Flamingo Records was part of Carlin Music UK, based at 14 New Burlington Street, down here on the left. Carlin was an American publishing company. Its UK arm, and the Flamingo record label, were run by Mike Collier. We were introduced to him by producer Steve Gilmore, who had heard and liked an earlier version of “Walking Rhythm” we recorded at Wave Studios in Twickenham.
Mike Collier was quite persuasive. He was full of stories about his life in the music business going back to the 1950s. (He had something to do with “Shout” by the Isley Brothers. I can’t remember if he produced it or signed it up, maybe both.) He would flatter you as well, and buy you drinks, make you feel like you were on the way up. I remember him saying, obviously to impress, that he had just written out a cheque for £18,000 in royalties to John Rocca from Freeez, whose publishing he held. But his contracts were far from generous. Still, it doesn’t matter now, it’s so long ago.