Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Tito Burns also represented our group, The Undertakers. The problem was that you needed a London agent to do any business "down south". Our managers were quite capable of taking care of local bookings, in Liverpool, but London was a whole different thing. Tito Burns, we were told, was well known and quite respected in that he could deliver venues.

Thanks Chris. Was he able to deliver as you were lead to believe he could? Also, is Tito Burns still around the London area?

Yes, he did keep us quite busy when he was involved in a tour for us. I seem to remember that there was a lot of politics happening in the Liverpool/London agency thing. I am not that Tito Burns is around (anywhere) anymore!

I have read with interest this somewhat amusing story involving Tito Burns which I consider gives some insight into his character. It comes from the 1969 Hit Parader magazine. It would seem that he was more flamboyant in those days than I had imagined.

Quote:Chas Chandler: "The first night we knew we had to pull something sensational to get a good press reaction and so the guitar that burst into flames [apparently during "Purple Haze"] was contrived. Of course, we all maintained it was an accident and Jimi even wore a bandage the second house to make it look good. In fact we soaked it in petrol and deliberately set light to it - the organizers were running around in circles trying to find the culprit and examine the guitar which had mysteriously disappeared. I distinctly remember [theatre agent] Tito Burns waving a fist at me and shouting, 'You can't get away with things like this, Chas - if we find that guitar I'll have you prosecuted.' Underneath his overcoat I could make out the charred end of an electric guitar" (Hit Parader, June 1969, p. 26). Tito Burns then walked out the stage door with the guitar.