50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WOMBLES’ CHART DOMINATION TO BE CELEBRATED WITH ‘GOLDEN’ RELEASE


 

LIMITED EDITION VINYL RELEASED JUNE 21st 2024

FEATURES ALL THE WOMBLES’ SINGLES + RARE TRACKS

 **PRE ORDER NOW HERE**

 

 Celebrating 50 years since The Wombles’ UK chart domination, Dramatico Entertainment announces the release of GOLDEN, on June 27th. A limited edition LP; GOLDEN contains all the Wombles’ singles, remastered and in chronological order with bonus rare tracks including ‘Wombling USA’, and limited to only 500 copies.

 

From the release of their very first single, ‘The Wombling Song’ written by Mike Batt as the theme tune for The Wombles TV series, the original furry eco-warriors from Wimbledon Common became a UK phenomenon, elevated to household-name status and a part of the fabric of British life.

 Over their four gold-achieving albums, the pop group had eight top 40 hits in the British charts, and became the top selling singles act of 1974 beating Slade, Abba, The Bay City Rollers and many other favourites in the charts at the time. In June of that year, The Wombles had 3 songs simultaneously in the charts (‘Wombling Song’, ‘Remember You’re A Womble’, and ‘Banana Rock’), the first act to achieve that since The Beatles.

 Band leader, Orinoco vocalist, songwriter and producer Mike Batt comments on the monumental anniversary and album release, stating, “The Golden anniversary certainly makes me think about the ridiculous fun we had, and that what we thought of as a temporary moment in pop has endured beyond our expectations. I'm not sure which is the bigger thrill, having the three singles in the chart simultaneously at the time, or looking back on it fifty years later!”

 Immaculate pop is The Wombles’ trademark sound - an eclectic range of music including blues, country, folk, barbershop harmonies, glam rock, military brass and classical. The Wombles were originally created by Elisabeth Beresford in six novels, and adapted to be a band by Mike Batt in 1973 after he was commissioned to write the theme tune for the spin-off TV series and negotiated for the rights to record and perform music under The Wombles name.

 Wearing costumes made by Batt’s mother, Elaine, the band - with musicians such as Chris Spedding and members of Steeleye Span donning the costumes alongside Mike as Orinoco - would regularly appear on Top of the Pops, Crackerjack and Blue Peter. The Wombles reunited in 2011 for a highlight performance at Glastonbury Festival.

 GOLDEN Tracklisting

Side A

The Wombling Song

Remember You're A Womble

Banana Rock

Minuetto Allegretto

Wombling Merry Christmas

Wombling White Tie & Tails

 Side B

Superwomble

The Womble Shuffle

Lets Womble To The Party Tonight

Wombling USA

Rainmaker

The Wombling Song (Film Version)

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE - my fun experiment with it! (then with added Wombles)!

To my songwriter friends, you may have explored AI yourselves and happily discovered that it is shit at writing lyrics (often rhyming a word with itself, etc and not being original). However, writer-writer-friends! Be very afraid! Here is my bit of fun today. I just asked the AI (CHAT

My first instruction to the AI:

 Please write an essay-length account of a journey from Wimbledon to Chelsea in the style of James Boswell fictitiously travelling with Dr Johnson.

 The first response-  which came through after about 5 seconds’ thought and downloaded in another 8 seconds or so:

“I would be delighted to write an essay-length account of a journey from Wimbledon to Chelsea in the style of James Boswell fictitiously travelling with Dr Johnson. Here is my attempt at it:

Wimbledon, a place of green fields and rolling hills, freshly painted houses with well-manicured gardens and a plethora of horses and carriages making their way down the streets, was the starting point of our journey. Dr Samuel Johnson, a keen observer of human nature, was already on the spot as I approached him.

"Ah, Mr Boswell, it is good to see you. I trust you had a pleasant time in Wimbledon?"

"Yes, Dr Johnson, it is a lovely place indeed, but I am eager to embark on our journey to Chelsea," I replied, keen to set off and experience all the sights and sounds of our world.

"Very well, then let us be off. I trust that you have brought along your trusty notebook? You'll find that there will be much to observe and reflect on during our travels," remarked Johnson, ever the scholar.

Our carriage was a fine one, with plush seating and good travel facilities. We set off slowly along the winding streets of Wimbledon, with the gentle clip-clop of our carriage horses' hooves providing a soothing ambiance for the journey. I watched as the scenery of the village gradually transformed into the lively hustle and bustle of more urban streets.

The sights around us were many. There were market stalls where produce of all kinds were being sold, and on the edges of the road, we could see artisans busy at their tasks – blacksmiths pounding metal into shape, bakers kneading dough, and even a barber working his razors. The smells of freshly baked bread, roasted meats and bubbling pots of stew wafted through the air, making our mouths water. It was a scene of constant movement, with the noise of pedlars and street vendors mingling with the sound of wagon wheels and chatter.

Dr Johnson was much caught up in observing the people themselves. He was a man of great sensitivity, and he observed with a keen eye, the different expressions on the faces of passers-by, the subtle nuances of their body language and the way in which they interacted with the world around them. He remarked to me at one point:

"Mr. Boswell, it is in the midst of the most humble and everyday life that one finds the greatest truths about existence. The people we see here, carrying out their daily business, have stories and feelings that rival even the greatest tales of the histories."

As our carriage progressed through the streets and the characters around us changed, so too did the buildings around us. The stone, brick and wood structures of Wimbledon were gradually replaced by more substantial edifices of Chelsea. Shops became grander, and houses grew taller, reflecting the wealth of the area.

Finally, we arrived in our destination of Chelsea. It was an area of great elegance, full of parks and gardens, designed to foster a sense of peace and tranquillity. Here, the buildings were magnificent, and there were far more gardens than streets. Elegant carriages, drawn by fine horses with glittering harnesses and polished carriages adorned with intricate patterns, were common.

"Chelsea is a place of great beauty, Mr. Boswell," remarked Dr Johnson. "But do not be fooled by the grandeur of it all. For amidst this graced world lives ordinary people, with ordinary concerns, experiencing the same joys and pains as anyone else."

As we settled down to enjoy a cup of tea and some freshly baked sponge cake, I could not help but be filled with a sense of wonder at all that we had experienced during our journey. The sights, sounds, and smells of the city, the people that we had encountered, and the conversations that we had shared all blended to make for a fascinating journey.

In the end, it had been a trip that exemplified Dr. Johnson's philosophy that we should live life to the fullest, absorbing every detail and finding the pearl of value in even the most mundane of events.”

 

I then decided to ask it to include the Wombles, albeit anachronistically. Here is my instruction.

My second instruction to the AI:

Would you please re-write your excellent account of a journey from Wimbledon to Chelsea in the style of James Boswell fictitiously accompanied by Dr Johnson but insert a reference to the Wombles even though you and I both know that the Wombles are also fictitious and do not accord with the chronology of Dr Johnson and James Boswell.

