Following the acclaim and success of his last two studio albums – 2018’s Gilbert O’Sullivan and 2022’s Driven (“a songwriting masterclass” – ★★★★Uncut magazine) – on September 27 BMG release Songbook, a newly recorded, stripped-down journey through 12 songs from Gilbert O’Sullivan’s illustrious career.
The idea for Songbook arose after O’Sullivan’s 2022 Barbican show (where The Charlatans’ Tim Burgess duetted with him on ‘Nothing Rhymed’). BMG came up with the idea and suggested O’Sullivan record it in such a way to capture the instrumentation and interplay between him and guitarist Bill Shanley.
After carefully selecting the 12 songs that would be re-recorded, Gilbert insisted the songs should be recorded at a venue with no audience and not in a studio. Thereafter, recording took place over two days in late 2023 at Lafayette, King’s Cross with O’Sullivan on piano, long-time guitarist Bill Shanley and Andy Wright (Simply Red, Jeff Beck, Simple Minds, and Imelda May) and Gavin Goldberg on production duties.
The resulting album is a stripped back journey through the extraordinary songwriting of this master craftsman, one of the most gifted and consistently brilliant songwriters of his generation.
Iconic early O’Sullivan songs ‘Nothing Rhymed’, ‘Alone Again (Naturally)’, ‘We Will’ and ‘Happiness Is You and Me’, are joined by songs from Gilbert’s most recent albums, including 2018’s ‘Dansette Dreams and 45s’ and ‘I’ll Never Love Again’, and 2022’s ‘Blue Anchor Bay’, songs that are equal in their brilliance to his early work.
Songbook’s intimacy exemplifies Gilbert O’Sullivan’s unique blend of melodic craftsmanship, witty wordplay, topical acuity and surrealist humour, which has given him an enduring and endearing career.
O’Sullivan’s songwriting knack has outlived and transcended fashion, global million-sellers and critical acclaim, in a career that has spanned 55 years and Top 10 singles and no. 1’s around the world, including the classic ‘Alone Again (Naturally)’ which topped the US charts for six weeks and earned him three Grammy nominations.
British recognition soon followed with the songs ‘Clair’ and ‘Get Down’ reaching the summit of the UK singles charts and his LP “Back to Front” topping the album charts.
In the same year, at the 18th. Ivor Novello awards, Gilbert was named ‘Song Writer of the Year’ – to date he has won three Ivor Novello awards and in recent times, performed alongside other artists at BBC Proms in the Park; made four appearances at Glastonbury including the main stage and toured extensively throughout the UK, Ireland, Europe, Japan and America.
Gilbert’s Ethan Johns-produced self titled 2018 album was acclaimed upon it’s release by the likes of MOJO magazine and secured his highest chart position for four decades. His 2022 album ‘Driven became his most critically well received album to date, awarded four stars in MOJO’, Uncut and Record Collector, with Shindig! magazine proclaiming it his best ever album.
His legacy and influence has been acknowledged by his diverse range of artists, including Paul Weller, Nina Simone, Neil Diamond, Pet Shops Boys and Elton John, James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem), Paul Heaton, Ron Sexsmith, Mick Hucknall, Boy George, The Lemon Twigs, Cmat, Michael Bublé and Diana Krall.
This year Gilbert received ‘Freedom of Waterford City’ in Ireland, the place of his birth.
TRACKLISTING
1. Nothing Rhymed
2. Clair
3. We Will
4. Blue Anchor Bay
5. Happiness Is Me and You
6. Alone Again (Naturally)
7. What’s in a Kiss?
8. I’ll Never Love Again
9. Why, Oh Why, Oh Why
10. No Matter How I try
11. Dansette Dreams and 45s
12. A Kiss is a Kiss
Tour dates:
29/08/24 Support/Richard Hawley
10/09/24 Cork/Cork Opera House
11/09/24 Cork/Cork Opera House
14/09/24 Dublin/National Concert Hall
15/09/24 Dublin/National Concert Hall
17/09/24 Dublin/National Concert Hall
19/09/24 Rotterdam/New Luxor Theater
14/10/24 Liverpool/Liverpool Philharmonic
20/10/24 Buxton/Opera House
21/10/24 Birmingham/Town Hall
23/10/24 Glasgow/The Pavilion
26/10/24 Cheltenham/The Town Hall
26/11/24 Waterford/Theatre Royal
28/11/24 Waterford/Theatre Royal
29/11/24 Waterford/Theatre Royal
9/12/24 Waterford/Theatre Royal
10/12/24 Waterford/Theatre Royal
NOTES
Gilbert O’Sullivan’s career has spanned 55 years. His first single proper Nothing Rhymed was released in 1970 and almost overnight it achieved Top 10 status In the UK charts. His debut album Himself was littered with the most perfect examples of his art and craftsmanship. Top 10 singles abounded, including the classic, Alone Again (Naturally). His second album, 1972’s Back To Front, firmly cemented Gilbert amongst the world’s best. This critically acclaimed album topped both the UK and US charts for an astonishing six weeks, earning him not one but three Grammy nominations.
British recognition soon followed with the songs Clair and Get Down reaching the summit of the UK singles charts and his LP Back To Front topping the album charts. In the same year at the 18th Ivor Novello Awards Gilbert was named ‘Song Writer of the Year’. To date he has won three Ivor Novello awards, and in recent times performed alongside artists including Ray Davies. He has also headlined Glastonbury (where he was once joined on stage by Squeeze’s Glenn Tilbrook), BBC Proms In The Park, toured extensively throughout the UK, Ireland, Europe, Japan and Australia.
Gilbert’s Ethan Johns-produced, self-titled 2018 album was acclaimed upon its release by the likes of MOJO magazine, and secured his highest chart position in four decades.
His 2022 album, Driven, became his most critically well received album to date. Awarded four stars in MOJO, Uncut and Record Collector, with Shindig! magazine proclaiming it “his best ever album.”
His legacy and influence has been acknowledged by a diverse range of artists, including: Paul Weller, Nina Simone, Neil Diamond, James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem), Ron Sexsmith, Har Mar Superstar, Mick Hucknall, Gary Barlow, Boy George, Rumer, The Lemon Twigs, Empire Of The Sun, CMAT, Michael Bublé and Diana Krall.
Last year Gilbert received ‘Freedom of Waterford City’ in Ireland, the place of his birth.
