Nottingham progressive blues band circa 1969.

Steve Hurd – Bass
Steve Otter – Drums
Ray Straw – Vocals
Harold Burgon – Guitar

After John Dunn had left “The Dunn Thing” in 1967 the remaining four became “Life Without Mother”.
Steve Otter had previously played with The Dolomites in the sixties, the singer was Ray Straw and a guitarist Harold Burgon whose sister Loraine went out with Alvin Lee.
The Cellar at Milton’s Head was a popular place for progressive blues based musicians at the end of the sixties and formative gigs by the group were played there. The Milton’s Head Hotel was an old but grand building which stood where the entrance of the Victoria Centre is now.

Because of Harold Burgon’s connection to Alvin Lee (now the leader of Ten Years After) the band got invited down to London.

Steve Otter remembers: “Alvin got us (Life Without Mother) a night at the Marquee. A talent night. It was a Monday night, a showcase night. The band Free were playing, a residency night, we got a spot with them. It was before they were known. We were sat in the dressing room with Alvin. Alvin encouraged us and showed us what it like to be on the professional circuit. Alvin took a shine to me. ‘I’m going to the revolution club tonight, come down with me’. Jethro Tull are doing a showcase gig. I’m just seventeen in a local band and here I was with all these Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull people doing their thing in a big London club. It was exciting. For young people it was just excepted. We went to Alvin and Loraine’s house in London. I remember sitting next to Ron Burg (Blodwyn Pig drummer). My batteries were charged and it motivated me even more. I’ve decided I wanted this and I was right, not because I was into the glamour. Being in London for me was like being at the centre of the Earth. London, that’s where it was, you could feel it. I wouldn’t have wanted to do anything else. I still get a buzz from it, not in a big headed way, just the being involved.“

Gigs at the Crown Hotel in Mansfield, The Boat club on the banks of the River Trent and the Co-op in Ilkeston kept them busy back at home. In April 1969 a gig in aid of the N.T.C. and compered by Dave Cash (A notable DJ who had worked for the Pirate stations, Radio Luxembourg and eventually Radio One) was held at the Co-op in Ilkeston and featured seven bands local to Nottingham and Derby. From Nottingham where Life Without Mother, Almost Grown and Lord Colin Staples. Harvey Stuart was billed as being from London but had for a time played in a group in Nottingham with Colin Staples in 1967/68so we can assume he had relocated to London at some point. From Derby were Land of Love and The Incas. The Incas were the forerunners of Pug-Ma-Ho who featured Keith Gotheridge who later joined Harry Stephenson’s Plummet Airlines in the seventies. We might assume that the group “Davy Jones Locker” although billed as coming from Wales had some connection with the local area.

.Life Without Mother added Alan Gascoigne in 1970 and they changed their name to “Merlin’s Wake”. Alan later headed for London and joined one of Screaming Lord Sutch’s many group line ups before returning to Nottingham to form Desperate Dann with Mick Wheat, Tim Disney and Steve Otter later in the seventies. Ray Straw ended up working for the Evening Post.

1967

1968

1969

Read about Life Without Mother in the context of the Desperate Dann, Tim Disney, Al Gascoigne story here.