TOMMY VANCE 45. Rare Demo copy. Off The Hook

	£		29
	$		38

Off The Hook rare demo of November 66 single TOMMY VANCE c/w Summertime
The first track that Mick and Keith had written for the Stones,  Tommy Vance's version of "Off The Hook" is now much sought after as it came early in his radio career. It fair swings along with bright horns and adept drumwork, plus Jimmy Page fronting the backing band make this a great bluesy-rock pop number - good for listening, and ideal for the dance-floor.  
Now an iconic voice of heavy rock, Tommy Vance had one of the best known voices on British Radio (and TV!). His rare trips onto the world of vinyl are much sought-after. Tommy's gravelly voice and his ultra-slick presentation saw him become one of the country’s best-loved and much revered and respected broadcasters.
TOMMY VANCE was born into an English family (the Hope-Westons) dominated by showbiz and electronics. He began his broadcasting career in Vancouver, Washington as Riock West but was soon given the groovier name of Tommy Vance. From there he want to the top-rated 93-KHJ in Los Angeles, but the threat of being drafted to serve in Vietnam persuaded him to move back to Blighty where he was hired by Radio Caroline for the South ship. 
Tommy's colleagues on Radio Caroline South were Tony Blackburn, DLT, Johnnie Walker, etc.  His wife was against him spending so much time at sea so he joined Radio Luxembourg which pre-recorded shows in London, and thats when he cut a couple of singles.   Tommy was soon back at sea and joined Radio London who were trying to establish a base in France.  
Eventually Tommy joined the BBC and co-hosted Top Gear with John Peel. he also made further records, often under pseudonyms such as "The Medium Wave Band' but sales were poor. After a stint on The BBC World Service Tommy started a new station with Kenny Everett and Dave Cash, called Radio Monte Carlo International, but it was not a success.  The Trio joined Capital Radio when it began, and Tommy made his 'biog screen' debit, playing a DJ in the film Slade in Flame.  
Tommy's voice was one of the most widely heard on the new commercial stations in the 1970s, on hundreds of commercials and station IDs. He eventually rejoined the BBC to launch the Friday Rock Show. Heavily promoting heavy metal music for the next twenty years Tommy was heard and seen around the world introducing acts in LIVE AID, on MTV and he was a launch anchor on Virgin Radio in 1993. He later founded his own Rock Radio Network with Tony Wilson and promoter Andy King and moved into television with Channel 5 and ITV. Tommy was known as Von the radio for all of his forty year broadcast career.
Tommy attended several reunions of former Radio Caroline DJs, such as the London one in 2004. A few months later he suffered a stroke and despite treatment in Dartford hospital, he didn't recover. 
Rock On Tommy. 
This rare pressing "Off The Hook" is presented in its original 'birth sleeve' which is also in remarkable condition. EMI group labels such as Columbia then pressed demonstration discs, also known as Promos, with white labels with the large Red A.  The shop or issue copies were very dull by comparison, being all black with white text.  the Promos are much rarer (only 250 ever being produced) are more easily read and just look much more exciting.  
This copy is encased in a polythene jacket, and will be carefully enclosed in bubble wrap and sent in a cardboard envelope by Royal Mail Tracked post, boldly marked FRAGILE.