She ain't No SuBo!

This woman is suing Simon Cowell under the the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. She claims he and the other judges on Britain's Got Talent didn't give her a chance. This is everything that is utterly wrong about these type of programmes. They give people, with absolutely no talent whatsoever, a false impression of their chances of success. In this woman's case she has no chance of ever being a singer – she's clearly tone deaf. Embedding a youtube video has been denied, no doubt by her legal team. Just go HERE to hear absolute rubbish.

The Great Del Shannon!

I've just written the sleeve notes for a new 30 Del Shannon compilation. It's a fabulous musical journey through the career of one of the greats from the 60s. You can buy it HERE

Rupert Holmes – Pursuit of Happiness

It's back. . .after a sabbatical of unprecedented length. It's the album of the week. I've written about Rupert Holmes before, his Widescreen album was the first of his that I ever bought. I had all of them on vinyl back in the 1970s and 80s but they got sold in either the great financial necessity purge or a later space saving purge. I've been in pursuit of them all ever since and today I finally got the last one, The Pursuit of Happiness.

It was released in 1978 and even then was somewhat at odds with the prevailing mood of pop. Rupert's songs are complex and witty but they are always catchy and just about every track on this album is super catchy. From the opening number, 'Less is more' you are invited into an intimate world of New York loft apartments and sophisticated people – today it might just sound a triffle dated to some (Ok, a lot dated in its feel and form) but I love it. I've always been a sucker for great pop songs and that's what this album and all of Rupert's albums are all about. Other standout tracks include, 'So Beautiful it Hurts', 'Speechless', 'Let's Get Crazy Tonight', 'Guitars' and 'The Long Way Home'.

If you only know Rupert Holmes from 'Escape (The Pina Colada Song) don't be put off. It's a song that has had a huge amount of airplay and perhaps has a tendency to grate for some in that the story wears thin after too many listenings. That's not a charge that you can level at the vast majority Rupert's output.

In recent years he's written a couple of very good books. I've read Swing, a good murder mystery and I have Where the Truth Lies to read. There's also a new book called The Musician's Daughter

Harvey Brooks & The Electric Flag

Harvey Broks is a bass player who has had the privilege to play with so many great musicians – Dylan, Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper, Steve Stills, Cass Elliot, the Doors and Miles davis. His composition, Harvey's Tune that is featured on the Super Session album has long been a favourite of mine. Harvey was also a member of the Electric Flag, a band put together by Mike Bloomfield & Barry Goldberg in 1967 that included Buddy Miles, who played some of the most inventive rock of the period.

You can catch Harvey talking about the Electric Flag HERE, it is fascinating. There are other vidlogs on Harvey's site about working with Dylan, Miles davis and a whole host of other musical legends.

The Beatles. . .Not

In honour of the Beatles remasters – I''ve bought four of them and cannot honestly see what all the fuss is about – and the fact that I am emerging from a welter of work. Two classic albums made up of alternative recordings

Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – Physic TV
With A Little Help From My Friends – Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds – Noel Harrison
Getting Better – Steve Hillage
Fixing a Hole – Big Daddy
She’s Leaving Home – Baja Marimba Band
Being For The Benefit of Mr Kite – Frank Sidebotham
Within You Without You – The Soulful Strings
When I’m Sixty-Four – Bernard Cribbins
Lovely Rita – Fats Domino
Good Morning, Good Morning – Critical Mass
Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) – Jimi Hendrix
A Day in The Life – Ipanema Beach Orchestra

Revolver

Taxman – The Bollock Brothers
Eleanor Rigby – Dr. West’s Medicine Show & junk Band
I’m Only Sleeping – Roseanne Cash
Love You To - Bongwater
Here, There & Everywhere – Stephane Grapelli
Yellow Submarine – The Leningrad Cowboys
She Said She Said – Gov’t Mule
Good Day Sunshine – Jimmy James & The vagabonds
And Your Bird Can Sing – The Flamin’ Groovies
For No One – Liza Minnelli
Doctor Robert – Bozo Allegro
I Want To Tell You – The Lambrettas
Got To Get You Into My Life – Sonny & Cher
Tomorrow Never Knows – The Grateful Dead

Woodstock – New Book

Another reason for a distinct lack of posting is this new book I've done with my pal Richard Evans, a regular commentator. Richard has done the superb design you'll find inside this book that chronicles the now famous festival. There's 256 pages plus over 200 photographs & Images. It's out now and you can get it from Amazon and all good bookshops.

