ITV has now broadcast the 6-part Granada series "Stan The Man". It stars John Thomson ("Cold Feet" and "The Fast Show") and Joe Absolom ("Eastenders") and best of all Eric Sykes in one episode! Why am I telling you this? Because I've co-written the theme song with that very talented fellow Alex Heffes. You can hear me singing and plucking guitar "Coming Home" over the opening credits at the start of each episode. Ratings for episode 2 were published in The Times newspaper - 6.5 million viewers, beating BBC1's opposition, "The Project" hands down - it only rated 1.9 million. However, we understand that there was a big dip in ratings for episode 4, so under pressure from the advertisers, it was pulled from its prime time slot. Episode 5 will apparently now be broadcast on December 23rd, and Episode 6 on December 30th at 10.30. Anything can change with commerical television of course...

I am overjoyed to say that I've recently finished a session for the long version of this song, "Coming Home" with highly respected guitarist Big Jim Sullivan. Jim has played on over 1000 chart entries since his early days in the Eddie Cochran band. The list of credits in unbelievable - you can check it out on his interesting website here.

Just to drop a few people and projects he's been involved with - David Bowie "Space Oddity", George Harrison "Wonderwall" soundtrack album, Frank Zappa "200 Motels", Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin "Je T'Aime", Nancy Sinatra "You Only Live Twice", Tom Jones "Thunderball", Marty Wilde "Teenager in Love", Ella Fitzgerald "Can't Buy Me Love", Marianne Faithful "As Tears Go By", Rolf Harris "Sun Arise", The Kinks "You Really Got Me", Gerry and The Pacemakers "Ferry Cross the Mersey", Donovan "Catch the Wind", The Scaffold "Thankyou Very Much", Ken Dodd "Happiness", Thunderclap Newman "Something in the Air", Carly Simon "You're So Vain, Alvin Stardust "My Coo-Ca-Choo"... Its goes on and on - check his site for more details.

And on top of the fact that he has played on such an awesome number of important pop hits he is the most generous and gracious man I have met in music for many a year. It was a pleasure working with him and I would be thrilled to do so again. The fact that he's happy to play on a track by a herbert like me just blows me away! Thanks Jim! And thanks to Jim Earl for getting us in touch!

And to make matters even better we managed to get Chris Whitten to play the drums. Chris has toured the world in Paul McCartney's band twice, drummed for Dire Straits for one tour and used to play for Julian Cope and The Waterboys among many others. I've always admired his playing and was delighted to get him on this project.

There is a compilation CD of David Bowie covers called "Diamond Gods - Interpretations of Bowie" and I've got a track on it! The song is "Memory of a Free Festival" from the "Space Oddity" album - a favourite of mine since I was about 14. Hippy twaddle about spaceships, etc, but it has a very pretty tune and loads of charm.

Recorded in record time (two evenings) to make the production deadline, I had to engineer it single-handedly and play all the instruments myself. Despite having to wrestle with a recalcitrant Mac with a mystery MIDI synch problem, I reckon it came out rather well.

I'm most excited to be in such excellent company - Blondie with Robert Fripp, Nico, Hazel O'Connor, Buster Bloodvessel, and Icehouse - all childhood heroes. You may be able to buy a copy from www.amazon.co.uk if you're lucky but I think it has now been deleted.. It's on the invisible hands music label catalogue number IHCD 16.