After a 7 month stay in Israel where he thought he was going to give up music and become a farmer, (HA!) Selwyn arrived in London with Helen, his first wife, in December 1977.

This is a story which will need as much help as possible from all the friends and musicians Selwyn has played with in London. There are many, and the smoke (pun intended) and mists of time have obscured the chronological order of events. So, any pics and stories will be welcome to help put this all in the correct sequence.

Selwyn worked in factories ( Coty, Rennie ) and warehouses ( K-Tel ) during his first year in London. He immediately sought out and met up with Glen Morris with whom he had jammed in Cape Town before they both left S.A. They had met in C.T. when Glen was one of the main singers in the Sam Shepard musical: Tooth of Crime. Selwyn had wormed his way into the production as the pianist in the band.

Glen and Selwyn immediately set about working together. They tried many times to get a regular band going, (one incarnation even included Mike Laden from the Newton Fig), but mainly they gigged as a duo, and recorded many demos together. Selwyn, realizing that he could earn as much in one gig as he had been earning all week in the factories, became a full time muso.

Selwyn acquired his first 4tk Teac recorder along with a little 6tk mixer, courtesy of his Bar Mitzvah present money. His Dad had put the money into fixed deposit, and had forbidden him to use it as he grew up.

Wise move Dad !! Thus was the start of Selsong Recording Studio.

Selwyn and MIke Laden, who had finally come to live in London, also started gigging as a duo and gigged all over London for at least three (?) years.

Glen Morris set off on his own and Selwyn joined up with a new band Gantry. Along with singer Elmer Gantry (who had a world wide hit "Why did you do it? in the band Stretch) and his good drummer friend Tibor January( still good friends, still a good drummer and now an airline pilot). Gantry rehearsed for months and months.....and only ever did one gig!
The best part was that they rehearsed regularly on the MOODY BLUES farm in Wisley, south of London..a weekly treat for Selwyn who had been a huge M.B. fan. Ray Thomas even came in and jammed with them, once! Inevitably, and as happens regularly with bands....Gantry folded.

The pub gigs continued as a duo with Mike Laden, and solo too.

Selwyn had met guitarist /singer/writer Tim Hain soon after arriving in London. They ended up playing together in HEARTWAVE for at least three years. HEARTWAVE gigged extensively all round London, at festivals and appeared at the legendary Glastonbury festival. The band folded when Tim went off to the USA to follow his dreams. His dreams did not come true and subsequent bands were started together, and then aborted. Nevertheless Tim and Selwyn continue to be good friends, each persuing thier own musical paths, but they have repeatedly, over the years, done occasional gigs as a duo or Selwyn has helped out in one of Tims bands, either on Keyboards or Bass.

Whilst in HEARTWAVE, Selwyn met the very talented singer/songwriter Rochelle Sumeray, who was for a time signed to EMI. This was at a time when his marriage was in trouble. (The marriage did fall apart, but Helen and Selwyn remain the closest of friends to this day, as do both thier husbands/wives and children .) One thing led to another and Selwyn and Rochelle started writing, singing and recording together. This was to continue for the next two years. They did a few gigs together but this was mostly a recording project.

And still the pub gigs continued..!

All good things come to an end, and Selwyn and Rochelle parted ways, but also remained good friends.

It was at this time that Selwyn met Jenny in South Africa whilst visiting his sick Mom. Jenny and Selwyn have been together now for the last 20 years, and have two beautiful daughters Melody and Emily( see a pic HERE)

Selwyn and Glen Morris then got together again and decided to put a band together.......... finally!! REBOP was formed with Nick Would. They set about writing and recording...and writing and recording and ....eventually it became clear that the live band dream was never to be, and Selwyn set off on his own. Glen and Nick continued a succesfull writing/recording partnership for many years, and as DEAR BOY did a series of gigs, even calling on Selwyn to help out on Keyboards.

Another short lived attempt at getting a gigging band going was with Alan Hodes, an Ozzie living in London. He and Selwyn also remain good friends to this day.

It was around this time that Selwyn was invited to join CHAOS REIGNS with Steve Lord, where he met Diva, soon to become good buddies. Rochelle was also brought in on backing vocals and she too met Diva, only to end up getting married to him.

Then Selwyn formed his own band....The 42nd PHILHARMONIC DUSTIN BAND...the name recalled from his school days band. This band included Rochelle, Diva and Steve Lord from Chaos Reigns, and on drums, old buddy Lee Collins. A series of gigs ensued before this band too drifted off to do their own things.

Selwyn then resolved not to be a part of any original band or collaboration, but spend most of his time writing on his own, and hiring the Studio out to songwriters who needed to make demos.

Selwyn still gigged, mostly solo, but, not enjoying being out there on his own, then formed BIG BAMBOO with Pete Whitaker on Bass. Selwyn played Guitar and sang, and along with backing tapes, this was a great duo who sounded like a whole band. They gigged all over London for at least three years. Diva also stepped in on Bass occasionally when Pete was not available.

Around 1995 Selwyn had had enough schlepping amps and playing in pubs and duly wound down gigging. He continued to run his studio. He only gigged occasionally with his good friend Vikas, a great singer and keyboard player, mostly at parties and private functions. They also wrote and recorded together.

It was around this time that lifelong friend and Artist Sandy Damon from East London got Selwyn to agree to start composing while she sat in the studio sketching. This led to "The Sketchbook Exhibition" which ran in London for almost two weeks. An amazing exhibition in which each of Sandy's paintings had its "own piece of music"....both begun on the same night up in Selwyns studio. At the exhibition, the lights went down and as the spotlight came up on each painting, the appropriate piece of music would play. Check out the Album page for details of "The Sketchbook Exhibition" album

Selwyn then met up with famous South African musician Louis Ribeiro, from the very succesfull band ZEBRA. They immediately started writing together and began a particularly creative and constructive phase for both of them. Calling themselves SPLASH, Selwyn and Louis produced a stunning album of great songs. See the albums page for details.

Selwyn also met and worked with Dean Hart at this time, a producer/writer from Jhb, and was still writing occasionally with Vikas and Diva.

These collaborations turned out to be Selwyn's last in London before he and Jenny finally decided to leave and head for Australia.

"There have been so many friends I have played with in different formats in London, its impossible ( mostly cos I cant remember everthing) to note it all here. But please ..if you have read this far...feel free to send me any recollections and or pics so I can include them in the story."

Sydney Aug 2003

IN SA..........PICS..........ALBUMS...........IN SYDNEY...........BACK IN SA

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