One Take Charlie
The Project
I have always believed that music can have a wonderfully positive effect on mental health. The aim of this project is outwardly simple; to bring together a group of people to form a one-off band and record a song - but the underlying theme remains the importance of being strong enough or feeling able to ask for help if you are struggling with a mental health condition.
The proposed band name is One Take Charlie and the song is “Jimmy Jimmy”, first recorded by The Undertones in 1979.
Obviously, if this idea is to become a reality, I need to ask for help. I will provide something vaguely resembling vocals, Carl Pemberton and Adam Bell of the superb V12 will be on guitar and drums respectively; and we are delighted to officially introduce our bassist … Megan Curtis. Recording will take place at CPMR Studios in Nunthorpe on 28 August, and there might even be a few CDs produced if everything goes well (form an orderly queue).
The proposed band name is One Take Charlie and the song is “Jimmy Jimmy”, first recorded by The Undertones in 1979.
Obviously, if this idea is to become a reality, I need to ask for help. I will provide something vaguely resembling vocals, Carl Pemberton and Adam Bell of the superb V12 will be on guitar and drums respectively; and we are delighted to officially introduce our bassist … Megan Curtis. Recording will take place at CPMR Studios in Nunthorpe on 28 August, and there might even be a few CDs produced if everything goes well (form an orderly queue).
The Band |
The Song |
“One Take Charlie” was a nickname given to the child actor Charles Herbert (1948-2015) based on an apparent reputation for getting things right on set at the first time of asking. By the time he was five years of age, he was earning enough to support his family and during the 1950s he appeared opposite the likes of Cary Grant, Sophia Loren, Vincent Price and Doris Day. Film work dried up as Charles reached his teens and his adult years were blighted by drug and alcohol addiction. In his later years, he was able to turn his life around and made a number of appearances at film conventions; but sadly Charles passed away in 2015, aged 66.
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“Jimmy Jimmy” was written by John O'Neill, recorded by The Undertones and released some forty years ago. It’s a great song by a fine band, from an era where my musical tastes were really (and rapidly) developing. There were so many fantastic bands around when I was in my mid- to late-teens (Stiff Little Fingers, Blitz, and The Alarm to name just three) and, despite the passage of time, a lot of music from that era still has a relevance and resonance today.
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The Cover
The cover of the original single featured a picture of a youthful singer Feargal Sharkey holding a trophy against a bright yellow background (see top of the page). The idea is to recreate the cover using a picture of me taken holding a trophy (that I hadn’t actually won) during a school presentation sometime during the first half of the 1970s - my cute but undeniably chubby phase...