I think that a true artist studies and learns from the classics and uses those lessons to express their own art. One of the most misunderstood aspects of The Flamin’ Groovies came from those who labelled us as ‘retro’ or a ‘covers’ band or who thought we were wasting our time doing other people’s songs. What those people didn’t realise was that those covers represented our roots in music.

When we first started out as a band, we played in a garage with the lights down low, stoned out of our minds playing Get Off of My Cloud – and we were the Rolling Stones. As we added other covers to our repertoire, we would try to emulate and capture the spirit of those songs and try to evoke the same feelings and energy we got from listening to those tunes.

We even got to the point of using the same instruments our favorite bands used in order to capture a particular sound: Gretsch guitars, Richenbacker 12-strings, a Hofner bass. We even played out through Fender Dual Showman and Twin Reverb tube amps to add to the authenticity of our sound.

When Chris joined the band he added a new dimension to our sound because he had the uncanny ability to capture the vocal spirit of a Bob Dylan (Absolutely Sweet Marie) or John Lennon (Next One Crying) or Mick Jagger (Slow Death) as well as giving us the ability to do some of our favorite types of vocal harmonies, like the Everly Brothers or The Beatles or The Byrds did in their songs.

From that point on we were able to produce ‘original’ songs that were written using a palate of instruments, rhythms, vocal sounds and melodies that paradoxically ‘originated’ from our roots as a garage band.

In arranging songs, my role was to play a Bill Wyman, Brian Wilson or a Paul McCartney bass part while the guitar would focus on a John Lennon rhythm, Chuck Berry lead or a Keith Richard guitar part, and so on. We didn’t read music; we played by ear and composed our songs with the archetypal sounds of the rock and roll genre we grew up with. If you listen again to our music, maybe this time you will be able to recognise the sources of those songs and our attempt to capture the spirit of the musical influences on our lives.

As far as Rockfield is concerned, a little known fact was that we created a lot of our originals right on the spot, composing and arranging tunes all day there at the house were we stayed [Little Anchor farm – listed in Haunted Britain] or in the studio. But in order to have enough time to create songs in that environment, we would first record covers which we could lay down quickly and then use the rest of our allotted time in the studio to create new songs.

Chris was superb in that realm as a lyricist – he could deliver a simple message on the surface but with a deeper double meaning. This was important because we wanted our songs to reflect our attempts at being a true rock and roll band, yet with a hidden message that underneath it all we were truly struggling with the issues of our lives.