Mr Lee Grant

aka Bogdan Kominowski

Murray Cammick

30 Oct 2016

One of the highlights of New Zealand in 1967 was the country’s top pop star, Mr Lee Grant. A local lad on TV, he dressed so cool that he made other male performers on C’mon look like schoolteachers.

His mod or “proto-metrosexual” style angered many of his contemporaries, who learnt male etiquette from Barry Crump. But younger music fans – I was 13 years old – were not competing with Mr Lee Grant for the affections of the young women of the nation, so we had no reason to be annoyed that the style icon was setting the standard too high for the more mature young man.

I like statistics that I make up myself: if 40,000 girls loved Mr Lee Grant, that means 39,000 jealous young guys did not like him. Meanwhile the other 1,000 potential suitors tried to dress in his style and dazzle his female fans.

What was the view in the gay corner of entertainment fraternity? They were none too happy either. They were peeved that a young man could wear a mink coat and not be gay.

Underachieving young New Zealand men used their cognitive powers to come up with daunting nicknames for the dashing singer, like “flea grunt”. But guys weren’t the primary threat to Grant’s physical wellbeing, it was his fanatical female fans that mobbed him and knocked him unconscious. Being floored by schoolgirls did not look manly, but the girls took down Larry Morris too – and he was a tough guy.

In 1967 Mr Lee Grant brought joy and mayhem to the local music scene, making a massive impact on pop culture and pop commerce.

Mr Lee Grant needs a revisionist music history, especially for his legions of teen and pre-teen fans of 1967. He needs to be reinstated in our memories, and where too little is written in the history books, many more words are needed. So this AudioCulture story is in two parts; it is written by a fan who was too young at the time to be jealous of Mr Lee Grant's virility, talent, mod style or generosity of spirit.

An important figure in Grant’s story was his feisty manager, Dianne Cadwallader, who guided his early career. When the going got tough, she kept going: pushing her protégé to the top. Once they got there, life was impossible.

Babs Baker, a writer for Shake! music magazine in the 1980s, was the daughter of C’mon arranger Tony Baker. She recalls that in the 1960s, “I was maybe four, and Mr Lee Grant came round to our house to see Dad. He knocked at the door, I opened it and cried, “Oh! It’s MR LEE GRANT!” – and promptly shut the door in his face.”

Grant Fell, of Headless Chickens and Black fashion magazine, was young and impressionable at the time: “I thought he was a real dude even though I was knee-high to a grasshopper.” Fell had to talk his mother into a fashionable purchase: “Black Awon Thoroughbreds, skinny black jeans with a slight flare. Ah the late ’60s!”

In 1967 Mr Lee Grant brought joy and mayhem to the local music scene, making a massive impact on pop culture and pop commerce. It was quite a contribution from a young man who arrived in New Zealand in 1949 as a four year-old war refugee.

Read Mr Lee Grant part 1 here

Read Mr Lee Grant part 2 here

Mr Lee Grant tops an impressive bill at an all-star Gigantic Rave!, July 1967. The venue is the Deaf Welfare Centre, Mt Eden Road, Auckland

Print ad for Mr Lee Grant's debut album, released by HMV in 1967. The LP included his version of the Bee Gees' breakthrough, 'Spicks and Specks'

Mr Lee Grant pinup in Playdate - New Zealand's pop culture magazine of the 1960s.

The casual mosaic-mod jacket and foldover tie look

The Avengers with Mr. Lee Grant rehearsing on the 1967 Golden Disc Spectacular

Mr. Lee Grant in Levin, Feb. 20, 1968. The toddler is a 4 yr old fan, Marcene Trass.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Horowhenua Historical Society

Recording his second album at HMV studio, Wakefield Street, Wellington, 1968

A Bogan Kowminowski publicity shot from 1979

Photo credit: Simon Grigg collection

A-Side to the 1981 Bogdan single

Mr Lee Grant tops the bill of a three-day series of shows at the Top 20 club, Durham Lane, Auckland; June 1967. Among the other acts were Sandy Edmonds, Larry's Rebels and the Brew. The Sunday show was an "all-nite rave": 10 hours of non-stop dancing from 8.00pm until 6.00am

Mr Lee Grant gracing the cover of short-lived New Zealand music magazine Third Stream, March 1968

Mr Lee Grant with fans

Mr Lee Grant - Gimme Some Loving (1985)

Mr Lee Grant on the cover of Teen Beat, August 1966

Biography in the C'mon tour programme, July-August 1967. It notes that Grant has his own weekly radio programme, and that The Avengers TV star Diana Rigg is an honorary member of his fan club

Talking to the fans, circa 1968

The Weekly News had a massive circulation in the 1960s. Mr Lee Grant made the cover in November 1967 with his Entertainer of the Year trophy, wearing a corduroy jacket

The Cyclones' first practice with Bogdan Kominowski (later Mr Lee Grant). Mike Findlay (left) Bernie Findlay (rear) Paddy Beach (out of shot)

Photo credit: Alan Galbraith collection

Mr. Lee Grant at The Top Hat in Napier, 1968

Photo credit: Gordon Wong collection

Mr. Lee Grant grapples with hysterical teen mania at Auckland Town Hall, 1967

A December 1967 chart from the NZ Listener, compiled by the readers' postal votes. There are two New Zealand releases in the Top 20: Mr. Lee Grant has entered at No.10. It would get to No.2, kept off by Snoopy's Christmas, a single widely regarded as the biggest selling 45 ever in New Zealand. Larry's Rebels has peaked at No.4 with 'Dream Time'.

