John Cowen and I had been introduced to the cartoonist Jo Sandelson (not sure by whom), with a view to collaboration over our “Metaphors For The Millennium” project, which withered on the vine/never happened. Private Eye much later introduced a “new/old sayings” idea along very similar lines; it still runs occasionally. Oh well.
Anyway, Jo was delightful and very hospitable. I tried to reciprocate with songs for her charitable Christmas activities.
Oscar Wilde is believed to have said that “the trouble with Socialism is that it takes too many evenings.”
When I think about pleasant evenings of the 18 December 1995 kind, I’d argue that the trouble with comedy is that we don’t spend enough evenings in each other’s company.
The lack of “Metaphors” did not seem to hold Jo back – it seems that she’s still going strong at www.josandelson.com at the time of writing this (March 2017) – click here.
Jo Sandelson 19 December 1995
(Putney address redacted)
Dear Jo
PICTURES AND SONGS
It was a pleasure to meet you last night. John and I both enjoyed the meeting and hope you did too. Has visual inspiration struck yet??
As promised, I attach some songs which might suit your festive gig for Crisis. Please feel free to use any/all/none of them at the handsome fee of “square root of diddly-squat”. If there are other subjects which you feel would be more appropriate, give me a call and I’ll see what I have – there are several hundred of these wretched things on my files now (most hopelessly out of date).
I apologise for the delay in faxing these to you, but I have been running around like an idiot from crack of dawn until late evening today and didn’t want to risk disturbing your slumbers by faxing late at night.
As we say in the Mets world; “nothing is certain but messed up faxes” so do call if this stuff doesn’t come through perfectly well first time. Basically I plan to be at home all day today (famous last words).
Thanks once again for your hospitality and happy holidays. I look forward to hearing from you and meeting you again in due course.
Yours sincerely
If by any chance there are NewsRevue lyric fans out there wondering which of my lyrics I faxed to Jo that day, the answer is:
- Christmas Song – Version 2;
- Closed To You;
- Domestic Fuel;
- Old Boys;
- There’s No Business;
- VE Day Medley;
- I’ll Never Find Another Job;
- Better Face.