I am surprised there is not a great deal of information regarding our band as we had a large band and great success.

I joined the group when I left the Royal Artillery Band due to the death of my father. I remember the van which had antlers on the roof being parked outside of Barratts where we congreated on Saturday and tried out instruments but rarely bought them. I also remember A1 shop that repaired gear that was just off Oxford Road.

The group consisted of (I think) John Murray (drums), Kev Hart? (organ), Terry Welch (guitar), Bert ? (guitar, fender strat) and Pete (bass) who always had his girlfriend called Elaine or E something. Our star singer was Larry Edwards who worked in Kendalls with his mum and grandma. I later saw him in Portsmouth.

We seemed very popular and had great times and it was so exciting to buy the new blue transit long wheel base JYM 556D ? with aircraft seats - we had arrived. With kaftans and makeup we were a screy lot and my Emo stepson seems to be following the trend.

We had others in the groups that came from Art Nouveau like Skid Row - what a name - possibly described us well. There was Des Tongue, who very much later was in Sad Cafe, a guy on trumpet called Rod who always used Brut.

I later joined some ex St Louis Union guys to work with Jimmy Ruffin. Dave the organist was from Manchester and Faz the guitarist with red hair. Another was very tall and nicknamed the 3 masted schooner!.

Later I became more involved in management and playing working with Jimmy more closely until I left in 1973 to go to the Royal Academy of Music. Here everyone was trying to do gigs and many of the things I had just stopped doing - c'est la vie. We make decisions in life and I must have made many stupid ones - like many others no doubt.

Now at 58 I am still involved in music, managing a multi million business and trying to capture my youth with rock projects. I am taking 1200 young people and their supporters to the Royal Albert Hall on April 4th 2008 with 27 over 40 year old beginners who will do their first Rock gig in the RAH - we hope to perform 'Smoke on the Water'

Best wishes to all of those who provided a great musical scene in Manchester in the 60s and 70s.

David (Horatio) Kenyon

I was in Art Nouveau for a while, I was lead vocals and guitar, I only really remember Terry Walsh on bass guitar and vocals, (I believe Terry died a couple of years ago) he was a really nice guy and I am sure he is sadly missed, the only other guy I remember was a guy called Jess on keyboards, When I was with them they were doing cover stuff, very good harmonies and very tight music.

Phil Platt
23/3/09

I remember playing trumpet with Art Noveau in the very earliest days of it's formation. I think the guy who's listed as trumpet player was Rod Dunsford - a very capable guy!

At that time, I had also been playing with a group known as 'The Dreamweavers' and I'm not certain, but I think that same group developed into 'The A Side'. It's all something of a blur now (it was 40 odd years ago !) but, I distinctly remember making a recording in Stockport. The recording engineer was (Ugly) Ray Teret - a really nice guy as I remember.

At that time, I hadn't considered changing my surname (it was Pitt - not very rock'n roll?) but I changed my surname in 1972 and went on to become a music arranger/orchestrator and conductor. In the 1980's I was conducting and arranging for the BBC Radio Orchestras (all of them) and my most recent activities have been writing scores for Hollywood film and conducting some gigs with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and being resident conductor of the National Concert Orchestra.

Anyone who remembers the early days with Art Noveau or either of the other groups I mention - I'd love to hear from you.

Great days which, although a bit cloudy now in my memory (well come on - I'm 62 now !) still evoke very fond memories.

Greg Francis
13/9/09