With the exception of lead guitarist Marc Bolan from Wimbledon the group all come from Leatherhead in Surrey where they manage their own club, the Bluesette. 

Simon Napier, who enjoys sticking pins in the more self-righteous and exaggerated concept that the pop scene is now a hot-bed of drugs, immorality and degradation, declares the group a permanent thorn in pop-pomposity! 

"They have already had a hit In the U.S. charts with 'Smash Blocked'," Simon told me. " I wrote it and it was nothing to do with drugs or drink," he added indignantly, "it was about illicit sex!■ We came down against it. 

The second of the group's "anti-lust" songs was "Not The Kind Of Girl You'd Take To Bed " which was an "anti-drug" song that Simon had turned down by the recording company who were apparently shocked any group should be so moral! 

" Their next single s 'Thomas Abeckett▓, " said Simon. " We decided to play safe with this and get right away from drugs and sex and into a good healthy murder. They wrote it themselves and it's all about a fella who goes mad and begins playing funerals in his back garden! " 

On stage the group all use "Jordan" equipment especially made for them in the U.S. and only used by top American groups like the Mama's and Papa's and the Turtles. They wear white stage suits and gold medallions although Simon is not sure why. 

" I discovered John Hewlett, Chris Townson and Andy Ellison in prison on a vagrancy charge while I was on holiday in St. Tropez," says Simon. 

⌠You might say they were professional vagrants. I bailed them out and discovered they were a group, and one of the conditions of my bailing anyone out is that they work for me for three years.■ 

Replaced lead 

I spoke to folk-singer Marc Bolan who lately replaced the lead guitarist, as they were rehearsing in London on Friday. 

"We are writing and arranging all our own material on stage," said Marc, "and although I still hope to record independently as a solo artist, as far as this group is concerned Andy is lead and sings on the disc. 

"Our dub, The Bluesette, is a knock-out - we choose all our artists. Last night we had Graham Bond and next week Simon Dupree. 

"Apart from Andy, who is 21, we are all 19." Simon describes his group as "completely arrogant, crimpingly honest, totally naive and four good clean healthy lads who sound like the Who plus blues!■ 

A powerful sort of combination!