15th & 16th January 2010

Got some bad news on Friday, have not been near computer. Friday was a wash out, Saturday came across a real treat on Sky Arts One. First, the Robert Mugge doc on Al Green, a performer I have adored ever since I heard How Can You Mend (A Broken Heart) written by those great songwriters, the Gibb Brothers. The doc works on two levels. It not only tells his story but also spends a lot of time in Al's church. After Al delivers his Sermon, he goes into a song called The Lord Will Find A Way Somehow which ends with his jacket absolutely drenched in sweat. Apparently he once played a gig in San Fransisco and then flew to Disneyland to do a midnight show. With him was his girlfriend. After the show they went back to his hotel. Al says he was too tired for any activity and went to a separate bed to sleep. He said he woke up at four thirty in the morning praising the Lord, talking as they say in voices. He said he has never felt so great in all his life. And that was it. He gave his life to the Lord and set up his own church. What struck me was the humour Al deployed when recounting his conversion. He wasn't trying to convince the world, he was telling of his experience. 'I had a million dollar career on one hand and the Lord on the other. I am going on stage and I'm playing to people at two in the morning in a club and they are sipping whiskey and they are looking for women and they are drawing joints and I am going to tell them about The Lord?' Talking of religion went to Spurs in the afternoon to see us draw nil nil with Hull. Even for people who do not like football, that sounds bad. Anyway after the great Al doc,came a French doc called The Soul Of Stax. There was some amazing footage in there, Sam and Dave performing You Don't Know (Which Issac Hayes revealed from a gospel song) with Booker T backing them, Rufus Thomas performing the Funky Chicken at a massive Stax gig and the young audience breaking through the barriers to dance in front of the stage (one guy pulling off striking northern Soul moves) William bell performing You Don't Miss Your water with just piano, and then stories about the great Otis, a man with such a huge heart, no wonder the Lord wanted him in Heaven quickly, as he did Teddy Pendergrass and Mick Green this week. Al made me want to pray, the Stax doc made me want to put on mohair. God and Mod, a great morning. That night was going go into the End for a drink with Dirty Den and Mal but by the time they called was plotted up ploughing through the Capello biog. So God bless Al and Otis and Stax, and God bless you. Paolo