My Forever Friend / Charlie Landsborough

 

 

 

 

 

My Forever Friend / Charlie Landsborough

 

 

찰리 랜드보로(Charlie Landsborough)는 세계 2차대전 중이던

1941년11남매중 막내로 태어난 영국의 대표적인컨트리, 포크송의 가수이다.

 

1970년대부터 본격적으로 가수활동을 했으며,영국은 물론 아일랜드, 호주,

뉴질랜드에서 특히 많은 인기를 받고 있습니다.

 

어려서 학교를 일찍 그만두고 전화수리공, 철도공, 제분공장 등에서 일하며

어렵게 살아갔던 탓일까?  그의 노래는서민들의 마음을 잘 파고드는 순수함을

지니고 있지요.

 

1994년에 'What Colour is the Wind'를 발표하면서 세상에 알려지기 시작한

그는 1999년 미국에서 'Still Can't Say Goodbye'를 발표하면서 2000년 영국

최고 남자가수의 자리에 오릅니다. 환갑이 다 된 무렵부터 왕성한 활동을 함.

 

 

 

 

 

My Forever Friend

 

Everybody needs a little help sometime

No one stands alone

Makes no difference if you're just a child like me

Or a king upon a throne

For there are no exceptions

We all stand in the line

Everybody needs a friend

Let me tell you of mine

..................................

CHORUS:

He's my forever friend

My leave-me-never friend

From darkest night to rainbow's end

He's my forever friend

.................................

Even when I turn away He cares for me

His love no one can shake

Even as I walk He's by my side

With every breath I take

And sometimes I forget Him

My halo fails to shine

Sometimes I'm not His friend

But He is always mine

..................................

REPEAT CHORUS:

If you still don't know the one I'm talking of

I think it's time you knew

Long ago and far away upon a cross

My friend died for you

So if you'd like to meet Him

And don't know what to do

Ask my friend into you heart

And He'll be your friend too

.........................................

REPEAT CHORUS:

He's My Forever Friend

 