15 – 18 August 1969 – according to the song the people were half a million strong by the time they got to Woodstock. But in reality no one ever did get to Woodstock. Instead they made it to some alfalfa fields near Bethel – population 3,900 – a hundred miles north of New York City and 60 miles southwest of the town of Woodstock. The Aquarian Music and Art Fair was held at Max Yasgur’s farm in White Lake.

No one among the 500,000 people could have had any idea of just how important the festival would turn out to be. Given the size of the crowd it was all extremely peaceful, especially considering what they had to endure. There were rainstorms, people waited for long periods for something to happen; they also ran short of food, and water, but there seemed to be no shortage of drugs.

Woodstock was a cultural landmark waiting to happen. Ever afterwards people have tried to emulate it; just a few months later at another festival at Altamont Racetrack, near San Francisco it tragically ended with murder and the death of the 60’s dream. It just proves how thin the line between glory and failure can be. At Woodstock nobody kept notes, maybe because no one thought it was that important. It’s only as the telescope of history has gradually been extended that the cultural significance of the 3 days of peace and love has truly been recognised.

Woodstock tells the story of everything that made up that momentous August weekend. From Jimi Hendrix to Janis Joplin, The Who to Joan Baez and Crosby Stills Nash & Young to Joe Cocker. But Woodstock does much more than focus on the 60 odd hours during which events played out. It traces the history of every band that performed, what they performed, how they came to be there, and what effect it had on the careers. The book reveals how it all came to be, as well Woodstock’s lasting legacy.

Whoever it was that coined the phrase – ‘The Woodstock Nation’ – created the zeitgeist. It’s what spawned the ‘Woodstock Generation’. From the day that the festival ended until now, and probably forever, we keep polishing it, perpetuating the myth and reveling in the magic.

The Stones in The Park

“I hope they don’t think we’re a rock ‘n’ roll outfit.”

The words of Michael Philip Jagger in July 1962 when the only thing he and the rest of the fledgling Rolling Stones wanted to be was a blues band. Seven years later, almost to the day, Sam Cutler who worked for Blackhill Enterprises, the company that arranged the free concerts in Hyde Park, went on stage to announce the band to the hundreds of thousands gathered in the royal park.

“The greatest rock and roll band in the world. They’re incredible; let’s hear it for the Stones!”

It was 5.25pm on Saturday 5 July 1969. For the Rolling Stones it was their first full concert in over 2 years, barring a short, 2 song, cameo at the NME Poll Winners Concert a year earlier that had been Brian Jones last appearance with the band. In June 1969 Brian left the group, setting in motion thirty-three days that would change the Stones forever more. Mick Taylor replaced him, before Brian then spawned a dozen conspiracy theories by dying in mysterious circumstances. Surrounding these events was uncertainty about the band being able to tour America due to Mick and Keith’s, as well as Brian’s, drug busts.

We will never know all that happened between Mick and Keith and the rest of the band over Brian’s situation as a Rolling Stone. It’s quite likely they can’t remember themselves all that went on during the later part of 1968 and early 1969. The truth always depends on who tells it, and in this case there were numerous different truths. For the last 40 years there have been stories and whispers from people saying that Brian wanted to leave of his own accord. This was probably true. He had lost his band mates along the way and he knew he was never going to regain control of the group that he had formed.

The Hyde Park concert was far from the greatest gig the Stones ever performed, but this was the dawn of the ‘Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Band in the World’. Come December at the Stones’ finale to their hugely successful American tour – the massive free concert at Altamont, just outside San Francisco – things almost went spectacularly and horribly wrong. But life turns upon events, and the Rolling Stones survived to become the Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Band in the World, not just because Sam Cutler called them that for the very first time at Hyde Park in the summer of ’69 and throughout the US tour. They have done so because of all that happened over those fateful thirty odd days, forty years ago.

My new book is out this week and is available at all good bookshops as well as online from Amazon.

Bob Dylan in Edinburgh

Last night it was Bob Dylan at the Edinburgh Playhouse, not a vast shed with total audience disconnection, thank goodness. I'd planned to meet my old friend, who is Dylan's promoter here in the UK, but he couldn't make it up from London; so what to do with the spare ticket? After phoning around no one either needed it or could make it so Mrs H. gamely agreed to come with me. Gamely, because she's not a Dylan fan and she in all honestly would have preferred a night in front of the TV.

