To the Ivors again!

Every 2 or 3 years I like to go along to the Ivor Novello Awards held every year in May at the swanky & plush Grosvenor Park Lane Hotel. Since winning 2 of the lovely bronze statuettes on my very first visit many years ago, it is of course an event that always brings back great memories of those times - but also seems to not only have retained its mystique but to have enhanced its very special status internationally over the intervening years as possibly the most prestigious award to receive in the fragile superlative and rarified world of songwriting and songwriters.

My first pleasurable surprise was to find out that I had been seated by BASCA next to my old friend Steve Harley, the man I consider responsible for introducing my first band (& last probably!) Sailor to wider audiences through his generous praise and promotion of our band way back in 74 by inviting us to support him on his incredibly successful “Come Up & See Me’ UK Tour. It was just after this tour where, if my memory serves me well, Steve, Jim Cregan and Stuart Elliot & Co in Cockney Rebel frequently would watch our act from backstage and shout encouragement and the occasional insult about our tight white bell-bottoms! Ah, fond memories!

But back to the Ivors and as the fabulous, enduring Smokey Robinson warmly informed us yesterday during a very appreciative speech after receiving his award, even in the middle of a US tour with only one day off, did not hesitate for one second to come to London to pick up his Ivor Novello. This, he said has to be the most special award for songwriters worldwide. More so, he was pleased to add, as was awarded by one’s peers in the songwriting profession. When they played his timeless songs one after one, I’m afraid it was on a whole other level even to the extremely worthy & talented UK winners like Eg White, Duffy, Elbow and Coldplay etc

Smokey’s songs, such as My Girl, Tears of a Clown, You Really Got A Hold on Me, reminded you of why you were actually sitting here in this room, why you became a writer in the first place. Not to decry any of the above and the likes of Will Young and many other fine UK stars, but as my table-mates, Steve Harley, Mike Rutherford and Graham Gould & I exchanged knowing looks and recognition that (come on guys, get real!) THIS was THE era of the most powerful & stimulating pop music the world had ever heard to date, sold in its tens of millions, changed lives and became the soundtrack to growing up in those changing and turbulent decades.

If I’d ever set out to try and win one of these things myself as a musical ‘chancer’ of course, it probably would never have happened - this is why it’s so special to get one, let alone two - which I had the extreme good fortune & serendipity to receive back in 84. Since then I’ve tried very hard for a third or fourth - but sadly as yet, to no avail! Perhaps I should just consider being in the right place at the right time on two occasions is enough and just be content with that? (But no, hang on - maybe it’s best to carry on making songs but just stop trying so bloody hard!)

The industry and profession of music is actually timeless and that is why the Ivor Novellos, and more particularly, the spirit and aspirations of why these awards were first instigated, is so special to writers and creators of music. Perhaps records are not selling in such high quantities these days, perhaps kids have lots of other competing things to spend their money on and download more. Perhaps writing songs is less remunerative these days? Who knows? Who cares! In the end, the real impetus to create music and songs (thankfully, as it turns out!) has nothing to do with money after all, but just a simple but seemingly unstoppable impulse to write music & words that if for no other reason whatsoever attempt to convey some experience of truth, melody and timeless joy to one’s friends, peers and listeners - and just get it out there in the ether whichever way you can.

Like ‘Tears Of A Clown’ for instance!