Son of aztec mexican beauty Margarita Cordova (flamenco dancer/actress - One-eyed Jack’s, Santa Barbara and Sunset Beach) and welsh/oglala sioux father Clark Allen (guitarist/painter) who together started the famous LA night club El Cid in 1961 (still a landmark on Sunset Boulevard), David was trained as a classical and flamenco guitarist, first playing on stage at the age of four, supporting his parents in their nightclub act. Sabicas, the greatest flamenco guitarist of the last century, in the audience one night, remarked that

David played like a gypsy. 

Until the Beatles, David was destined to become a classical and flamenco success, but life takes funny turns, and the arrival of the lads from Liverpool  ( The Beatles ) turned him in a completely different direction. 

David had chart success with his first band after sitting outside Shindig, the first coast to coast popular music show in the US, for one entire summer holiday until the sympathetic security guard took his music acetates in for him. Shortly after, he appeared on the program with his band, the Offbeats, and their one single! David went on to be signed to EMI/Parlaphone and record at the Abbey road studios - where he finally met Lennon and McCarrtney.

With Mae West

At 15 he and his band played musical backing on two albums with Mae West (Way Out West and her Christmas album). David also wrote one of the songs on Way Out West, and two on the other album, which, thankfully, were not mentioned when a promo on Channel Four voted Way Out West as containing some of the worst songs ever written!!

David recalls the photo session for the cover was 'Hollywood fantastic'. Mae West arrived with two semi-nude bodybuilders and played the star to the hilt. She was also very friendly, signing and giving a personalised copy of the album to each band member.