity had to be brought back to the interview I asked Tony about a subject dear to his heart - music.
"We just hope it's a new way of looking at life. Like a breath of fresh air. You get all your psychedelic - 'like I've got the paranoia blues deep down inside' groups and then you've also got folksy people. I'd like to like to think we've got a new approach towards a song. Before the advent of the record we played mostly on the Continent - in Switzerland mostly. In fact we managed to get quite a name in Switzerland - they were the first ones to appreciate us.
The group also made a month long tour of America recently and are hoping to return soon. But in between gigs Tony is trying to do some tracks for their next LP.
"I've got about half the next album in my head already. I go into a piano studio and if an idea materialises I might have a song."
Meanwhile he remains a sincere person who says quite honestly: "I'm very concerned that we should all be very happy and very lovely towards each other." And maintains that "The more people one meets the more friends one can make... and the more people you can borrow a fiver off..."
Julie Webb
(this article was transcribed by Walid Itayim from Rave Magazine) Back To Ashton Index
© 1997 witayim@yahoo.com