Wow! So a whole year has passed by. Doesn't time fly when you're having fun? My story really starts about the middle of 2006 when John Steel decided it was time to retire from touring and concentrate on his studio. The boys knew that a replacement for John's unique style would be a challenge, so it was John himself who put my name forward as a possible candidate. I had gigged regularly, as a drummer, until the mid nineties when I started to build up a private music teaching practice and oddly enough was concentrating on my studio. This led to a six month contract as a musical director and then touring for six years presenting a vocal/keyboard act.
In 2004 I decided to retire from touring as I wanted to record an album of original songs and once more focus on the private teaching. So there I am happy as a pig in clover, rarely travelling more than ten miles for the ad hoc casual drumming job, when out of the blue comes a telephone call from Dave Beck. "Was I interested in taking over from John Steel", came the question. It didn't take long to say I would give it a try.
As I said before John is unique amongst British country drummers in that he has gone to great lengths to develop a true American approach to the music. Added to that the band had seen no personnel change in twenty six years and needless to say, fitted together as hand in glove. All I could do was offer myself to the band, as is, warts and all, on the under- standing that I could not replace John, but only try to carry on where he left off.
As Cabbage said, he and I worked together at the end of the sixties. Paul and I have known each other since the seventies and worked together in "Country Rain" in the early eighties and although I've never worked with Dave I was confident that getting on with him would be no problem as he is so laid back, he's virtually horizontal. So after listening to all fifteen albums recorded by the band and then six rehearsals, it was deemed I was gig ready and mid November 2006 was the start of yet another new era for Denver Spur. Not surprisingly there were some hiccups at the outset, yet with several thousand miles in the van, a fair number of country clubs and theatre dates behind us, and one year on I'm still here to tell you the tale. I trust I will still be in the hot seat in November 2008 to tell the next tale.

Keep it country.

Marty.

Ps. If you don't believe John Farmer and Paul Thomas had a life before Denver Spur visit www.fourwaysmusic.com and go to the Gallery page.

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