Playdate magazine, July 1966 - Mr. Lee Grant's new solo career and Alan Galbraith joins Sounds Unlimited

Dianne Cadwallader, manager of Mr Lee Grant, New Zealand's biggest star of 1967.

Mr Lee Grant with HMV recording manager Graham Feasey, the night 'Thanks to You' won the Loxene Golden Disc, Wellington, November 1967. Grant then phoned his mother

Mr Lee Grant circa 1964

Mr Lee Grant's debut single 'Doo Doodle Do Doo' first appeared on the Viscount label in 1966; the Sierras provided the backing. After the success of 'Thanks to You' in 1967, it was re-released by Zodiac.

Mr Lee Grant - Thanks To You

Letter from Mr Lee Grant to Hawkes Bay deejay Keith Richardson, March 1966: "Caught the 'Stones' Monday night show. Ended in a riot". A year later ...

Mr. Lee Grant recording his second album in the HMV studio, Wellington, 1968; engineer Peter Hitchcock is seated at the desk

Mr Lee Grant in 1968, venue unknown

An autographed photo from Mr Lee Grant, taken around 1966

Mr Lee Grant in Wellington's Botanic Gardens, July 1966; photo by Barry Clothier

Mr. Lee Grant with his 1967 Golden Disc, surrounded by runners-up The Avengers. The black and white image doesn't do justice to Mr. Lee's scarlet tunic. His acceptance was "I owe this award to all who voted for me – it's thanks to you."

Photo credit: Photo by Barry Clothier. Simon Grigg collection

Mr Lee Grant with his master: HMV (NZ) Ltd's formidable managing director Alfred Wyness, 1967

Mr. Lee Grant signing autographs in 1968

Photo credit: Simon Grigg collection

Bogdan Kominowski of London stage, screen and TV fame, 1980s

Poster for Mr Lee Grant's Auckland farewell gigs, 24 February 1968, before he flew to London on a "Qantas Pacesetter".

Mr Lee Grant thanks deejay Keith Richardson; the photo is from c1965

Mr Lee Grant, before going "mod", c1965

Mr Lee Grant with Trevor King, Kerridge-Odeon's South Island road manager, c1967.

C'mon star Mr Lee Grant goes down to Otaki on the Kapiti Coast, 1967. Support acts were the Simple Image, Paddy & Dale - a Sonny & Cher-style act from Levin - and and a fashion parade organised by Dianne Cadwallader's mother. Compered by 2ZB pop deejay Justin du Fresne.

The iconic cover art for Mr Lee’s debut album. With Mr Lee sporting clothing supplied by His Lordships, the photography was by Sal Criscillo and design by Peter Burge. HMV obviously pulled out all the stops for the recording, putting on an all-star team: the album was produced by Howard Gable and Nick Karavias; engineered by Peter Hitchcock; and musical arrangements by Jimmie Sloggett and Garth Young.

Mr. Lee Grant at The Top Hat in Napier, 1968

Photo credit: Gordon Wong collection

Bogdan Kominowski with Grace Jones in 1985 James Bond film A View To A Kill

Mr Lee in London, HMV, 1968. Mr Lee's Grant's second album was produced in Wellington by Howard Gable, with Garth Young as musical director; the cover photograph was also taken in New Zealand. It featured recent pop standards such as 'You Don't Have to Say You Love Me', 'Stop in the Name of Love' and 'The Wanderer'.

Picture sleeve of 'Who Do You Think You Are', a single by Bogdan on the Brilliant label, 1981

Max Cryer with Bogdan (Mr Lee Grant) Kominowski and Rob Guest.

Photo credit: Simon Grigg collection

Mr Lee Grant packs his mod threads, c1967

In June 1968 Mr Lee Grant returned briefly to New Zealand for a tour to promote the Mr Lee in London album

Grant's trademark fold-over tie is prominent in this colour portrait from the tumultuous 1967-1968 period

Bogdan Kominowski's single, 'Blue Angel' on UK Decca, 1979

Mr Lee Grant, left, being presented with the Entertainer of the Year award, November 1967. Making the announcement, at right, is Dave Dunningham, president of NEBOA. Holding the award is US comedian Shelley Berman.

Photo credit: Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington; PAColl-5679-25.

Mr. Lee Grant grapples with hysterical teen mania at Auckland Town Hall, 1967

Bogdan Kominowski in 2010 short film The Downbeat

Grant was pictured in the Sunday News (19 March 1967) doing a seven-up hula-hoop performance. He was keeping seven hula-hoops airborne! The newspaper reported that “Go-Go dancing with that gyrating action makes every ‘with it’ teenager a natural for twirling a hula-hoop.”

Bogdan Kominowski has appeared in film and television, including a role in the 1985 James Bond film A View To A Kill, Reilly Ace of Spies and Flash Gordon.

In London, Lee Grant recorded his first single ‘A Little Love And Understanding’ on the Decca label with several backing vocalists including Kiki Dee and Reggie Dwight, who was soon to become famous as Elton John.

Lee Grant at NZ On Screen

Bogdan Kominowski at IMDB

NZ On Screen - the music and record industry

NZ On Screen - C'mon

Viscount

HMV

Decca