SHIRLEY LEVON
Shirley Levon married Mike in 1970, when Mike changed his last name too. He was born Mike O’Connor, Many sessions depended on Shirley’s coffees or teas. She still plays Holyground records regularly. She appeared on record once, playing recorder on ‘It’s Alright’ which was released on A to Austr.

Shirley writes : There seemed to be an endless stream of musicians passing through the Cass Yard studio. Sitting downstairs in the living room you could get some idea of the music, heavy rock, psychedelic, acoustic, good or bad, but it was always (well, nearly always) exciting to hear the finished recording.

When bands were recording I would be making endless cups of coffee, keeping girlfriends and hanger-ons company, and the session would usually end with a mass exodus for a drink at the pub opposite.

There are some very particular memories - watching a band try to get a Hammond organ up two twisting flights of stairs; welcoming a visitor who clearly knew us quite well although we had no idea who he was; talking knitting patterns with a girlfriend of a band member; waking up in the morning to find a band crashed out in our living room, and offering them jelly for breakfast, (the only food we had in!)

What stays most in my memory is the variety and creativity of the music, and the satisfaction Mike and the musicians felt when a recording had gone well.