Wanting to become a politician should disqualify you from being one.

April 26th – One of my all-time favourite singer/songwriter performers is James Taylor. I do believe I first heard him back in 1969 or 70 on the John Peel Show which, I guess, was on Radio One, Top Gear. He did a Sunday afternoon slot, probably about two hours long, and on this, as is usual in Mr. Peel’s broadcasts, he showcased unheard, sometimes unsigned bands and performers; something he excelled at until his untimely demise, what, nine years ago was it?

I don’t know of any serious music aficionado who hasn’t had recourse to refer to him as the man who put me on to… His legendary status in always looking left-field, musically, and being open to listening to un-requested performance tapes and cd’s just because someone had gone to the trouble of making it and sending it, so the least I can do… What we wouldn't give to have that now in the music world and at any time in the publishing world, the film world, the scriptwriting world, the playwriting world… That’s what’s so annoying about this arts debacle that Maria Miller instigated and presided over last year. Let’s cut to the chase.

She has the bedrock of an educative background for making decisions on the arts as she graduated in Economics (?) and also has a first class honours degree in Expenses… Yet here she is preaching about the commercial aspect of theatre and how it needs to play a bigger part. Does she really think people put on a show to make a loss… jeezzeee…trouble is she’s serious. It’s like the bloke who got control of a theatre I worked in and started off the first meeting by saying;

“Right, now, I only want you to book shows that sell out from now on. OK?”

WATP. Well she’s like that, Ms. Miller. She thinks that’s how theatre works, that all we need to do is only make shows that sell… What you end up with, if this is your mantra, is just a list of famous names making mediocre junk ‘cos;

“At least people know who they are”.

And this woman is in charge…FMS!

What we need are more John Peel’s (what we get is more Ian Duncan Smith’s). Mr. Peel's programme introduced me to Tyrannosaurus Rex, Bonzo Dog, Jethro Tull amongst many others and was de rigueur listening for anyone in a progressive rock band.

That’s where Mr. Taylor first came to my attention and I've followed him and his career ever since. On this day in 2003, he had a bridge named after him in North Carolina as it had featured in one of his songs, Copperline, and you only have to listen to his recordings of Sweet Baby James, or Places in My Past, or Soldier, the more popular Fire and Rain or indeed the more recent Sailing to Philadelphia to recognise his rare, rare song writing and performance talent. 
I've laughed and cried along to his music for 40+ years…so, thank you Messer’s Taylor and Peel for your gifts…