The Singing Detective was one of the first "adult" TV shows I remember watching. I was 14 when it aired, and already interested in detective fiction and Raymond Chandler / Philip Marlowe, and in many ways this was not the show to scratch that itch. It was surreal, multi-layered and quite scary at times (although that appealed too, along with the occasional nudity... hey, the internet wouldn't be invented for another 10 years!). I remember being genuinely disturbed by the pain Michael Gambon's Marlowe felt in his hospital bed, as a result of his skin and bone disease (the same disease that Dennis Potter, the show's writer, had to deal with in real life). Because of Gambon's powerful performance, you really felt that pain. I can still feel it today, when I think back to that show. And that's the first thing I thought of when I heard of the actor's passing last week...
Guy Garvey's band Elbow took their name from a line in Dennis Potter's script in which Michael Gambon says that Elbow is the "loveliest word in the English language". Here's an Elbow song that I think Gambon would have approved of, particularly the line...
So yes, I guess I'm asking you
To back a horse that's good for glue
And nothing else
Of course, the news media reported Michael Gambon's death not in terms of Dennis Potter, but Harry. I did a quick lyric search on "Dumbledore" and found literally hundreds of mentions... but not one of them looked to be of any interest to a middle-aged man who has only ever watched one and a half Harry Potter films, especially as they were the ones with the late Richard Harris in, before Gambon took over his role. Just in case you're a Harry Potter fan, here's a band who appear to have only ever read JK Rowling, and no other authors...
Still, I already had the perfect closer for this post as soon as a teary-eyed HP-fan colleague informed me of Mr. Gambon's departure. Let's go back to the year 2000, when Chris T-T released his second album Panic Attack At Sainsbury's. A few months later, the track below emerged as a single... and it's proven a firm favourite ever since with its wanton and gleeful slaughtering of pop stars both great (Dylan) and not so great (Celine Dion). It also features the following verse, after which I could never take the Stereophonics seriously again...
All around Wales the bands are on fire
As the flames lick higher they run from their homes
Only took one match
To burn down Kelly Jones
(Although I do still like the song he's referencing there.)
But who is responsible for torturing and maiming the stars of popular music? Can you guess?
And it's Michael Gambon! It's Michael Gambon!
I saw his face!
Cleaning all the shit pop
From the human race!
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