ROD IS LEAVING TOO

London 1974 and I am A&R Director for Phonogram UK.

We have a gold disc presentation for Rod Stewart. It is held in a very special restaurant in the Covent Garden area. Being new to the country and company I have not been involved in the organising, but as the senior A&R guy I’m expected to work the room and PR; plus it is a good chance to get to know Rod and his group. Our MD AJ Morris is not there for some reason so Ken Maliphant, as Marketing Director and function organiser, is in charge.

It is a wild night with the wine and beer flowing freely. Late in the evening more and more people arrive to join the fun. They appear to be friends of Rod’s. I’m starting to worry about how much this is all going to cost but at least it is Ken’s problem not mine. Or is it? Where is Ken? He has gone!

I decide enough is enough and it is time to scarper. I make excuses to go to the loo, which is downstairs and close to the restaurant entrance and from where I can slip away unnoticed.

I am standing at the urinal completing my business when someone joins me a couple of cubicles along: I look up and it is Rod, He looks at with a grin and says “I’m off too; I’m not getting caught with paying for this lot”. We go out of the restaurant together, shake hands and say goodnight; he gets into his waiting Rolls and I go off to find a cab. I never did find out how much the it cost and who organised payment.