The AI responded just as quickly, this time inserting pertinent referenced to The Wombles.

 The AI RE-WRITE inserting the Wombles:

“Certainly, I'd be happy to take on that challenge! Here is the re-written account of the journey from Wimbledon to Chelsea, with a reference to the Wombles:

Wimbledon, a place of green fields and rolling hills, freshly painted houses with well-manicured gardens and a plethora of horses and carriages making their way down the streets, was the starting point of our journey. Dr Samuel Johnson, a man of great learning and a deep love of literature, was already on the spot as I approached him.

"Ah, Mr Boswell, it is good to see you. I trust you had a pleasant time in Wimbledon?"

"Yes, Dr Johnson, it is a lovely place indeed. I couldn't help but think of the Wombles who are said to reside here, tidying up the place and making it a better world for all," I said with a smile.

Johnson raised a quizzical eyebrow but said nothing.

Our carriage was a fine one, with plush seating and excellent travel facilities. We set off slowly along the winding streets of Wimbledon, with the gentle clip-clop of our carriage horses' hooves providing a soothing ambiance for the journey. The iconic figure of Great Uncle Bulgaria, the Wombles' esteemed leader, and his team of diligent Wombles were nowhere to be seen, but I imagined them watching us from afar and making sure the streets were kept clean.

The sights around us were many. There were market stalls, where produce of all kinds were being sold, and on the edges of the road, we could see artisans busy at their tasks – blacksmiths pounding metal into shape, bakers kneading dough, and even a barber working his razors. The smells of freshly baked bread, roasted meats, and bubbling pots of stew wafted through the air, making our mouths water. It was a scene of constant movement, with the noise of pedlars and street vendors mingling with the sound of wagon wheels and chatter.

Dr Johnson was particularly struck by the people themselves. He was a man of great sensitivity and observed with a keen eye the different expressions on the faces of passersby, the subtle nuances of their body language, and the way in which they interacted with the world around them. He remarked at one point:

"Mr. Boswell, there is much to be learned from the Wombles' motto of 'making good use of bad rubbish'. For in the midst of the most ordinary and everyday life, we can find the greatest truths about existence. The people we see here, carrying out their daily business, have stories and experiences that rival even the greatest tales of the histories."

As our carriage progressed through the streets and the characters around us changed, so too did the buildings around us. The stone, brick, and wood structures of Wimbledon were gradually replaced by more substantial edifices of Chelsea. Shops became grander, and houses grew taller, reflecting the wealth of the area.

Finally, we arrived in our destination of Chelsea. It was an area of great elegance, full of parks and gardens, designed to foster a sense of peace and tranquillity. Here, the buildings were magnificent, and there were far more gardens than streets. Elegant carriages, drawn by fine horses with glittering harnesses and polished carriages adorned with intricate patterns, were common.

"Chelsea is a place of great beauty, Mr. Boswell," remarked Dr Johnson. "But do not be blinded by the grandeur of it all. For amidst this graced world lives ordinary people, with ordinary concerns, experiencing the same joys and pains as anyone else."

As we settled down to enjoy a cup of tea and some freshly baked sponge cake, I couldn't help but think of the Wombles and their message of making the world a better place. The sights, sounds, and smells of the city, the people that we had encountered, and the conversations that we had shared blended to make for a fascinating journey, one that exemplified Dr. Johnson's philosophy of finding value in every detail of life, no matter how small”

 

Me back to the AI:

Brilliant! I shall send it to my writer friends and I am sure they will be amused and impressed!

The AI wrote back:

Thank you so much, I’m delighted that you enjoyed it and I hope your writer friends will too!

 

 

**

 

 

 

VARIATIONS ON A RIFF – the album that’s been “lost” for 50 years!


 
 

 I’ve got a new album coming out on Friday (11th November). Well, not exactly NEW. Well, not exactly an ALBUM.

 

It’s 20 minutes long, and it’s EXACTLY 50 years old this month- November 2022. The date on the finished mix tape box [which we’ve used as the cover of the  “new album”] is 17th Nov 1972. It’s never seen the light of day. Oddly, my “Variations” album reflected my feelings about the Vietnam war which was raging at the time. It’s sadly relevant to what is happening in Ukraine today.

 

Back then (as now) I did all sorts of styles of music to make a living. I wrote jingles, I made singles. I made albums by thinking up ideas (“Synthesonic Sounds was something I just made up to sell to PYE records and make enough to keep alive for a while longer]. So it was in that atmosphere that I got ambitious  when a cheque for £11K landed on my doormat. It was more money than I’d ever seen. You could by a 3 bedroomed semi in a posh suburb for that. Instead of buying a house, I splashed it all on this very ambitious protest album about the Vietnam war! I could only afford to make 20 minutes of it- but I figured I could finish it once I landed a deal.

 

Here's the bit from my autobiography that covers this “adventure”. Ironically, everything you hear on this angry and (at the time) unusual rock album was played and written by the very same team that made all the Wombles records (Chris Spedding, Les Hurdle, Clem Cattini & Ray Cooper)

 

So there I was, back in the days when I had composed and recorded the Wombles and shelved the Wombles record because Decca wouldn’t let me make an album of Womble songs, then before ever selling the Wombles,  started the “Big Revolt” project, bizarrely financed by performance royalties surprisingly received from unexpected American TV showings of a Yoga TV project which had once threatened to bankrupt me because of the stupidity of my own union.

 

Artistically, the war concept album was much more the serious “me” that wanted to say something, - write something of substance. It contained influences ranging from Bartok to Led Zeppelin, and was bold and innovative. Stylistically, it was like nothing else that had preceded it or has ever followed it. It had guitar riffs interspersed with flute and oboe lines, angry vocals sung by a friend of mine called Tony Reece, and after I had spent the 11,000 pounds recording half of it (it would have cost 22,000 pounds to record all of it) – I set about trying to get a deal for it with a record company. I decided to think big about it. I wanted to score a massive record deal that would set me up for life. I hired the most recommended US attorney, a top-dollar lawyer called Richard Roemer. US music business attorneys aren’t just lawyers, they are deal makers and relationship facilitators. I made the trip out to New York, figuring this was a US deal, not a British deal. I had never been to the States. I was 22 years old and a bit scared of New York and its violent reputation. I had asked a friend where the best hotel was in New York. He said “The Americana”. It wasn’t. It definitely wasn’t. But that’s where I stayed, and I arrived during the American Meat Institute Convention so it took me an hour to check in. Everybody had badges with “AMERICAN MEAT PACKERS CONVENTION , Hi,  I’m (GEORGE, FRANK, CINDY)”

 

Clive Davis was just ending his days at the helm of CBS records before he got fired. I met him briefly but my meeting was with his Head Of A&R, Skip (somebody). Skip played my 20 minute tape all the way through at high volume, proclaimed it to be a masterpiece, told me he would get back to me, eagerly took my contact details and I never heard from him again. I was elated as I left his office. Apart from Skip, Dick Roemer had earned his vast fee by getting me in to see the presidents of most of the major companies, including Jack Holzman, - a charming and erudite man who ran his company, Elektra Records from his skyscraper office building high above Columbus Circle – a building which would one day be knocked down so that Donald Trump could build the very building that I sit in now, writing this account. I met with and played my album to the legendary Jerry Wexler at Atlantic, in the same building. These were great meetings for me. I had a great record, I was young, these were the top people in the business, and tough talkers who would tell me if they didn’t want to waste their time with me. All of them raved about my record. I didn’t know that I would never see any of them again for years, or ever.

