In November of 1967, Peter Green and I went to the Nag’s Head in Battersea to see Freddie King. It was his first tour of England. The venue took place on the top floor of the pub and it was packed to the gills but fortunately, Peter and I secured places right in front of the stage.

Freddie was backed by Chicken Shack, a popular blues band at the time, which comprised Stan Webb on lead guitar and vocals, Christine Perfect on piano, Andy Sylvester on bass and on this occasion, Al Sykes on drums. They were perfect for Freddie, having learned note for note so much of his repertoire on Federal records!

And it was a lively, enjoyable show; one of the best I have ever attended. Peter and I, along with the audience, enthusiastically egged Freddie on and responded to his church revival-like questions and admonitions about ‘ever lovin’ a woman’ for instance with shouts of ‘yeah!’ and ‘Amen’! And ‘Baby’, (his big red Gibson E335 who looked more like a ukulele dangling on his enormous frame) responded in turn with shrieks, wails and moans that he seemed to shake and throttle out of her neck! It was the first time I had seen a blues lead guitarist use fingerpicks.

After the gig, Peter and I took Freddie to the Speakeasy club, a music bizzers’ late-night haunt in West End London’s Margaret Street. There we had a few drinks and chatted. At one point, Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Stone Free’ track came on the sound system, and I drew Freddie’s attention to the solo, saying that Jimi was a new black guitarist in town from the States who was getting a lot of attention.

After the song’s solo, I asked Freddie what he thought and he said very pensively, “Hmm … it’s good, but it’s too fast. Loses the soul.”

He and I talked about Elmore James, who Freddie admired, and because I had my guitar with me, I was urged to get up and play. The band for the night was Aynsley Dunbar’s Retaliation and they let me play a number. I believe it was ‘Dust My Broom’.

Peter told me that as soon as I started playing, Freddie sat up, wide-eyed and exclaimed, “That’s him! That’s Elmore!”

A compliment I have never forgotten.