Peter Skellern

Lancashire-born Peter Skellern (1947- ), who has cultivated a sophisticated supper-club image of a pianist with soft, understated vocals, is primarily an easy listening artist who has gained success with LPs rather than in the singles charts. His biggest hits came with two songs released thirteen years apart. You're A Lady (1972) relied on the considerable appeal of its romantic lyrics, mass choir and brass band backing: it peaked at number three in the UK charts. The follow-up, Our Jackie's Getting Married, flopped, and it was not until Hold On To Love (1975), a number 14 record, that Skellern returned to the public consciousness.

Oddly, this latter single attracted Peel's attention and he placed it at number 15 in his pre-Festive Fifty chart of tracks from 1975. Skellern would continue to mine this suave nostalgic lyricism in albums such as Astaire, A String Of Pearls and Cheek To Cheek, but he would never again have a top 40 hit (1978's Love Is The Sweetest Thing gained some airplay and a low placing in the top 75). He was a regular topical song writer on Radio 4's Stop The Week, in a similar manner to Richard Stilgoe, with whom he has infrequently collaborated. His most recent forays have been in the world of choral classical music. Although his musical leanings and Peel's would seem to be mostly at odds, they shared a dislike for Oasis: in 1997, he called them 'louts' and compared them unfavourably to their musical role models, the Beatles.

Festive Fifty Entries

 * NonePETER SKELLERN - HOLD ON TO LOVE LIVE ON TOTP AGY.]]

Sessions

 * None

Other Shows Played

 * 19 December 1975: 'Hold On To Love (7")' (Decca)