 

My scheduled trip was to include LA as well. There, once again I had asked where the best place was to stay, and was told the “Hyatt House” on Sunset Boulevard. In those days it really was a rock ‘n’ roll hotel. On my first evening in the bar, Mark Bolan and Mickey Finn came in and we spent a couple of hours chatting and talking. I’d known Mickey from Hapshash and the Coloured Coat, and Mark, just from being around the business. Meeting-wise, I got to see all the big shots that Richard Roemer had set me up with, including Joe Smith, who ran Universal Records, some top guys at Motown, and most importantly for me,  Jerry Moss, the “M” of A&M, the company he owned with his partner Herb Alpert.

 

Moss’s office was in Charlie Chaplin’s old dressing room, - the record company had bought Chaplin’s old studio as its base. His office reeked of success and good taste, and he was a charismatic and polite character. He must’ve been about 42 years old. He listened intently and loudly to “The Big Revolt” and then spent quite a long time raving about its uniqueness, vision, commercial appeal and artistic originality. He asked what deal I was looking for. I said I wanted a three album deal at a hundred thousand dollars a record.

 

It was a lot of money I was asking, but not unheard of in the States – that’s why I was there instead of England. He didn’t blink. Said the deal sounded fair and and asked time to think about it, explaining that he had a sales convention starting the next day and would be out of town; how long would I be in town? I said I had been planning on leaving the next day. He said he wouldn’t be able to let me know for sure for about three days but that it would be a quick deal to close if we were both willing, on his return. I said no problem, I’d stick around in town.

 

I hung by the pool on top of the Hyatt House waiting for the phone to ring. It was before mobile phones, but they had a phone they could bring you by the pool, on a cord. The New Seekers were staying in the hotel – it was the height of their short spell of fame – and I got to know them a bit, as they were in the pool all the time. After four or five days I managed to get Jerry on the phone. He was still at his convention, and would be back the following Monday, could I wait another few days? I said no problem. I went back to the pool and waited. Finally, not hearing back, I left for England and rang him from there. I had hoped we might close the deal while I was in LA. That’s how keen Jerry had seemed. When I got back, I called him. He explained that he had just acquired the rights to the orchestral version of “Tommy” by the Who, - which he saw as similar (it wasn’t) in that it combined rock attitude and instrumentation with a symphony orchestra. He didn’t feel he could take on both projects. He was sorry.

 

I had now exhausted all my high level contacts in the States – all of whom had raved about my innovative music and production, - and I had run out of money and into overdraft at the West Byfleet branch of the Midland Bank. Worse still, nobody wanted my record. I turned to the UK record business and in particular to Purple Records, the label run by Deep Purple, who at the time were in their prime as one of the World’s top rock bands, and sympathetic to symphonic work, since Jon Lord was their keyboard player, and he himself had classical aspirations.

 

I met with a man called Tony Edwards, who was one of their managers. Tony loved the record. Asked if he could keep a copy. By now, the deal I was looking for was more along “British” lines, something like 10,000 pounds, - just enough to get me out of the hole I was in and some of my costs back. A week later I called Tony and he said he was very interested indeed. We had another meeting. At that meeting he said he had played the record to Ian Gillan, Purple’s lead singer, and that Ian would be interested in replacing Tony’s vocals with his own. I swallowed and agreed. My arse was on the line, Tony the singer’s wasn’t. Tony Edwards then said that Ian Gillan also wanted to re-write my lyrics. In other words it would become Ian’s project and I would be the producer/composer. This is my recollection of the meeting, so it may not be true in every detail, but it is what Tony told me as far as I can best remember it. I thanked Tony and walked politely from his office and that was the end of the matter. I was now in deep shit financially. Instead of buying a house  and giving myself some financial headroom to work on my next project, I had blown the lot on the big gamble and failed. I sent the project with a friend to try to sell it at Midem in France, but no joy. Uncomfortable calls were coming from the bank every day.

 

Stream/Download here - https://ada.lnk.to/Variations

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH PRINCE PHILIP’S SENSE OF HUMOUR

I met him many times, but the first time was on the occasion of his and The Queen’s 50th Wedding Anniversary, which happened also to be the 50th Wedding anniversary of my own parents. It was just a “receiving line” after the performance, at the Royal Tournament, of my commissioned piece for the Massed Bands and Pipes of the Guards, in celebration of the Golden Wedding anniversary, “Royal Gold”. It had been a thrilling evening for me, with the 250 musicians of the massed bands plus 100 pipe majors, serving and retired, who had been recruited from all over the UK, to take part. I gave The Queen a CD of the piece.  She was brief and gracious about it. Prince Philip, stepping in behind her, asked me “So what do you usually do?”. I thought it was delightfully naive, - that he would think composing wasn’t my job, and if I’d been more sensitive I might have been offended. “Oh I do this all the time, Sir” I said, “it’s my day job!”. He laughed and moved on. Actually, tell a lie, I had met his toecaps once when I was 13. He came to visit our school. Peter Symonds, in Winchester. I was part of a group of cadets demonstrating lifesaving around the pool. I was giving fake mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to another guy! We were told to keep doing our activities until or unless spoken to. Having seen and heard HRH’s red helicopter land on the upper field, we felt his presence approaching, and I dutifully kept my head down, my face an inch away from my “victim”, and looked steadfastly at the floor. As he entered the outdoor pool  area, he and his party walked along past me, and I got a very good look at his shoes, which were black and shiny, That was it. Just the shoes. Years later I told him this story and he seemed amused. I think he was quite good at seeming to be amused!

 

We’ve all heard, and sometimes experienced his sardonic side. He was really quite superior in his manner, while simultaneously genuinely wanting to connect with us, lesser mortals. But it was clear we were in his eyes, lesser mortals, and that his interest in us was a favour, a kindness that he was performing. He was affable and clubable (so I’ve heard, as I never “clubbed” with him), and he once told me a joke about an octopus fucking a set of bagpipes. He didn’t shy away from the language, and there were two ladies present.  He then leant in towards me, and quietly said – “It wasn’t me who told you that joke, was it, Mike!”. He had known that I was looking for a good joke to tell at SODS (Society of Distingished Songwriters) and The Grand Order Of Water Rats, of which he and I were both members – although one never saw him at meetings. Actually one never saw me at meetings either. I managed one Water Rats meeting when I was elected, and one more after that - but it didn’t suit me, being too much based in ritual, and giving off an air of quasi-Freemasonry that didn’t appeal to me.

