his first venture into professional music was with an epping-based semi-pro band called the stalkers, which also featured box. byron and box then teamed up to form the band spice (1967–1969), which also featured newton on bass and alex napier on drums. the band gigged extensively locally under the management of paul newton's father and they secured a recording deal with united artists, which issued the band's only single "what about the music/in love"; copies of which now fetch around $50 to $100 on the collectors' market.