- Place – Pye Recording Studios, London
- Time – 1970
- Client – Jack Fishman
Spycatcher
Jack Fishman was a songwriter, journalist and spy catcher. He co-wrote several hits including, If Paradise is Half as Nice, If I Only Had Time, Something is Happening and Help Yourself. His songs achieved sales of more than ten million records.
He was a total workaholic who worked continuously throughout his life simply because he loved it and, despite his success, he preferred to lead a very modest life.
He also managed the composer Roy Budd and worked with Roy on the theme songs for the movies Soldier Blue and Get Carter.
Jack, knowing there wasn’t any real music budget for the movie Get Carter, convinced Roy Budd to write and play the music with his trio for expenses only but Roy was very reluctant. Jack’s persuasive manner and experience eventually got the better of Roy and he agreed to do it.
This soundtrack was performed by The Roy Budd Trio and became a cult classic. This catapulted Roy and his career into a major movie success.
Jack acted as music supervisor in the Seventies overseeing the output of over one hundred feature films.
As a spy catcher he was credited with the exposure of Kim Philby the most notorious spy Britain had ever known.
Small Change
Jack Fishman had booked into the studio to do some edits on a quarter inch tape. It was the soundtrack album for Get Carter, the new movie he was working on.
I was aware of Jack through the many hits he had achieved as a songwriter. He was in his late forties, a slim medium sized man with receding hair and spoke with a very intense delivery.
Halfway through the morning I asked Jack if he would like to take a break, I offered to go and get some teas and sandwiches from the local café.
Jack liked the idea and insisted on paying for both of us, my £7/10 a week was no match for a very successful songwriter’s income, so naturally I agreed.
He reached into his jacket pocket pulling out some small change and gave me a shilling (5p). Although a cup of tea in those days was around 7p and a round of cheese sandwiches was about 10p, I was far too embarrassed to say tell him he hadn’t given me enough.
I relieved him of his shilling whilst wondering when was the last time he had visited a café and bought a round of teas.
On my return and feeling very uncomfortable, I said thanks to Jack for paying for the tea and sandwiches and gave him tuppence change.
A few years later I would work with Jack on many sessions and we became very good friends, even writing a few songs together.
Jack’s frugal ways never changed. He would always bring homemade sandwiches to the session and stayed in the control room whilst everyone went off to the restaurant for lunch.
Herr Loss
He told me a story he was visiting Berlin at the age of ten with his parents, when they accidentally stumbled upon a Nazi rally. Adolph Hitler, whilst descending the steps and passing Jack, gently patted him on his full crop of blond hair.
He always thought that this was the reason for his early hair loss.
I liked Jack very much and he was one of the three real geniuses I had the pleasure to know during my life.
Jack Fishman – Always working
I think only a genius could have pulled this off
Jesus Christ—- Superstar
Such a strange session at Pye Studios
One great guy
Not always easy when recording your vocal
Making one mums borthday very special
Growing up is never easy to do
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