The beat goes on for Phil's Toon detective

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), May 30, 2009

Byline: MIKE KELLY

UNTIL I spoke to Phil Mitchell I'd never heard of a squamous cell carcinoma.

He described it as a form of neck cancer but claimed ignorance at how to say - let alone spell - it properly when I asked.

A quick look on Wikipedia got the literals sorted that out after our chat, although I suspect Phil was feigning ignorance to draw a veil over a painful episode in his life.

According to Wikipedia, risk factors causing it include smoking and drinking, pastimes not unknown to people in the music business. And as a co-founder of Kitchenware Records in Newcastle which had, among others, Prefab Sprout, The Kane Gang and Martin Stephenson and the Daintees on its books, he saw a lot.

He said: "My job was to travel with the bands. We could be in a different country every day, trying to keep things on an even keel." When asked what type of things he had to keep on an 'even keel' he just chortles knowingly and says: "I'm not going to tell you." He concedes what happened would provide excellent material for a book although he has no plans, as yet, to write it. Phil's sticking to fiction and his latest book, Rosko, is now out. It's his second to be published having, as he puts it, semi retired from the music business around 2003 when he developed the neck cancer.

Phil, 52, said: "I had a heavy duty operation and a dose of radiotherapy. It was touch and go. I decided to downsize my life from having big hours doing the music business. I had to slow down a little bit. I decided to semi retire, to take it easy." There's taking it easy and taking it easy, so that while some people take up something genteel like gardening to pass the time, Phil has taken to writing books.

While he's had two published he already has another three in the pipeline.

He said: "It suits me, working from home, and writing is a hobby, something I really enjoy doing." His debut novel, Beyond The Volcanoes, took a wry look at a 1960s supergroup who fell out in spectacular style then reformed - and a similar theme runs through his other books which are yet to be published.

Rosko is a departure from the music business scenario. The hero is a cop who leaves the force after falling out with his boss, Chief Inspector Clive Thompson. He then comes into conflict with Thompson again and gets his chance for revenge after being hired by Thompson's wife.

Phil said: "My first book was about the music business as people say you should write about something you know. This one's I wanted the first books my read it not to to find different, of course. It's a comic crime caper and was inspired by Newcastle as much as anything." He is originally from Rochdale and there remains just a trace of his native Lancashire accent. He worked for HMV and was seconded to its store in Newcastle in the early 1980s. The manager there was Keith Armstrong and they quickly became friends. And with another pal, Paul Ludford, they came up with the idea for Kitchenware Records which was originally run out of the back of the HMV store.

The name came from the Soul Kitchen club night they hosted at the Mayfair Club in Newcastle, a sort of collective which attracted musicians, film makers, fashion designers, poets and artists.

Its first single was The Sun Shines Here by local band Hurrah! and came out in 1982. The following year they signed County Durham based pop outfit Prefab Sprout who enjoyed considerable chart success, as did The Kane Gang.

Phil and Keith went on to manage The Lighthouse Family, whose debut album Ocean Drive, sold 1.6 million copies.

They were great times but, while Kitchenware goes on, Phil prefers writing at home in Walkerville, Newcastle. He said: "I'm just trying to chill out and write books.

"I couldn't stop if I wanted to.

Rosko is the first in a series of books about him and my friends who have read it are telling me not to stop.

They want to find out what happens next." As for those who want to find out what really happened when Phil was in the music business, they might have to wait a bit longer.

Rosko, by Phil P Mitchell, is available as the author says "at good book shops and cr*p ones" as well as Amazon, priced at pounds 7.99.

stop if I Rosko is series of him and who have telling me They want what next."I couldn't stop if I wanted to. Rosko is the first in a series of books about him and my friends who have read it are telling me not to stop. They want to find out what happens next."