Swinging From Beyond The Grave

IT was no surprise to see Michael Jackson top this week’s charts – after all, the old music maxim is you become more successful when you’re dead.
But it’s not just Jacko who might be enjoying a second career after he’s passed on.
My father David died very recently (see below) and while researching info for his eulogy, my brother and I came across an extremely odd story.
In the late 1960s, and without telling any members of his family it would seem, he and a colleague formed a record company, Davjon Records, and produced a hugely bizarre LP (to the younger ones among you, they’re those black, vinyl things sometimes called records), consisting of popular hymns given a distinctly psychedelic touch of jazz.



Called Hymns A’ Swinging, it includes thing like All Things Bright and Beautiful set to a heavy Latin beat and, well, you listen to the rest here . There’s nothing a thousand words could say that two seconds’ listen doesn’t reveal!
It is undoubtedly the kind of thing you could only enjoy having had, shall we say, a dose of something ‘60s to put you in the mood.
Anyway, it quickly became apparent that taking two unfashionable 1960s topics – jazz and God – and sticking them together might not have been the brightest business plan.
The record didn’t exactly take off; my dad and his partner went their separate ways and that was that. Or so you’d think.
Because fast forward almost 30years to the day and, unbelievably, Hymns A’ Swinging has just been released on CD.
It turns out that during all these years the record has gained cult underground status and has been much sought after at car boot sales across the land, a kind of “car boot classic”.
It was picked up by Jonny Trunk, owner of Trunk Records, who first made some of it available to download and then, under pressure from punters, decided in April to release it on CD.
He told me that vinyl versions have regularly changed hands for up to £100, primarily because of a track containing some jamming by the celebrated British jazz saxophonist Tubby Hayes.
Jonny, who calls the record “a unique piece of British culture” and “an oddity”, said he would have done it earlier had someone not bootlegged the original a few years ago and illegally produced more vinyl copies, no doubt flooding car boots everywhere and reducing the album’s value.
So, it transpires that my father’s attempts to pre-emulate Stock, Aitken and Waterman were not as unsuccessful as they first seemed, although Hymns A’ Swinging was never likely to make him a millionaire or get him a date with Kylie.
It is undoubtedly a strange tale, but it goes to show several things.
Firstly, it’s never too late, and even if you think you’ve failed, you might yet succeed.
And secondly, Jacko had better hang onto his hat if he wants number 1 again next week.