Based in London, his first album Smiling Like I'm Happy saw him playing as a one-man band, playing a bass drum with his foot and blowing a harmonica on a rack while strumming a 1952 Les Paul Goldtop guitar given to him in 1968 by Peter Green.
bˈeɪst ɪn lˈʌndən, hɪz fˈɜːst ˈælbəm smˈaɪlɪŋ lˈaɪk aɪm hˈæpi sˈɔː hˌɪm plˈeɪɪŋ æz ɐ wˈʌnmˈæn bˈænd, plˈeɪɪŋ ɐ bˈeɪs dɹˈʌm wɪð hɪz fˈʊt ænd blˈoʊɪŋ ɐ hɑːɹmˈɑːnɪkə ˌɔn ɐ ɹˈæk wˌaɪl stɹˈʌmɪŋ ɐ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti tˈuː lˈɛs pˈɔːl ɡˈoʊldtɑːp ɡɪtˈɑːɹ ɡˈɪvən tə hˌɪm ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti ˈeɪt baɪ pˈiːɾɚ ɡɹˈiːn.