We got there to find we had two seats in the directors box – help yourself to wine, we didn't as it's a long drive back to the Borders and we hadn't decided who was driving (I think Mrs H. had already decided it was, not unreasonably, me). His Bobness came on sharp at 7.30 with his band consisting of 2 guitarists, bass, drums and a pedal steel playing multi-instrumentalist – they were magnificent. I've not seen Dylan live in nearly 40 years but I'd been briefed by the Dylanafia that it's not like it used to be. I'd heard Modern Times, liked it but hadn't bought it to add to all the 1960s albums. Did I enjoy it?

Short answer, yes, but not exactly or overwhelmingly. It was a great vibe with wonderful sounds, although the tunes were barely recognisable from the originals. He played for 2 hours and did not say a single word to the audience, which strangely enhanced the whole affair. It was like eavesdropping on a rehearsal without a single break. Except they did go off after an hour and 45 minutes. So certain were the audience that he would be back that hardly a soul shouted for more. Everyone just waited. This is the set list and Bob played keyboards except where indicated.

1. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
2. Lay, Lady, Lay (Bob on guitar)
3. Tangled Up In Blue
4. When The Deal Goes Down
5. Rollin' And Tumblin'
6. Tryin' To Get To Heaven
7. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
8. Sugar Baby
9. High Water (For Charley Patton) (guitar)
10. I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met) (guitar)
11. Po' Boy
12. Highway 61 Revisited
13. Ain't Talkin'
14. Summer Days
15. Like A Rolling Stone
(encore)
16. All Along The Watchtower
17. Just Like A Woman (guitar)
18. Blowin' In The Wind

Dylan didn't introduce the band, but these are they
Tony Garnier - bass (originally a member of the very brilliant Asleep at the Wheel)
George Recile - drums
Stu Kimball - rhythm guitar
Denny Freeman - lead guitar
Donnie Herron - violin, banjo, electric mandolin

Best moments for me were Highway 61, All Along the Watchtower, Rollin and Tumblin, I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met) and Like a Rolling Stone. Afterwards it was interesting watching people leave; there was none of the usual ecstatic, smiling, faces you see after a great concert; maybe it was the age of the audience. We met up with a well-known Edinburgh crime writer and another friend who is a jeweller – they had both taken their sons. As we stood having a drink the writer said, "My son was desperate for Dylan to play acoustic guitar so he could shout Judas!" Made my evening.

Phil Spector – The Murder and A Book

The news the Phil Spector has been found guilty of second degree murder and is to be jailed for at least 18 years will be all over the media today. It will, for some, tarnish the reputation of one of music's great creative figures. I fondly remember looking forward to new releases of Spector produced records during the sixties – even those that were run of the mill, and there were few of them, were better than most anything else that was being produced. He was emulated and revered by musicians during that golden age of pop. To get a better understanding of the man and his music read my friend Mick Brown's wonderful book, Tearing Down the Wall of Sound – The Rise and Fall of Phil Spector. Mick is a brilliant writer who has the eye for detail of the journalist that he is, coupled with compassion and humanity that produces great books

Mick talked to Spector in December 2002, the legendary recluse's first interview in 25 years. Six weeks or so later Spector was arrested on suspicion of murdering a small time actress named Lana Clarkson and that trial is about to commence in Los Angeles. Ironically twenty-four hours before the alleged murder Mick's article appeared in the Daily Telegraph Magazine. As the book's publicity states, '"Tearing Down the Wall of Sound" is Mick Brown's personal odyssey into the heart of the strange life and times of Phil Spector. Beginning with that fateful meeting in Spector's home and recounting the story of his mercurial life and career, including the unfolding of the Clarkson case and its aftermath, this is one of the most bizarre and compelling stories in the annals of pop music.'

Singles Only?

To respond to the challenge of Columbia’s ‘long-player’, the LP or 12 inch record that played at 33 1/3 rpm, RCA decided to take an alternative approach. They concentrated their research and development efforts on an alternative to the 78-rpm ‘single’. RCA decided on the 45 rpm for their ‘singles’ by taking 78 and subtracting 33 leaving them with 45. When the 45 rpm launched 60 years ago this week a key player in RCA's plan was a blues singer named Arthur Crudup. The first 45-rpm in Victor’s R&B series was ‘That’s All Right’ recorded in September 1946 having already been released on 78rpm. Some dynamic marketing executive had the idea of colour coding the RCA releases. ‘That’s All Right’ came out on orange vinyl (although they called it cerise), popular music on blue, country records, rather appropriately, were green. While ‘That’s All Right’ did get some airplay on Black radio stations, it again failed to chart. But for a certain Mr. Elvis Presley ‘That’s All Right’ would have been a footnote in recording history. Elvis covered the song in 1954 at Sun Studios with Scotty Moore and Bill Black and while it was nothing more than a local hit it put Elvis on the map. Among the other releases was Eddy Arnold's 'Texarkana Baby." The B-side was "Boquet of Roses," both recorded in Nashville. The single was released on bright green vinyl.

