Incidents Crowded with Life

John Howard was a good Catholic boy brought up in post-war Lancashire, who became more turned on by gilt than by guilt. Sacred Heart statues and a wall-mounted crucifix, along with plans for the priesthood, were replaced by Marc Bolan posters, miming to 'Metal Guru' in front of a full-length mirror and dreams of pop stardom.

As Glam Rock stomped into millions of teenage bedrooms, John left home for London, and was quickly signed to CBS Records, making his debut album at Abbey Road studios, a...