May 2009 Archives

VARIOUS ARTISTS: Honey And Wine (Ace)

THIS is the second foray by the Ace record label into the huge folio of Goffin and King compositions, celebrating one of the most lauded songwriting partnerships of all time.

As a youngster Gerry Goffin developed a taste for Broadway musicals and began creating songs in his head.

He enrolled at college to study chemistry and it was there he met 17 year-old Carole King, a keen amateur songwriter in search of a lyricist. They hit it off straight away, penned a few songs together and dropped out of college to get married.

In 1960 they joined Carole's friend Neil Sedaka at New York's Aldon Music as staff songwriters, and within two years became the most successful songsmiths in the country.

Amongst original versions of songs included here are Bobby Vee's Go Away Little Girl (before Steve Lawrence got his hands on it), and The Rising Sons' Take A Giant Step (later covered by The Monkees).

Not to be missed is Nancy Wilson's No Easy Way Down, which Dusty Springfield included on her brilliant Dusty In Memphis album.

There's also the US hits Oh No Not My Baby by Maxine Brown, Gene McDaniel's Point Of No Return, and Gene Pitney's Every Breath You Take.

Over this side of the pond there are UK successes Pleasant Valley Sunday by The Monkees and Up On The Roof by The Drifters.

There are also overlooked gems such as Chuck Jackson's I Need You, Freddie Scott's Brand New World and Jody Miller's very non-politically correct He Hit Me And It Felt Like A Kiss.

Friday April 3, 2009

Up early to drive to The Mailbox in Birmingham to be on Phil Upton's BBC WM Breakfast Show, to publicise my new radio show, beginning on Sunday.
Whilst on the show I offered to donate a Gold Disc to raffle in aid of WM's Kidney Kids Appeal for Birmingham Childrens Hospital.

Saturday April 4

Phone interview on Jimmy Frank' BBC WM Saturday afternoon show to plug start of our new show, starting tomorrow.

Sunday April 5th

Another phone interview on WM, this time on Carl Chinn's programme. Carl, like me, a former pupil of Moseley Grammar School.

Drove to The Mailbox, getting there about 1pm for the first of my new weekly radio shows. Unlike all of the shows I did on Saga and Smooth radio, this programme goes out LIVE, which is a whole new kettle of fish.

Near disaster when my co-host Jimmy Franks managed to press a mystery button on the sound desk and completely took the station off air for a couple of minutes! Soon rectified, though, and the show started straight after the 2 o'clock news.

I felt a little nervous to begin, but all nerves disappeared as soon as I got on mic, announcing: "the boy is back in town" and we launched into Thin Lizzy's classic The Boys Are Back In Town.

I have known Jimmy for several years, ever since he used to introduce my band at our residency at the Jamhouse in St Paul's Square in Birmingham.

The show went well but we had to finish half an hour early, at 3.30pm, to make way for the sports team (including my old friend Ron Atkinson) and their coverage of the Manchester United v Aston Villa game.

MIDGE URE - Pure + Breathe (Edsel)

IN September 1991, Ultravox frontman and Band Aid co-founder Midge Ure released Pure, his third solo album.He waited until 1995 to release his fourth, Breathe.

Both albums featured an eclectic mix of guest musicians, including Robert Fripp from King Crimson, Paddy Moloney of the Cheiftans, Mark Brzezicki of Big Country and Liam O'Maonlai from Hothouse Flowers.

This expanded CD release of both albums boasts 13 bonus tracks too, including Ure's version of Peter Green's Man Of The World.

There's a live version, too, of Tom Rush's No Regrets, originally a solo hit for Midge in 1982.

MAXINE BROWN - Best Of The Wand Years (Ace)

SOME sophisticated New York City soul from the splendid Maxine Brown, who was one of the late, great Dusty Springfield's influences. Dusty, Rod Stewart, Cher and Manfred Mann all recorded versions of Goffin and King's Oh No Not My Baby but Maxine Brown's original remains the best. That recording was one of just three major American hits for her, along with All In My Mind and Funny.

She also sang several duets with Chuck Jackson, and one of these, Something You Got was a song I used to sing with The Move.