CLUB SANDWICH 85

            After a few months in which his health badly deteriorated, Carl Perkins died at the beginning of 1998, leaving behind a legacy of great songs and a huge bank of admirers, musicians and fans alike. Actually, in Carl's case, there isn't much difference - to know this warm and generous man was to love him.
            While Eric Clapton grew up listening to Memphis blues records, George Harrison listened to Memphis rockabilly, and the two Englishmen's distinctly different guitar styles continue to reflect this 40 years on. But it wasn't only George who was influenced by Carl's music: all of the Beatles were mightily taken with Perkins' 1950s music, his early singles and, in particular, his first, fine album for Sun Records. When the Beatles were famous they happily recorded covers of three Perkins tunes, 'Matchbox', 'Honey Don't' and 'Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby' (and were thrilled when the great man himself turned up at the session for the first of these). Before they were famous, they performed a veritable album's worth of Perkins material on stage, adding 'Blue Suede Shoes', 'Boppin' The Blues', 'Glad All Over', 'Gone, Gone, Gone', 'Lend Me Your Comb', 'Sure To Fall', 'Tennessee', 'Your True Love' and probably others to the first three.
            Despite the Beatles - and others - citing him as a major influence on their music, Carl Perkins had a rocky 1960s and a tragic 1970s, suffering family and personal traumas. But at the same time as, happily, his life began to turn around, Paul McCartney invited Carl to join him in the studio on Montserrat, where he was recording the songs that would wind up on Tug Of War. The result was a delightful duet, 'Get It', and the poignant Perkins tune 'My Old Friend', which sat in the can for a long time before finally being issued last year, on what turned out to be Carl's last album, Go Cat Go!
            After 1981, Paul and Carl never lost personal contact, meeting, having fun, jamming and playing shows, in England and America. He and all the McCartneys, and music lovers everywhere, will miss this dear old rockabilly rocker.