Matt Monro: The Singer's Singer by Michele Monro
| Matt Monro: The Singer's Singer by Michele Monro | |
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| Category: Biography | |
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Reviewer: John Van der Kiste
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| Summary: A biography, by his daughter, of the vocalist sometimes regarded as Britain's answer to Frank Sinatra. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 656 | Date: January 2010 |
| Publisher: Titan Books Ltd | |
| ISBN: 978-1848566187 | |
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In terms of British chart statistics and record sales, Matt Monro never quite fulfilled his full potential. When measured against the achievements of contemporary ballad singers like Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck, he fell some way short. Yet the former Terry Parsons was a regular fixture on the light entertainment circuit, and overseas, particularly in Latin America and the Philippines, he was undoubtedly one of Britain's most successful exports ever, and at one point he was the biggest selling artist in Spain. His idol Frank Sinatra, to whom he was often compared, often said that Matt was the only British singer he ever really listened to.
This very comprehensive biography is written by his daughter and administrator of his estate. One might be forgiven for expecting an absolute eulogy, but it is not - she has given us a remarkably objective picture. There must have been some temptation to gloss over some of her father's occasional negative traits, but to her credit, she has not done so. I think it also benefits from her habit of referring to herself, when she appears in the story, in the third person and not the first.
After a spell in the army, followed by life as a bus driver before entering showbusiness, Matt certainly paid his dues. He was signed to two record companies in turn during the 1950s for a handful of flop singles, before coming to the notice of producer George Martin (to whom the Beatles would later be similarly indebted) and being launched on a somewhat rocky path to stardom. Despite a lengthy recording career which included recording one of the first Bond themes, 'From Russia With Love', the perennially popular film song 'Born Free', and a Eurovision Song Contest entry, he would only score three Top 10 singles in Britain and would have to wait until the early 1980s and the advent of TV-advertised albums for his first hit LP. Such modest chart statistics were hardly reflected in his busy schedule of radio, TV and live work at home and abroad, which made him one of the most in-demand performers in his genre.
Throughout his career which began in the late 50s and culminated in his final concert at Wolverhampton in December 1984, we are also treated to an engaging chronicle of how the entertainment business changed. At the start, sheet music sales were paramount, song pluggers touted their wares around to A&R men, singers were not songwriters, and even in a large company like EMI Records, recordings were made using one track directly onto tape. Rock'n'roll was in its infancy, there were only two TV channels, and the era of boy bands and The X Factor were light-years away. Light entertainment was king, and Matt rubbed shoulders with household names of the day such as Tony Hancock (whose tragic death perpetually haunted him), Bob Monkhouse, Sid James and Dave Allen. By the end, everything had changed, yet despite never changing his style Matt was still much in demand for cabaret and on television. This book is not merely a biography but to some extent a comprehensive history of a singers' world over the years.
To a degree, it is also an affectionate portrayal of a devoted family man and hard-working professional, with naturally the odd unfortunate incident along the way. One example is a misunderstanding involving Matt, his wife Mickie, and a male musician guest, resulting in a drunken row, a smack in the face, and permanent dental damage (to Matt himself); there was also the tragic episode where a tipsy pedestrian walked out directly in front of his car while he was returning from a concert in the small hours, and was killed. Above all, there is a frank account of his problems with alcohol, exacerbated by a child condition not treated at the time, followed by a spell in rehab and his eventually giving up the bottle altogether.
At the risk of wanting everything, I feel that a book this size would have benefited from an index and discography, at least of UK releases. Nevertheless, I found it an engrossing read. Matt Monro (an anagram of moron, as he told people who persistently spelt it wrong) really comes to life in these pages, and anybody interested in entertainment would be well advised to read it.
Our thanks to Titan for sending Bookbag a copy for review.
If you enjoy this, you might also like the memoirs of one of his contemporaries (and admirers) – My Story, My Life: The Complete Autobiography, by Val Doonican. You might also enjoy Black by Design: A 2-tone Memoir by Pauline Black. At the other end of the scale, you might find James Dean: Rebel Life by John Howlett interesting.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Matt Monro: The Singer's Singer by Michele Monro at Amazon.com.
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