 

The reason our paths crossed reasonably often within a period of a few years between about 2000 and 2012 was that I had been at the Palace for an occasion in the early 2000’s and had got to know Air Vice Marshall (Now Air Marshall, rtd) Sir David Walker, the head of the Royal Household. He and I became good friends, and if ever he needed any help that involved party planning, entertainment or music I was his most convenient call. Once, he asked me to record a private classical piano performance in the music room by Condaleezza Rice, the US Secretary Of State, (who was an excellent concert pianist) - for the Queen, some corgis and a handful of American generals.  I particularly enjoyed organising a production in the Ballroom at Buckingham Palace called ‘A celebration Of Youth in The Arts” to which the Great and the Good from the entertainment were invited, and at which the Queen was present.  [I remember my wife, Julianne sat next to Kevin Spacey, who spent all of their conversation time telling her how much more important he was than her]. It was quite an effort and involved Royal National Ballet, theatre students and many other youth groups, Even the symphony orchestra was a young orchestra from Tower Hamlets, one of the most deprived areas of the country. The Queen insisted the orchestra be paid properly and it was all very much part of the effort to use the Palace for good purpose and to reach and involve “real people”.

 

The Duke sometimes used to tease me by (I hope) pretending to forget who I was. At a drinks reception after an event, we found ourselves face to face, and he had a courtier in tow. The courtier, said “Mr Mike Batt, Sir”. Prince Philip barked ‘Who?” in a manner that was clearly jocular,  - the way one might say “Not today thank you!” when a friend comes to the door; but the courtier was taken aback. “You know Mike, Sir, he’s often conducted the orchestras here”. Quick as a flash, the Duke walked around me, took a look at my back, came round to the front and said, “Oh yes, now I recognise you!”.

 

It’s a sad moment to see him go. The Queen must be feeling awfully empty at the moment. The death of one so close is not only a loss but also a reminder of one’s own inevitable demise as the years pass. Her Majesty is one of the most stoical people I have ever met, and she will “just get on with it” in the true Royal tradition. But she’ll miss him terribly – and partly because he brought a twinkle to her eye and made her laugh. God bless him.

 

 Here’s a link to “Royal Gold” - the piece was commissioned to write for the golden wedding anniversary of Her Majesty and His Royal Highness. Coincidentally, it was the golden wedding anniversary of my own parents in the same year, and so it was my tribute to the too. Sadly, my dad died the week before the performance took place.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqdxU3yaRck&ab_channel=MikeBatt

 

 

 

Herbie, Bobby, A stag and the Orange Ape - (a blog)

Hi Everybody.

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It’s about time I got off my butt and wrote a blog so here goes (except it’s hard to type standing up so I’m back on my butt again). US Elections only days away. I wonder what I’ll feel looking back at this blog in a week’s time! If the orange ape gets back in, I’ll be, how shall we put it? -  a trifle peeved.  Actually that’s not a bad song title. I know you think I’m mad, but Katie thought I was mad with Nine Million Bicycles and look what happened there. “A Trifle Peeved” might make it to the charts and then you’ll all be laughing on the other side(s) of your faces.  Which actually brings me to a point – CONGRATULATIONS to Katie (Melua) on her top ten entry last week with “Album Number Eight”. She’s waited a while for it but good on her for sticking at it. It’s also nice that she stuck with my team to a substantial extent – Tim Harries my number one/only bass player for many years both played on and co-wrote with her, - in fact he has become a bit of a mentor to her by the looks of things. Guitarist Luke Potashnick ditto, and even my long-term PR “A team”– Sue Harris at Republic Media and Chris Hession for radio plugging. Nice to see much of the team still aboard and helping her forward. My sincere best wishes from afar – and long may it continue. Makes me proud, even though I’m no longer involved.

 

I lost a dear friend last week, the great Herbert (Herbie) Kretzmer – lyricist (most famously) of Les Miserables. A delightful, erudite and witty man, Herbie was a co-member of SODS (Society Of Distinguished Songwriters) with me, and his death at 95 (albeit a good run by any standards) is none the less painful a loss. Herbie also wrote “Bangers and Mash” and “Oh Doctor, I’m In Trouble” for Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren plus many songs with Charles Aznavour, notably “Yesterday When I Was Young” and the moving and thoughtful “She”. Do check that lyric out if you don’t know it. It’s stunningly insightful and poetic.

 

Our mutual friend Sir Tim Rice was on a BBC programme – I think Radio 4 – talking about Herbie, and mentioned “Oh Doctor I’m In Trouble” as being one of Herbie’s finest. Which it is. But the  (person at the) BBC said they couldn’t play it because it would be deemed non PC because of Sellers’ Indian accent. Hold on, - excuse me? You can do an American accent  - even a comical redneck US accent , - Elton sings in one all the time (meow!!) – but you can’t do an Indian one, - or actually Jamaican etc if you are Caucasian. So you can imitate any accent (Irish, South African, Scottish, Welsh) as long as it’s a traditionally known as a caucasian one, is that it? If so, who’s being racist and anti-libertarian? Indian doctors used to talk like that, just as many older and first generation immigrants still do. The younger ones less so, obviously. But we surely must be allowed to cherish the heritage, (of the Indian immigrant community) as well as our own – and humour is all part of it. Can we all  harden the fuck up just a touch?  Anyway, goodbye, Herbie. Dear, charming, clever Herbie. Rest In Peace.

 

We’ve also lost Bobby Ball this week. This is become an Obits column! Sorry. I didn’t know Bobby that well but I used to bump into him here and there. I first met him and Tommy in Stringfellows club, would you believe?  Before it became a table dancing club. It was just a nightclub hangout where the drinks were expensive but if you were well known you got in for free, and I seem to have qualified. I even remember sitting sharing a drink with Annie Lennox one night (actually I think we had a drink each) – so in those days it must have passed under  the feminist limbo bar. Good name for a bar. Move on, or rather BACK to Bobby Ball. My apologies for tweeting an RIP about Tommy rather than Bobby, in haste. I DO know them from each other. Bobby was such a great guy – and just had “funny bones” as it’s called in the biz. He would have you in fits.

 

So what’s GOOD in the world? *Looks around the room, hopefully*. Oh I’m just about to paint a big Stag onto the back of a jacket as a present for someone. I know that doesn’t balance out against COVID 19 and four more years of Trump but it’s a step in the right direction.  We’re having sausages for dinner so that’s another small thing to be thankful for! Sorry that last sentence ended in a preposition but how much do I really care? Not even a trifle peeved.

