John Cale, from the Velvet Underground, produced their debut album, and things took off with their second, Cool for Cats. The title single and Up the Junction both reached No 2 in the charts and they had further hits with Pulling Mussels (From the Shell) and Tempted. “When Gilson joined us, he lifted our game,” Holland said. “He was a bit older and had power and confidence. He also had a van, which helped. But above all he had both technique and feel, which is rare.” He said Lavis was one of the few drummers who ever looked at the lyrics sheet, wanting his rhythm to fit the words. They would play together for almost 50 years, until Lavis retired from music in 2024.
