Unfortunately slightly marred by sellotape (!) but still hopefully legible! ^_^
Baker’s Sherry trifle
DESPITE the roster of session men who have become recognised artists in their own right — Wakeman, Wingfield and Spedding spring immediately to mind — Adrian Baker doesn't like being tagged an ex-sessioneer.
“I've always classed my-self as an artist even when I was doing sessions. It's not something I really wanted to do anyway. I think that most session men who are artists now feel the same way.”
But surely, one contends, it's reasonable to call someone a session man if that's the job he's been doing for the last few years.
“Yes, I suppose it's a fair thing to say — but I still prefer to be thought of as an artist.”
Baker is the singer and multi-instrumentalist who recorded a lightweight reggae version of the old Four Seasons classic “Sherry” as his debut single and made it into the charts first time out.
Despite having forged a writing and producing relationship with ex-Stackridge man Roy Morgan, Baker chose a olden oldie for starters. Why?
“Well, I didn't do it simply because it was an old song. I did it because I used to sing it when I was on the road with bands a few years ago and because I enjoyed it. Anyway it sounded like a good commercial song and l wanted to get into the charts.
“I made it reggae to hit the discos and that was a good way to make it sound up-to-date.”
And is Baker an admirer of the Four Seasons, even perhaps to the extent of his professed respect for Brian Wilson?
“Hmmmmmmmm, yes I like Frankie Valli for his vocals really. Obviously I'm being classed as a Frankie Valli rip-off now for doing ‘Sherry.’
“But I've been doing falsetto voices ever since I started to sing so it's not so much a rip-off as just my natural voice.
“Still, I can't really complain about it when l am ripping him off in the charts right now, can I? People just have different opinions about things like this.”
Anyway, Franki Valli may have a high voice but he sure can't play the instruments Baker can, He started on piano at the tender age of seven and proceeded to earn himself three medals — bronze, silver and gold, naturally — from the London Institute of Music.
At the age of 13 his father followed the time-honoured tradition and bought young Adrian his first guitar. From then on there's been no stopping him, except when it comes to drums. That's where Roy Morgan steps in.
Baker and Morgan have a studio in the basement at Roy's home where they record jingles, library tapes and commercials.
Library tapes are used by TV and radio programmers for background music and so on. As far as their commercials go, the lads had their less than finest hour in an ad for Clarksons the holiday firm. “We were really pleased about it — and then the company went bust. We still haven't been paid yet.”
Actually their basement studio has had the shutters down for about a month. Seems the local council got wind of it and told them to desist. Something about running a business from home and not having a fire exit. “The bloody thing's as big as a sink unit and they want a fire exit,” complains Morgan.
Still, they've made good use of the place before the shut-down, laying down demos for a forthcoming Baker album.
“That should be coming some time in November. The bulk of the material will be our own, although there will be some oldies as well.”
In the future Baker wants to carve out a career for himself as a pop singer and a man who has a place along with the Rollers and Osmonds of this world in the hearts of Britain's teenage female population.
“I quite like pop. Anyway, being classed as a pop singer doesn't worry me much at all. This is going to be our aim, to make musically good pop records. And it isn't that easy.”
Baker is planning to project a careful image of himself as a clean-cut, good-looking lad. Image, he reckons, is highly important.
“Of course it's important — it's over fifty per cent of the battle, for the kids that is. It’s going to be an image the kids go for, the smart sort of thing.”
However, Baker has no intention of going on the road — not just yet anyway. “If I did I’d like to make that move once we could be sure of some substantial backing, like if l’d had about five or six hit singles. We've already recorded the follow-up to ‘Sherry’ and that will be coming out in September.
“It’s an original number, but it's a typical sort of follow-up to this record. In fact people when they hear it will probably be wondering where they'd heard it before. We should have recorded it ten years ago.
“But on the road? No, I'm not too keen to go gigging again.”
Apparently not, judging by the tale of Baker's last night with his last band less than a year ago. Apparently they'd all got so sick of doing their own roadying that, faced with carting a column down three storeys, they just put it down on the top flight and kicked it the rest of the way. “Well, it was our last night,” explained Baker. None of that when you're a teeny star, Mr B. — BRIAN HARRIGAN.
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