PP Arnold singing for us

Before Covid changed nearly everything, PP Arnold was scheduled to come to Stroud’s Subscription Rooms following a big facelift to the building and a change to a more community led management aiming to serve the burgeoning local demand for the arts. Her appearance was postponed but at last she was able to play live for us all today.

Helena has become a supporter of the venue to help its core funding and the managing trust had organised a supporters’ event before the gig. I was able to join in as her ‘plus one’ and I’m glad I went as I met some interesting people and got in the mood for an evening out.

There was a bonus support act, performed by Emily Barker, an Australian singer / songwriter who had been living in Stroud for thirteen years until she returned to the land of her birth a year ago. She is very well liked and regarded here so there was a lot of audience support and she provided a real addition to the evening’s musical range. I’ve added an ‘Extra’ of Emily, who played without her regular backing band.

When PP Arnold walked on stage very soon after her four piece band there was a noticeable tingle in the air. I must admit most of the audience were from eras when she was a prominent singer in her own right as well as a backing singer for many notable musicians of the 60s and 70s.

Within seconds the band started playing a notable refrain and Pat (as she is named) launched in to ‘River Deep – Mountain High’ by Ike and Tina Turner, famously produced by the now notorious Phil Spector. She sounded wonderful and was able to match the power of Tina Turner’s original singing on the song. This shouldn’t be surprising as Tina Turner brought PP into their band in 1965 as one of their backing singers called the ‘Ikettes’ and she sang on the original recording. Eventually they all came to play in England where they became more popular thatn they were in the USA at the time. PP described how she was helped by Tina turner to escape from domestic abuse and through various introductions to local musicians in the UK she moved to London leading to a recording contract with Immediate Records.

She treated us to a range of songs she had recorded as well as some she had written herself with amusing anecdotes to  bring the songs alive. She explained that she’d recorded ‘The first cut is the deepest’, written by Cat Stevens, thirteen years before Rod Stewart also had a hit with it. It was great to hear it live.  She also sang the fabulous 'Angel of the Morning', which I'm now informed, by the comment from the ever reliable Lozarithm below, was her fifth single.

Her first album was produced for Immediate in the late 60s by several musicians such as Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood, and she played a great version of ‘Medicated Goo’ originally recorded by Traffic, a favourite live band of my youth. Apparently she was also great friends with Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane (remember the video featuring her singing with the Small Faces on the wonderful 'Tin Soldier'), a certain Mick Jagger, as well as both Barry Gibb and Paul Weller! She is much admired.

She sang soul, blues and rock numbers with equal skill and range whilst showing with her smiles and laughter how much she still enjoys performing. Her band are obviously also great fans of her as they would be laughing and smiling together with her on stage. I’m so pleased to have shared the evening with both Helena, and her.