Ged Clapson
Ged Clapson

It's karaoke night! Some live music featuring yours truly with friends in Central London ...

Mr Bojangles
The Robbie Williams version of this classic number, written and recorded by Jerry Jeff Walker (1968). Personally I prefer the Sammy David Jnr version.
ZOOM0003.mp3
MP3 audio file [3.0 MB]
Well did you evah
Written by Cole Porter; made famous in the film High Society (Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby); sung here by Mark Pearse and me. Great fun!
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MP3 audio file [3.6 MB]
The Rhythm of Life
Another classic Sammy Davis track that I love to perform: from 'Sweet Charity' (music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields).
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MP3 audio file [3.6 MB]

Reviewing the Situation - from Lionel Bart's 'Oliver!'

This is a private recording, made rather hurriedly over Christmas 2017 and uploaded onto YouTube, of a song I've always wanted to perform on stage and - hopefully - still may do one day. In Lionel Bart's musical 'Oliver!', Fagin contemplates the options that life presents him with as he gets older: a fabulous song, full of Jewish wit and sentimentality. I'll keep looking out for any amateur dramatic company that's planning to stage 'Oliver!' in the future and is without their Fagin!

After three years of chemotherapy and months away from the live karaoke circuit, the voice isn't as mellow as it used to be. Nevertheless, I recorded a couple of tracks at home on 19 April 2018, because they mean a lot of me.

 

The first is the big band/swing version of 'I Am What I Am', written by Jerry Herman and featured in the musical La Cage Aux Folles. This became my signature tune at karaoke nights at Halfway To Heaven, because few people had heard this version before and really engaged with the arrangement.

 

'Our Love Is Here To Stay' was sung by my dear and sadly missed partner Blair Wilson at a party for the 'Carmen Jones' company at the Old Vic. He dedicated it to me ("his man") at the time and this is my (inferior) karaoke version in the style of Frank Sinatra.

Vissi d'arte

From Tosca - Giacomo Puccini:

 

Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore,
non feci mai male ad anima viva!
Con man furtiva
quante miserie conobbi aiutai.

Sempre con fe' sincera
la mia preghiera
ai santi tabernacoli salì.
Sempre con fe' sincera
diedi fiori agli altar.

Nell'ora del dolore
perché, perché, Signore,
perché me ne rimuneri così?

Diedi gioielli della Madonna al manto,
e diedi il canto agli astri, al ciel,
che ne ridean più belli.
Nell'ora del dolore,
perché, perché, Signor,
ah, perché me ne rimuneri così?



English Translation:

I lived for art, I lived for love,
I never harmed a living soul!
With a discreet hand
I relieved all misfortunes I encountered.

Always with sincere faith
my prayer
rose to the holy tabernacles.
Always with sincere faith
I decorated the altars with flowers.

In this hour of grief,
why, why, Lord,
why do you reward me thus?

I donated jewels to the Madonna's mantle,
and offered songs to the stars and to heaven,
which thus did shine with more beauty.
In this hour of grief,
why, why, Lord,
ah, why do you reward me thus?

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