You're a Lady (album)

You're a Lady is the debut album by English singer-songwriter Peter Skellern, released in 1972 by Decca Records. The album was named after Skellern's first single, issued in August 1972 and a number 3 hit on the UK Singles Chart. Despite this success, the album failed to chart, as did the follow-up single "Our Jackie's Getting Married". The album established Skellern's unique musical style, encompassing influences from church music and northern brass band music, reflecting Skellern's Lancashire origin. A classically trained pianist, Skellern wrote the album while working as a porter at a hotel. You're a Lady was recorded in five sessions at Decca Studios in London. The album was reissued in 2019 by Mint Audio as part of Peter Skellern: The Complete Decca Recordings, a release crowdfunded by fans through a Kickstarter campaign.

You're a Lady
Studio album by
Peter Skellern
Released1972
Recorded3 July – 29 August 1972[1]
StudioDecca Studios, Tollington Park and West Hampstead
GenrePop
Length45:04 (58:17 with bonus tracks)
LabelDecca
ProducerPeter Sames
Peter Skellern chronology
You're a Lady
(1972)		 Not Without a Friend
(1973)
Singles from You're a Lady
  1. "You're a Lady"
    Released: 11 August 1972
  2. "Our Jackie's Getting Married"
    Released: 24 November 1972

Background

Born in Bury, Lancashire, Peter Skellern began piano lessons aged 9. By the age of 12, he was playing trombone in his school brass band, and by 16 he'd joined the National Youth Brass Band and was organist and choirmaster of St Paul's Church in Bury. He went on to study Music at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. After graduating with honours in 1968, Skellern struggled to make headway in a career as a concert pianist and instead focused on pursuing popular music.[2][1] Skellern relocated to Dorset to live in a cottage in Shaftesbury with his wife Diana, and worked as a porter in a local hotel. During this time, Skellern wrote his first song "You're a Lady". Answering a Melody Maker advert, Skellern joined the band the March Hare as keyboardist. This gave the classically-trained musician experience in rock and pop. In June 1969, The March Hare released their only single on Deram Records - "Have We Got News For You" backed with "I Could Make It There With You" - both Skellern compositions.[1]

The March Hare changed their name and style in 1970. Now making music with a country flavour, they became Harlan County. They released a self-titled album on short-lived Philips subsidiary Nashville, featuring three tracks co-written by Skellern,[3] but failed to achieve any success and disbanded. Skellern continued to pursue a career in pop, represented by the band's manager Johnny Stirling. Stirling shopped Skellern's compositions around music publishers, leading to a record deal with Decca for recording and Warner Music for publishing. The deal was signed on 5 May 1972.[1]

Skellern wrote the album in the summerhouse at his home in Shaftesbury. He kept his piano in the summerhouse so as not to bother anyone with his practice. Skellern's musical influences at this time included Liszt, Chopin, Marc Bolan,[4] Cole Porter and Randy Newman.[5]

Recording
Peter Skellern photographed by Michael Putland.

The recording of the album commenced at Decca's Studio 4 based in Tollington Park, London on 3 July 1972. Skellern was joined by handpicked session musicians, arranger Andrew Pryce Jackman and a choir consisting of members of The Congregation, a British pop ensemble formed by Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway[6] whose recording of "Softly Whispering I Love You" had hit number 4 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1972.[7] The session produced three tracks: the rock and roll-flavoured "Roll On Rhoda", "Manifesto" (recorded with the working title "Let The Tiger Roar") and "Apollo 11".[1]

