this takes you home

 GILBERT O'SULLIVAN INFORMATION

IRLISH IN THE UK
At last, the long awaited album is to be released in the UK. Release date, subject to no last minute hitches, is 20th August. It will be out on Gilbert's own record label BYGUM.

NEW SINGLE FOR THE UK
"Say Goodbye" is to be released as a single in a couple of weeks. Unfortunately Kevin couldn't give me an exact date. Again it will be released on BYGUM and will be the Spanish version.

ED STEWART SHOW
Gilbert has recorded an interview with Ed Stewart for Radio 2. This is scheduled to go out on Sunday 5th August on his 5pm show.

Hopefully things are now on the move - so don't forget to send me your s.a.e's for further info.

Regards,
Lorraine.
July/August 2001

As always Lorraine, Thanks for sending me the information - Joe

Hi Joe!

As a result of a lunchtime visit to HMV I can provide an update to your website as the new UK single of "Say Goodbye" was indeed on sale there [7/31] in the New Releases display! The other two tracks are "Sex Appeal" and "Clair". The cover picture was of those single lens spectacles on a sandy shore with a blue sea and sky behind them. The record number is Bygum Records BGR 103.
ciao!
David

The production credits on "Clair" seemed a bit strange to me, so I had my friend in London give a listen. This is what he said. To answer your question about "Clair" on the single, it's a very strange arrangement indeed, it sounds like a very slow rap song with an annoying whistle being blown all the time in the background. Weird!

Hi Joe!

I've been searching trying to find out anything about the Shoreditch Ogre who performs "Clair" but the only reference I can find is in a newspaper article from the "Guardian" of May 4th 2001. He is mentioned in an interview with members of a UK band called Black Box Recorder in which they talk about their musical tastes. It includes the following paragraph:

Both, however, agree on the unsung merits of The Shoreditch Ogre. An old man who cycles around east London, has made an unreleased album entitled Health and Efficiency and performs at the odd art happening, but is sadly without a deal. He's written a song called Cycling for Pleasure and he recorded a cover version of Gilbert O'Sullivan's Clair.
David