Christie on a boat

Sheffield legend gives his new album its world premier.

23 October 2008 - Tony Christie opened the Northern leg of the BBC Electric Proms in Liverpool yesterday - on a boat.

The Amarillo legend took a ferry across the Mersey with around 100 fans, and performed his forthcoming album, Made in Sheffield, in full.

The record hits the shops on November the 11th and brings together some of Sheffield's greatest songwriting minds. It was produced by Richard Hawley and features tracks written by The Arctic Monkeys, The Human League and Jarvis Cocker.

The concept was Hawley's idea but it's not the first time Hawley has tried to work with Tony Christie as he explained to 6music from the top deck of the ferry yesterday:

"I was half way through another project, writing another album and I was driving home one night from one of the sessions. I was listening to Radio 2 and they played Coles Corner which is by Richard Hawley. I was with my son who is my manager and I said this is the sort of think I should be doing. And he said Richard sent you that song about 3 years ago." Christie explained.

"It was around the time all that Amarillo madness was going on and I was so busy. I said well this time I really want to do the song so why don't we try and get Richard to produce it. So we got a meeting with Richard and he said I've got a great idea.

"I'd love to produce the song but I'd like to produce a full album of material from Sheffield. I'm from Sheffield you're from Sheffield there are some great artists from Sheffield. Great bands, great writers why don't we do a Sheffield album."

As Christie launched into his cover of the Arctic Monkey's track, The Only One Who Knows, for the first time in front of a live audience yesterday, he said that he'd received Alex Turner's 'blessing' for what he'd done with the song.

The pair had met at the Q Awards earlier in the month and it seems the appreciation for each other's work is mutual:

"The reason I like the Monkeys is because they take me back to the 60's. It's very like that 60's scene, the Beatles and all that. It reminds me of that and of a time when I was kicking off in the business. So it's a bit retro but great."

"It will be different and it could be really interesting "
Tony Christie

The Royal Daffodil, which is something of a Liverpudlian institution, set sail from the Albert Dock pier-head early in the afternoon for a short trip up the river before Christie took to the stage.

Atmospheric lighting, string accompaniment and some brass magic from legendary trumpet player Guy Barker, made this a very special performance.

Christie's voice was as strong as ever and he gave an energetic and impassioned performance. But he told us before the performance that playing on a boat wasn't exactly what he had in mind when he first got the call from the Electric Proms:

"When I first got the call I thought, well it will be down in London at the Roundhouse or the Royal Festival Hall or somewhere. But they said, no we want you to do it from a ferry boat.

"And it's going to be in Liverpool because that's the Capital of Culture. And I thought, yeah why not. It will be different and it could be really interesting."

Christie was particularly glad to give some lesser known Sheffield artists the chance to get their music heard by a large audience. And as he debuted tracks from musicians who might not have the profile of the Jarvis and Hawley but still have the skills, he told 6 Music that the standard of songwriting in Sheffield was as strong as ever:

"It was staggering how good the material was - even tracks by unknown writers from Sheffield whose songs might never have seen the light of day. I'm pleased that I brought the songs out and maybe now they'll get some recognition."


Elizabeth Alker