Latest news with #PPArnold
Times
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Rod Stewart at Glastonbury review — roguish charm with a touch of the cruise ship
Just after whatever controversy was aroused by Rod Stewart saying 'we should give Farage a chance' in an interview I conducted with him that ran on Saturday, Stewart was carrying on regardless. He came on stage in a glittering tuxedo and white frilly shirt, backed by three blonde backing singers who looked like all his wives put together. Then he proceeded to ensure pure entertainment won through. 'I'm here!' announced Stewart, before adding, possibly in acknowledgement of Glastonbury's inclusive ethos: 'Music brings us together.' And Stewart does have the tunes to bring us together. Some Guys Have All the Luck was a mid-period favourite, while his throaty roar on The First Cut Is the Deepest, a soul classic made famous by PP Arnold, still had the power to cut through everything. • Follow our live coverage of the final night of Glastonbury 2025 There was more than a touch of the cruise ship to it all, with the backing singers in tiny dresses and the string players made up of unusually glamorous women. Still, Stewart does have a roguish charm and he could really bring out the beauty of the songs, not least when he came toward the crowd for Young Turks. It was a little odd to hear Stewart's tale of nocturnal romance in the blazing sun, but that wasn't his fault and at 80 he still brought out the emotion. 'How was that one?,' he asked. The answer was: pretty good. 'There's been a lot about the Middle East, but I'd like to draw your attention to Ukraine,' said Stewart before a cover of the O'Jays' Love Train, but it was his own standards that made the set come alive. You Wear it Well was a lovely reminder of his ragged early Seventies glory days, while Maggie May, his tale of a teenaged one-night stand with an older woman, was lovely. • Rod Stewart: 'We've got to give Nigel Farage a chance' It was also dated. ''Allo girls!,' he shouted as the backing singers came forward for Young Hearts Run Free, while a rendition of Lady Marmalade began to look like a scene from the Playboy mansion. But nobody expects Rod Stewart to be edgy, and when he started kicking footballs into the crowd during Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?, the cheesiness slipped into the sublime. Besides, Stewart's voice remained incredible, this was the singalong slot, and everyone sang along to Baby Jane. Finally, Ronnie Wood came on for the Faces' rollicking classic Stay with Me and Lulu duetted on Hot Legs. If people were upset about Stewart's endorsement of Nigel Farage, they didn't show it. This was showbiz, right down to the swaying finale of Sailing. ★★★☆☆ Follow @timesculture to read the latest reviews
Times
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Rod Stewart, Glastonbury review: roguish charm with a touch of the cruise ship
Just after whatever controversy was aroused by Rod Stewart saying 'we should give Farage a chance' in an interview I conducted with him that ran on Saturday, Stewart was carrying on regardless. He came on stage in a glittering tuxedo and white frilly shirt, backed by three blonde backing singers who looked like all his wives put together. Then he proceeded to ensure pure entertainment won through. 'I'm here!' announced Stewart, before adding, possibly in acknowledgement of Glastonbury's inclusive ethos: 'Music brings us together.' And Stewart does have the tunes to bring us together. Some Guys Have All the Luck was a mid-period favourite, while his throaty roar on The First Cut Is the Deepest, a soul classic made famous by PP Arnold, still had the power to cut through everything. There was more than a touch of the cruise ship to it all, with the backing singers in tiny dresses and the string players made up of unusually glamorous women. Still, Stewart does have a roguish charm and he could really bring out the beauty of the songs, not least when he came toward the crowd for Young Turks. It was a little odd to hear Stewart's tale of nocturnal romance in the blazing sun, but that wasn't his fault and at 80 he still brought out the emotion. 'How was that one?,' he asked. The answer was: pretty good. • Rod Stewart: 'We've got to give Nigel Farage a chance' 'There's been a lot about the Middle East, but I'd like to draw your attention to Ukraine,' said Stewart before a cover of the O'Jays' Love Train, but it was his own standards that made the set come alive. You Wear it Well was a lovely reminder of his ragged early Seventies glory days, while Maggie May, his tale of a teenaged one-night stand with an older woman, was lovely. It was also dated. ''Allo girls!,' he shouted as the backing singers came forward for Young Hearts Run Free, while a rendition of Lady Marmalade began to look like a scene from the Playboy mansion. But nobody expects Rod Stewart to be edgy, and when he started kicking footballs into the crowd during Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?, the cheesiness slipped into the sublime. Besides, Stewart's voice remained incredible, this was the singalong slot, and everyone sang along to Baby Jane. Finally, Ronnie Wood came on for the Faces' rollicking classic Stay with Me and Lulu duetted on Hot Legs. If people were upset about Stewart's endorsement of Nigel Farage, they didn't show it. This was showbiz, right down to the swaying finale of Sailing. ★★★☆☆ Follow @timesculture to read the latest reviews
The Guardian
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Post your questions for music legend PP Arnold
She's the singer with iconic 60s hits such as The First Cut Is the Deepest and Angel of the Morning, who has been called on as a collaborator by some of the biggest names in British music. And as she gears up for a performance at this year's Glastonbury festival, PP Arnold will be answering your questions. Born into a family of gospel singers in Los Angeles, Arnold could have easily never ended up in music: by the age of 17 she was a mother-of-two in an abusive marriage. But she auditioned for Ike and Tina Turner and was hired as an Ikette, fleeing her husband to perform backing vocals on tour and in the studio, with Tina becoming a mentor. After the Turner band toured with the Rolling Stones in the UK in 1966, Arnold left and stuck around in England. The admiring Mick Jagger helped secure her a record contract, and she was quickly in the thick of swinging London as British pop and rock swept to cultural dominance. Arnold sang backing vocals on the Small Faces' Itchycoo Park and the band in turn backed her own studio recordings; she duetted with Rod Stewart on Come Home Baby; her backing band for a time were the Nice, featuring Keith Emerson; and the Bee Gees' Barry Gibb produced some of her work. Her debut album contained a cover of Cat Stevens' The First Cut Is the Deepest which many consider to be the definitive version, while the follow-up Kafunta – orchestrated by Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones – contained another iconic cover, of Angel of the Morning, both British chart hits. Those would be her biggest solo successes, but Arnold remained rooted in the entertainment business, segueing to musical theatre and collaborating with Eric Clapton, Nick Drake and singing backing vocals on Peter Gabriel's megahit Sledgehammer. She was sought after in the 80s and 90s dance scene, doing vocals for the Beatmasters and Altern-8 and singing the hook of the KLF's 3am Eternal. She also partnered with Ocean Colour Scene and Primal Scream. Now 78, she has continued to release her own music – 2019 brought The New Adventures of... PP Arnold – and she will perform songs from her remarkable discography at Glastonbury's Acoustic stage on Sunday 29 June at 4pm. Before she does, she'll answer your questions – post them in the comments before 10am BST on Tuesday 24 June.
