Ambrose Mogg
b. Andrew Morgan, 1 April 1941, Liverpool, England. Mogg, a catalyst amongst Merseybeat musicians, formed the Caterwaulers in the early '60s and enjoyed local success with The Cat Came Back and other feline songs. He refused to sign with HMV because of the picture of the dog on the label. However, his short time with Decca in 1963 was fraught with problems. Forced to use pugnacious session musicians, Jackie Russell, Gordie Setter and ‘Bulldog’ Drummer, Mogg's desire to escape from the studio fast turned Mean Dog Blues into a frantic rockabilly classic. Unfortunately for Mogg, the pressing plant was closing for its annual holiday and careless workers approved the record without a hole in its centre. Mogg raged at Decca, who cancelled his contract on grounds of insubordination, saying he should take lessons in manners from the Rolling Stones. A few weeks later, Mogg lost a leg at the Cavern when passionate fans pulled him first one way and then the other. He disappeared into the Catskill Mountains, while Mean Dog Blues became a cult single although the drilling of the holes by collectors is rarely accurate. Mogg returned to Liverpool in 1989 with nothing in the kitty, but he is clawing his way back into the limelight with sterling work for the Merseycats charity.