Wrestling with Elephants

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View books by James Inverne, Don Black.

Good but I wonder - Rated
The book is a very good snapshot of the lyric writing business in the theatre. We get to read many behind the scenes stories about many popular and loved shows, and also get an idea of how the whole business of putting on a show goes. One little discrepancy I found was that when talking about Sunset Boulevard, and reffering to the whole issue of choosing the next Norma (Glen Close, etc) he barely touches upon the London Premiere, and refers to Patty LuPone as 'a girl who had gotten a name by playing Fantine in Les Miz in the original production' That is hardly a way to talk about the person who 'made' the role of Evita on Broadway, and hardly just 'a girl...' she already had a name (Anything Goes) by the time Sunset Boulevard came about, if he is so loose in his understanding of Patty's past, how loose was he with other facts?

Black goes with everything - Rated
Black Goes With Everything

Or so they say. It was certainly the name of an excellent musical I saw a few years ago, in Bromley, Kent, when around 30 of Don Black's songs were performed by a variety of talented artists and dancers in a two-hour show. The show hasn't yet found a home in the West End of London and doesn't get a mention in James Inverne's compelling biography, Wrestling With Elephants - The Authorised Biography of Don Black, just published by Sanctuary Publishing. However, it appears to be about the only thing which doesn't get a mention in this fascinating 'rags to riches' tale, which chronicles both successes and failures in an illustrious 40 years plus career in the music, film and theatre business.

Inverne clearly got plenty of help from his subject and his immediate family, as he did from several of Black's collaborators and singers of his songs, like John Barry, Elmer Bernstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Elaine Paige and Lulu. This is a big advantage for a biographer and not only does it create a feeling of integrity, it also gives the impression of frankness and honesty throughout - a refreshing change for a musical biography.

Black himself comes across as a very modest fellow. Proud of his success, yes, but never boastful, and always prepared to admit when something hasn't worked out and keen to establish the possible reason. So, we are entertained and thrilled by stories of his Oscar win for Born Free or his first, massive, stage musical hit, Billy, but can empathise with him when Budgie, which appeared to be a perfect idea for a musical, unaccountably failed to attract an audience. We can laugh along with his stories of John Barry offering to fight John Phillips of the Mamas & Papas, or his own beginnings as a stand-up comic (Don Black - A Living Joke), whereas we can share his sorrow and frustration as manager of Matt Monro, a wonderfully talented singer who could not stop drinking. Monro was obviously a very close friend of his, it was much more than a manager and star relationship, and for the first time Black talks about how he fought to hide Monro's alcoholism from the public.

Overall, though, this book is about a successful career and having a lot of fun along the way. It's also a story of a man who is a bit of workaholic - he worries if he hasn't written anything for three weeks, for example. It's about a man who cherishes lyrics and cares deeply about every word he writes. To this end, he goes further than many of his contemporaries by explaining in detail why he takes a certain route in writing a song and even presents his 'Ten Golden Rules of Lyric Writing'!

Black is clearly never one to dwell too long in the past and is always looking for a new challenge. In this respect, he is currently working with John Barry on Brighton Rock. He even relates an amusing story of telling JB that the ten melodies he had sent were all melancholy and they couldn't possibly have ten sad songs. To which Barry retorted "It's not a ****ing picnic, it's about hell."!!

The book contains some rare photos of Black, his family, friends and collaborators throughout the course of his life and career. All these are in black and white, and if there is a criticism to be made about this book it would be that some of them have not reproduced too well - it's as though the black has washed out too much of the detail. But it's a minor quibble. It contains a foreword by John Barry in which he talks of a deep mutual respect, trust and loyalty. It's easy to see why the two friends have worked together so happily for almost 40 years.

I recommend this book unreservedly to one and all. I'm about to read it again!!

Geoff Leonard, June 2003.