THE SYN: My Photographic Memories by June Clark

excerpt taken from Ugly Things #16 1998

The Marquee Club, at 90 Wardour Street venue known for booking new bands worth listening to. That's where I first saw THE SYN. I met Pete Banks, their guitarist, that night and we began dating. Flower Power was "in" and Pete was one its first devoted followers. I liked the idea, but Pete really pushed me into it a little further. He wore flowered shirts, long strings of beads and bells around his neck - he literally jingled as he walked! He bought me the only bell I ever wore, which I still have.

The line-up I knew had Gunnar Hakouarson on drums, a truly good-looking blond for Reykjavik, Iceland. He left to return to Iceland and form another band. We wrote to each other for a while and after about a year lost touch. Steve, their singer, a tall, very personable and likeable guy, left to open a small boutique on Chelsea's King's Road. He sold T-shirts and jeans - new dress ideas from America! He always gave me a good deal, so I shopped there often. I still have a pair of yellow bell-bottoms I bought from him! Pete went on to form Mabel Green's Toyshop with Syn bass player Chris Squire. I don't know what happened to Andrew, their organist.

Pete gave me the rare- if fuzzy - photo of The Syn, which was taken with the original line-up, with Gunnar, I believe it was in his back yard, where he had an old car. They all decided to play the gangster, which, given the setting, was unusual for the time. I snapped the other photos of them at one of their Marquee gigs, where they had a residency for a while.

Pete and I remained friends for many years after our relationship broke up. I lost touch shortly before I left for America in 1972. I was his friend through his failed marriage, many girlfriends, and frustrating band break-ups. Pete was a perfectionist and was quite stubborn about how his music was to be played. He would not play what he didn't like and so he quickly left The Yes [sic], even though his old friend Chris Squire was there with him. He joined Blodwyn Pig until they disbanded and then his band Flash was short-lived. One of his girlfriends was an American from New Jersey. She sometimes would answer the phone when I would call him for a chat. I moved to New York City in 1992 and met my boyfriend's best friend, whose wife was the girl from New Jersey that Pete had dedicated his Flash album to! We have some fun recalling those times we so strangely shared together! Pete evidently has a habit of keeping in touch with old girlfriends and she tells me the last she heard of him, three years ago, he was living in Los Angeles with a nurse! Our thoughts are with you, Pete. We'd both love to hear from you...