Now largely forgotten and perfectly wrongly timed as his crafted rock came up against the sea change to punk rock, John Miles has joined the great gig in the sky. This track is probably his best known, and a prime chunk of bombastic cheesy nonsense it is – not that I see that as a bad thing, especially with those profound lyrics (which Jarvis Cocker once used as a speech showing magnificent good taste). John Miles also had the funky “slow Down”, “High Fly” and, er, others.. I saw him at Reading in 1977. Harmless, competent, “good generic rock”. He was clearly technically good, given he later worked for Tina Turner in her stadium years.
John Miles – dead
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I came across this a few years back – RIP John Miles
That was marvellous.
A great performance of a great tune.
Prog in full effect!
Haven’t listened to Music for years. Had a wee listen there to remember him by. By god, that song packs a lot into 6 minutes, doesn’t it?
I think, post bo-rap, there were a lot of aspirants to doing something similar in early 1976. There were others thinking that this was NOT the way to go, and there was a conscious attempt to avoid the AOR John Miles was such a natural for. The track “Music” always makes me laugh, given the overblown nature of the thing. The mix of things do also make you wonder if he was marketed as a bit of everything, and so couldn’t satisfy any market in particular. the exception, it may come as no surprise, was Germany, where many acts have thrived despite being of little interest in the UK or USA.
Of course, yeah, bohemian rhapsody was the Christmas before that, wasn’t it.
Up there with Barry Ryan’s Eloise in the OTT stakes
RIP Mr Miles
Oh now that IS a shame – I saw him a couple of times back in the 70s and he was very good live. Once was supporting Robin Trower at Wembley which was a rather odd double billing ! The other was the opening (and possibly only) gig at the Sound Circus in Holborn. RIP to a proper musician.
The “super soaraway” Sun app has this story, but it’s so full of errors.
“John Miles, who sang Music was my first love And it will be my last”
“His number one hit Music in 1972 became hymn of Night of the Proms”
“He worked as Tina Turner’s regular guitarist before touring with Joe Cooker”
“He also featured on Jimmy Page’s Outrider album in 1998”
The writer Lottie Tiplady-Bishop (what a name!) must be hoping for a slot on Radio 4’s The Unbelievable Truth.
I think the only mistake there is the date of Music. He did indeed play with Jimmy Page on tour and on record (first two songs on Outrider), was Tina Turner’s musical director from 1987 until she stopped touring, & did do a stint with Joe Cocker. The ‘Night of the Proms’ thing is a Euro TV show, from which the live clip of Music above is taken, for reasons best known to others, he seems to have been a fixture on that.
1. The song was called “Music” not “Music was… ” (although he did sing)
2. Music was neither a number 1 (UK number 3) nor 1972 (1976)
3. It was Joe Cocker not Cooker
4. Outrider was 1988.
“That’s just nit-picking, though.”
It’s enough to lose you points on the quiz team.
Joe Cooker is actually quite funny.
“What would you thiiiink if I left on the gas?”
Haha I didn’t even notice.
There’s a John Lee Hooker album with a picture of a Cooker on the front, which is presumably from somewhere in the same ball park. Or something.
And Joe Cocker used to be a gas fitter. True story.
Wonder if he fitted the cooker on the front of the John Lee Hooker album
FWIW, he did play with JP – not sure if was on Outrider though
Definitely was – sings on the two tracks that he co-wrote.
Also played and sang on the Outrider tour – I saw them in Newcastle City Hall, November 1988.
serves you right for reading the Sun
Can’t really argue with that.
Bang to rights. Guilty as charged. I offer no defence.