Brian Protheroe - ’Pinball’ - Singer, Songwriter, Actor

On this episode of the podcast, I am joined by Brian Protheroe , the man behind the 1974 original of 'Pinball' - Paul Weller's latest single from the upcoming covers album Find El Dorado.

When Paul Weller chose to cover Brian Protheroe’s 1974 debut single 'Pinball' for his latest single and upcoming album Find El Dorado, it wasn’t just a nod to nostalgia - it was an artist recognising a song that had quietly endured for half a century. For Brian, who has straddled a dual career in acting and music, Pinball was never meant to be a pop hit. It was a stream-of-consciousness diary entry, capturing a moment of heartbreak, aimlessness, and Soho wanderings, all strung together without a chorus - just mood, melody, and raw honesty.

Written during a low point in his life - newly single, broke, and living in a flea-ridden Covent Garden flat - his vivid lyrical sketches ('fleas in the bedroom, flies in the bathroom') offered something different to the glam and gloss of the charts. That difference resonated: Pinball landed him on Top of the Pops, and repeated plays from Kenny Everett on his Capital radio show.

Now 81, Brian is still writing and recording, with a remastered vinyl reissue of his debut album Pinball due in August.

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