Ranken was born on 13 November 1953 in the
Ladbroke Grove area of
London. He spent his early childhood listening to his parents' jazz records before moving to
Abbots Langley when he was five and
Heathfield in East Sussex a year later. He attended
Priory School, Lewes, where he was in the same year as
Pete Thomas and
Wreckless Eric, and was inspired by
the Beatles and
the Rolling Stones. He died on 10 February 2026, at the age of 72. ==References==