I have so many memories of the Bay City Rollers and Tam Paton.
My band “SHY” used to visit him at his home in Edinburgh on many occasions.
I remember the first time we went to visit him, he explained to me where the house was, hidden in the woods on the way to Edinburgh airport.
We drove through the woods ( 5 of us in a wee Mazda car ) found the big gates and spoke on his speaker phone outside – and the voice said “ Come on in Boys “.
Gates opened and we drove in, parking our wee Mazda beside a couple of rolls Royce’s and we were met with his big Rottweilers.
Some young blonde guy opened the door,think his name was Raymond and we were led into the kitchen, and we sat at his kitchen table, then Tam came into the kitchen and said, I will be with you soon. ( he had his kimono on )
We were all young and excited- here are we in this famous hideaway house, Roller’s stuff all over the place with tartan carpets on the floor and so much secrets in every corner.
After waiting maybe an hour, Tam asked us to go through to the living room, we sat down, and he put on our tape and listened to our music- we saw his feet tapping.
After the songs were finished, he said “ You guys’ sound like the Rollers” but we need a better production – so I will send you down to Heddon street, London ( recording studio ) to record another demo and maybe support the Rollers in Japan.
We left Tam’s house with thinking we were finally going to make it big – a tour of Japan with the Rollers and heading to London to record a new demo tape.
The Rollers were hardly at the house that much and when they did adventully come to the house- they would just walk past in the kitchen and say hi to us and walk into the livingroom and Tam would ask us “Time to go lads – phone me tomorrow ”
It was all over the local newspapers and we thought our dream of stardown was on its way
While in London, we meet Ian Mitchell and his band Rosetta stone, we spend a lot of time together in the studio and we also went to some clubs. ( we were introduced to people as Tams new band ) we were approached by strange men & I remember their hands all over me – we quickly got out of that club and headed back to the recording studio
I remember we were staying there for one week and the girls outside would never stop shouting through the letterbox – we used to be right behind that letterbox and talked a little to them and signed some photo’s for them – they never met the Rollers, but they went home happy !!!! thinking we were part of the Roller ring !!!
But while staying in Heddon street, Tam Paton’s personnel assistant tried to molest me while I was sleeping in my bed – I screamed at him and told him “ Get out of my bed before I punch you “
The next morning, I phoned Tam and told him, and he just laughed – he said that he would fix a young toy boy for his birthday.
One evening while we were in London, we were also taking to a flat where there were older men, we were giving drinks and while we were there – someone was taking to Elton John on the phone – these men were trying so hard to get us up stairs – but they gave up in the end ! as they knew we were a little bit tougher than most of the other young boys they brought home.
We went to Tam’s house on many occasions and every time we were there- there was always young boys in his house, he always told us that they were his new band.
The house was always filled with people, young boys, record producers and also the photographers hanging over the high walls to get any kind of photo.
I am sure there is more victims out there and they are just wanting to keep these memories in the closet – when such things happened to us ( young musicians ) over in Tam’s house or in London.
We kind of kept it to ourselves and maybe only told a few people – when it happened to me, the rollers were huge, and my band was promised tours of Japan and record deals.
So I never even told my family or reported it – we thought this was part of being a young pop star and what one had to do to gain success in this money spinning business.
Think they caught me jumping on the trampoline and that was the photo that was in the magazine.
The Rollers spilt up and no tour of Japan happened for us, but we ended up supporting Rosetta stone at a couple of their gigs and then getting a record contract from Glasgow record company.
We recorded a new demo at ” Ian McCredie’s ” studio – Ian’s band was famous for the song “Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep”
On one Occasion while at Tams- Tam said to us ” Can not chat too much tonight boys ! as the guy sitting in the Living room is the new Roller” – but we found out later it was Pat McGlynn. I never met Pat, but we share some stories and memories that we both know what was going on in that house in the woods.
We stopped going through to Tams, as he never stopped lying to us – promising us record deals, tours and getting us into magazines – my photo did end up in a girl magazine.
I never saw it, but I was stopped on a train by 3 girls who wanted my autograph, as they saw my photo – they said the caption was “ Tams new band “ – my claim to fame eh!
I will never ever forget the time I phoned Tam the day after our first visit – He was a wee bit mad on the phone to me- he said ” Which one of you brought dog shit into my house and ruined my tartan carpet ? ” I said it wasn’t us Tam – but it was, as while driving home- there was a smell of shit in the car – and we found out it came from Kenny’s shoes ( our singer )
A memory I will never forget.
I kept in touch with Ian Mitchell for many years when he moved to the states and I still can not believe he is gone & I hope to have a beer with Pat when I am back home in Scotland next year.
A wee shelfie is in order !!!!
I kept in touch with Tam for many years, even when I moved to Sweden and when I phoned him, some young boy was still answering this phone and when I spoke to Tam, he would always say “ Just drop by anytime when you are back home in Scotland Billy “
I never did !!!!
