Kremlin Four (Wythenshawe)

Line-up

• Alan Roberts - lead
• Kenny Anders - rhythm
• Mick Shaw - drums
• Adge Glinka (dec'd) - bass
• Alan Gallagher - drums (replaced Mick)
• Mike Ryder - bass (replaced Adge) 

The Kremlin 4 won Manchester Evening News competition in 64, and were pictured on the front page. They played the Plaza and were regular at the G.P.O club off Market St.

Memories

Starting off at 16 years,of age, there was no driver in the group. Playing every Fri, Sat and Sunday for around 4 months at the Church Inn, Northenden, they carried the gear there on Friday and home again - about 4 miles on Sunday night. Each guy brought a girlfriend or mate and around 8 people carried something and swapped the load, not easy to do when your trying to eat chips from newspaper at the same time.

Funny story again on how we got to a gig. One night in Partington, our driver at that time (we were only 16) had a problem with his van. After chasing everyone we knew, we finally, reluctantly, asked a guy in our street. He had a coal delivery tray top truck and it was a last minute decision so before we left we had to unload the coal using shovels before we could put the gear on and sit on the floor. We didn't so much look like the Kremlin 4 group, more like the black'n'white minstrels when we had finished.

This was followed up the following week loading the gear on to another tray top; this one was a scrap metal dealerand yes, it was in winter and it was freezing coming back home.

Another odd story, our bass player Adge Glinka bought a Hofner solid bass off a concert secretary (won't include his name) but Adge loved the bass - it was as good as he could get without paying the price of a Fender.

Adge had the bass about 12 months and on playing a gig one night a guy from a band approached Adge and told him "Adge, you are playing my bass".

It seemed the bass had been left behind one night and the concert secretary decided to keep stum and sell it some months later. The secretary had to explain to the cops but this is the nice part, the guy gave Adge his Hofner Acoustic bass, a wonderfull gesture I thought.

Both Adge and the concert secretary have since departed this world but the secretary would have left much sooner had we got our hands on him. Still I guess that's Manchester for you. 

Where are they now?

• Ken joined Wayne Fontana mid 70s.
• Alan joined Manchester Nitelife then Roberts and Price, and now plays in Australia.
• Mick gave it away and so did Adge.
• Alan went on to learn to read drum dots and joined a dance band

I noticed the Myaks from Wythenshawe are on the site. The Kremlin 4 and the Myaks were very close friends, it was not unusual to be in my house or their houses one or two times a week, some of our guys lived in the same street as well, so very close.

Would there be an email for Brian Baxter, he would remember me, I ask because I notice Mick Leech is apparently living in Australia (Mick was Rhythm guitar) - if he is in South Australia I could contact him , and I think Brian would know where he lives.

They would both be interested to know that Kenny Anders (from our band) runs Legends 60's bar in the Canary Islands.They would also be interested to know that Kenny is still singing in this bar twice a week, and I am still gigging in South Australia for my duo 'Who's on first '

Alan Roberts - 8/1/11