Item 31
This was the Pied Piper's 6th week in the FF after appearing as a Climber on March 20th. It hit #2 in both the Fab and national charts, climbing to #4 in the USA four months later. Oddly, the song had already charted there the previous November, as the only success for the Changin' Times, but their version had failed to climb any higher than #87.
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Robin Peter Smith, aka Crispian St Peters
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Crispian St. Peters became Knees Club member #253 at High Wycombe Town Hall on May 17th. He was backed by Lancashire group, The Puppets: Jim Whittle (#259), Don Parfitt (#262), Des O'Reilly (#263), Dave Miller (#264) (no relation to our own Pancake Man, CK) and their roadie, N Ellis (#260).
Kit Wells, who joined as member #261, is listed in the KC Book as St. Peters' manager. However, according to Johnny Rogan's book 'Starmakers and Svengalis', Crispian was contracted to Kenneth Pitt at that time. It's probable that Kit Wells, who gave his address as 35 Curzon Street, (Radio London had offices at #17, Radio England/Britain Radio resided at #32) was the Puppets' manager.
The Knees Club gang was given a lift home in Crispian's Jag. We agreed to run a fan club for him, but the project never came to fruition.
A group called the Puppets did release singles on Pye in '63 and '64, but I have been unable to ascertain if it was the same band.
In fact, Kit Wells was Crispian's publicist.
The Knees Club was a private club started in 1966 as a tribute to Radio London and some of it's then DJ's.