 

I’m still in the middle of my French project about which my lips are sealed. A long-term, high quality project. One day you’ll know! Keeps me very busy, which is again something for which to be thankful. (See what I did there?).  Been drawing a few Wombles, which has been fun but time-consuming, so have stopped offering them through the webshop on my site. Watch this (or that)  space though – I may do a Christmas one or something. I certainly want to do more “art”. – and I’m looking at the idea of a book of my doodles and poems,  - obviously not pre-Christmas, but it could be a bit of fun. The Doodles Of Batt. I thought if I did one of a load of naked blokes I could call it Oodles of Nude Dude Doodles. But I won’t because (a) you might think I’m a pervert and (b) I want to be taken seriously as an artist!

 

Which reminds me – I did an online chat (with Dominic King  https://www.facebook.com/DominicKingBBC

And I found myself telling the story of how I got the attention of CBS (now Sony) records back in 1975 when the Womble song came out. Their marketing director Clive Selwood wouldn’t even give me time for a meeting. So, realising that record companies related to “artists” rather than just a TV theme – I got my mum to make me a Womble costume, (the first one ever) and just walked into  the Managing Director’s office, and they loved it. Photos taken, etc – and they started to take me seriously. Then  (during the interview) I realised what I’d just said – I had to dress up as a Womble in order for CBS to TAKE ME SERIOUSLY!!!! (Arf, arf!).

 

Well I’ve run out of blog for this week. Do pass through the gift shop on your way out, you never know what you’ll find, what with Christmas coming up!

 

Stay cool, hang loose, boogie down and swing low.

 

Love from

 

Mike

Wa's 'appenin'? (October 2020)

Time for a blog - if only to get rid of that rather ancient blog I wrote months ago about Tom Watson being a bad choice for UK Music Chairman (which I still stand by, and the fat lady hasn’t sung yet). Let’s talk about something NICE, as my mum used to say. God, she was such a lovely, jolly life-force. I’ve said it before, but someone reminded me recently - her last recognisable words to me as she faded away in hospital were “aren’t we lucky!”. Yes, we bloody well are lucky.

I’ve been working, all the way through lockdown with a new, French artist about whom I can say NOTHING! But it is a fascinating project that I will be involved with even after the production is finished, (in the launching and marketing), and it will be manifested on several different levels, not just an album. That’s probably enough teasing! But it’s meant that I’ve been in my writing studio pretty much as I always was before lockdown, just without sessions and social things. Seven songs in the last five weeks, and I’m really pleased with them. Of course, not playing Bush Hall gig and my German tour and losing some big German TV shows was a disappointment. But I’m lucky to have a job I love. I mean it’s not exactly coal mining, is it! It’s meant that my album THE PENULTIMATE COLLECTION had to be “soft-launched” in the early summer (rather than leave it until the Autumn when all the bigger labels decided to put their bigger artists out. We decided to just make it available (which it is, on this site if you hit the “shop” square “picture button” on the front page, or order from Amazon etc) - and then service it properly to radio and do more on it as and when things get a bit easier. Although, who knows when that will be? Maybe it’ll just be a slow burn, catalogue album. I never expected it to be Number 1 in the charts! I’m very happy with it though because being a double album, it contains a cross-section of all the different styles I’ve been involved with rather than just being a “Greatest Hits” selection. We took great care mastering it and it really shows. It all sounds to me as if it were recorded in the same time zone, even though some of the tracks -including a three Womble tracks - go back 40 years or more, and some (two new tracks) were recorded this year!

My self-imposed quarantine (strict lockdown, shielding compliance) has encouraged me to get more technical with Logic and other parts of my job that previously I’ve left to others. I always write and orchestrate everything I do, - including having become quite expert on Finale scoring software since I began using it i 1989, but I’ve also usually had an engineer to help with programming. The fact that it’s more difficult to interface with musicians (although not impossible, with being able to send WAV files to each other) - has forced me to take a look at how I would make a record at home with no help. So I’ve dug more deeply into Logic Pro X and have acquired some snazzy libraries of samples. There’s a lot to learn, but I’m getting good at attaching samples to my old Snark scores (just for practise, really) and being quite surprised at how close to a real orchestra it sounds. My dream of recording a full, show-length version of THE HUNTING OF THE SNARK looks very doable. My favourite orchestral samples are the BERLIN collection. Their french horn section, I really can’t tell it from a real one. In fact it IS a real one!

I was persuade by my management company colleagues to start offering bespoke Womble drawings like the ones I did a couple of years ago. So today we've put the info out on this site (STORE)- and I'll do personalised Womble drawings. I hate having to charge for them, but I was told to man-up and get used to the idea of charging for things. We all need to make a living, me included. Even with live "lockdown transmissions" a couple of quite famous friends have told me that it's the done thing to charge something. Actually with gigs gone, I guess they are right. One said "You wouldn't give away a concert ticket would you, or everyone would go broke!" - and I guess it's a fair point. The notion that music is free is something that shouldn't totally be got used to. By doing stuff for free (except for special occasions) you are taking an opportunity from someone else- who maybe needs it even more than you - and so I'm getting the message.

Just finalising the paperwork with BMG to make 4 new tracks with Justin Hayward and the London Philharmonic - to add to and freshen up our album "Classic Blue" that we did a long time ago. Justin and I are old friends and our voices compliment each other really well. We shoulda been in a band together. Obviously he takes the lead vocals on this album because it's a Justin Hayward album, but I enjoyed doing the backups, and we may do a couple of duets within the new four tracks.

I'll leave it there for now, and hope to write a bit more regularly in future!

All the best

Mike

 

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MANY IN MUSIC BUSINESS ANGRY OVER TOM WATSON APPOINTMENT

Sorry if this is boring to some of you but it’s vital to some of us! Please share if you are in sympathy with the message.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN                                                                 14 April 2020

 

RE: THREAT TO THE INTEGRITY OF THE UK MUSIC INDUSTRY’S GOVERNMENT LOBBYING BODY                      https://www.ukmusic.org/about/

 

On 31st March it was announced that UK Music, the cross-sector umbrella body that acts to promote the interests of the UK music industry to government and the public, announced the appointment of a new Chairman.  The appointee was disgraced former MP Tom Watson. Though nobody will publish it, Watson is to thought to be being paid somewhere in the region of £60,000 for approximately one or two day(s) a week.

 

There is widespread concern both as to the suitability of the appointment, given Watson’s unpalatable and divisive history in public life, and the extent to which the two major UK Music funding bodies had a direct say in the selection process.

 

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-8194253/RICHARD-LITTLEJOHN-qualifies-Tom-Watson-new-role-chairman-UK-Music.html

 

In 2012 Tom Watson famously stood up in the House of Commons and declared the existence of a historic paedophile ring at the heart of Westminster.  There was only one problem: It was a lie.

