Malcolm Roberts - The Story Of My Life

Описание: Malcolm Roberts was born on 31 March 1944 in Blackley, Manchester, UK. Following school education he attended art college and enrolled at the Manchester School of Music and Drama. After graduating he played trumpet with the National Youth Orchestra, and embarked on an acting career that included a bit part in the leading British soap series 'Coronation Street'. During the mid-Sixties he was cast as 'Tony' in a touring version of 'West Side Story', leading to him becoming understudy for the part of Eric Dooley in the Lionel Bart West End musical 'Maggie May', a role that he would subsequently take over.
I first came aross Malcolm with his 1967 release of that year's San Remo Song Contest winner "Non Pensare a Me" which, with English lyrics, became known as "Time Alone Will Tell". My interest at the time was not so much with Malcolm, but the fact that here was an unknown British male singer going head to head on this song with Connie Francis, whose latest release this was. Malcolm had a minor RCA Records hit with "Time Alone Will Tell", and spent two weeks in the UK charts, which certainly helped establish him. Without detracting from his performance and success, Connie's record never stood a chance since it was issued in Britain at a time when MGM Records, getting a little too big for their boots, chose to sever relations with longtime distributor EMI, and go solo. It was a disaster! Not only did that brief period of independence scupper her "Time Alone Will Tell" charts potential, but also that of its flipside, "Born Free", the first female recording of the John Barry-Don Black Oscar-winning song, that is now regarded as one of her all-time greatest recordings.
Malcolm moved to the Major Minor label the following year and gained his biggest UK chart success with "May I Have the Next Dream With You", which reached #8. I, like many, regard the best of Malcolm's trio of UK chart entries to be "Love Is All", undeniably one of the greatest songs to stem from the outstanding Les Reed & Barry Mason partnership. His recording enjoyed a 12-week run in the charts, peaking at #12. Malcolm had introduced the song at the IV International Music Festival in Rio de Janeiro in 1969 where his prolonged standing ovation resulted in him being regarded as the "winner" of the event. The song, however, was officially awarded third place — an unpopular decision with the attending crowd. Nevertheless, his participation in the Festival endeared him to the Brazilian population and helped him forge a highly successful career in that country.
The Reed-Roberts partnership was an enduring one which not only led to Malcolm securing a Top 10 placing among artists to have recorded the most songs written by Les. but also a successful songwriting association that included the moving "My Son", recorded by a diverse range of artists including Julie Rogers, Eddy Arnold and Brendan Shine, and the powerful "Hanging On To The Edge of the World".
I do not believe there is any such thing as a "bad" or "poor" Malcolm Roberts recording of a Les Reed song. For me it's a case of the degree with which a particular song tugs at my heartstrings. "Love Is All" is certainly up there, as is "When There's No You". However, the one that strikes additional personal chords with me is "The Story Of My Life", on which Les collaborated with Tony Hiller, another of the outstanding British songwriters of the era. My favourite of the Reed-Hiller catalogue, I consider it to be their finest collaboration. I'm not sure why, but “The Story of My Life” reminds me in so many ways of the wonderful European Kletzmer songs I grew up with. Les’s sentimental melody and the moving Tony Hiller lyrics combine to produce a song that has so much meaning for me. Even thinking about it can make me well up.
Regrettably, I never got to meet Tony but, thanks to Les, who suggested we got in touch, Tony and I did have a lengthy telephone chat during which I learned that back in the Fifties he had frequently dined at my parents' restaurant in London's East End! This song, therefore, is really a tribute to all three: Les’s piano playing of his sentimental melody, Tony Hiller's moving lyrics and Malcolm's outstanding interpretation that combine to produce a recording that mercilessly twangs those heartstrings.
Malcolm was only 58 when suffering a fatal heart attack on 7 February 2003.