As a number of former chart-toppers develop into nonagenarians, Neil Clark talks to the oldest residing male primary artist set to launch new music after 5 many years.
JJ Barrie from time to time. (Picture: NA)
It was the beginning of the lengthy, scorching summer time of 1976. James Callaghan was our Prime Minister, 2nd Division Southampton had received the FA Cup and England’s cricketers have been dealing with the fearsome quick bowlers of the West Indies. Whereas on the prime of the pop charts was one of many uncommon quantity 1s ever.
No Cost, sung by the Canadian artist JJ Barrie, instructed of how slightly boy billed his mom for doing family chores. When his “Mother” reminded him of all of the issues she had carried out for him, free of charge, since he was born, he was filled with contrition. Ethical of story: the true value of affection is not any cost.
It’s truthful to say the tune, which was truly a profound critique of placing a price ticket on all the pieces – divided opinion. Hip music critics hated it, (there was even a parody model by Billy Connolly), however the public clearly liked it with their purchases of the only propelling it to primary.
Fifty years on JJ Barrie (actual identify Barry Authors), continues to be professionally energetic – and, in his 93rd yr, is now the oldest surviving male primary artist. “I can bear in mind it prefer it was final week,” he says of the time he made it to the highest. “It’s wonderful. I can bear in mind sitting within the workplace of Chappell Music (my report firm) and Roland Remy coming in and saying: ‘You’re primary’! It’s a really unusual factor.
“I used to be singing some good center of the street music – No Cost was so sq. that once I heard it, I simply knew it was going to be successful report. Each feeling I had inside me. Everyone thought I used to be loopy, however I simply knew there was an viewers on the market who would actually relate to what I used to be speaking about.”
But in some methods the success he loved with No Cost was a double-edged sword for Barrie, who by no means had one other prime 20 hit. “The outcomes of getting so successful with No Cost went towards me as a result of it damage all my different music,” he explains. “Lots of people – the so-called elite press – have been very sarcastic concerning the form of report it was. However I didn’t write it, it was Harland Howard’s tune. It was simply a type of freak issues that occurred.”
For Anglophile Barrie having a primary in Britain was very particular. He first got here to the UK in 1952 – simply in time for The Queen’s Coronation – and 70 years later he additionally noticed her funeral. Within the Fifties he carried out as one half of a “loopy” comedy act referred to as Authors and Swinson. “We performed in all the nice theatres in England, together with 5 instances on the London Palladium,” he remembers.
Later Barrie grew to become a supervisor of the comic Norman Knowledge – whom he took to Canada to do a tour – and the singing group Blue Mink. Then in June 1976 he had his nice second. Championed by DJ Tony Blackburn, No Cost made it to primary – knocking Abba off the highest spot.
Barrie made 4 appearances on High of the Pops (two of which have lately been repeated on BBC4) together with within the Christmas version that yr. Though he might by no means match that success chart-wise, he did launch many different singles (together with one with the legendary soccer supervisor Brian Clough referred to as You Can’t Win Them All) and well-regarded albums. And the excellent news for his followers is that he’s nonetheless working as his 93rd birthday approaches in July.
“I’ve put this album along with materials that has by no means actually been launched which I believe will enchantment to a variety of center of the street individuals,” he says. “It’s referred to as With Love and Nation and it’s bought some good songs on it. No Cost is on the album to mark its fiftieth anniversary. I’m searching for a report firm to launch it.”
In terms of music Barrie believes that the Nineteen Seventies was an actual golden age when there was one thing for everybody and that a few of that selection has been misplaced immediately. However no less than we nonetheless have outdated editions of High of the Pops and You Tube, to remind us of these days. So, take it away J.J.! And maybe 50 years after his final primary, the oldest surviving chart-topping male artist can have an enormous hit as soon as once more. Wouldn’t that be one thing?
Downtown singer Petula Clark in 1969. (Picture: NBC Common through Getty Pictures)
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Over the following 4 years he had no fewer than 16 hit singles. In his exceptional profession he has had main roles in movies and musicals similar to Half A Sixpence and Finian’s Rainbow and is assumed to have made extra appearances on the London Palladium than some other artist.
In his 80s he was nonetheless performing in his present The Glenn Miller Story. He was knighted in 2020 for companies to leisure and charity. In 2015 he instructed the Scottish Every day Categorical, “I really like doing this job. Once I’m not doing it, I’m desirous about it. I do it for the kick. It’s probably the most great factor on this planet, imagine me.”
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