Mr Watson’s fateful intervention would lead to Theresa May establishing a public inquiry into historic child sexual abuse.  This not only cost the taxpayer upwards of £200 million but also prompted police, in fear of Watson’s watchful glare, to falsely accuse a string of entirely innocent and respected public servants of participating in sadistic sexual abuse, torture and even murder. The public enquiry finally reported that no such paedophile network had ever existed. Watson would go on to brand the entirely innocent Leon Brittan, the former home secretary, as being “as close to evil as any human being could be” … just days after Brittan’s death.  Watson was quoting Carl Beech (the fantasist, liar and paedophile known as ‘Nick) who last summer was jailed for 18 years for perverting the course of justice, fraud and sexual offences.

 

WHY MIGHT IT MATTER?

Although Watson’s targets were establishment figures and almost exclusively conservative, he is arguably equally reviled on both left and right of politics (regardless of the few former colleagues who supported his appointment).  If the British music industry is to continue to thrive, it must have access to a sympathetic ear in Government – currently Conservative.  Can the industry be assured of a welcome with Watson as its flagbearer, and if not, is it worth the risk?

 

The appointment process remains clouded in mystery.  It has been revealed that neither PRS nor PPL were given a role to play in the interview process.  Watson was selected by an unidentified cabal and presented to the funding bodies for signoff.  It has also been suggested that Watson was a friend & colleague of UK Music's outgoing CEO – in itself a matter for concern if the appointment process is to be regarded as objective.

 

UK Music’ funding comes from PRSforMusic and PPL – both not-for-profit membership organisations fed entirely by the royalties from music. Their revenue is generated by songwriters, composers, recording artists, session players, and their partners: music publishers and record labels. (As far as PRS is concerned songwriters’ money constitutes the majority of that revenue).  PRS’ new CEO, Andrea Martin, advised that, given his history, the concerns about Watson’s suitability were “investigated during the interview process” but she gave no indication as to how she knew that as she was not present.  Nor did she explain how the (mysterious) panel regarded such distasteful behaviour as irrelevant for such a high-profile and well-rewarded post in a globally respected industry and key economic sector.  Fortunately, PRS Chairman, Nigel Elderton has responded to the concerns expressed to him by many in the music community by undertaking to put them to the PRS Board saying “[Neither t]he PRS Board nor I as Chair had any involvement in the process or appointment of Mr Watson to the role of UK Music Chair”…..I have no doubt that the  level of contempt felt by many with regard to this appointment will have been fully understood”. 

 

PPL is owned and largely controlled by the record labels.  There has been no equivalent expression of concern from PPL CEO, Peter Leatham.  We know that the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) voted against Watson’s appointment.  One asks why PPL thought it acceptable to ignore the views of its key partner (BPI) and go on to endorse Watson’s appointment.

 

UK Music is unique in that it has achieved what for decades many thought was impossible – the unifying of the many disparate voices in music to present their shared concerns to policy makers and to conduct research to inform that policy. Historically the recorded music sector had been regarded as the voice of the industry – a fact which often worked against the interests of the creative community and the collective management organisations that support them.  Were the BPI, having been so roundly ignored, to step away from UK Music, the hard won achievements of UK Music to date would be at risk.  Should we allow the ambitions of a disgraced former MP and the covert machinations of a few unknown industry persons, blind to the optics of their choice, to put at risk the achievements of a body that has, until now, managed to work so very successfully on behalf of all of us?

 

Please share this email with friends and colleagues in the business and feel free to make your views known to the Board members of the organisations that make up UK Music: 

 

AIM                                            https://www.aim.org.uk/#/pages/about-us

The Ivors Academy           https://ivorsacademy.com/about-us/our-team/  Please check out the various genre committees that contribute to policy here, too.

British Phonographic Industry (BPI)           https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/01132389/officers

Featured Artists’ Coalition

The FAC board includes: Dave Rowntree (Artist In Residence), Annie Lennox, Imogen Heap, Ed O’Brien (Radiohead), Fran Healy (Travis), Hal Ritson (The Young Punx), Howard Jones, Jeremy Pritchard (Everything Everything), Katie Melua, Lucy Pullin, Nick Mason (Pink Floyd, Founder Member), Roxanne de Bastion, Sam Lee, Sandie Shaw (Honorary President), John Robb, Marcus O'Dair, Eckoes.

Music Managers’ Forum                 https://themmf.net/about/who-we-are/

Music Publishers’ Association    https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/00140248/officers

Musicians’ Union                                 https://www.musiciansunion.org.uk/Home/About-Us/who-we-are

Phonographic Performance Ltd                   https://www.ppluk.com/about-us/ppl-and-vpl-boards/

PRSforMusic (funder of UK Music)

                                                      https://www.prsformusic.com/about-us/governance/prs-board

UK Live Music Group       https://www.ukmusic.org/about/our-members/uk-live-music-group

                                                      Made up of the following bodies:

Agents’ Association (AA)                                         Association of Independent Festivals (AIF)Association for Electronic Music (AFEM)            Concert Promoters Association (CPA)Association of Festival Organisers (AFO)           International Live Music Conference (ILMC)National Arenas Association (NAA)                      Production Services Association (PSA)Music Venue Trust (MVT)

SOME THOUGHTS ON SONGWRITING "THESE DAYS"

 

“These days” is a sweeping way to describe a big and detailed musical landscape and/or time of music tastes and charts. The charts themselves are no longer  a reflection of the music tastes of the general populace anyway, being so differently defined by steaming and with physical formats being almost deliberately frogmarched off the landscape by those who wish physical formats to disappear completely. The adult listener- more receptive to properly constructed, heartfelt and skilfully expressed songs, has not yet become completely accustomed to  the streaming world.

 

The main characteristic I see dominating songwriting (even by so-called singer-songwriters) is the number of  “writers” involved in the creation of many contemporary  songs; sometimes six or more names, one of which might be the artist who may or may not have been in the room(s) when it was written. Songs written by committee are liable to attract criticism for not being the soulful or heartfelt thoughts of one person. This charge can of course be levelled at two-person songwriting teams where one is the lyricist and one, the composer, but they aren’t accused of insincerity or conveyor belt assembly. Even though Elton John is usually singing the thoughts of Bernie Taupin, - (and always of others than himself) - we know Taupin is a poet well worthy of  the excellence of Elton’s musical composition, and that their partnership is based on mutual creative buoyancy, even if they aren’t Elton’s own words. So many great songs have been written by partnerships of specialists (Bacharach and David, Rogers and Hammerstein, Lennon and McCartney) but my cynicism about big songwriting teams also  leads me to doubt the sincerity of the some of the content.  I’m not going to name names, but the production line where somebody provides the beats, two other people create the melodic top line and others contribute to the words makes me wonder whether the song would ever have been written if it had just come from a thought deeply felt by a writer or artist. So many great writers are able, all by themselves, to express their own feelings in songs, and do it in a way that might not even say anything new but does say it in a new and powerful, original way.

