Once upon a time back in 1973 I played and co wrote in a rock band called the Bazoomis with my best mates from school Tim, Met, Johnny etc. We were around from 1973 - 1978). Johnny who went on to be in a band called 'The Escape Club' who had no 1 hit in USA in the 90 s.

One of my oldest mates was the legendary Keith Levine whom asked me to join the Clash with him even before Joe Strummer was on the scene, we did tons of gigs together like the Roxy, Marquee, toured with the Motors etc. Then when the Sex Pistols split in late 78,  it was Keith's idea to form a band with me and get John Lydon to sing, then I meet Jah Wobble. We started rehearsing down the dungeons at London bridge and Wobble hadn't even held a bass guitar let alone played one. In the rehearsals he would sit down and played the bottom string for an hour until I got fed up and I got  hold of his thumb and stuck it on the b fret. The song 'Public Image' was born about 5 minutes later.

 Then came 'This is not a love song', 'Death Disco', 'This Is Religion' and a few more. My time with the band was short lived. John reckoned one guitarist in the band was enough so I left the band. We parted on good terms though! Anyway Keith done a great job with the band.

Early in 1979 I was just hanging around at a mates pad in Baker Street and in walks this lovely lookin' bird called 'Rozzi' who just so happened to be working for Virgin Records - Richard Branson's' PA of all jobs, So you can imagine we had lot in common. We started dating, well I moved in with her within a few weeks to tell the truth, it did upset a certain Mark Knopfler(Expresso Love ?) and Jimi Honeyman Scott bless his soul I loved him as a mate and a superb guitarist.

Then 'The Expressos' were born at our flat in Battersea in 1979. Within 6 months of rehearsing and our first gig at the 101 club we got signed to "WEA" for tons of money. We went on tour with 'The Jam', 'Squeeze', 'BA Robertson' and shared an office block with 'The Boomtown Rats', 'The Pretenders', 'Department S', 'Bananarama'..... what a great time we had. We had loads of media coverage TV & Radio and I suppose the highlight was doing the Saturday night Radio 1 Live road show for 'Richard Skinner' in Swansea.

SSadly, 'The Expressos' split in 1981...

 

Now some 26 years on, Micki & Rozzi are now writing new material....so watch out!!!

 

 

Thanks to Mick Toldi for the above info

 

Information Received on Saturday 2nd April 2011

Sadly Mick Toldi passed away on Friday 1st April 2011 of a brain Tumour after be cared for in a hospice in North London.

 

 

<<BACK TO PREVIOUS PAGE

©Detour Records