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Dennis Taylor

My first memory of Dougie was about 1968 or 69. Kingswood Grammar School had not been open all that long and they were going to have a school disco. Dougie was going to DJ I am not sure but I think this was his first big booking. Anyway walking along Gainsborough rd I could hear a scooter coming along behind me, as it passed me I recognized Dougie driving it with his record box in the middle on the foot plate. The record box had been made from an old record player which had the workings taken out of it. Just for the record the disco was packed but got stopped early because of fighting.  There was also the discos he did later with Tom Howarth in St Brendan's club hall He used Billy's Bag by Billy Preston as his signature tune at this time- The Bowling alley - and I think they did some in the old guide hall on Beanfield Ave. By the early 70s Dougie was trying really hard to make his way on radio. I remember Ian Eccles made dougie a Jingle which he used on a little reel to reel tape recording he made of himself and sent it to a pirate radio station on a boat in the North Sea. The Jingle was taken from the B side of Rock your baby which was the instrumental of the tune and it went something like rock your self with dougie king.I recall sending tapes of myself Djing to different people, I asked dougie where was I going wrong, he let me hear his little reel of tape he didn't introduce the records he read out the news and did adverts and the weather this made me realize where I was going wrong radio stations don't need anybody to introduce records or play them as if it was a disco they want somebody who can link between the music with all the other facets of a local radio station. Dougie did my engagement party in the back room of the Shire Horse.We booked him to do our wedding in 1977 but he had gotten a job on radio in Scotland and couldn't do it, Ian Eccles did a good job for us. I also remember when dougie booked Mark Bolan of TRex to appear in the Civic Centre then Ride a white swan went to number 1 in the charts, there were a number of bands on and dougie all for the princely some of 19/6p old money. I used to frequent his record shop which was down stairs in the bowling alley.  I remember when dougie and his younger brother John, leased a black cab they worked it 24hrs doing 12hrs shifts each.  We went drinking in shafts one night there wasn't a lot of people in so the manager brought out a yard of ale if you drank it all without spilling it you didn't have to pay for the beer. Well quite a few had a go and failed. Dougie said he was going to have a go and he drank the lot without spilling a drop. There are many more memories springing to mind but that's enough 4 now.  Dennis Taylor.