The following day, the Hanwell Band was added to the lineup and "You're a Lady" was recorded in six takes.[1] Skellern sought to recapture the "speechless amazement" he felt playing in the National Youth Brass Band in his youth by using the brass band on the record.[4] The euphonium, played by John Luckett, is prominently featured.[8] Described as a "a breathless love song",[4] "You're a Lady" was issued as Skellern's first single on 11 August 1972.[1] The single was placed on Radio Luxembourg on a pay-for-play basis, but was then picked up by Terry Wogan on his BBC Radio 2 programme. It was Skellern's first and greatest chart success, peaking at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart.[9] and selling over 800,000 copies[10] It also charted at number 50 on the United States Billboard Hot 100.[11] "You're a Lady" became Skellern's signature song. He performed the song live on many occasions prior to his retirement in 2001.[12] It became a constant feature of his double act with Richard Stilgoe.[13]

Recording continued on 7 August, this time at Decca Studio 2 in West Hampstead. This session produced "Every Home Should Have One", compared lyrically to the work of Peter Tinniswood by one reviewer,[14] and "Our Jackie's Getting Married", issued as the follow-up single to "You're a Lady" on 24 November 1972.[15] The song's lyrics are written from the perspective of the titular Jackie, addressing his lover and telling her of the commotion he anticipates there will be when he tells his family about his plans to marry her. One verse has Jackie mimicking his mother's excited reaction to the news. Musically, the song incorporates an off-key piano and a brass band, which Skellern said nostalgically reminded him of a Northern wedding.[16] Towards the end, a brief excerpt from Mendelssohn's Wedding March played on the Guildford Cathedral organ momentarily interrupts all other instrumentation.[17] Another feature is a 'wound-up choir', a favourite studio effect of Skellern's. This effect was achieved by recording the choir at a slower speed making it sound higher and faster on normal speed playback.[1] Skellern worried that fans wouldn't like "Our Jackie's Getting Married" as much as "You're a Lady" due to its difference in style.[16] The single failed to chart. Skellern would later say the single was issued due to pressure from higher authorities.[18] However, the song was a runner-up for Ivor Novello Award for Best Novelty Song in 1973.[19]

The next session on 10 August 1972 was the most productive. It produced basic tracks for "Now I've Seen The Light" (called at this stage "Eyes To Lead The Blind"), "Ain't Life Something" (under the working title "The Veranda Song"), "Don't It Matter Anymore), "My Lonely Room", "A Sad Affair" and "All Last Night". These tracks were completed with overdubs over the next few days, before recording was paused for a few weeks for Skellern to promote the single release of "You're a Lady". The album was completed on 29 August 1972 with the recording of "Rock On" and the "funky"[20] "Keep In In Your Own Backyard".[1] The shuffling style of "Rock On" has garnered comparisons to the work of Randy Newman (particularly Newman's song "Mama Told Me Not to Come")[21] and Alan Price.[20]

Release and reception

You're a Lady was released in late 1972. Despite the success of the title track, the album was a commercial disappointment. It failed to chart, and by April 1973 had sold only 6,000 copies.[22] Skellern was reluctant to perform live, feeling he wasn't ready. On 29 May 1973, Skellern made his first live appearance, performing at a concert at the London Palladium for the charity KIDS.[23]

Upon release, Deborah Thomas of the Daily Mirror commented that You're a Lady has "a few interesting songs and a lot of sincerity, but some are too close to Gilbert and others haven't been developed far enough... ...for all that, I like it".[24] Billboard recommended the album, noting "many flavours of music with steel guitar and banjo highlighted" and considered "Manifesto" and "Ain't Life Something" highlights.[25] Harry Nilsson was reportedly a fan of the album.[5]

