Buying 'Best of' or 'Greatest Hits' or 'The Collection' albums can be regarded as cheating, because you don't get the full flavour of each song in the context of it's original release, surrounded by the other tracks. Sometimes the whole is more than the sum of it's parts. Unfortunately some artists spread their 'popular' songs over such a wide range that occassionally you have to compromise. This 'Very Best of ..' is a compromise, leaving out only one of my favourite songs - 'Water With the Wine' - from Joan's charting repertoire. I fully acknowledge that I'm missing so much by not delving into album tracks, but I'm happy with what I have.
Joan's success basically stood on a break-up. Her first performance was at Birmingham University when she was only 16. Instead of one of her own songs she sang 'Sounds of Silence', but pretty soon she was doing her own material around the local clubs. After joining the production of the stage musical 'Hair' she met Pam Nestor. Together they wrote music and by the time of their first album 'Whatever's For Us' in 1972 they had over 100 songs. The record company, Cube, ultimately felt that they would rather promote Joan as a solo artist and although Pam wrote or co-wrote 11 of the 14 tracks on the album, none of her performances were chosen for recording. In fact she barely got a mention in any credits and this was the 'break-up' that led to Joan going it alone.
This debut album couldn't have had a more prestigious start. It was primarily recorded at the Château d'Hérouville studios near Paris. At the same time as Joan was there, Cat Stevens and Elton John were recording. In fact, Elton's album 'Honky Chateau' took it's name from the place. Whether by accident or design, some of Elton's principal team also worked on Joan's tracks. Gus Dudgeon, the producer behind many of Elton's recordings, took the reins for this album, along with Elton's long time guitarist Davey Johnstone and world-renowned session percussionist Ray Cooper. Never forgetting his contribution, after Gus Dudgeon and his wife Sheila were killed in a road accident in 2002, Joan dedicated her 2003 album 'Lovers Speak' to them.
She released a few singles between 1973 and '75 but it wasn't until 'Love and Affection' from her eponymous 1976 album was released that she had a charting song. 'Love and Affection' was her highest chart success in the UK reaching #10 (although she did get a #1 in South Africa for 'Drop the Pilot' in 1982). To me the song reminds me of Roberta Flack in the opening minute or two, but after singer/actor Clarke Peters (still using the name Pete Clarke) comes in with that bass line vocal and Jimmy Jewells saxophone wails through then the song takes a different turn. With people like Jerry Donahue and Dave Mattacks from Fairport Convention (Vinyl Vault 4 June 2021) and Kenney Jones (Faces) providing musical backup the track and the album were both destined for fame and fortune. I'll never understand how the other two tracks released as singles from this album didn't even register on the charts. 'Water With the Wine' and 'Down to Zero' are both brilliant songs - plenty of radio plays, well known but not recognised.
Fast forward to 1980 and the joyful driving celebration of being alone that was 'Me Myself I'. Always a very private person, Joan did give a bit of a clue to her inner self with this song, teasing the line "I want to have a boyfriend and a girl for laughs". In 2011 she married her girlfriend Maggie Butler in a civil union ceremony on Scotland’s Shetland Islands.
Throughout her career Joan picked some varied themes to sing about. From the 1983 album 'The Key' came one of my favourites 'Drop the Pilot' which is a pretty obscure way of saying "don't go with them, come with me". Even more obscure was her use of the word 'mahout' which, according to Songfacts.com is .. "an elephant rider, so it goes along with the idea of shedding the person who is controlling you. The word isn't completely obscure, as it shows up in Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book."
The other breakout song from 'The Key' was '(I Love It When You) Call Me Names'. Contrary to the popular belief at the time, this was NOT about a woman who gets beaten, it was in fact about a masochist - a guy - who likes to be abused and knocked about a bit.
Joan also used a wide palette when it came to musical styles, incorporating many genres into her work. She had her own recording studios, Bumpkin Studios and in 2007 she recorded her first album of a trilogy exploring some of those genres, where she sang and played almost all the instruments. This first album was 'Into the Blues' which, as it says on the tin, was all blues based compositions. In 2010 Joan recorded album two of the trilogy, 'This Charming Life' which was "guitar-driven rock". Finally the third of the trilogy was the 2012 "out and out jazz album" 'Starlight'.
Apart from the countless music awards she's received, Joan was made an MBE in 2001 and a CBE in 2020.
Still going strong, Joan just released her 20th studio album, 'Consequences' in June 2021. So far, the reviews are overwhelmingly positive.
Groundbreaking, influential and multi-talented, Joan holds her place firmly in the history of music. Long may she continue to do so.
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