July 3rd

Now what a funny old day. I have to finish to Idents for the forthcoming season of the Champions league. These have to be versions of Handel’s ‘Zadok the Priest’ but played by a wire choir, Brian May-esque multi tracked guitars.

However the main job today, and quite frankly life may not get much weirder than this, is to record multiple backing vocals for Sir Cliff Richards forthcoming Christmas single. His current album is being produced by my pal Chris Porter. He was so impressed by my Brian Wilson like vocal arrangements on my solo record, he wondered if I might do the same for Cliff. So here I sit coming up with parts, replacing Cliffs and singing along with him. I was about 5 when I went to the local barber with my mother holding a copy of the picture sleeve of ‘The Young ones’ and asked if my hair could be done like that. Mum would have been proud beyond words at this development. Me? Well its kind of ‘this is so naff its hip’ No disrespect to His Highness.

I have to say the rather juvenile urge to record, amidst the many overdubs, a piece of backwards singing that when played forwards says ‘Cliff is Satan’ took some time to be rejected. I need to get out more.

I take the finished version to the studio. There are moments where there are 16 of my voices tracked up. Chris loves it. Am I up for more!!!!!!!
Greg Lake, Gordon Haskell, Boz, John Wetton, Cliff Richards I do them all.