Beatles Played on Mike's Disc
By Steve Peacock
11:00 - 20 January 2004
Totnes musician Mike Ramsden, who played on his own hit single with the Beatles
almost 40 years ago and was one of the men behind the Totnes Raft Race, has died aged 60
years.
Mike dedicated his life to music and the folk band Silkie - which he formed with his
wife-to-be Sylvia and two other band members as long ago as 1962. The band was signed up
by legendary promoter Brian Epstein along with The Beatles, Cilla Black and Gerry and the
Pacemakers.
They clocked up a top 10 hit with a cover version of the Lennon/McCartney song You've Got
to Hide Your Love Away on which the Beatles themselves played.
Mike underwent a kidney transplant 10 years ago after suffering kidney failure.
He died in the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital renal unit on Saturday.
He was still playing almost up until his death - coming out of hospital for a concert at
The Cott Inn in Dartington on New Year's Eve and then travelling back to the hospital
immediately afterwards.
His wife Sylvia said: "He put up an heroic fight for 20 years. He was such a
fantastic man."
And she pointed out that he had even raised money for the kidney unit at which he was
being treated before his death.
Mike was born in Totnes. His mother is 93-year-old Lily Ramsden who became the first lady
mayor of Totnes in 1945 and is one of the town's honoured citizens.
He went to Dartington Primary School and Totnes Grammar School before studying at Hull
University where he met 18-year-old Sylvia and together with Hull students Ivor Aylesbury
and Kevin Cunningham, they formed Silkie.
The band went to Liverpool where they were signed up by Brian Epstein.
"Brian Epstein had 13 or so bands which included The Beatles, Gerry and the
Pacemakers and Cilla Black," said Sylvia from the couple's home at Hunters Moon,
Dartington. "We were in exalted company.
"We had a very nice time in 1960s playing all over England and Europe and we had a
hit single all over the world which The Beatles played on."
She added: "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away was a track off the Beatles album. We
asked Brian if we could release it as a single and he said we'd have to ask the boys
permission. They said: 'yeah, and we are going to help you do it'. John and Paul played on
it and John twiddled the knobs."
Following Epstein's death Mike and Sylvia came to Devon where they continued with the band
- even when the two other band members left.
In between gigs Mike ran his father's engineering business for a while. He also taught
languages and looked after foreign students.
He leaves three children Joanna, 35, Jamie, 32, and Adam aged 30.
Mike began his musical career as a choirboy at St Mary's Church in Totnes.
Sylvia said: "The music kept him going. The joy is that all our children play and
they have helped us through this last year when it has been really tough."
Mike was a member of Totnes Round Table and a one-time Devon area chairman.
He and architect Jim Goodwin thought up the idea of the Totnes Raft Race which has raked
in tens of thousands of pounds for charity over the last 25 years. |
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