Terry Webster with Jet

[Moderne]

The Man from Nowhere section in 'Just for Fun is one of the coolest, if not the coolest piece of rock 'n' roll film I've ever seen. You must be very proud!

[Arpeggio]

Hi Terry, your first hand accounts / reminiscences of the time spent with Jet are absolutely brilliant. Thank you so much for sharing them. I have a query for you. Do you recollect any of the furore vis -a-vis Jet announcing that the track we know now as "Man From Nowhere" (which, at that point in time, might not have been formally titled) was to be called "Eve Of World War III" (& this at the very height of the1962 Cuban Missile Crisis!!!). It was all successfully covered up at the time, but I believe that Jet was heavily censured by both his manager and Decca.

[GoldenStreet]

The composer of Man From Nowhere was given as Clive Westlake, who may have been able to provide some insight as to the contentious alternative title, but unfortunately he is no longer with us to do so.

Bill

[Arpeggio]

Man From Nowhere was recorded on Oct 20th, 1962. Sometime during the following week Jet made his (infamous) quip just a few days later. With the Western world genuinely on the brink of nuclear Armageddon ( A U2 jet was shot down over Cuba on the 27th)....Decca executives were not impressed. Amazingly, it was suppressed. The release of M F Nowhere was shelved, with Diamonds becomng the next single.

[anniv 63]

Man From Nowhere was mistitled as Blue Mood on a French EP by Jet &Tony
and which also contained Diamonds Footstomp and Again.
MFN and Again would have indeed been a possible UK 45 had not Jet&Tony
teamed up?

Mike

[Moderne]

Although Clive Westlake is credited as the composer of Man from Nowhere, the melody is actually from a Chopin Waltz...can't remember which one without going through my Dinu Lipatti CD, but it took me some time to recognise that it was the same tune as MFN.

[Arpeggio]

Thanks Clive. Very interesting, I certainly did not know that.

[Moderne]

Hi Rob...it's Chopin Waltz No. 3 in A minor Op.34 No.2.

Here's a link to Arthur Rubinstein playing it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGdpRmL2XUc

I was driving home from work one evening listening to Radio 3 and they played Dinu Lipatti's recording of Chopin's Waltz No. 10 in B minor. I immediately recognised it but it took me a while to realise that Chet Atkins had transcribed it for guitar and played it on his "My Favourite Guitars" LP. I borrowed a 78 of the Dinu Lipatti recording off my Dad to tide me over until I could order a CD of all Dinu Lipatti's Chopin performances...and when I heard No. 3 in A minor I realised that the melody had been lifted for another guitar instrumental. After a minute or two of brain racking, I realised it was Jet's Man from Nowhere! (or Eve of World War III!!!)

Best wishes,

Clive

[Arpeggio]

Absolutely brilliant Clive. Wonderful that there is still new information coming to light almost 55 years on. Oh we love it don't we?

[GoldenStreet]

Yes, great detective work from Clive and a further reminder of how the process of learning and discovery never ceases.

I seem to vaguely recall from the distant past that MFN had been 'borrowed' from classical sources, but had no idea of the precise one. Interestingly, the Chet Atkins 1965 recording is an arrangement of Chopin's Waltz for Piano, Op. 69, No.2 in B minor, which has distinct elements in common with Waltz No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 34, No. 2.

Bill