Biography
Forming a British pair were Tony Cox, born on 10 November 1945 in London, England, alongside Douglas Ugo Granville Allesandro MacRae-Brown, who entered the world on 17 April 1947 in Florence, Italy. While attending Charterhouse Public School, MacRae-Brown shared the halls with contemporary Jonathan King. Their paths crossed with Cox during university years, sparking a collaborative songwriting venture. After laying down multiple demo recordings, they promoted these works to various publishers located on London’s Denmark Street. Impressed by their abilities, they obtained both management representation and a recording deal. Under the name the Young Idea, the pair launched their career in June 1966. A series of singles followed from the duo. Success arrived the next year when their interpretation of the Beatles track ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’ climbed into the UK Top 10. They gained further recognition through covers and compositions such as the Hollies’ ‘A Peculiar Situation’ along with lighthearted tunes crafted by Les Reed and Barry Mason. Despite this, the Young Idea never managed to match the achievement of their solitary hit record.