That's me on the left...

...and that's Steve Cropper on the right. Really!

We're in the dressing room at Dingwalls in London's Camden Town, where Mr. Cropper had just delivered a storming set with The Animals during which he played some predicably excellent guitar and gave some of the most entertaining song introductions I've ever heard; then again I suppose there aren't too many people who can recall the time that Otis Redding called him on the studio phone to say that he'd be over straight away as he had an idea for a song that he wanted to work on, about watching ships rolling in on the tide and then rolling away again... actually if you think about it, he's the only person that can tell that particular story. Anoraks such as myself will say that the highlight might well have been the version of 'Water' (from the album 'Jammed Together' which he made with Albert King and Pops Staples- what do you mean you haven't got it?!?) but there wasn't too much wrong with any of it really. The Animals were great too- you forget how many hit singles bands like them had back in the '60's don't you?

Anyway he seemed like a very nice chap, he knew my name for over 30 seconds, and, if that wasn't enough, he gave me a plectrum with his name on one side and a little drawing of him on the other!

Fantastic!

http://www.playitsteve.com/ - just in case you don't know who he is!