The Writers Garden Live - EC to appear on Saturday, September 12, 2020

[Man out of Time]

Chris Difford (of Squeeze) hosts a webcast from his garden shed in Sussex called "The Writer's Garden Live". Elvis may be one of the guests tomorrow night (September 12th) at 8pm BST. On his website Chris writes:

"September 12th 8pm | A SATURDAY NIGHT ‘AT HOME CONCERT’ LIVE FROM MY WRITERS GARDEN IN SUSSEX | STAY HOME ON THE SOFA – TUNE IN – AND SAVE LIVES.

In the Writers Garden we have raised well over £16,000 for The Trussell Trust, Save Our Venues, Help Musicians, Nordoff Robbins, Turn up for Recovery, Music Support, Teenage Cancer, Prostate Cancer and Choose Love.

Thank you everyone who donated.

Over the past Zooms we have had some special guest join the screen, including Shawn Colvin and Nile Rodgers, Don McClean, Yungblud and Julia Fordham, this has made the evenings very special for us all.

We have also been joined by Stephen Fry, Midge Ure and Bob Harris with special guests Beth Nielsen Chapman and Robert Vincent. Last week Chris Wood and Kathryn Williams.

Our theme for the 12th is ‘Song Club’, the record i have been working on during lockdown. Special guests include Elvis Costello, Kimmie Rhodes, Graham Gouldman and John Lloyd. Our charity is the RCN Foundation, a charity to raise money for our frontline nurses. http://www.rcnfoundation.org.uk

The record is an amazing collection of songs written by writers in lockdown by way of supporting the NHS, and inspired by the photographs of Hannah Grace Deller. Its been so creative and inspiring for us all.

Please make all donations to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/louise-difford1

– you will immediately receive a message back with the Zoom code you will need for the evening. Any problems, please email Louise at chrisdiffordwritingretreat@gmail.com

We look forward to seeing you."

The way this reads, either Elvis is a guest on the "Song Club" album or is a guest on the webcast tomorrow or both. If Elvis does join the show, this could be an opportunity for him to play a song or two from the new album, or to play whatever he might have contributed to "Song Club" (if he is one of the collaborators). Reports welcome!

For anyone unfamilar with Kimmie Rhodes - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimmie_Rhodes

There are several options for John Lloyd, including the producer of "Blackadder" or the tennis player and commentator.

I think we can safely say that Graham Gouldman is the former member of 10cc and now " 10cc featuring Graham Gouldman and Friends ".

MOOT

[And No Coffee Table]

EC played "Nightingale" (Brinsley Schwarz) and "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?" (also Brinsley Schwarz).

He watched as Chris Difford (with Melvin Duffy accompanying) played "Messed Around" but did not participate. Difford also played "Cool for Cats" after EC had left.

EC used to play "Nightingale" with Rusty.
Concert 1973-06-24 Coventry (late)

[Arbogast]

EC played "Nightingale" (Brinsley Schwarz) and "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?" (also Brinsley Schwarz).

He watched as Chris Difford (with Melvin Duffy accompanying) played "Messed Around" but did not participate. Difford also played "Cool for Cats" after EC had left.

EC used to play "Nightingale" with Rusty.
Concert 1973-06-24 Coventry (late)

Gotta say, I'm a bit tired of EC nearly always trotting out PL&U these days. He's probably got about a thousand songs in that brain; mix it up already!

[jardine]

i know he loves plu, but i'm also wondering whether it is a repeated, deliberate nod -- artistic and financial -- to uncle nick? i know that there used to be some sort of 'performance fee' for artists playing others' songs...not much, but not nothing...

...but yeah, i'm getting tired of hearing it as well...

[Man out of Time]

i know he loves plu, but i'm also wondering whether it is a repeated, deliberate nod -- artistic and financial -- to uncle nick? i know that there used to be some sort of 'performance fee' for artists playing others' songs...not much, but not nothing...

Interesting thought. I doubt that there would be any PRS fee for a performance where Elvis is sitting at home and his host (Chris Difford) is in his garden shed. I cannot see Chris having a licence for his shed, and of course Elvis was performing in Canada, so complicated to decide which country any fee would be payable in.

If Elvis is keen to repay a debt to Nick, there are other songs he could sing (and has sung) such as Cruel To Be Kind or What's Shakin' On The Hill. I think his preference for PLU may be to do with the theme of the song which is relevant in these troubled times.

MOOT

[Hawksmoor]

i know he loves plu, but i'm also wondering whether it is a repeated, deliberate nod -- artistic and financial -- to uncle nick? i know that there used to be some sort of 'performance fee' for artists playing others' songs...not much, but not nothing...

...but yeah, i'm getting tired of hearing it as well...

I'm sure there will be a fee payable to Nick but I guess he doesn't particularly need it. Ironically, because of PLU. I recall Nick saying, years ago (and I'm paraphrasing, but something along of the lines of...) 'struggled to make a decent living from pop music for years, then suddenly PLU was on the soundtrack for The Bodyguard. That was it. Don't actually need to work ever again if I don't want to'.

[WindUpWorld]

The funniest thing - and I heard Nick talk about this on an old Word Magazine podcast - was that, in response to the initial request from the producers of The Bodyguard to use the track - he wrote a letter declining and then forgot to send it. One cheque for a million quid later, he found the letter again.