THE RATBITES FROM HELL & OVER THE HILL according to The Backson Brothers When GORDON STRONG left SPACED he formed a Band with JOHN PERRY (gtr. vcls.) and NICK HOWELL (drums. Nick had played 2nd drum-kit on Magic Muscle's infamous 'January the 4th' Tape sessions) .... with Gordon himself on Bass. When Flash Gordon split, Gordon & Nick formed the Amazing Lorn with pianist Bill Giles, and JOHN PERRY recruited PETER ROE and later ROY SUNDHOLM and started preliminary work on the band which became OVER THE HILL. Roy Sundholm played bass, and once the Amazing Lorn died, Nick Howell joined OTH on drums. After being spiked with many microdots at a Cambridge gig, Nick's range of interests became bewilderingly diverse and he retired for a while from active time-keeping, being replaced at the drum stool by Alan Platt. Over The Hill played perhaps 100 shows, including college dates, a string of outdoor concerts and residencies at The Kensington, The Lord Nelson and The Brecknock. They also played Richard Branson's 21st Birthday party. In ZigZag John Perry defined the bands ethos as "original material, blatant opportunism and moral fibre" The German CD-label SPM brought out some of their 1973 and 1974 recordings a few years ago, engineered by Alan Osbaldeston, with original artwork by Maureen Hunter (formerly Leopard) and Pete "Bongo" Biles. When Pete Roe lost interest, OTH turned into the The Ratbites From Hell (Mk.2 with Platt drumming) and toured Holland in summer 1975. RATBITES FROM HELL was a party band, which ran in parallel with OTH, formed from OTH and parts of the final MAGIC MUSCLE lineup (namely HUW GOWER, 'BIG' PETE THORPE and PETE 'Bongo' BILES). Rats played Stax/Tamla and material off the first Rolling Stones album. As OTH faded during 1974, the Rats began doing more shows. The major difference between OTH and the RATS -- you could dance to the Rats. John Perry & Maureen lived at Pensford, about 10 miles from the Mells farmhouse. Grateful Dead songwriter BOB HUNTER was a frequent visitor, and recorded an album at Mayfair Studios London, with OTH. He also wrote the Dead's best-selling single TOUCH OF GREY at the Pensford house, after sitting up all night. John Perry went on to see considerable commercial succes, teaming up with vocalist Peter Perrett, veteran drummer Mike Kellie (ex-Art, Spooky Tooth, Balls, Three Man Army, to name but a few) and Alan Mair (ex-Beastalkers, Frankie Miller, Gerry Rafferty, Elkie Brooks) to form THE ONLY ONES. Alan Platt joined Wilko Johnson's Solid Senders in 1978 and played on the first of Roy Sundholm's solo albums "The Chinese Method", released by Ensign in 1979; the second one was called "East To West" and appeared on the same label in 1981.