Saturday 23rd March

Another one you’ve never heard of?  Never mind – at least it isn’t Politics, for a change.

Rupert Hine was anoher of those incredibly talented musicians who emerged in the early seventies.  You know, people go on and on about the sixties being the decade of the most brilliant music.  Well, in my humble opinion the seventies managed to eclipse the previous decade, with artists of enduring talent – Bowie, Rod Stewart, Elton, Roxy, Elvis Costello, Springsteen, Neil Young, Joni and oh so many others coming into their Golden Years in these few years.  And the early seventies seemed to be such a time of freedom and discovery, with all these young men and women inspired by The Beatles who were writing such great songs.  It simply couldn’t happen today, as everything is so managed, and record companies not willing to take a chance on something completely new and innovative.

Rupert released two albums in the early seventies, one of which ‘Unfinished Picture’ I bought on some sort of a whim.  It is still one of my favourites of all time.  Sonically incredible, one track being recorded in a church with anvils for percussion, and with tender love songs on it too.  Rupe then formed a band ‘Quantum Jump’ and had a few albums which weren’t so brilliant.

He re-emerged in the early eighties with a trio of albums upon which his reputation rests.  The best is ‘Immunity’, with lyrics by Jeanette Obstoj these are songs of paranoia and rejection and wonder.  Brilliantly played and sung, there has been nothing quite like them before or since.

Not everyone’s cup of tea I must admit, but well worth a listen to, which I do regularly.

He is a saught-after record producer these days and still knocks out the occasional acceptable album.  Another one to rack up in the obscure inventory of geniuses you might never have heard of.