My Weekly – 26 October 2021

In May 2020, with much of the world in lockdown and reeling from the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, Robert Fripp began uploading the first of 52 individual Soundscapes on his YouTube channel, streaming platforms, and DGMLive. 

EntitledMusic For Quiet Moments and appearing once a week, these pieces created a space for reflection, offering a means of pausing from the day-to-day concerns and to provide a point of calm and perhaps, a sense of hope, in such troubled times.

For almost 60 years, Elder Charles Beck enjoyed widespread recognition as a singer, pianist and trumpeter, as well as a preacher, church leader and civil rights activist. From 1930 until the late 1950s Beck recorded for Decca, Bluebird, Gotham, King and Chess labels. His lively services at his church in Buffalo, New York gave Beck renown even in folk music circles.

Clark Datchler is best known as singer/songwriter in the successful 1980s band Johnny Hates Jazz. His most famous songs with the band include the international hits ’Shattered Dreams’, ‘I Don’t Want To Be A Hero’, ‘Turn Back The Clock’ and ‘Heart Of Gold’. ‘Shattered Dreams’ reached #2 in the US and Japan, and went top 5 throughout the rest of the World. It has now been played 3.7 million times on US radio alone. The album ‘Turn Back The Clock’ entered the UK charts at #1 and went triple platinum. To this day, it is regarded as one of the seminal albums of the decade.