Marti Webb - Work With Don Black

Work With Don Black

Lloyd Webber also asked Don Black, who had maintained a parallel career as the personal manager to Matt Monro, to become Webb's personal manager, a role he undertook from 1979 to 1990, when he became too busy with work on Sunset Boulevard. He found her a new manager and they've remained close: "Uncle Don and Auntie Shirl have always been there for me." In 1986, he wrote lyrics to the theme of the BBC television drama Howards' Way and the single "Always There" was the result, produced by its composers Simon May and Leslie Osbourne. It became a UK top 20 hit, and inspired an album of the same name in which she covered other television themes. The album, which peaked at #65 in the UK Albums Chart, was later released on compact disc entitled Marti Webb Sings Small Screen Themes. The previous year, she'd recorded a cover version of Black's songs, "Ben", which had been originally released by Michael Jackson. It was produced in memory of Ben Hardwick, who died shortly after becoming Britain's youngest liver transplant patient and whose story was publicized on the BBC television programme That's Life!. The single reached #5 in the UK Singles Chart and was included on her 1985 album, Encore.

During 1981 and 1982, Webb recorded her next album, I'm Not That Kind of Girl, which was eventually released in 1983. Although not based on a musical, the album had a running story concerning a woman who is reunited with a former lover. The album culminates with her on the way to their wedding. The songs were composed by David Hentschel and Don Black and were very much in a contemporary pop vein. Phil Collins played drums on the album and Kiki Dee contributed backing vocals. Despite the album's strong pedigree, it failed to chart and was Webb's final album on the Polydor label.

She appeared in a concert tribute to Don Black on his 70th birthday that was broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in August 2008 and also performed at a BBC Electric Proms event with the lyricist in October 2009.