Cyril The Ghost
When Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich became famous, they started to raise the interest of music reporters. As early as 1965, the anecdote of a ghost haunting them appeared in their interviews and later spread from England to Germany. The story was particularly appreciated there and turned into a saga with many episodes, which lasted the whole year through, and even well into 1967.
Fri 10/12/65
NME n°987:
Third time lucky for Dave Dee, Dozy, etc… Many people who claim to know pop music have been saying for months that groups are on the way out. But if these “experts” checked their facts they would find that many new groups made the NME Chart for the first time this year.
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, who enter this week’s chart at n° 25 with "You Make It Move," have proved that with talent, originality and a little bit of luck, a group can still become a success.
They come from the Salisbury area, where they met up after playing in different combos. At first they were known as Dave Dee and the Bostons, but they decided to get someting a bit different – hence Dave Dee, Dozy, etc.
Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley, managers of the Honeycombs, heard the group one day, and were so impressed that a management contract was drawn up.
Apart from writing "You Make It Move," Ken and Alan also penned the group’s two previous records, but these failed to make the chart.
The group, David Harman (Dave Dee), Trevor Davies (Dozy), John Dymond (Beaky), Mick Wilson (Mick) and Ian Amey (Tich), adopted its name from the various nicknames tagged to them at school.
The boys also claim to be the proud possessors of a friendly ghost they’ve called “Cyril.” They all swear to its authenticity, and claim to have seen him many times.
(Norrie Drummond)
Friday 15/04/66
NME n°1005 page 8: ‘In Crowds’ don’t exist, say Dave Dee, Dozy, etc.
A new group has swept up the chart, knocking conventions to the wind. The zaniest, most unpredictable outfit to appear on the scene since Doctor Crock and the Crackpots – Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich.
[…] I asked Beaky if there was any truth in the story that the group had a ghost.
"Everyone thinks we're joking ," he said, seriously. "But he honestly does exist. We first saw him after a date in Watford. We were staying the night in a shabby old doss-house.
"Dave wakened and saw this figure gliding around the room. At first he thought it was the old boy who ran the place, rooting about our pockets for loot. But when he got up and put on the light, there was no one there.
"Mick and I are the only two who haven't seen him, but I felt him touch my ankle."
(Mark James)
Monday 20/06/66
Bravo n°26 pages 6-7:
Auf nach Germany! - Dave Dee & Co.Dave Dee & Co. . .
. . . freuten sich über ihre erste deutsche Stipp-Visite und über ihren Erfolg mit "Hold tight". Dave Dee verriet BRAVO bei einem Humpen bayerischen Bieres ein seltsames Geheimnis: "Wir haben ein richtiges Gespenst. Seit drei Jahren erscheint es uns ab und zu. Nur Mick hat CYRIL, wie wir das Gespenst nennen, noch nicht gesehen. Es ist ein Mann, durchsichtig wie Nebel. So schnell wie er erscheint, verschwindet er wieder", erzählen Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich mit ernsthafter Miene. Ob ihnen CYRIL auch nach Deutschland gefolgt ist? Beim BRAVO-Interview ließ er sich jedenfalls nicht blicken.
Dave Dee & Co were delighted with their first German flying visit and their success with "Hold Tight".
Over a Bavarian beer mug, Dave Dee betrayed Bravo a strange secret: "We have a real ghost. He's been appearing to us from time to time for three years. He is a man, as transparent as fog. He vanishes as fast as he appears", Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich told us with a serious look. Did Cyril also follow them to Germany ? Anyway, he didn't show up during the interview. |
Monday 25/07/66
Bravo n°31 pages 6-7:
“Es war einmal...” so fangen alle Märchen an – Auch das Märchen von Dave Dee & Co.