 

That said, songs tend, either deliberately or not,  to hold a mirror up to society, or are at least be affected by what is going on in the world. It can be done literally and  overtly like the ban the bomb songs of  the flower power era, or more subtly and organically just by reflecting the feeling in the air when things are not going too well in the (or their) world. The social media generation is experiencing strongly articulated stress daily. The aggression present in politics and in religious and racial tensions are no greater today than they have always been, but they are thrust more often and more directly into the faces of people. This is bound to reflect in our songs, just as the blues was born in the Deep South of America when slavery was making the world an almost intolerable place for many people, and World War two produced songs like “We’ll Meet Again” for very obvious reasons.

 MELANCHOLY

For my own part, as a writer of both words and music, I wake up each morning a little depressed for many reasons, but most of them are external, worldwide reasons that have an almost unconscious and quietly wearying effect on me. I find it hard to write a depressing song though. I don’t see it as something I am here to do. I have written about death (in “Bright Eyes”) but in such a way that it hopefully brings forth an emotion and a sense of wondering that people can think of as beautiful in their own way. I’ve written about desperation in love (”The Closest Thing To Crazy”) which I have found many people identify with on a deeply emotional level.  Some people write about their own sadness; when I thought I was about to lose the girl I eventually married 34 years ago, I wrote three songs, all about those very feelings (and all of which became top ten hits).

But I have been lucky, in that those emotions could just as easily be felt by anyone today as they could have been a few years ago by me when I wrote them, and my style of writing is not of any particular era. I have never been fashionable, the upside of which is that it is hard to define a moment when one goes out of fashion. Melancholy is a sweet and sad feeling that is quite a distance away from depression. Most of my own work  - even that which was centred around the Wombles – has been described as having a melancholic element. It must just be present in me, because it isn’t a reflection of what is happening around me in the world, at least not very often. I do not use my songs to express anger or disgust. I have no explanation as to why that is. Perhaps I’m just not angry or disgusted, - but there are plenty of things to be angry or unhappy about in the world, and so that can’t be the reason.

 

There are plenty of deeply felt, darkly emotional songs around. Often the six person writing teams are just talented enablers who help to express a raw emotion felt by  one talented artist. Obviously in other cases the machine just sounds like a machine. And maybe that’s what you get in those cases – a kind of industrial songwriting sausage machine. “Committees” of songwriters to express collective anger , distaste, blame, hatred, whether or not driven by, elevated by or spoiled by love or its absence . Maybe multiple writers are the way to express a more communal view.

 

Call me old fashioned. I love writing songs but I need to feel something and be driven by the challenge to express it in my own way, even if it’s  a commission for or about fictitious character in a movie.  Melancholy makes the world go round.

"CHRONICLES" NEWS...Hardback is out, KIndle version now released

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Hooray! Horace the elf (this time on his second instrument, the piano accordion), playing (silently, - a special skill) to celebrate the release of the KINDLE version of “THE CHRONICLES OF DON‘T BE SO RIDICULOUS VALLEY”

AMAZON LINK: https://tinyurl.com/tg2bgdv

…in addition to the existing hardback version. Horace may be a relatively minor (relative minor, geddit?) character in the book, but you never know in DBSRV, and we have a feeling that if the book takes off there may well be a bigger role for Horace, Musical Director of the Don’t Be So Ridiculous Valley Academy Of Music Marching Wind Band, who might be persuaded to make an album. But count ye not thy eggs before they hatcheth. Go forth and buyeth ye book first. One small step for Elfkind at a time.

Lots of love and a HAPPY CHRISTMAS from everyone in Don’t Be So Ridiculous Valley, Woodland Land, The Avocado Basin, EVERYWHERE ELSE, AND I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU NOT TO BE SO RIDICULOUS VALLEY. Especially Ergo and Little Else, and a big fat Christmas fart from General Moundrot and his henchmen.

You can get a sneaky read of the first few pages of the book at the above Amazon link, by pretending you are interested in the Kindle version, having a quick squizz and then ordering the proper hardback book!

Leave a comment OR A LIKE this time! We want to know IF you liked this page - and/or the book (or didn’t). WE’RE AFRAID WE DON’T HAVE A “DISLIKE”OR A “LOATHE” Button.

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GUNNA CHANGE THIS WEBSITE SOON BUT MEANWHILE HERE'S A BLOG!

Something about this website doesn’t excite me. I know that’s not exactly salesmanship - you might as well click off, huh? Well - I thought I’d put another blog up here and tell you what’s happening.

You know when you are excited by a website’s design and you want to explore and go looking around finding stuff? Well there’s HEAPS of stuff on here but it doesn’t thrill me like my old www.madhouserag.com which by the way is still up there - much outdated - if you want to see what I mean.

I want to have a front page with lots of buttons and little areas and spaces you can choose to click on. At first I liked this design with just the squares leading to different areas but it doesn’t grab me now. I also want to stimulate comments on my blogs so we can have forum-type exchanges.

Anyway ENOUGH MOANING. Tomorrow I’m off to Hamburg courtesy of HAMBURG PLANETARIUM and with One’s Wife, for two days in a posh hotel. Hooray, I haven’t actually been out of the UK for THREE YEARS would you believe. Not even to the Isle Of Wight. I used to be everywhere. Meanwhile, back at why I’m going, - it’s the relaunch of my audio-visual immersive experience VOICES IN THE DARK, - an adventurous interpretation of many of my songs and pieces of music in the form of a Dome-projected animation adventure. I wish it could be shown in the UK but it seems (a) there aren’t many Planetariums, and (b) the ones we have all think we only want to look at stars, and that Astrophysics is the only proper use for a dome projection theatre!

German director Terry Rudat and a team of brilliant CGI artists have used my solo records as a soundbed and let their imagination run riot. I’ve seen the production, - it was done a few years ago and financed by Dramatico, - but they have added a couple of extra songs (“Bright Eyes” and “Lady Of The Dawn”). Juxtaposed against some of my freakier orchestral and rock’n’ Roll moments, it makes a really stunning 40 minute experience. These guys are good!

At the same time I’m going to be having talks with a promoter about a tour of Germany (and possibly Holland) in late 2020, - probably just me and a piano and a string quartet. Watch this (or a space like this but better) for further details. This is the trailer from the OLD version. It doesn’t really give you enough of an idea of how phenomenally fab it is because it’s flat. (See link at bottom of blog). Also I’ll be talking to German media promo folks about the release in Germany of my forthcoming double CD/Digital album “Mike Batt: The Ultimate Collection". Boring title, but you have to call it what it is. No good calling it “Schizotarotxeroberlinphonia”. On the other hand…

The album will be released worldwide- which includes the UK - Hooray. Probably April or May.