America the Beautiful

There is nothing I like more (musically) than a good dose of harmony and there are few bands who do harmony as well as America. They were back in Glasgow on Thursday night to serenade us with another set of superb songs. From Riverside, their opening number, to A Horse With No Name their closer an hour and forty minutes later it was wall to wall hits with a few surprises thrown in for those people, like me, who have just about every one of their albums.

Music for all of us time stamps our lives and I cannot hear anything from America's first album without instantly being back, high in the Alps, standing and looking at a stunning view of the mountains with the songs from it playing on my old Phillips cassette recorder. I'd rigged it up to a big speaker that my mate Steve and I set up up in his mini van. We were on our way home from a week's camping in Chamonix in the early summer of 1972. I'd bought their first album the day it came out, from which Horse, Riverside, Sandman and I Need You came from; on Thursday evening they played them all.

America's songs are great radio records and Ventura Highway is still often heard here in the UK; go to the USA and you'll hear it along with You Can Do Magic, Only in Your Dreams, Tin Man, Don't Cross the River and Sister Golden Hair which all graced the Billboard charts. But America are far from an oldies act that rely on the power of nostalgia. They are still making great records and manage to imbue their live show with a freshness and wonderful musicianship that many bands with a quarter of their experience would envy. Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley along with their three piece band of Willie Leacox (drums), Michael Woods (guitars and keys) and Rich Campbell (bass) create a sound that is full, tight and well crafted.

New this time was a very clever film show and backdrop that accompanied and enhanced the sets. During Hollywood it really was superb, as it was on Sandman with its images of the Vietnam War; but even when it was little more than subtly changing images of the desert or highways it helped to create mind-set that made listening even more pleasurable. The Glasgow Concert Hall was not full but I guarantee that every person who went left with a head full of harmony and a heart full of great memories.

The Day The Music Died – 50 Years Ago Today

The 3 February 1959 was immortalised in the song American Pie by Don MacLean as “the day the music died”. It was the day on which Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper died in a plane crash in Iowa. Eight years later Joe Meek, the eccentric, and sometimes brilliant, record producer, shot himself after shooting dead his landlady at his flat in the Holloway Road. Two years later John, George and Ringo signed a management deal with Allen Klein, while Paul opted to go with his father-in-law Lee Eastman. This was a year to the day after recording Lady Madonna, which was exactly four years after they arrived in NYC to begin their first US tour. Two years to the day after Buddy Holly died Bob Dylan recorded his first song, San Francisco Bay Blues. On the positive side a number of rock and pop people have been born on 3 February. On the day that Buddy Holly and the others died, Lol Tolhurst of the Cure entered the world. In 1947 Dave Davies of the Kinks and Melanie were born. A year later Ozzy - although his mum called him John - Osbourne let out his first wail. . .I’ll refrain from making the obvious link.

Just Think of it, War Breaks Out and Nobody Turns Up. . .,

There's news that the National Archives have released the transcript of the broadcast that the BBC would have used in the event of a 1970s nuclear attack. I was very disappointed to see that the line that was used in what was possibly the best single of the 1980s, Frankie Goes to Hollywood's 'Two Tribes' is not in the official transcript.

"If your grandmother should die while in the shelter put her outside, but remember to tag her for identification purposes."

The Glenn Miller Orchestra in Kelso!

If you ever doubted that the Borders was the centre of the known world, then doubt no more. Because on Friday 26th September The Glenn Miller Orchestra under the direction of Ray McVay is at the Tait Hall in Kelso. Ray's an old friend and I can tell you that if you like big band music then this will be a fabulous night. It's a twenty piece band and they are terrific. They have no box office at the Tait Hall so tickets can be purchased through Browns Newsagents 01573 224269 or through Border Events

If you go, say hello to Ray, and tell him Richard sent you!

The Beautiful Ava Gardner Sings. . . For Real!

