Success
Look Out contained a jazz-tinged ballad entitled "How Wonderful You Are". This was given to Johnnie Walker of BBC Radio 2 the day before 9/11. Even before its release as a single in late 2001, Haskell’s song surpassed the Beatles’ "Hey Jude" and Frank Sinatra’s "My Way" to become the most-requested song on BBC Radio 2. Despite limited promotion, it charted as the Christmas number two in the UK Singles Chart, selling 400,000 copies.
As "How Wonderful You Are" scaled the UK pop charts, the British press began to pay attention towards the story of its unsung creator. Haskell was quoted saying, "Suddenly, after all these years, there's all this attention. But I've been living on skid row for so long that if I make a million now, it's back pay." He was approached by manager Ian Brown about recording opportunities. Haskell accepted, but specified that he wanted to make his record the old-fashioned way: live, no overdubs, and grounded in solid songwriting and classically styled performances.
As a result of the success of the single Haskell was offered a multi-million dollar recording contract from the UK label East West Records, distributed by Warner Bros. Records. The album Harry's Bar was released on 7 January 2002. It peaked at number 2 in the UK Albums Chart, and found similar success in Europe. Later on that year Shadows On The Wall was released, but only made Number 44 in the UK Albums Chart.
His next album reached Number 14 in the Polish album charts. Called The Lady Wants To Know it contained eleven tracks, was produced by Hamish Stuart and featured Tony O'Malley and Robbie McIntosh. A DVD came out in 2005 called "The Road To Harry's Bar." Most recently Haskell has been writing his autobiography with David Nobbs.
Read more about this topic: Gordon Haskell
Famous quotes containing the word success:
“Obedience is the mother of success, and success the parent of salvation.”
—Aeschylus (525–456 B.C.)
“... the selfishness that is bred of great success is our shame. We have subdued the wilderness and made it ours. We have conquered the earth and the richness thereof. We have indelibly stamped upon its face the seal of our dominating will. Now, unlike Alexander sighing for more worlds to conquer, we should address ourselves to adding beauty to that glory and grandeur.”
—Alice Foote MacDougall (1867–1945)
“... a large portion of success is derived from flexibility. It is all very well to have principles, rules of behavior concerning right and wrong. But it is quite as essential to know when to forget as when to use them.”
—Alice Foote MacDougall (1867–1945)