A Doubting Thomas, who would be?

Clayton = Fisher ? The question lingers on …

In January 2000 BtP ran a very well-received series of articles about the supposed Lost Matthew Fisher album: pseudonymous 'evidence' was refuted by research, and a confession that the evidence was spurious was followed by a message from the real 'Clayton' himself, to whom we also spoke on the telephone. There the matter would have rested, had we not received the following message from Paler Kenneth Willis …

Far be it from me to prolong a possibly dying issue, or to stir things up, but I am intrigued.

Admittedly, I have never heard even one of Matt Fisher's solo albums (sadly) BUT ... Having read all the evidence I am sure that Matthew Fisher and Obie Clayton are one and the same.

The coincidences: Cambridge; piano / organ-playing; song-writer, etc., etc., are just that: coincidences. But the longer the list, the thinner the string of coincidence stretches!

However, the facial resemblance is beyond coincidence - unless Matthew Fisher has an identical twin. Even without the ever-lengthening string of coincidences, the very strong facial similarity is not easily ignored (see illustration: 'Clayton' on the left, Fisher on the right)

If Fisher wanted to create an alter-ego – and why shouldn't he? – he is hardly likely to admit it; this much has already been said.

Is it not possible that he has one or two trusted individuals who would be willing to back his story? Indeed – and I am not for one moment suggesting that this is true – could it not be that someone from BtP (for instance), having visited MF and learned the truth, had then been pleaded with by Matthew to swear on a stack of Procol records a mile high that he would never, ever, reveal said truth but would "repent" of all previous articles?? It's just a thought ... Whatever happened, even coincidence has its limits, and I know what I believe!

Best wishes to you and to your excellent site.

Kenneth Willis

Further correspondence ensued, as follows:

>>>> Is it not possible that he has one or two trusted individuals who would be willing to back his story?

>>> I am sure it is possible! But did you see that Obie (Michael Cox) had permitted me to put his e-mail address (ma.cox@btinternet.com) up on the site? So (unless he is one of the 'trusted individuals') you should be able to get some sort of reassurances from that source.

>>I had considered the point about the e-mail address but, heaven knows, they're easy enough, and cheap enough, to set up and I thought "so what? It doesn't mean anything".

Well why don't we put your message up on the website, and see if it catalyses the others who hold your opinion to write in?

So … if there's anything more to be said on this subject, please mail us … for instance, has anyone found the Obie Clayton singles? What did Matthew Fisher's early solo hits in Greece consist of? What's the lyrical content of the Matthew Ellis albums like? And what's the opinion of the record-traders who have been parceling Ellis with Procol down the years? Let us know!  

Upon which we received this from another Cox!