Ava Gardener and Frank Sinatra's love affair and marriage were the very stuff of Hollywood legend. There's no question that she was one of the most beautiful actresses of her generation, or any other for that matter. When the film Showboat in which Ava starred with Howard Keel was released MGM decided not to use her real singing voice but instead dubbed Annette Warren's voice onto the soundtrack. I've never heard Ava sing her two songs from the film before, but here, thanks to the wonder of Youtube is Ava singing, Can't Help Lovin Dat Man and Bill. They should have left her voice on the movie.

Apple's Genius is (Close to) Genius

Apple have just released iTunes 8 with a new feature they've called Genius. It operates in two ways. Firstly when you select and play a track a list appears in the Genius sidebar listing similar tracks that you can explore, and most importantly from their point of view, buy, from the iTunes store. The other way that Genius operates is to create a playlist from your own iTunes library after you click the magic button, having selected an initial song from your library. It's a bit like listening to a familiar and trusted radio station in that if the songs are in your library it stands to reason that you probably like them. What's brilliant about it is the fact that songs pop up that you may well not have listened to in ages. . . years in my case!

I selected Late Night Grande Hotel by the wonderful Nanci Griffiths and clicked the Genius button and this was what popped up from my 40,000 plus iTunes library.

Late Night Grande Hotel • Nanci Griffith
Love Hurts • Emmylou Harris
Texas Trilogy: Bosque County Romance • Lyle Lovett
I Will • Alison Krauss
Night Life • Willie Nelson
The Consequences of Falling • k.d. lang
Keep on the Sunny Side • The Carter Family
It's Just Another Morning Here • Nanci Griffith
Honky Tonkin' • Hank Williams
Gentle On My Mind • Glen Campbell
When You Are Old • Gretchen Peters
Here You Come Again • Dolly Parton
I'm Movin' On • Hank Snow
All I Have To Do Is Dream • Glen Campbell with Bobby Gentry
Return Of The Grievous Angel • Gram Parsons
These Days In An Open Book • Nanci Griffith
I'd Rather Be A Cowboy (Lady's Chains) • John Denver
Maybe • Alison Krauss
Crazy • Willie Nelson
Boulder To Birmingham (live) • Emmylou Harris
After The Gold Rush • Harris, Parton, Ronstadt
Tortured, Tangled Hearts • Dixie Chicks
Gulf Coast Highway • Nanci Griffith
I'll Come Knockin' • Lyle Lovett
Talking In Your Sleep • Crystal Gayle

Some people aren't quite so sure about the idea. On the Guardian's blog there's a note of caution about it becomming a de facto music subscription service. I see the point, but that only works if you dip your hand in your pocket and buy the track. There's another blog, from Canada, that argues is Genius, Good or Evil? My first impression? I think it's Genius, even though some f the track selections are a little quirky.

How To Choose?

Trying to choose between the two choirs left in Last Choir Standing was an almost impossible choice. Both were brilliant and either one would have been a worthy winner. For me this from Ysgol Glanaethwy was the best performance of the series

The Skirl o' the Pipes

Richard Thomson over at Scots and Independent has an interesting post all about his weekend with the Huntly Pipe Band. It reminded me of just one of many incidents I was involved in with a pipe band - back when I had a proper job, although quite how proper job and working with a pipe band appear in the same sentence I'm not so sure. British Caledonian Airways was, because of its Scottish heritage, in love with all things tartan, which of course meant that the female staff uniforms were just about the best there has ever been. The site of a girl standing at the top of the aircraft steps, ‘somewhere in Africa’, in her crisp white blouse and her kilt has been known to make many a grown up ex-pat go weak at the knees. Anyway I digress, because what BCAL also had was its very own Pipe Band. At the drop of a hat, or the start of a new route to some far flung corner of the world, the Pipers were dispatched to stir the hearts of everyone to hopefully make them buy more tickets.

When a new route was started the Pipe Band became a focal point of the airlines activities in the new destination city. The Pipe band were clever, they always learned a new tune with particular links to that city for playing at events and so on around the new route start up. When BCAL began flying to Houston they played The Yellow Rose of Texas while walking along the main street of the downtown area. Next thing you know they are all over the TV with local stations oooo-ing and ahhhhh-ing over this wonderful new Scottish/British airline.

When BCAL began flying to Atlanta I was asked to ‘keep an eye on them’ during their time in the city while the more important BCAL employees got on with the job of schmoozing the local big-wigs and the guests on the inaugural service, which included the late Labour Party leader John Smith. A huge reception was planned in the ballroom of the Omni hotel, so the band and I went through what it was they were going to do. Most of the talk surrounded how they were gong to walk around the balcony area before descending the steps of the ballroom to properly entertain the one thousand or so guests. We didn’t talk about what songs they were going to play. That was my big mistake.

