Young Idea, The

Tony Cox and Douglas Macrae-Brown met while studying engineering at university in London and began singing together to their own guitar accompaniment.

Having composed several songs, they were contracted to music publisher Robbins Music, who got them signed to Columbia in 1966. Their debut single – the self-penned The World’s Been Good To Me Tonight – flopped spectacularly and convinced EMI that perhaps the duo’s songwriting efforts were best reserved for B-sides.

For their following four discs, their A-sides were all penned by other writers, which frustrated the duo to the extent that they made a 45 under the pseudonym of Scott Henderson for Pye of one of their own compositions (Saturday Night People), which was – ironically – covered by another artist, Christopher Caine, on Decca.

When The Young Idea scored a UK Top 10 hit with their fourth disc  – a cover of The Beatles‘ With a Little Help From My Friends in 1967 – it was too late to save their self-esteem, and they only made one more single (Mr Lovin’ Luggage Man) before parting company.

Macrae-Brown’s subsequent whereabouts are unknown, but Tony Cox became a successful music director/arranger in the late 1960s and early 709s for artists like Caravan, Family, Magna Carta and Trees.

Tony Cox
Vocals
Douglas Macrae-Brown
Vocals