Approved Men

(c’79-81) Charlie Rashbrook (vocals), Ross Brown (guitar), Julian “Dooley” Robinson (rhythm guitar), Colin Short/Shaw (bass) and Herbie Williams (drums).

Formed in ’79, the band’s name reportedly came from an inscription on a beam at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford where Brown, Rashbrooke and Robinson were pupils. They performed their debut at the Royal Grammar School on 14 December ’79 with B.J. and the Mars Bars for the VIth Form Christmas Party. Gigging extensively around Guildford and Woking, including The Royal, Guildford and The Wooden Bridge, Guildford; they definitely appeared at The Wooden Bbridge on 7 march ’81 for a ‘Rock Against Cruise Missiles’ gig. In the early ’80’s you could have seen some “Approved Men” graffiti on the side of the Yvonne Arnaud.

In 1980 they entered Pebble Beach Studios, Worthing for 3 hours and, with the help of producer Tony “Nod” Harris, – a regular at the King’s Head – self-published the “Quite Like You” 7” white label [JR001] with “So Sad” and “’Somewhere to Run” on the B-side. They recorded all three tracks in an afternoon, speeding up “Quite Like You”. The one note synth part on “So Sad” was played by Brown on an ARP synth, an artist who was in the studio that week had hired and happened to still be in the studio. Depending on your source, either 100, 250 or 500 were pressed (funded by Rashbrook’s father), but each one does feature unique hand drawn artwork. There was a picture sleeve too, which Brown hand screen printed, for about fifty or so singles.

The track was played by John Peel on March 6th that same year, in the ‘New To You’ section of his show. The transcript of that section of Peels show reads: “I’ve always enjoyed the way that record companies work, in that if a band from one particular town is successful they don’t assume it’s anything to do with the band but rather something to do with the town. And of course recently all these record companies have been sending people to camp out in Coventry in the hope of finding a band there. Now with the success of The Vapors who come from the Guildford area; well it could be an opportunity for The Approved Men who also come from Guildford.

This is their “Quite Like You”. The segment closed with Peel saying “I think that’s true of almost everybody actually. That’s The Approved Men and it’s called “Quite Like You” and according to the band, and I see no reason to doubt them they’ve only had 500 copies of that pressed and it doesn’t seem to be on any specific label. So if you want to get a copy of it you have to write to Colin, 55 Station Road, Shalford, Guildford, Surrey. You want that again: Colin, 55 Station Road, Shalford, S. H. A. L. F. O. R. D. Guildford, Surrey. The band then meet and courted John Weller with aim of securing management, but it never happened. They called it a day in ’81, but the single is still in demand by John Peel collectors.

Brown is now the retired Dean of Royal Central School of Speech and Drama at the University of London and making music again as Ross Brown.

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