“I like your cheek,” Chapman said. A little sadly, he added: “If I could turn back the clock, I wouldn’t mind being a young chancer all over again.”

Dave held his breath.

“I’ll audition you.”

“Thanks!”

“Come into the recording studio after Christmas.” He jerked a thumb at the receptionist. “Cherry will give you an appointment.” He went back into his room and closed the door.

Dave could hardly believe his luck. He had been caught out in his silly lies—but he had got an audition just the same!

He made a provisional appointment with Cherry, and said he would phone to confirm when he had checked with the rest of the group. Then he went home, walking on air.

As soon as he got back to the house in Great Peter Street he picked up the phone in the hall and called Lenny. “I got us an audition with Classic Records!” he said triumphantly.

Lenny was not as enthusiastic as Dave expected. “Who told you to do that?” He was miffed because Dave had taken the initiative.

Dave refused to be deflated. “What have we got to lose?”

“How did you manage it?”

“Bluffed my way in. I saw Eric Chapman, and he said okay.”

“Blind luck,” said Lenny. “It happens sometimes.”

“Yeah,” said Dave, though he was thinking: I wouldn’t have got lucky if I’d stayed home sitting on my arse.

“Classic isn’t really a pop label,” Lenny said.

“That’s why they need us.” Dave was running out of patience. “Lenny, how can this be bad?”

“No, it’s fine, we’ll see if it comes to anything.”

“Now we have to decide what to play at the audition. The secretary told me we’ll get to record two songs.”

“Well, we should do ‘Shake, Rattle and Roll,’ obviously.”

Dave’s heart sank. “Why?”

“It’s our best number. Always goes down well.”

“You don’t think it’s a bit old-fashioned?”

“It’s a classic.”

Dave knew he could not fight Lenny about this, not right now. Lenny had already swallowed his pride once. He could be pushed, but not too far. However, they could do two songs: perhaps the second could be more distinctive. “How about a blues?” Dave said desperately. “For a contrast. Show our range.”

“Yeah. ‘Hoochie Coochie Man.’”

That was a bit better, more like the material the Rolling Stones were doing. “Okay,” said Dave.

He went into the drawing room. Walli was there with a guitar on his knee. He had been living with the Williams family ever since coming from Hamburg with the group. He and Dave often sat in this room, playing and singing, between school and dinner.

Dave told him the news. Walli was pleased, but worried about Lenny’s choice of material. “Two songs that were hits in the fifties,” he said. His English was improving fast.

“It’s Lenny’s group,” said Dave helplessly. “If you think you can change his mind, please try.”

Walli shrugged. He was a great musician but a bit passive, Dave found. Evie said everyone was passive by comparison with the Williams family.