Found this article by Christine Lavelle
A FOUNDING member of the Bay City Rollers says he will use voice recognition experts to help prove he is entitled to a share of a £65 million claim for royalty payments.
Nobby Clark was the original lead singer in the band but left in 1973 before they shot to stardom.
His replacement Les McKeown and current members Duncan Faure, Eric Faulkner, Stuart Wood and brothers Alan and Derek Longmuir – both of whom helped found the band – launched a legal bid in 2007.
They are demanding £65 million in unpaid royalties from record label Arista.
But that action does not include the three other former members – Clark, Pat McGlynn and Ian Mitchell – who say they are being frozen out and launched their own separate legal bid in the States.
They hope to win a share of any royalties already paid to band members, as well as any new award against the label.
But the case has stalled on a technical legal argument in New York.
Ongoing feud
McGlynn joined the band in 1977 but left a year later, and Ian Mitchell spent a seven month spell with them in 1976.
The ongoing legal feud now sees the band perform under the name Les McKeown’s Legendary Bay City Rollers.
Clark announced his intentions to call on the voice recognition expert came after Les spoke out in an interview last weekend alleging Nobby and other former members of the band were “climbing on other people’s backs” to make a claim.
During his interview Les, 54, said: “They are barking up the wrong tree. They can’t be climbing on other people’s back to make a claim.
“To attack the band is not the right way to go about it. Their grievance is with the record company, they shouldn’t complain about what we’re doing.”
‘The band spent my money’
But 60-year-old Nobby hit back: “They are not innocent in all this.
“I intend to show evidence in court that they received publishing royalties for a song written by me that sold over a million copies.
“The money was paid into Bay City Music, and the band spent my money.
“I also have evidence of Les McKeown appearing on television laying claim to singing songs that had my lead vocals.”
Nobby, from Edinburgh, said there had been dozens of albums released worldwide over a 30 year period with his voice used on songs.
But he says he is yet to be paid a single penny in existing royalties.
Cut out of claim
He also defended ex- band members Pat McGlynn and Ian Mitchell, as he said the band has used their guitar playing, vocals and images to sell more albums, but they have also been cut out of any royalty claim.
He said: “Not one of them has had the honesty to admit it.
“It will all be presented in court soon enough without Les McKeown appointing himself judge and jury in the newspapers – so on his head be it.
“We will be employing the services of voice recognition experts to prove who is singing what, once and for all.”
The band, hailed at the time as ‘tartan teen sensations from Edinburgh’, and had been dubbed the biggest group since The Beatles.
Their 1975 single Bye Bye Baby was number one for six weeks in the UK chart, creating ‘Rollermania’.
Nobby said he is sick of hearing about the Bay City Rollers and their ‘come back tour attempts’.
And he pointed out that their recently released greatest hits album disappeared after just one week in the charts.
He said: “I think that if there are any Rollers fans left out there they should hold a midnight vigil and burn all the copies of Rollers albums and singles that contain my vocals so that after the court case, I never have to hear any of them again.”
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Sorry Nobby, I've still got 'Remember' with your vocals on it. And this lady's not for burnin'!
ReplyDeleteThis is Pauline again, yes the one who wrote the above comment on 16th July 2012. I wrote that over 2 years ago just to put a bit of humour in but now realise it may have come across the wrong way. I now see that it may have come over as a bit flippant and dismissive but it was not meant to be, not at all. I believe Nobby Clarke has a real grievance, and I (as well as many who were Roller fans in the 70's) hope he is successful with his claim. He after all was with the BCR more or less from the beginning. The Bay City Rollers should get what's owed them. Not talking about the people that joined later on in 1976 or 1977 and stayed for a matter of months! The Bay City Rollers, I mean the ones who caused the mania in the 70's, Woody, Eric, Alan, Les and Derek (or the 'classic 5') should get something more than they did for what they achieved with the BCR and Nobby Clarke needs to be recognized and given what is owed to him too..
DeleteOh and by the term 'the original Rollers', I'm talking about the ones who were there in 1974 as that was the line-up I first saw and was drawn to, causing me to become a fan. Someone on another site said they are not the originals because there were some members before them - i.e David Paton, Billy Lyall, John Devine etc. Well technically speaking yes I understand what you mean but would have to disagree. I don't think that makes them the originals because those members had left the group before the group became successful and Rollermania began. Fans didn't become fans of the Rollers when the group became successful because of the members that had left! There must have been something about the newer members that attracted the fans and made the group a phenomenal and worldwide success. I can only speak from my experience and to me, Woody, Eric, Alan, Les and Derek WERE the originals and are the only originals! Like I said they were the only Rollers me and my friends saw in '74 when we first discovered them and became fans. They are the original Rollers to me. They are the original Rollers to many other fans, especially fans from the UK and Ireland. Not trying to disrespect any others who were part of the group before they made it and became famous, just being honest and wanting to clarify.
DeleteOh and by the term 'the original Rollers', I'm talking about the ones who were there in 1974 as that was the line-up I first saw and was drawn to, causing me to become a fan. Someone on another site said they are not the originals because there were some members before them - i.e David Paton, Billy Lyall, John Devine etc. Well technically speaking yes I understand what you mean but would have to disagree. I don't think that makes them the originals because those members had left the group before the group became successful and Rollermania began. Fans didn't become fans of the Rollers when the group became successful because of the members that had left! There must have been something about the newer members that attracted the fans and made the group a phenomenal and worldwide success. I can only speak from my experience and to me, Woody, Eric, Alan, Les and Derek WERE the originals and are the only originals! Like I said they were the only Rollers me and my friends saw in '74 when we first discovered them and became fans. They are the original Rollers to me. They are the original Rollers to many other fans, especially fans from the UK and Ireland. Not trying to disrespect any others who were part of the group before they made it and became famous, just being honest and wanting to clarify.
DeleteBut in all seriousness, I hope all this mess gets sorted out soon and all who are owed money get what you are owed, what you have earned and what is rightfully yours. Life is way too short for this kind of nonsense! All the best for the future to all of the original BCR.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad that a pop group that was so big and mega successful has ended up with so much bad feeling and animosity between it's members. Such a shame.
ReplyDelete