Ronnie Mayor

In 1977 singer songwriter Ronnie Mayor teams up with lead guitarist John Hole to form the punk band Tours. With the addition of Steve Jeff (bass) and Mark Spiers on drums they set about creating their own sound, establishing their own venue at the Brewers Arms Poole and recording their early demos in Arnys Shack. In 1979, after 1 1/2 years in the band John Hole leaves and the replacement guitarist Richard Smith Mazda joins. 6 months later it was all over, however the band managed to record at Misty Studio, tour the UK and release one of John Peel's all time favourite records 'Language School' b/w 'Foreign Girls', recorded at Spaceward Studios in Cambridgeshire which Peel plays 50 nights in a row. They signed an eye watering £225,000 six-album deal for Virgin Records and songwriters Ronnie Mayor and Richard Mazda are proclaimed “the punk Lennon-McCartney”. 

In 1980, after the Tours split, Ronnie and John re-grouped to form Power Pop band Da Biz with Ian Sandy (bass) and Nick Buckle (drums). They recorded at Rockfield Studios and released a single on Ronnie's own label Small Operations produced by Pat Moran, 'On the Beach' b/w 'This Is No Audition'. Tiring of the 'buzz saw ' guitar sound Ronnie and Ian threw the doors of the rehearsal room open and expanded the band into Biz Internationale with Ian Sandy (bass), Nick Buckle (drums), Paul Beavis (percussion), Bob Harder (keyboards). They became one of the best local live bands, recording at Misty Studios and signing to Warner Bros lead to the release of the single 'Stay True b/w Just A Thought Of A Love Affair'. 

All four tracks from Tours and Da Biz re-surface on 'The Apprentices Dance' compilation album of Dorset based bands including in addition Contacts, Surfin Dave, Paul Chambers (former singer of 7even), Hollows and Cava Cava. Financed and compiled by Ronnie under the name Small Operations the album was distributed in America in 1981 by New Jersey based Sounds Interesting Records. In 1981 Ronnie Mayor releases solo pop anthem 'Can't Wait Till The Summer Comes' b/w 'Holiday Theme' on Do It Records. Recorded at Rockfield Studios and produced by Pat Moran and John David, again receiving great air play. In 1983, having been sacked from Biz Internationale, Ronnie returns to the 24 track Misty Studio with various Biz band members and producer Mark Eden to record further unreleased 24 track masters including "Stranded" (co-written with Blue Rondo's Chris Sullivan) featuring stunning guitar from legendary local guitar hero Paul Stacey and a great brass arrangement from the Purbeck Horns before exiling himself to Australia to clean windows to supplement a career as a club DJ. 

In 2004, after 20 years, Ronnie returns to UK to play a comeback gig backed by Peter Christie and Conrad Barr at the Blue Boar pub in Poole. In 2018 Ronnie Mayor and John Hole (in response from an approach from Mark, Steve and Richard) reform Tours for a one-off gig at the King Charles pub in Poole supported by Surfin' Dave and Pete Christie. [SOURCE: MISTY STUDIO ONLINE]