Les McKeown - R.I.P.

 

It was announced yesterday that Leslie McKeown, the frontsman and lead singer who contributed to the sound of the legendary Scottish pop group the Bay City Rollers who were extremely popular in the 1970's had died  on April 20th aged 65.

For many of us who were fortunate to be of an age group in this era that they appealed to this image of the band from 1975 is the one we recognize with Les second left from Eric Faulkner and to the right of Alan Longmuir.

As Alan left at the very end of 1975 the band line up changed into 1976 with Ian Mitchell replacing him for the Love Me As I Love You single and Dedication album of 1976.

Les joined the band in early 1974 appearing on the Shang-a-lang single that confirmed the bands increasing popularity and the top selling lp Rollin' which had re-recorded versions of Saturday Night and Remember whose original singles featured Nobby Clarke on lead vocal.

Some measure of their popularity by April 26, 1975 was as shown in this Record Mirror chart countdown they held the #1 singles slot with Bye Bye Baby,  a cover of the Four Seasons song, and #2 on the albums chart with Rollin.

Many things contributed to it, simple sing along pop songs whose lyrics resonated with 8-14 year olds that were not too long to lose their attention unlike the tracks of the progressive rock albums older siblings bought by people like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Yes, a simple image you could copy (and you did) and Les's own image.

On April 22nd 1975 Shang-A-Lang, the bands own tv show produced by Granada television and shown on the ITV affiliates such as ATV here in the Midlands debuted that showcase them, other artists and had features on car maintenance too.

The first episode featured The Goodies, three well know personalities whose show was massive at the time in the UK and who also had a recording career with hits such as Funky Gibbon. 

Roller music was all pervasive when this charted I sang it on the school bus on school trips out as the teachers turned it up for us cos they knew we loved the Rollers.

We made scrap books from pictures in magazines and newspapers that we kept updated, I had the annuals and naturally the records, both singles and albums that were played at school and home.

I also had my tartan BCR cap that stayed on my head during that era.

We followed them in those pre-internet, pre social media days looking for anything about them, taking an interest in their personal lives.

When I moved to boarding school I talked in my introduction to my form about my love of their music which smoothed my introduction and got me some new friends as changing school always has an effect on such things.

Some indication of Les's popularity as a heartthrob for girls and fashion idol for boys can be gauged by this article from the Daily Mirror newspaper in 1979, a year after he left the band being replaced by Duncan Faure, a South African born singer.

He made a number of solo recordings and had a fair to do with the 2010 Rollermania four cd box set contributing two solo recordings that were otherwise unavailable and assisting with memorabilia and track selection.  

The Bay City Rollers were our first love, the music that was ours not our siblings or parents, their image is an iconic one of our times and for all they did for us during that time I say thanks Les for your part in their story and rest in peace.