Then, at The Two Brewers, I heard songs like Dirty Old Town and learned that Ewan McColl had written about Salford, a place just down the road from here. Wow.

This has been less an interview, more a friendly chat, which says a great deal about the warmth of Norman Prince. Nevertheless, McKee by now is in professional mode, and in her best Sue Lawley manner asks Norman what would be his choice if only one disc were allowed on that mythical desert island. (Warwick, would scratch the record and settle for Sue Lawley, but never mind!)

Bridge Over Troubled Water, definitely. It came out in December 1969, the middle of winter, and I remember Val (my wife) and I had just got together, and would cuddle up together on the settee to watch tv. We saw The Old Grey Whistle Test with Whispering Bob Harris. Most music was played to film clips on that programme, but at the end of one show Bob said that even though there was no accompanying film he had to play a new track he’d just heard. It was gone midnight, the lights down low and we heard Bridge Over Troubled Water for the first time and as it ended we both just sighed. The message is one of bonding and reliability and it mattered to us both, so that’s our song. Ironically, it was the song that effectively broke up Simon And Garfunkel, with Simon having to wait months for Garfunkel to find the time to record it and then taking over the vocals so completely that Simon was almost redundant.
Presenting his own radio show, playing with The Fivepenny Piece and giving after-dinner speeches must keep Norman pretty busy we reckon.

Well, I also play folk gigs and shows like the one I did last night with Brighouse and Raistrick Brass Band. That kind of thing started with The Houghton Weavers doing folk and brass nights over Christmas at Preston Guild Hall. The Oldham Tinkers work regularly with Scratch Brass of course, and I also do gigs with Freckleton Brass Band. People seem to love those shows and I really enjoy them.

To bring the conversation to a close, Just Poets ask Norman to outline what the audience at Darwen Library Theatre can expect on Saturday 30th November.

A lot of songs they know, one or two they don’t and lots of funny stories. I think these concerts are the epitome of what entertainment is all about. The shows are two hours of audience and artists sharing what they love, and that is music and humour. At the end of the night we hope everybody leaves feeling a bit better than they did when they came in.

It certainly sounds a show not to be missed and Just Poets look forward to bringing you a review on these pages in early December. Even so, come along and form your own opinion.

Tickets £9-00- £7-00 concession. Box office 01254 706006

Meanwhile, for further information about Norman Prince and The Fivepenny Piece why not log on to his web site?
www.n.prince.co.uk

To submit your ideas for future features or interviews for Backstage Pass
e-mail: - justpoets2@aol.com

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