Was it good fun looking back and how impressed are you with the book?

It was good fun at times looking back over my career, but there were also many sad things that happened regarding my family and losing too many great friends far too early in their life.

I think Spencer did a great job digging into the archives, checking stories out, urging me to record the solo album, and patiently listening to me rambling on - story after story! We had to stop somewhere but there's still a lot of tales left to tell!

What struck me while reading the early chapters was just how young you were when The Merseybeats took off - is it strange to think back to just how much happened at that time?

Looking back it's hard to believe how young I was (14 years old) to be involved with the music revolution that took place in Liverpool in the early 60's. I was accepted by all the older musicians at the time and remain very grateful for that.

There was an air of excitement everywhere in the city, at every gig we played - even rehearsing new songs was enjoyable!

Our world was changing in a way that was unheard of in England. Working class teenagers becoming professional musicians!! We didn't expect anything to happen like it did, but I knew something was really special when I realised that I'd seen the best band that I'd ever see in my life - on the night I first saw The Beatles.

Judging from Tony Crane's description of the US tour after you'd left the band, it's probably a good job if your health was suffering that you'd made the decision to leave and weren't part of it.

It was put out to the press that I was leaving the band because I was having health problems but that was only part of it.

We had a manager I disliked immensely from Stockport who was taking us to the cleaners good style - and it wasn't to get our suits cleaned!!! He was ripping us off and no one wanted to do anything about it. When he was finally sacked I went back in the band but he'd left us with nothing.

You didn't write any songs for The Merseybeats. Were you a late developer as a songwriter?

I wouldn't say I was a late developer when I started writing because I was still only 17 years old when I wrote my first song. Tony and Aaron got theirs in before me!

We did a lot of covers in The Merseybeats as the other Liverpool bands did and we'd never looked at writing our own, but when John Gustafson took over from me he pushed them to write their own. He had been writing when he was with The Big Three and had a collection of some pretty good songs.

The Merseys released six singles but no album - was one ever planned?

An album was planned with Tony and me writing the songs, as well as some new Pete Townshend songs as we were very friendly with The Who at the time.

Kit Lambert, who was our manager and record producer and also theirs, was starting to lose interest in us when they started to make it in the States - so nothing materialised album wise.

I loved reading about your contributions to the 'Top of the Pops' albums. Was this an experience you enjoyed? Did you play any instruments or just provide the vocals?

We didn't play on any of those albums but I do remember the laughs we had! Jimmy Campbell and I got asked to finish one on The Beatles, then a Sweet track 'Co-Co'.

But we got the giggles when we tried to copy Sweet's singing and we lost it in the studio! We thought we'd get the sack that night but were forgiven and went on to do many more.

You worked with drummer Pete Kircher, who later joined Status Quo, in Liverpool Express.

I first met him in Cologne, Germany in 1965. He was playing in a band called The Burnettes with Noel Redding (guitar), Neil Landon (vocals), Norman Hale (piano and vocals) and Jimmy Leverton (bass). When they split up Noel bought a bass and joined Jimi Hendrix.

Neil had a big hit with The Flowerpot Men, 'Let's Go To San Francisco'. Norman played piano on 'My Brother Jake' and one or two Free albums, as well as many of Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck's big hits. Jimmy was later in Fat Mattress with Noel.

I noticed 'Calenture' by The Triffids listed in the Discography section. Are you on 'Bury Me Deep In Love', which was famously used in Harold and Madge's wedding in Neighbours?

I can't remember the songs I was on with The Triffids (backing vocals). I do remember they were on Top of the Pops and they wanted me to appear with them as their record was in the charts.

I wasn't in the Musician's Union at the time and someone from their record company was shouting down the phone at me to rejoin or I couldn't do the show. I was waiting to join Equity at the time and you couldn't be in both.

I tried to explain my situation but they didn't want to know. I think their producer Gil (Norton) fell out with me because I never heard from them again!

You launched the book and CD at The Cavern'?

That was one hell of a great night. We just did a few covers - Liverpool Express, Merseys and classic rock tracks. I've been lucky to play with some fabulous musicians in my life and three were there that night (Kenny Parry, Dave Goldberg and Adam Goldberg) and we rocked like hell!

Turning to the CD, had you ever thought about issuing a solo album before and, if so, why has it taken so long?

I never planned to make a solo album although I had two solo singles out on the Epic label in the 70's before Liverpool Express. I guess I've always been happier in a band than solo.

There's a great new version of 'Puttin' On The Style' on there, and this was the first song that you ever performed in public'?

It was the first song I sang with my three fellow 11 year olds at the end of our junior school years. They had guitars and we made a tea chest bass, but having no instrument I borrowed a pair of maracas from a mate whose dad was a sailor. Many years before Mick Jagger of course!

As a huge Jimmy Campbell fan, it was a real thrill to hear two of his songs on this CD that I didn't know. When did he write these and have they been recorded by anyone else? 'I'll Meet You By The Lighthouse' in particular is so distinctively one of Jimmy's songs.

I'm glad you like ''Lighthouse' because Jimmy wrote it in the early 70's and I always loved it.

I was on tour in America just after and I'd always play it backstage at gigs. Peter Noone who was also on the tour would ask me to sing it every single night and said he wanted to record it.

Unfortunately it only had one verse and I repeated that verse over and over along with chorus.

When I came back to Liverpool I told Jimmy in his local pub he must, must write another verse because 'Herman' wanted to record it - he was still enormous in the States and could have a massive hit with it. I bugged him all night that he had to finish it and he could make a lot of money.

After many pints Jimmy looked at me with very bleary eyes and said 'Tell him to F*** Off'!!! No one else has recorded it but Jimmy finally succumbed to my nagging and two years before he died he wrote another verse.

Are there any other unreleased recordings by Jimmy in existence that may see the light of day?

Watch this space, there is a live album recorded in 1977 that's just been discovered with many great previously unrecorded songs on it. It will be available early in 2011.

I see from The Merseybeats website that you are really busy with live work. What have you got lined up for the next few months?

We start a Solid Silver Sixties Tour in February which will take us right through to the end of May. Over 60 gigs and pretty hectic but we're quite used to it by now - I think!