That night, with the great and the good of Atlanta, including the Reverend Jesse Jackson, assembled in the ballroom, it came time for the band to enter. I was standing next to BCAL's chairman, Adam Thomson. First we hear the muffled strains of the pipes, they are playing Scotland the Brave as the enter the top level of the room. As they got to the staircase and started to descend to the room in which we were standing the Chairman turned to me and said.
“Well done Richard, aren’t they marvelous.”
As I was about to reply the pipers and drums segued into the special song they had learned especially for Atlanta.
“Oh my God.” Was all I could say.
“What? What is it?” says a worried Adam Thomson.
“This song, you know what it is don’t you?" I asked him
"No, No, what is it?
"It’s Marching Through Georgia, the song the Union troops whistled and sang as they burnt Atlanta during the American Civil War.”
I thought he was going to have a seizure. I was lucky to survive that one, because somehow it became all my fault.

The World of Junkets

Hard as I try I find it hard not to be cynical about the news today that Glasgow is to become an official Unesco City of Music - whatever that means. There seem to be so many of these type of endowments, either for world heritage, reading, culture and whatever else that they are all merging into a blur of useless unescos. What will it really do for Glasgow? Will it bring in any more tourists? Probably not, but the people involved with UNESCO will have enjoyed the junket. especially when you hear that Sevile and Bolagna are also to receve the accolade. But, and believe me this is taking nothing away from Glasgow which is a great city for music, what about Vienna, or Milan, or numerous other cities around the world? To celebrate the award Koïchiro Matsuura, the director-general of Unesco's itinery includes a walking tour of Edinburgh's Old and New towns, a Fringe performance by the Scottish Dance Theatre, a civic reception at Edinburgh City Council and a reception at Napier University for the launch of "Intangible Cultural Heritage in Scotland.

Do you think he'll notice?

A Tramp Shining - Richard Harris

Foe everyone who's given me a hard time about my lack of an album of the week, here's a cracker; some of you might disagree. For me Jimmy Webb is the greatest living American songwriter; no one comes close for my money. Just about the first thing most people in Britain knew about Jimmy was when Richard Harris delivered his opus, 'MacArthur Park', on an RCA single (It made No.4 in the UK and No.2 in the USA). It wasn't just the fact that it was seven and a half minutes long that got everybody talking. Richard Harris was far from most people's idea of a pop singer and a single that long was in most people's minds far too long for a pop single.

It was forty years ago give or take a couple of months that I first heard it on the radio; I was amazed. The melody, the lyrics, the orchestration and the arrangment are all perfect. While some people thought Harris couldn't sing I was in totally the opposite camp. A song is as much about the words as it's about the music and Richard Harris being an actor makes the words mean so much more. Of course 'MacArthur Park' baffled everyone with it's line about the cakes left out in the rain. Forty years later I'm no clearer about what that line means and I couldn't care less; as a song it just works for me.

'MacArthur Park' was also the focal point, if not the high point, of the album that Harris made with Webb. What a brilliant title - A Tramp Shining. Harris who had met Jimmy in Los Angeles had returned to live in London in 1967 and one day he cabled Webb: Come to London stop Let's make a record stop Love Richard. When Jimmy arrived in London he sat at the piano and played Richard about thirty or forty songs including Mac Park; Harris was certain when he heard it the first time that it was a hit. Webb went back to LA and set about recording the tacks wth some of the city's finest musicians, before headng back across the Atlantic to Ireland where Richard had decided he wanted to record the vocals at Dublin's Lansdowne Road Studios.

'Didn't We' which Richard related to instantly because of the break up of his marriage is beautiful and though it's been covered many times (including Sinatra) it never sounds better than as the opening track on 'A Tramp Shining'. 'If You Must Leave My Life' is another stand out, so is 'In the Final Hours'.

And now the end will find me,
not prepared and strong the way I thought I was,
but thinking from the start how very cold I was,
as though it mattered now.

Now the dying flowers,
sing an old song that haunt me,
and now nobody wants me,
all alone.

Lost between the last of summer's showers
These are the final hours.

For me there's not a weak moment on the album, but I realise that I'm both unusual in my taste and I've played this album, or at least tracks from it, every week for the last forty years. It's a part of me.

If you like over the top romantic music - classical or pop - then this is an album for you. If you don't, avoid it like the plague.