Meanwhile, Robert Stigwood ( manager of Cream ) had suggested Carl Palmer, formerly of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, and at that time a member of Atomic Rooster.

Baverstock also found the group an agent, John Gunnel, who had previously worked with the entertainment entrepreneur Robert Stigwood.

The same year, he had a cameo as Edna in the Robert Stigwood musical film Sgt.

He had an eventful trip: in one incident recounted by Simon Napier-Bell Stigwood bravely climbed fifty feet down a rope ladder into the hold of a tanker to administer morphine to a seaman who had fallen through a hatch.

In late 1961 Stigwood had made a record production deal with Sir Joseph Lockwood, managing director of EMI, who proved to be the crucial link between the record company and the budding entrepreneur, just as Lockwood had been in the 1950s for Larry Parnes, and just as he would be a couple of years later for Brian Epstein and The Beatles.

Other artists Stigwood signed to a management / recording deal included Mike Sarne, whose Meek-produced " Come Outside " charted in 1962, and another Meek protégé, Mike Berry, who had scored a hit with the Geoff Goddard-penned " Tribute To Buddy Holly ".

British acts had conventionally covered US hits after they had become successful there, but Stigwood began making regular trips to America to find new releases he thought had potential, and then rushing out UK covers by his acts before the originals hit the American charts.

1 ) and Stigwood had to negotiate with the band to get them back as part of the package.

Not surprisingly, Arden took exception to this, and in spite of the fact that Stigwood had never met the group personally, Arden decided to pay him a visit with some of his minders, to teach him a lesson:

Also in 1966 Stigwood became the manager of a new band comprising three of the best musicians from two groups that he had under contract — guitarist Eric Clapton from John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, and bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker from The Graham Bond Organisation.

However, during this period Stigwood had another pop flop when he tried to promote a singer called ' Oscar '.

Stigwood moved his recording activities to Polydor Records, where former EMI staffer Roland Rennie had recently been appointed as the new managing director.

Stigwood had apparently been forewarned that Rennie was moving to Polydor, and this, according to Napier-Bell, was the major reason that Stigwood had been unwilling to accept EMI's rescue package.

He was keen to reduce his involvement in NEMS Enterprises, the company he had founded in 1963, so he decided to strike a deal with Stigwood.

There had been numerous other offers made for NEMS over the previous couple of years and Epstein is reported to have turned down more than one multi-million-dollar offer from American interests, so it is unlikely that he chose to become a partner with Stigwood simply for financial reasons.

According to author George Gunby, Epstein told The Beatles ' publicist Alistair Taylor that Stigwood had originally offered to buy NEMS, but the deal eventually became a merger, in which Stigwood would have to put all his company assets into NEMS ; in return he would received a reciprocal shareholding in NEMS, plus a salary, an executive position as co-managing director, and access to all of NEMS now-considerable financial and other resources.

Taylor remained unconvinced — Stigwood, he said, had " a ruthless reputation, a cavalier style that upset more people than it pleased.

Avildsen was the original director for both Serpico ( 1973 ) and Saturday Night Fever ( 1977 ), but was fired over disputes with producers Martin Bregman and Robert Stigwood, respectively.

* February 24 – The Bee Gees sign a management contract with Robert Stigwood.

In 1968, they recorded " First of May " with lead vocals by Barry, The flip side of the song was " Lamplight " on which Robin Gibb sang the lead, Bee Gees manager Robert Stigwood chose " First of May " to be the A-side, No other songs released on the album Odessa, and Robin quit the group.

In 1971 Elliman moved to New York City for the Broadway production of Jesus Christ, Superstar, where she met her first husband, Bill Oakes, who worked with Robert Stigwood as President of RSO Records.

Stigwood asked Leyton if he could also sing, leading to a series of auditions with various recording companies ; he was turned down by all of their A & R representatives, but Joe Meek, unfazed by Leyton's initial lack of singing experience, was impressed by the young actor's good looks.

Stigwood was evidently becoming dissatified with Meek's eccentric recording style and insisted that " Lonely City " be recorded at a commercial studio.

According to Tony Kent ( Meek's personal assistant at the time ), the session took place at London's IBC studios ; largely at Meek's suggestion, and at which Meek was present but with Stigwood assuming the rôle of dominant co-producer.

He loved its trickery and tease, and the apparent ease with which money could be made ... And what made Robert Stigwood different from his predecessors is that he expanded laterally.

The band recorded for Columbia ( the EMI label ) and the French Barclay Records, with one of its first releases being co-produced by Stigwood and Vicki Wickham.

He maintained a connection with Stigwood, performing in the London productions of Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar and Grease, and he played the sadistic Cousin Kevin in Stigwood's film version of The Who's Tommy.

Stigwood signed a much more advantageous deal with Polydor, with high percentages and substantial funding for his recording costs.

On 13 January 1967 Stigwood signed a deal with his friend and colleague Brian Epstein to merge their two companies.

Why Epstein decided to merge with Stigwood is uncertain.

Gunby says that Epstein told Derek Taylor that the merger with Stigwood would bring new talent into the fold and would strengthen the operation.

" Epstein himself soon found himself at odds with his new partner — he was reportedly unhappy about Stigwood's spending, was upset by Stigwood renting a yacht for The Bee Gees, and was also angered by Stigwood's unilateral decision to send Alastair Taylor to America on a business trip, a plan Epstein overruled.

It was a beneficial arrangement for Stigwood, and it effectively placed him at the pinnacle of the British pop industry in one step, but Epstein seems to have been about the only person in NEMS who was keen on the idea.

Stigwood signed the Bee Gees to a five-year deal in February and took their contract with him when he separated from NEMS in December.

Stigwood was undeterred, and with NEMS ' resources behind him, he embarked on a concerted campaign ( no doubt at NEMS ' expense ) to break The Bee Gees in the UK, assiduously wining and dining TV producers and DJs ; according to the MusicWeb Encyclopedia, he spent £ 50, 000 promoting the group in 1967.

Brian's brother Clive took over as Managing Director and Stigwood left NEMS to form his own company, The Robert Stigwood Organisation ( RSO ), in December.

Stigwood found a job in an institution for " backward teenage boys " in East Anglia after his arrival in England.

Cucumber Castle is the Bee Gees ' seventh album ( and fifth international release ), released in 1970 and produced by Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, and Robert Stigwood.

When Barry Gibb appeared at Polydor's offices in London, Rennie immediately contacted Stigwood, who he thought would be ideal to sign the group to Polydor and manage them.

In 1969, Sang travelled to the United Kingdom where Barry Gibb ( Bee Gees ) heard her singing and urged his manager, Robert Stigwood, to sign her.

Then they renamed themselves Tin Tin, signed to the Robert Stigwood Organization, and scored an international hit-including an American Top 20 placing-with their 1971 single, " Toast and Marmalade for Tea ," which was produced by Maurice Gibb of The Bee Gees.

After the collapse of Immediate in the late 1960s, Arnold signed a production contract with the Robert Stigwood Organisation and released two singles on the Polydor label, produced by Barry Gibb of The Bee Gees, but a planned album with Gibb was never completed.