You're a Lady was issued on CD in 1989 by London Records, but availability was brief.[26] In 2019, Mint Audio issued a remastered version of the album as part of Peter Skellern: The Complete Decca Recordings. This release was produced by sound engineer Richard Moore and crowdfunded by fans through a Kickstarter campaign. Skellern collaborators Richard Stilgoe and Tim Rice are listed among the executive producers.[21] In a five-star review of the set, Richard Allen of Shindig! described Skellern as "unjustly neglected", commenting "lush production values were a signature of his hit "You're a Lady" but that recording was just one aspect of his style" and praising Skellern's "distinctive vulnerable voice".[20] Writing in Record Collector, David Quantick said "the album is full of inventiveness and Skellern’s many voices, from the seaside postcard melancholy of "A Sad Affair" to the ragtime fun of "Now I’ve Seen It All" [sic]". Quantick opined "It sounds like nothing else released in a decade where anything was possible".[14] Joe Marchese of The Second Disc described the set as "a stellar, persuasive tribute to the late artist", adding "as one of Peter Skellern’s songs goes, "Every Home Should Have One" indeed".[21]

Track listing

All songs written by Peter Skellern.

Side one
  1. "You're a Lady" – 4:39
  2. "A Sad Affair" – 4:06
  3. "Keep In Your Own Backyard" – 2:58
  4. "Ain't Life Something" – 2:54
  5. "Don't It Matter Anymore?" – 2:57
  6. "Manifesto" – 2:49
  7. "Now I've Seen The Light" – 2:16
  8. "Apollo 11" – 0:56

Side two
  1. "Our Jackie's Getting Married" – 2:56
  2. "Every Home Should Have One" – 3:33
  3. "Rock On" – 3:02
  4. "Roll On Rhoda" – 2:42
  5. "All Last Night" – 2:56
  6. "My Lonely Room" – 4:21
  7. "Goodnight" – 0:58
  8. "Symphonion" - 1:08

Bonus tracks on the 2019 remaster
  1. "I Don't Know" – 2:26
  2. "Georgia Moon" – 4:06
  3. "Lean Back (And Let It Happen)" – 2:43
  4. "Lie Safely There" – 3:58

References
  1. The Complete Decca Recordings (liner). Peter Skellern. Mint Audio. 2019.CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. Laing, Dave. "Peter Skellern obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  3. "Harlan County – Harlan County". Discogs. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  4. Thomas, Deborah (10 October 1972). "Peter Skellern: A Serious Pianist". Daily Mirror: 21. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  5. Drysdale, Rob (16 December 1972). "An Everyday Story of Sex, Holidays, Weddings and Brass Bands". Retrieved 12 June 2020. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. "Congregation – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  7. "The Congegration". Official Charts. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  8. "Death of Peter Skellern". 4BarsRest. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  9. "Peter Skellern". Official Charts. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  10. "Peter Skellern Tribute with Sir Tim Rice - BBC Radio 2". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  11. "Peter Skellern | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  12. "Nativity Music by Peter Skellern". The Aeolian Singers. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  13. "Stilgoe & Skellern – A Quiet Night Out". discogs. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  14. Quantick, David. "Peter Skellern - The Complete Decca Recordings". Record Collector. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  15. "Our Jackie's Getting Married". Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  16. Thomas, Deborah (10 October 1972). "Brassy Sound Of Success". Daily Mirror: 21.
  17. Stanton, Bob (6 December 1972). "An Oldie For Christmas?". Coventry Evening Telegraph: 6. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  18. Southall, Brian (7 April 1973). "Blue Peter". Retrieved 12 June 2020. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  19. Yorke, Ritchie (19 May 1973). "O'Sullivan Is Honoured By UK Songwriters' Guild". Billboard: 59. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  20. Allen, Richard (October 2019). "Peter Skellern - The Complete Decca Recordings". Shindig! (96): 78. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  21. Marchese, Joe. "Still Magic". The Second Disc. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  22. Southall, Brian (7 April 1973). "Blue Peter". Retrieved 12 June 2020. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  23. "Debut Show for Peter" (PDF). Record Mirror. 21 April 1973: 5. Retrieved 14 June 2020. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  24. Thomas, Deborah (21 November 1972). "Tuesday Scene". Daily Mirror: 10. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  25. "Pop Picks". Billboard. 3 March 1973. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  26. "Peter Skellern: The Complete Decca Recordings". Mint Audio. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
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