A radio interview about an astonishing collection

Martin Awsop, Spain

Here's a transcript of a radio interview with Martin Awsop, whose name is familiar to BtP visitors: he has contributed a lot to our page of AWSoP covers, he can be seen with Gary Brooker here, and he is also to be found on a new Procol website here. The English translation is by Martin himself and, though the idioms are sometimes unusual, we feel that it would spoil the flavour of this piece to attempt any linguistic tweaking. In the middle of this page, Martin's summer 2001 e-postcard to BtP

Radio Station - RADIO CLUB 25 Barcelona. Interview's day Friday 31 March

Speaker Jose Maria Pallardó (the most famous from the 70s of Rock programmes on the Radio)
And so it was that later ... sounding of bottom AWSoP by Procol Harum ... well friends as I have been coming announcing to yours since some days we are going to stop not in a group, we are going to stop in a historic song on the pop music, is a song of the end of the sixties that converted in the biggest success of the group Procol Harum ...

Martin is a listener of our program and himself converted in a collector, but not the one group, not the one period and not the one style of music, but of a only song almost by chance ... Is truth Martin, how becomes this AWSoP collection ?

Martin Awsop
Well all becomes with an Italian friend of mine he has three covers an Italian and I'd have three on English and spoken about of ours preferences we arrived at the conclusion that it was the song that we liked of everything overcoat for his melody and since then until now ...

You've got almost one hundred covers; do you have some idea of whichever but they can have in the international market ?

Good not exactly but I calculate all over easily 140 or more ...

And the authors of this song are Brooker & Reid truth ...

Yes, Gary Brooker was the voice and piano and Keith Reid was the author of the letters.

And how about of Procol Harum now, because is a group that quite unnoticed step.

Well this one the most success that they have, but still keepin' recording and every year some group or singer plays a new versions of AWSoP ...

Good they are be living on the Coté da Azur, Brooker & Reid, with the author's rights.

Surely ... of all ways Gary Brooker has contributed on the album from Mike Ronson tribute and it has returned to plays AWSoP.

This English group took a based on a subject of J.S.Bach, you have remembered to me now which exactly ?

On the Air on G string from the Number 3 suite ...

We are going to remember it (of bottom it sounds Bach's) is clear and Bach doesn't receive author's rights ...

Of course him loses ...
 

Can you approaching some more versions, amused peculiars of the heap pile that you have brings, we has fulled our studio table's, I saw here Bonnie Tyler, Justin Hayward, King Curtis, Sammy Hagar, The Shadows, David Lanz, Psychograss, Johnny Rivers, Arlen Roth, and that's very curiously here's the Rex Harrison's son Noel Harrison who sung on that record with television's stars like Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, Eddie Albert and Mae West, that's incredible. We suggest the Noel Harrison's version ?

Well that doesn't one of my favourites, but the record's title is very correct Golden throats Sing off !

We are going to listen it (sounds Noel Harrison) ... and we listened more and more ...

Also on those records that we has brought there's one of my favourites singers Joe Cocker, it will be Joe Cocker's version one of the more intense to look alike a song composed to him ?

Yes, and him is one of the singers that makes hits of all his versions ...

We are going to listened whole because is fantastic (sounds Joe Cocker) ...

Well Joe Cocker to take possession of AWSoP we are taken special attention this night on 2000 x 1000 to a song that Martin's collectioning he's a super listened of our programme and he's specialited not in a group not in an artist not in a period, but required in this song and the more variety of singers or groups haven in his repertory for example that splendid saxophonist one of the kings in his instrument King Curtis (and sounds King Curtis) is unbelievable in every version the song reborn and alike new, and also has amazon's positives vibrations is great that King Curtis version is one of the best that I has listened, how about Johnny Rivers' version Martin ?

This one is almost an acoustic version, but for me everyone has something special ...

We are going to listen Johnny Rivers version, I don't knew that him sangs AWSoP ... the song from the collectors that today we are sicking on 2000 x 1000 (sounds Johnny Rivers) .... well then yes Johnny Rivers is on the line of Procol Harum singing AWSoP now attention to the next one Willie Nelson's version (sounds Willie Nelson) ... Fantastic Willie Nelson and his companion Do you know he's ?

Yes is Waylon Jennings.

And in this Martin's collection amazing me with one vinyl record from the 60's recorded by the Los Go-Go group old friends of mine that I no remember than they makes one version on this LP because is one vinyl Lp not one CD, was a group that wins a famous festival "La hora de los conjuntos " and I remember their actuation very well, now we are to remember it on the frontier of the sixties (sounds Los Go-Go) ...

Sound like the singer has seven years, (smiles) well we knew that the engineers of sound they has changing by the time, Los Go-Go don't deserves that recording because they was one of the most interesting groups who played R & B on Barcelona when in here there are a lot of good groups. well don't only the pops groups, played AWSoP because for example the expert Bolero's singer Eliseo del Toro it sangs (sounds Eliseo del Toro y su Orquesta) ...

We are drivin' mad with the song of Procol Harum AWSoP through all the enormous pile of versions, if yours can see the studio are invaded with Singles, LP's, Cassettes and CD's ... .because Martin we has bringing all the collection ¿ I don't know if we have more time to listen some more Martin ? but carry on how we can the rhythm of the sound which you recommended.

Psychograss for example.

I don't know this group who are

Is a group catalogued like New Age Music but for me is more near of the Country Cajun Music (sounds Psychograss) ...

You remember the telephone because someone want to call by to emite his opinion, but I hope that you liked this special program and can you contributed some special collaboration and your opinion that this night because is the collector's night on 2000 x 1000 ... (sounds Pat Kelly ... Percy Sledge and Gerry and the Pacemakers)

We have one telephone call ... hi good evening. What thinking about of this program, are you bored, or thought that we are passing ...

I'm enjoined a lot because for me are two songs of my life AWSoP and Nights In White Satin, are that I prefers to me

Good but we are to get right one, the song of the life of someone's and you are happy for this ...

Yes are truth, but for the better is by Procol Harum and Joe Cocker version ...

Martin are interesting to get some version on French language for example. Truth Martin ?

Yes I answer to everyone and no one knows what's the title on French or if someone sings sometime this song.

Well what's your name

Antonio

Well Antonio thanks for your call and for yours animosity.

Thanks of yours and carry on because I thought that many people will be enjoined.

Of course because the musical radio programs don't are only for the youngers, because everyone we have right to our programs by to enjoyed our music. thank you. well Martin we are going to conclude that selection because we get out of the limits we listen some more theme and I grateful you the effort physical and friendly of brought all your music collection, because that must to weight one tone. (smiles)

Good we can ending with something new ... in Italian ... Heavy ... Disco Music ... Techno ...

I confessed you that I don't know what's the record that I given to control. well we are going to listen it and we ending, thanks to everyone by to listener and there's go another piece of AWSoP (sounds Bonnie Tyler) We have listened Bonnie Tyler on AWSoP version of one special selection on Friday that has been dedicated to this song. we approach a lot of versions Martin one good listener of the program and we are listen his AWSoP collection ....