Bay City Rollers story could become Hollywood film – Steve Cardownie

The fascinating story of the Bay City Rollers could become a Hollywood film with Les McKeown said to be in talks with moviemakers, writes Steve Cardownie, who saw the band play before they were famous to an audience of about 100.
The Bay City Rollers were working-class boys from Edinburgh who found global fameThe Bay City Rollers were working-class boys from Edinburgh who found global fame
The Bay City Rollers were working-class boys from Edinburgh who found global fame

The news that Les McKeown, former Bay City Rollers frontman, is embroiled in talks with a Hollywood mogul about the possibility of making a film about the band is great news indeed.

From their Edinburgh working-class roots, the boys went on to become one of the most famous bands in the world with their cover version of the Four Seasons song Bye, Bye, Baby reaching No 1 In the UK in 1975, staying there for six weeks and selling nearly one million copies, making it the biggest seller of the year.

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Les McKeown is said to be in talks with a Hollywood filmmaker about telling the band's extraordinary storyLes McKeown is said to be in talks with a Hollywood filmmaker about telling the band's extraordinary story
Les McKeown is said to be in talks with a Hollywood filmmaker about telling the band's extraordinary story
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They had come a long way since I saw them at Frisco’s in Chalmers Close, off the High Street (where David Bowie once performed in 1969) when Nobby Clark fronted the group who were performing along with a string of other bands in a long day/night Sunday session that the venue hosted.

Little did we know then, when we watched them as part of a 100-strong audience, that Rollermania would sweep the world and catapult the tartan-clad lads to international stardom.

There is no doubt in my mind that their story (warts and all) would make an easy transition to film and I wish the current negotiations to make it thus every success.

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