Edinburgh songwriter who co-wrote Shakin' Stevens hits talks ‘Fun, Fame and Failure in the Music Business’
Songwriter Gordon Campbell has taken a look back through his life in music in his new book.
A local songwriter, who was a familiar face in Edinburgh’s music scene in the 1980s, will share his highs and lows from a life in music in his upcoming book.
Originally from Balloch, Gordon Campbell moved to the capital in the late 1970s as a student, going on to write hit songs for Shakin' Stevens and release his own singles, most notably With a Woman Like You in 1983.
The book titled ‘Fun, Fame, and Failure in the Music Business’, draws on Gordon’s life in music, from getting signed to Elton John’s record label, to writing songs for pop stars and teaching a new generation of musicians through various courses over the last four decades.
Speaking to the Evening News, Gordon said: “People have told me I’ve got a very unusual story so I thought it would be interesting to share my experiences and anecdotes to teach people about the realities of the music business. Because it's not always glamour, it's not always success. It's all about working hard, learning from your mistakes and getting a lucky break.
“Nobody is interested in reading a book about me, but they might be interested in some of the things that have happened along the way.
“I’ve had a unusual career path in the music business, from songwriting and performing, to producing and teaching and even being a marketing consultant in Scotland for EMI and Virgin. I love every aspect of the music business, and I'm blessed to have had a career doing something I love.
“The book took me four years to write and it's a mixture of lessons I learned in the music industry and telling some my stories from over the years. From seeing one of my tunes being performed on Top Of The Pops to playing in an empty pub in the Cowgate.”
After studying accounting at Heriot-Watt, Gordon started out performing at various Edinburgh pubs and gained his nickname, ‘The Office Boy’ after working at REL Records (Radio Edinburgh Limited) in Haymarket.
Gordon said: “I was training to be a chartered accountant, but I realised quite quickly that I wasn't very good at it and by this time music had taken over my life. I ended up playing the pubs at night from to get a wee bit of extra money and it was a tremendous training ground for me - I learned so much about marketing, performing and promotion.
“In the early 80s one of my songs get heard by the boss of Elton John's publishing company, The Rocket Record Company, and on the strength of that I got signed as a writer to his company. I mainly wrote for other artists, but I put out the odd record out and my single, With a Woman Like You, came out in 1983. It was a hit in Scotland and was a minor hit in the UK, but it got lots and lots of airplay and really good feedback.”
Gordon later worked as a teacher at several colleges, including teaching a HNC in music management at West Lothian College, educating a new generation of musicians.
He said: “It was for people that wanted to work on the of management side of music. And because I'd learned so much about the industry from being an office boy at REL Records, writing songs and being signed with a label, I was able to use my knowledge to good effect.
“One of things students would do is run their own record label and it was great for them because they got to put all their training and theory into practice.”
It was around this time Gordon co-wrote songs for Shakin' Stevens including Because I Love You and Radio. Gordon said: “They weren't his biggest hits, but I'm still very proud of the fact that I've played a tiny part in one of the most successful artists in Britain. He had 33 singles in the top 40 hits, so I feel very proud of the association.
“I had a degree of success as a songwriter but I think I was very privileged and fortunate to have written even two or three hit songs - the bottom line for me is that I was blessed to have had a career in something that I really love.
“My book is about one man's insight into the music industry and I think there’s some stories in there people will find amusing and also get an insight into the music industry. I try to show that if you work hard and believe in what you do, you can make a living in music.”
Fun, Fame, and Failure in the Music Business by Gordon Campbell will be released later in the year.
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