CAN you imagine Marty Wilde giving up his rock 'n' roll lifestyle to pursue a career as a celebrity gardener?

Unlike his daughter Kim, happy to swap the trappings of showbiz for a kneeling pad and some secateurs, the original king of Britrock would be lost in a garden.

Happily, then, there's no sign that the Fifties singer is about to abandon his musical roots just yet.

Together with his backing band The Wildcats, Marty is back on the road for another UK tour, which brings him to The Anvil, Basingstoke this Wednesday.

First catapulted into the hit parade in July 1958 with Endless Sleep, Marty scored a string of memorable hits over a four-year period before eventually dropping out of sight - in singles sales, at least - in 1962, just as The Beatles began to make their chart onslaught.

Among his dozen or more hits were the top ten tracks Donna, A Teenager in Love, Sea of Love and Rubber Ball.

These and other favourites are sure to be dusted off for Marty's Basingstoke gig, which will also see him paying tribute to many of the number one hits of the era, as well as to his friend and chart companion, Billy Fury.

AW

Wednesday. Performance: 7.45pm. Tickets: £14. Box office: 01256 844244.