That's the mighty Robert Earl Keen, y'all

There’s always a few things I don’t want to read in any issue of Word, but in a spirit of open-mindedness, and because it’s this month’s cover feature, I have just forced myself all the way through “What I Did On My High-End Eco-Holiday to the Arctic With Some Right-on Pop Stars”, written by the editor’s mate Robyn’s other half.

Wish I hadn’t bothered.

I liked the Tony Christie track on a recent Word CD enough to get his Richard Hawley-produced album, Made In Sheffield.

Bottle of red wine, late night, CD on deck, very nice... but why is that voice so weirdly familiar? And not just from Amarillo and Yellow River.

A second bottle's nearly gone when I suddenly get it. High, reedy tenor, quaver in the voice. It's bloody Jimmy Dale Gilmore. From South Yorkshire to West Texas.. has anyone ever seen them in the same room?