Marti’s doing it his way

Apr 26 2008 by Gavin Allen, South Wales Echo

MARTI Pellow’s return to the spotlight has been so successful that he feels confident enough to take on the greats of screen and song; Jack Nicholson and Frank Sinatra.

In the late ’90s Pellow suffered the full indignity of celebrity burnout – drugs and alcohol addiction and the collapse of Wet Wet Wet – but he is now back on top of his game and fighting success on three fronts.

He continues to be part of a reinvigorated Wet Wet Wet, who last year released their comeback album Timeless and scored a top 10 single for the first time in a decade with Weightless.

“Yeah, we had a top 10 record for a moment there,” he laughs, “What the hell happened?”

In August he will appear on stage in The Witches Of Eastwick as Daryl van Horne, the role originally played by Nicholson in the movie, in a new touring production of the show that arrives in Cardiff in Spring 2008.

“Having hung out with the devil a few times I suppose it was easy casting,” he said, his gallows humour heavy with history.

But he is currently back on solo career duty with his third album Sentimental Me, on which he tackles some jazzy classics including Sinatra tracks such as I’ve Got You Under My Skin and Summer Wind.

Following his previous solo effort Moonlight Over Memphis, an album of soul standards that featured some of his best ever vocals, Pellow decided to tackle jazz with a residency at the legendary Ronnie Scott’s last year.

“I was doing two shows a night at Ronnie Scott’s and it was dangerously close to being a real job,” quipped the Clydebank-born singer whose real name is Mark McLachlan.

“I was performing some classics from my record collection but it was important to me to not to emulate those old Nelson Riddle arrangements that Sinatra did, because they have been done to death.

“It took all my 43 years of experience to know how to do them differently and be happy with them.

“But it’s also difficult because some people are a little afraid of jazz.

“So it’s baby steps all the way for me as I try to move my fan base with me when I go off on my own wee tangents.”

But whatever tangents Pellow chases, and whatever level of fame he is returned to since his problems, he focuses on the quality of work by working with top names across a variety of platforms.

On his soul album he worked with long-time Al Green collaborator ‘Pappa’ Willie Mitchell in Memphis while for Sentimental Me he collaborated with multi award-winning jazz pianist Jim Watson.

Between his solo tour and his stint in The Witches Of Eastwick, he will appear in Sir Tim Rice's revival of his hit musical Chess at The Royal Albert Hall, which will get the stage fires burning for his devilish turn as Van Horne.

“When I was doing Chicago in the West End (2002) Ian McShane was playing van Horne and I never got the chance to see him,” he said, slightly annoyed.

“I’m told the production was amazing.

“But I went to see the current production in Washington recently and it was fantastic, which I was delighted with, because if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s this: If you are going to commit to something, then you’d better be damn sure it’s good.”

Marti Pellow performs at St David’s Hall, Cardiff on Wednesday. Tickets cost £27.50-£30 from 029 2087 8444.