Well, short of telling a joke or writing a recipe, (none of which you’d thank me for) that’s about all for now, so this is me stopping.

Well it would have been if I had stopped there but I didn’t. But this really is.

MX

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTFrH4vicPk

HOW I BROKE INTO COLONEL GADDAFI'S YACHT

An excerpt from my forthcoming autobiography…

HOW I BROKE INTO COL GADDAFI'S YACHT

While I was living in Hilversum in 1980 it happened that the Eurovision Song Contest was being held in Holland that year, - and I thought it would be fun to drive down to the Hague to be there. At the same time, I could take advantage of the fact that a potential skipper for the Braemar trip was in Holland, (his name was Ian, I can’t remember his surname) and the ship of which he was then Captain was docked at the Van Lendt shipyard on a stretch of canal, en route to the Hague from Hilversum. It was owned by the infamous Libyan dictator Colonel Muammer Gaddafi, and had fairly recently been used for a summit meeting of dangerous African leaders including Idi Amin.

When I arrived for my appointment, the entire yard was seemingly deserted. I presumed there would at least be someone aboard the vessel so I did what one does when approaching , and shouted the name of the yacht up the gangplank. No response. I stepped up the gangplank, and from the top of it, again called the name. There was a noise of a generator coming from the open door to the engine room. Taking off my shoes, I followed the noise, expecting to find an engineer or someone. Nobody. I ventured along the side deck and called again. Nothing. I entered another door and went down below, to find that I was in a magnificent stateroom with light beige suede wallpaper, luxurious fittings and what looked like an automatic weapon ,mounted on the bulkhead. I realised to my horror that I was in Gaddafi’s personal quarters! I legged it back up to the main deck pretty sharpish. Calling again , I seemed to find my way into the rear saloon, upper deck, where the French windows were open. I entered, closing the doors behind me. I couldn’t believe the yacht would be left like that, and I guess I must have been looking for a deckhand, or the skipper himself. Suddenly realising that I had, in a way broken into Gadaffi’s yacht, - and if discovered by anyone other than the skipper (who would know he was meeting me) it might be an unfortunate encounter, I decided to get out of there as soon as I could. Except when I tried to open the the French windows behind me they wouldn’t open! I tried for about five minutes. The plot was beginning to thicken! The headline “Womble Singer Wasted By Gaddafi Bodyguards After being Caught Breaking Into Yacht” flitted across my mind. Eventually I went further forward into the yacht and by a stroke of luck found a door that led to a service companionway ladder that enabled me to reach the main deck. I climbed down it and breathed a sigh of relief. At that moment, the captain arrived in a small vehicle and greeted me from onshore. “I see you found it then” He shouted.

We went to a restaurant for our interview and had something to eat. He was a really nice guy, and obviously a first class skipper, but he told me he’d had enough of being with Gaddafi, - it was all too tense. It didn’t work out between us when it came to the job, - I can’t remember why. I think I may even have offered it to him a few days later and perhaps he turned it down. I think dates and availability came into it. But the thing I CAN remember is that sudden panic when I realised I was trapped as an intruder inside Gaddafi’s yacht, and scrambling down a narrow ladder to make my escape!

SNARK UPDATE

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Stephane Grappelli and Mike Batt at CTS Studios, 1983

Dear Snark-Interested Bloggees,

SNARK UPDATE - MARCH 2019

Just an update re SNARK. I think we all know by now that PledgeMusic is, at least in the short term (and unless it gets rescued) up the Swannee. Most folks who pledged (by pre-ordering their copy of the album/merch/experience etc) won't have been charged on their card. If you HAVE - (Apple Pay is one that WAS apparently taken) - do get in touch with Pledge Immediately. If you just used a credit or debit card you can rest easy. If you prefer to negate the transaction just in case, you still have that option.

Anyway - so I'm continuing on what seems to be a longer-than-anticipated trek to get this BLOODY ALBUM made!

In anticipation of getting it made eventually, I have started cutting together a "dummy" version of the show using backing tracks from the original album interspersed with midi signals taken from my orchestra score (I use FINALE software to orchestrate and it plays back the score. I can assign samples to the midi sounds to approximate the orchestra and rhythm. I won't be issuing it like that but it does mean that if I have a star cast member in town, who can only make a certain date I'll have a backing track to work on, which will be at the right tempo and in the right key. The midi orchestra will never be heard on the final record. When we get funded, I'll add the real orchestra and it'll all sound lovely!

I can also do all the backing vocals (which are mostly me, stacked up like I always have done (plus some friends who identify as female) so that no time will be wasted when the dosh shows up.

This approach means I will creep up on the album gradually, like a Snark that happens to be looking the other way, or a Fumious Bandersnatch that has nipped out for a fag and is having a little kip on the way back to its nest.

All this is of course rather boring and it would be so much better just to run into the studio in my usual way and PLAY THE BLOODY THING in a week or so. But - it IS actually quite good for my soul to be chopping this template version together. My son, the brilliant singer-songwriter LUKE BATT (also known in Recordland as "Superheart") is helping me as engineer/programmer on a "day here and a day there" basis. I will probably do what I did on the very first album before my star performers were added one by one, and that is to sing it all through, myself, so they know what to sing and where.

So that's where we are. Why does EVERY project (or nearly every one) turn out to be so long-winded and uphill? It seems to be the story of my life. I am heartened by the fact that the ones that have taken the most effort and given me the most grief are the ones that often end up being the greatest successes, either artistically or commercially. Ideally both, but not always.

Lots of love

Mike

PS - The picture with myself and Stephane Grappelli taken in 1983 when we were making the first album, is to remind me to tell you that we are technically able to transfer his solo work off the old album, onto the new one. Same with George Harrison’s guitar solo. Hooray!

ONE DOOR CLOSES...


…AND ANOTHER ONE SLAMS IN YOUR FACE!

I’m sorry to report that PLEDGE MUSIC - the crowd-funding platform that has for so many years offered a route to market for independent artists, have reported that they are in a cash-flow crisis and seeking a buyer. That leaves us unable to fund our SNARK project (see “Dear Bloggees” Blog on this site). I’m so sorry. Particularly to stars Matt Lucas, John Partridge and Philip Quast, who have pinned, and have not yet unpinned their colours to my mast. In other words they have so far agreed to star on this new first-ever recording of the full West End show score, as stated in my previous blog entitled ”DEAR BLOGGEES”. I will get the project funded a different way. Just got to work out how. Gimme a moment!

More soon, when I get it sorted.

Forgive the lack of jollity in this announcement.

Anyone who has ordered their copy (that’s how Pledge Music works, you just pre-order - it’s not a donation or investment) - rest assured your money has not been, and will not be taken unless they are back on their feet and operating again, in which case you’ll get your album/merchandise/experience whatever. It doesn’t make it any more fun though, does it!??!!!

Thanks for your patience.

All the best

Mike


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