In 1982, Pioneer Records released a live album "Hello Davy" featuring two songs co-written by Sears, alongside other songs from Neil Diamond, Carole King, and Neil Sedaka. He was a charismatic performer and a very talented co-writer." I saw Andy perform a number of times with his band. In 1982 I gathered some of my artefacts and sold them at Christie's auction house so we could go into the studio and cut the tunes we had written together: No Regrets, So In Love With You, Fallen Hero, Leaving It Up To You, Baby Hold Out, and Can't Believe You've Given Up On Me.
Andy joined me and my family on a trip to Athens for a New Years Eve party with many celebrities such as Neil Sedaka, Grass Roots, and other 60's artists. Many of the songs that we wrote were written on guitar except when we had a few pints and climbed through the window of the local church hall in the centre of the village where there was a piano. We started to write together in my mobile trailer behind the pub as well as in the cottage I was renting. "His father was the local post man and introduced us. "Andy and I met in 1981 in Forest Row, West Sussex," recalls David Jones today.
Jones was recovering from a hiatus in his career, and the two began living together to co-write material for Jones' subsequent recordings. Later that year the band supported Wilko Johnson at the Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall.ĭuring this period, Sears met and became good friends with ex-Monkees frontman David Jones. One special day, he amazingly agreed to come and jam with the band in Graham's near-by garage where we used to rehearse." "We used to drink at the Rock Robin in Wadhurst" says Andy Sears now, "which was also Jeff Beck's local. Sears moved back to East Grinstead, where he rejoined Dunkley and Clayton in Isis II, along with David Sanders on guitar and Richard Cavalier on drums. Eventually, internal disputes were to break the band apart, and the members went their separate ways. The band changed their name to 2000, and went into heavy rehearsals at Latimer Road studios, West London.
Sears, Leeves and Valance stayed on in London, joining forces with ex-Grind guitarist Bill Muir, and bringing Dean Cooke back in on bass. The album went on to launch the career of Iron Maiden. Unfortunately, difficulty in finding an adequate bass player in time meant that the tracks, 2000 Lady and Alien Lover were never included. In 1979, Andy and Rick were invited to EMI's Manchester Square studios to record two tracks for the "Metal for Muthas" album, taking along ex-Grind drummer Alan Valance. At about the same time, he became interested in progressive rock after seeing a local band Exit perform at a local ballet school. At the same time, Sears filled the vocalist role in Tonbridge Public School band Isis, with Julian Dunkley on guitar, Graham Clayton on bass and Tim Bick on drums. Mick 'Woody' Woodmansey, drummer with David Bowie band Spiders From Mars, would often go along to band rehearsals to offer advice and tutorials. He transferred to Sackville School in East Grinstead, where he formed his first band Silva in 1975 with best friend Richard Leeves on guitar, Robert "Shoey" Shoesmith on drums, and Dean Cooke on bass, later adding Keith Lewis on rhythm guitar. In 1973, he turned down an offer of a place at St Paul's Cathedral Choir School, deciding against an ecclesiastical education. I think all of this pushed me into music, in a way."Īt the age of 11, Sears began studying classical piano at High Trees boarding school, and became a soprano at the local Sidlow Church, Horley, encouraged by the school's head master, John Norsworthy. All this kind off stuff was happening around there. I once played on the very same organ they used for A Whiter Shade of Pale. I remember John Paul Jones coming and sitting next to me at the piano in a local Instrument shop in East Grinstead, and helping me with a naff ditty I was trying to compose. Led Zeppelin's mansion was very close by. "We were within spitting distance from the pool where Brian Jones had his accident.
Andy Sears was born Andreas Konstantine Sears, of Anglo-Greek parentage, on 16 January 1960 in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex and grew up in a village that was renowned for rock musicians and ley-lines.
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