Early Years
In 1964, Zakatek formed a rock band called The Trailblazers, as lead singer and rhythm guitarist. On their first tour of US military bases in Europe, they became familiar with the Motown sound. The Trailblazers returned to the UK with a new soul influence and were renamed Funky Fever. They toured the UK and Europe for several years and also played nightclubs in London, including Gulliver’s, Whisky a Go Go, The Marquee, Ronnie Scott's, The Scotch of St. James and The Revolution. Funky Fever also backed Inez and Charlie Foxx and The Drifters on their European tours.
Lynsey de Paul and Dudley Moore took an interest in Zakatek's voice, look and stage presence in the early 1970s. De Paul dubbed him "Zakatek" and wrote two singles "I Gotcha Now" backed with "So Good To You" (later recorded by Paul as the B-side on her hit single "Won't Somebody Dance With Me") and singles "Get Your Gun" backed with "Gotta Runaway". Ms De Paul introduced him to the UK through an article in the Daily Mirror entitled "Sugar Heap Girl's Big Find". The musicians who were featured on Zakatek’s solo work were already known as some of the members of 10cc.
Read more about this topic: Lenny Zakatek
Famous quotes containing the words early and/or years:
“The secret of heaven is kept from age to age. No imprudent, no sociable angel ever dropt an early syllable to answer the longings of saints, the fears of mortals. We should have listened on our knees to any favorite, who, by stricter obedience, had brought his thoughts into parallelism with the celestial currents, and could hint to human ears the scenery and circumstance of the newly parted soul.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“Thou little Child, yet glorious in the might
Of heaven-born freedom on thy being’s height,
Why with such earnest pains dost thou provoke
The years to bring the inevitable yoke,”
—William Wordsworth (1770–1850)