Hawley and Christie

Richard speaks on his new Sheffield based project with Tony Christie

31 July 2008 - Sheffield has been churning out quality musicians for decades and some of the city's favourites are being brought together by Richard Hawley.

They will contribute to the new Tony Christie album which Hawley is producing called Made in Sheffield .

Sheffield United

Speaking exclusively to 6 Music, Hawley told us how he was brought on board: "Tony basically approached me a while back. He liked a song of mine called Coles Corner. He liked the sound of it and wanted to make some music like it. So I suggested we did an album of Sheffield songwriters."

The record is an all Sheffield affair and features as yet unheard songs written by Jarvis Cocker, and covers by the Arctic Monkeys and The Human League.

Jarvis Onboard

Hawley said it was exciting to hear songs by these artists recorded in a completely new way: "We've done a version of the only ones who know by the Arctic Monkeys which is quite radically different from their version.

"Jarvis has written a song as well. It's quite an eclectic bunch of writers but we’ve got really excited about hearing songs done in a really different context and just hearing how exciting Tony's voice still is. He's an amazing singer."

He told us how he rounded up this star studded cast: I've actually spoken to each of the artists personally and asked their permission just so they'd be enthusiastic about it. And everyone I've spoken to seems to be mad for it and are really excited about hearing their own music in a completely different context."

Coles Corner Make-Over

Even one of his own songs is getting a make-over. Something he wasn't so sure about at first: "He [Tony] wanted to do a version of Coles Corner and I felt a bit uncomfortable about it at first but we did it and it sounds ok. There's a song that me and Jarvis co-wrote years and years ago called Born To Cry that’s a monster actually. But I'm not going to give it all away."

Not everyone writing and performing on the record is well known and Hawley said it was a good chance to give undiscovered local talent some exposure.

"Some of the writers are very obscure and they've never had the breaks they deserve," he said. "So, it's an honour to put them forward. I was just aware that there was a lot more to Sheffield than means the eye and a lot of songwriters from Sheffield who'd never got a break. So doing an album of all Sheffield artists just seemed to anchor the album and give it a focus."

"Tony basically appraoched me a while back. He liked a song of mine called Coles Corner."
Richard Hawley

Hawley has always been a fan of Christie and he reckons this is an important album for the Amarillo singer.

He said: "I think this record is like a legacy album for Tony as well. Because we all know that Tony is a legend. He's more well known for doing the Peter Kay charity record but I just wanted to re-set the balance and set the record straight. He's an artist that needs to be thought about really seriously."

And as for the title, he explained: "Just so many of my mates had 'Made In Sheffield' tattooed on the back of their necks when they were at school. So I thought it seemed appropriate. In honour of this record, I might get a tattoo saying 'Made In Sheffield' on the back of my neck."

New material

In between touring and producing for Christie, Richard Hawley has also been finding time to write more of his own songs.

When we asked him if he'd be going back in the studio soon, he said he's having a break and then added: "September or October I'm going to start another record."

Hawley's got plenty of new material but it might not all make the final cut: "It’s the same as always. I've got loads of stuff written but as soon as we start recording I'll probably bin it all off and write new stuff. It's not that I'm not enthusiastic about the stuff I've written its just that I like things to be super fresh."

Elizabeth Alker