February 8th, 1971
As scheduled, we received a call from the prospective new member by late morning on Monday.
“Hello?” I spoke into the handset.
“Hello, I’m calling to speak with Cameron. My name’s Colin Foster.”
“I’ll get him for you,” I replied. “Hang on.”
Cameron had heard the phone ring and was coming down the stairs. I held the phone out to him and he put it to his ear.
“Colin, it’s good to hear from you,” Cameron winked at me and listened to Colin’s reply. “That’s no issue,” he insisted.
Being too curious for my own good, I stood closer to Cameron and was able to hear Colin speak.
“I’m living in Kirkcaldy at the moment,” he told Cameron. “I’d likely be able to get a room in Aberdeen to spend a few days in your area. For the audition.”
“Nonsense,” Cameron retorted. “Emily and I have room for you here. There’s no need to waste money when we’ve got an extra bedroom.”
“That’s very kind of you,” Colin said shyly. “But I couldn’t possibly accept.”
I smiled at Cameron and spoke loudly. “What’s the point of a guest room if I don’t have a guest?”
I could hear Colin laugh softly.
“You might be able to say no to me, Colin, but you can’t possibly refuse a lady’s invitation,” Cameron told him, the cheeky smile on his face clear in his voice. “Have you got a pen? I’ll give you the address. Take the train up and get a taxi,” Cameron instructed him.
“Tell him to arrive hungry,” I added. “I’ll make lunch.”
I had prepared a lasagna and had it in the oven by the time Colin arrived. Cameron greeted him at the door and invited him inside.
“This is really very kind of you both,” Colin repeated once I had introduced myself.
“It’s our pleasure, honestly,” I insisted. “It’ll be nice to have a guest who wasn’t raised in a barn.”
Both Colin and Cameron laughed, but it was Colin who replied with matching wit. “It wasn’t much but I like to think that Everton was a little bit better than a barn,” he laughed.
Colin proved, as we ate lunch and discussed his musical career, that he hadn’t been raised in a barn but rather in a respectful household. I found him to be very polite and quite funny at times, which nicely complemented his mature outlook.
He revealed to us that he’d been playing drums since the age of seven. Before owning a kit, he’d spent his time banging on any flat surface he could get his hands on. Colin had lived in various cities since leaving Liverpool at fifteen, and was now living in Kirkcaldy while playing in a band based in Edinburgh.
He also told Cameron, somewhat bashfully, that he’d seen Amoeba in Edinburgh last October.
“If I’m being honest,” Colin admitted, “I’m very flattered that you think I could take up Clyde’s role.”
“Have confidence in yourself, man,” Cameron replied. “You’re better than you think.”
Cameron asked me to give Lee a call and invite him over. I did just that, and Lee arrived within the hour. The three men went into the studio, and through the open door I could hear their progress.
Within one hour they had a nice rhythm established, and when they emerged after the third hour, all three of them looked very proud.
“We’ll have the rest of the guys over tomorrow,” Cameron announced. He called both Willie and Dale to let them know, and after he’d hung up, Lee approached me.
“What’s on your mind?” I asked before he spoke. I could see the traces of worry and indecision on his face.
“What do you think if I called Liliane?” he asked hesitantly. “I wouldn’t want to bother her or anything.”
I smiled at him and handed over the notebook in which I’d written Liliane’s number. “I think it would be really wonderful.”
“You think so?” Lee asked, a smile lighting up his face. I nodded, so he took the notebook from me. “Thank you, Emily.”
“Tell her I say hi.” I turned and left towards the kitchen, leaving Lee to dial my sister’s number.
“Hello?” I spoke into the handset.
“Hello, I’m calling to speak with Cameron. My name’s Colin Foster.”
“I’ll get him for you,” I replied. “Hang on.”
Cameron had heard the phone ring and was coming down the stairs. I held the phone out to him and he put it to his ear.
“Colin, it’s good to hear from you,” Cameron winked at me and listened to Colin’s reply. “That’s no issue,” he insisted.
Being too curious for my own good, I stood closer to Cameron and was able to hear Colin speak.
“I’m living in Kirkcaldy at the moment,” he told Cameron. “I’d likely be able to get a room in Aberdeen to spend a few days in your area. For the audition.”
“Nonsense,” Cameron retorted. “Emily and I have room for you here. There’s no need to waste money when we’ve got an extra bedroom.”
“That’s very kind of you,” Colin said shyly. “But I couldn’t possibly accept.”
I smiled at Cameron and spoke loudly. “What’s the point of a guest room if I don’t have a guest?”
I could hear Colin laugh softly.
“You might be able to say no to me, Colin, but you can’t possibly refuse a lady’s invitation,” Cameron told him, the cheeky smile on his face clear in his voice. “Have you got a pen? I’ll give you the address. Take the train up and get a taxi,” Cameron instructed him.
“Tell him to arrive hungry,” I added. “I’ll make lunch.”
I had prepared a lasagna and had it in the oven by the time Colin arrived. Cameron greeted him at the door and invited him inside.
“This is really very kind of you both,” Colin repeated once I had introduced myself.
“It’s our pleasure, honestly,” I insisted. “It’ll be nice to have a guest who wasn’t raised in a barn.”
Both Colin and Cameron laughed, but it was Colin who replied with matching wit. “It wasn’t much but I like to think that Everton was a little bit better than a barn,” he laughed.
Colin proved, as we ate lunch and discussed his musical career, that he hadn’t been raised in a barn but rather in a respectful household. I found him to be very polite and quite funny at times, which nicely complemented his mature outlook.
He revealed to us that he’d been playing drums since the age of seven. Before owning a kit, he’d spent his time banging on any flat surface he could get his hands on. Colin had lived in various cities since leaving Liverpool at fifteen, and was now living in Kirkcaldy while playing in a band based in Edinburgh.
He also told Cameron, somewhat bashfully, that he’d seen Amoeba in Edinburgh last October.
“If I’m being honest,” Colin admitted, “I’m very flattered that you think I could take up Clyde’s role.”
“Have confidence in yourself, man,” Cameron replied. “You’re better than you think.”
Cameron asked me to give Lee a call and invite him over. I did just that, and Lee arrived within the hour. The three men went into the studio, and through the open door I could hear their progress.
Within one hour they had a nice rhythm established, and when they emerged after the third hour, all three of them looked very proud.
“We’ll have the rest of the guys over tomorrow,” Cameron announced. He called both Willie and Dale to let them know, and after he’d hung up, Lee approached me.
“What’s on your mind?” I asked before he spoke. I could see the traces of worry and indecision on his face.
“What do you think if I called Liliane?” he asked hesitantly. “I wouldn’t want to bother her or anything.”
I smiled at him and handed over the notebook in which I’d written Liliane’s number. “I think it would be really wonderful.”
“You think so?” Lee asked, a smile lighting up his face. I nodded, so he took the notebook from me. “Thank you, Emily.”
“Tell her I say hi.” I turned and left towards the kitchen, leaving Lee to dial my sister’s number.
I really like Lee💕
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