RADIO 2 has always been good to Sir Elton John, affording the iconic singer countless hours of airtime for his prolific songbook. By way of saying thank you, Sir Elton, 72, decided to donate a grand piano to the station in 2010. “Rumour has it that they had to take a window out to get it installed on the sixth floor,” says veteran DJ Ken Bruce and he’s only half-joking.
“It was a very welcome gift and much appreciated,” but for some months the piano sat around, rarely used, Ken, 68, admits.
That was until someone suggested inviting a succession of musicians, new and established, to come and play songs – two of their own, one from another artist – live on Ken’s weekday morning show, and the idea of the Piano Room was born.
Nobody needed to be asked twice. Ken’s programme attracts over eight million listeners on a regular basis so performing stripped back renditions of familiar songs made perfect commercial sense.
It’s why stars, from Sir Paul McCartney, 76, to Andrea and Matteo Bocelli and from Joan Armatrading to Someone You Loved singer, Lewis Capaldi, 22, were only too happy to take part in what has become a more or less monthly event.
“Once artists hear some of the stellar names taking part,” says Ken, “they want a slice of the action. There’s a definite domino effect.”
Now their appearances in the Piano Room have been collated into a new album.
The latest guest was Michael Ball, 56. Riding high as his first solo album in five years, Coming Home To You, headed for the Number One spot in its week of release, he nonetheless confessed to feeling nervous. “I’d performed in the Piano Room once before with Alfie Boe,” he said, “but this was my first time on my own.
Radio 2 presenter Ken Bruce (Image: Steve Reigate)
Ken with Michael Ball (Image: BBC)
“At least I knew they filmed it, unlike last time when I turned up looking dreadful. But I’m so used to presenting my own Radio 2 show every Sunday that it felt weird being the other side of the microphone singing songs I’d never sung live before. It seemed to go all right, though.”
Take That’s Gary Barlow, 48, on the other hand, displayed no nerves at all, says Ken, when he came into The Piano Room. “He’s such an easy man to have around and he loves music. He clearly enjoys playing the piano and singing, which seems to come absolutely naturally to him. He was totally relaxed, like a fish in water.”
Rick Astley, 53, similarly, says Ken, has a huge, unforced enthusiasm for music. “He came in with his guys and it was clear from the start that they were intent on having a good time. Whereas he played every instrument himself on his hit album and supplied all the backing vocals, you can’t do that in a live session. But that’s what makes it something a bit different.”
James Blunt, 45, is another singer/ songwriter Ken admires. “Initially, you think his voice is rather a delicate musical instrument but you soon realise it has tremendous strength and with a huge range.And the great thing about James is he doesn’t take himself seriously as anyone who has followed his Twitter feed will know. He has a disarming, self-deprecating wit.”
Sophie Ellis-Bextor, 39, – “beautiful inside and out” – is someone, in Ken’s opinion, who also isn’t interested in living a rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. “She’s the lady who lives round the corner with her husband and all those little boys and goes to work in a recording studio. She’s a grounded, family person who just happens to have a beautiful voice.”
When the blind Italian singer Andrea Bocelli, 60, performed with his son, Matteo, 21, it left a vivid and lasting impression on Ken. “That was a very special day. Matteo has a beautiful voice for a guy so young but quite different from his father’s.
“So it was quite something to see and hear them singing different parts of the same song, a lot of it, it seemed to me, done by intuition or, occasionally, a brief touch of their hands. “It was very moving to witness the special bond between father and son. In fact, it turned out to be one of the most listened to and watched Piano Room sessions ever on the BBC YouTube channel.”
Former Spandau Ballet lead singer Tony Hadley, 58, says Ken, is always on song. “I’ve never heard him slightly off-form. He’s a great singer at any hour of the day or night. One of his chosen songs was Through The Barricades which never fails to stir anyone who listens to it.
Joan Armatrading playing in the Piano Room (Image: BBC)
But then he’s made all his Spandau hits his own. You can’t imagine anyone else singing them.” Ken is full of praise for Joan Armatrading, 68. “She’s such a great artist, someone we should be really proud of in the UK. She’s consistently delivered brilliant songs but always danced to her own tune. She’s never gone down a commercial route just for the sake of it.
“Initially, she was a little nervous but then performed a beautiful session, including her first big hit, Love And Affection. Her rendition was recognisable like the original but with a tweak to make it something exclusive and that, I think, is the essence of the Piano Room.”
From the established names to a breaking star…”Lewis Capaldi has had great success with his chart-topping single, Someone You Loved, so it was good to welcome him into the Piano Room.
“As it happens, his cousin is none other than Peter Capaldi, the ex-Doctor Who, who appears in the video for the single. As a matter of fact, I’m told Peter does rather a good impression of me so maybe he could come in and do the show.”
And then there’s Macca.
Father and son Andrea and Matteo Bocelli in the Piano Room (Image: BBC)
“To hear Paul sing his own composition, Anyway, with just the piano for accompaniment was pure joy,” says Ken. “But, frankly, anything Mr McCartney wants to do is fine with me. He’s a massive man of music so it’s a real feather in the cap to have him on the album.”
The Piano Room is not the only tradition Ken enjoys. On Friday May 17, he will broadcast live from 9.30am to midday from Tel Aviv, Israel, on the eve of the 64th Eurovision Song Contest. He will speak to Michael Rice, the UK’s entry this year with his song, Bigger Than Us, while broadcaster and self-confessed Eurovision fan, Paddy O’Connell, will discuss some of the songs tipped to do well.
On the following day from 8pm, Ken will then bring listeners every country’s live performance from the Eurovision Final as he broadcasts from Expo, Tel Aviv. Paddy will share the latest news from backstage. Says Ken: “It warms the cockles of my heart to return to the shoebox that is my commentary spot at Eurovision. I’m looking forward to getting together once again with my fellow presenters from across the Continent and of course watching the live performances.”
Then he’ll hotfoot it back to the UK. So who’s next up in the Piano Room? “The American singer/songwriter, Lissie,” says Ken, “and Mike AndThe Mechanics.That’s a perfect illustration of how we seem to be able to attract the old and the new. Which means there’s no reason why we can’t release new Piano Room CDs for years to come.”
The Piano Room 2019 is out now from UMOD. Order on Amazon 2CD £9.99.