Charlie Landsborough Autobiography
	I was born on the 26th October 1941 the youngest of eleven children. To escape the bombing my mother was taken to Wrexham, returning to Merseyside after I was born. My mam's name was Aggie and I was christened Charles Alexander after my dad. My beloved brothers and sisters are Harry, Derek, Arthur, Jack, Dot, Sylvia, Doreen and Joyce. I was reared in the dockland area of Birkenhead and the view from our front window was a mixture of docks, dumps, railway lines, oil factories and the coal wharf. It sounds grim but my childhood was far from that. Surrounded by a loving family, animals and of course music my early years were extremely happy. My brothers were all sailors and apart from the guitars and all the music, they brought home gifts from all around the world. I remember sitting enchanted by the scent of the wood in a guitar brought from Spain, my imagination afire at the sight of a small canoe carved by natives of West Africa, pistols with real revolving chambers from the US and getting my first pair of dungarees from Canada. Small wonder I so eagerly awaited the return of each brother from another trip.
Pictured above from left to right - Arthur, Derek and Harry (Charlie's brothers). Pictured above is Jack, another of Charlie's brothers.
Our house was always full of animals and apart from dogs and cats we also kept chickens in the back and at one time a duck. There was also birds - budgies, canaries and finches and a very special gift of a monkey smuggled in by my brother Harry. This little delight with the unimaginative name of Jacko made me very popular with schoolfriends. These things apart, my brother Jack, a sort of scouse St. Francis, was always bringing home assorted four-legged waifs and strays. That house is now earmarked for demolition and I climbed in recently to have a last look round for old time sake. In my mind it had seemed so much bigger. In reality it was very small and I was amazed to think how it could have been a home to so many people and animals.
I was always surrounded by music and my dad told me I used to sing myself to sleep when I was about three. He was a ballad singer billed locally as the Silver Voiced Tenor and one of my earliest recollections is of sitting on his knee at a 'do' and duetting with him on You Take The Tables And I'll Take The Chairs. My mother's favourites were Gracie Fields and Hank Williams - now there's a combination. My brothers of course were returning from their voyages with the first guitars I'd ever seen and wonderful country music from such artists as Hank Williams, Jimmy Rodgers, Ferlin Husky and Montana Slim. They'd often arrive home with a group of friends and a crate of beer and I'd sit enthralled as they laughed and sang the hours away. At Primary School I had blonde shoulder length hair (yes long hair even then) for a while my dreams fluctuated between being a great footballer or a great artist (see picture!). The long hair had been cropped at the time of this picture - I think the result of a basin-cut (so called because you put a basin on the head and cut round it, in the days when you couldn't afford a barber) from my brother Arthur. Charlie with his sisters from left to right- Doreen, Joyce and Sylvia.
Charlie at primary school showing off his creative talents.
At the age of about fourteen when I was in Grammer School my brother surprised me one day trying to play the guitar - I think I'd managed the first few notes of the Harry Lime theme. He ignored my self-consciousness and showed me a couple of chords. I was hooked! I'd sit up 'til late playing Hank, Elvis, Jimmy Rodgers, etc. Of course my education began to suffer and my headmaster, the kindly Mr. King, later commented that I'd had a good academic future ahead of me until I'd discovered that 'damn banjo'. Thank God for that 'damn banjo'. Disenchanted somewhat with the world in the wake of my mam's death when I was only twelve I left school early and made minor excursions into the work place. I worked as an apprentice telephone engineer, on the railways, in the flour mills and wound up trying to be one of the lads. I remember the day I was driven to court on a coach along with a few others. I sat in handcuffs and over the radio they played Don't by Elvis and Every Time We Say Goodbye by the lovely Ella. I was hoping there was not some deep significance in the titles. Fortunately I was given probation and suitably chastened by the whole ordeal I returned home to my thankful and forgiving family.
I was soon bored with my situation however and decided that for excitement I, like my brothers before me, must travel. Finding the Navy Office closed I joined the Army without informing any of my family. My sisters were in tears but armed with my guitar and a D.A. hairstyle I set off to Wales to do my training. I then applied for a posting in Hong Kong and with typical army logic found myself in West Germany. I made many great friends (some of whom I now meet up with on my travels) and started to play in bands with such exotic names as the Rockavons and the onions. One abiding memory of my army days was of the Cuban missile crisis. Being only thirty miles from the border I was convinced that within a short space of time I would be dead. After going into N.A.T.O. camps the scene of frenzied activity. When I got back to our camp what did I find? Our lads were padding around polishing floors and locker knobs for an inspection the next day. Was I relieved when the Russian vessels turned!
After leaving the army I was back in Birkenhead and jobless. I left for Coventry and after a short stint as a postman I decided to return to Germany. I arrived in Dortmund with the equivelent of about half a crown to my name, to audition for a band called Chicago Sect. I'd been singing country songs and ballads around the pubs back home and of course knew very little about Tamla Motown, Rock etc. The band were not impressed at my ignorance as I shook my head at each song they suggested. Just as it looked like I'd have to hitch back home someone asked if I knew any Ray Charles. I knew Georgia! I sang it and was in. Thanks Hoagy Carmichael! I was in Dortmund for about nine months during which time I married Thelma who had been a dream of mine since I'd first seen her as a teenager in Birkenhead. I'd been in Dortmund supposedly saving for our future but sad to say I'd had a marvellous time but returned home skint. Thelma bought my suit for the wedding on a cheque from her mother and she and our two witnesses (all that were present apart from the priest) paid for our drink, etc. We celebrated unknown to anyone in the local pub Murphys. Once I was married I became a little more responsible and although I played with the local bands I worked a variety of jobs during the day. At various times I was a grocery store manager, driver, navvy, quality control engineer (bluffed my way in) and finally a teacher. All the time my dreams were of music
During my teaching years I began to write to try and fulfil my ambition of being a proffesional singer and to bring about the musical recognition I sought. Ironically I began to make a name as a writer and my singing was overlooked. However through my songs I began to meet people who have since become great friends to me. People like George Hamilton IV, Daniel O'Donnell and of course Foster and Allen. Tony Allen it was who first invited me to Ireland and I've been going there ever since. I love the heady mix of joy and melancholy, anarchy and reverence, the humour, the music, the people and of course the odd pint of Guiness! So I'd arrived in 1994 thinking that all my efforts had been largely in vain and questioning God about giving me musical talents and yet seemingly thwarting my every move. When I surrendered my will to Him, He stepped in swiftly and powerfully and with the help of Gerry Anderson, Pat Kenny, numerous Irish DJs and the Irish people and of course Ritz Records my dreams began to be realised. With the continued support of all the marvellous people we have met all around England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, namely you, I am sure it will be. God bless you and thank you for everything you have done for me and my family, Thelma, Charlie Jnr, Allan and Jamie. Yours, Charlie.