Description
Label Review.
Pinball, Pick Up, I / You plus 5 bonus tracks. 7T’s.
Our Overview.
Brian Protheroe may be better known for his TV roles in shows such as Reilly Ace of Spies, Lovejoy, North and South, Holby City, Midsomer Murders, Doctors and Spooks but back in the 1970s Brian was signed to Chrysalis Records and released three albums for the label between 1974-76. His single “Pinball” cracked the Top 30 and although none of his albums or other singles were hits his music retains a cult following. Aside from obscure Dutch reissues in the 1990s, this is the first officially sanctioned reissue of his work and Brian has been fully involved with the box set.
Protheroe joined the folk group Folk Blues Incorporated (FBI) when he was nineteen, while at this time listening to Bob Dylan and the Beatles. He came to London with FBI in 1965, and played in folk music clubs in and around London. In 1966, Brian began his career as an actor. His first job was with his local repertory theatre in Salisbury. He worked there for about seven months then spent the next five years in various theatre companies around Britain, developing his musical skills as well as becoming an experienced actor. In 1968 he worked for nearly two years in a theatre company in Lincoln, where he met Martin Duncan who was also a musician, writer and actor. Over the next few years they collaborated on various musical and artistic projects.
In 1973, Brian was playing the part of a pop singer in a play called 'Death on Demand', when a representative from Chrysalis Records heard a song he had written for the show. His first single, “Pinball”, was released in August 1974 and reached No.22 and an album of the same name followed. Two more albums – ‘Pick Up’ and ‘I/You’ were released over the next couple of years which featured Simon Phillips, as well as Ian Anderson and Barriemore Barlow of Jethro Tull. Protheroe’s songs are noted for their use of wordplay, some nonsensical, in the vein of John Lennon largely written by Martin Duncan although Brian had a hand in the writing too. Failing to replicate the success of his first single he returned to acting full time where he has carved out a successful career.
Tracklisting:
CD1: Clog Dancer / Money Love / Moon Over Malibu / Micky Dollar Dreams / Goodbye Surprise / Pinball / Kinotata / Changing My Tune / Monkey / Lady Belladonna / Fly Now / Interview / Also In The Limelight / Wrong Kinotata / Play
CD2: Enjoy It / The Good Brand Band Song / Scobo Queen / Cherry Pie / Oh Weeping Will / Gertrude’s Garden Hospital / Running Through The City / I Spy Lady / Chase Chase Chase / Soft Song / The Pick-Up / Back Away
CD3: I/You / Every Roman Knows / Evil Eye / Under The Greenwood Tree / Dancing On Black Ice / Battling Annie / Never Join The Fire Brigade / Hotel / Lucille / The Face And I / Back Away (Re-Mix) / Enjoy It (Re-Mix) / Fly Now (Re-Mix)