Between blotch and blok

Well, yes. I always felt the same too. Definitely neglected.

I started by reading his TV review column far too many years ago. The column was one of the major reasons for my starting to read broadsheets at all. This was before his autobiography came out and before his prominence (if that's the appropriate word) on UK television--most notably his formula 1 documentary and his regular New Year's Eve show co-presented with Jerry Hall.

Even with all that, and his collected poems, I always felt there was something missing. He had huge potential, beyond the evident charm and wit, but it didn't seem fully expressed. There was always an impression of failure.

And then... I found what fitted in the gap. Through the seventies he wrote the lyrics for a handful of albums with the musician Pete Atkin. They gave up eventually due to lack of commercial success. I only discovered this because Pete 'n' Clive toured the UK this year with a performance that combined readings from Clive with songs from Pete (with a bit of Clive, tho' I missed that). It was pretty stupendous.

Pete has a web site--Smash Flops--that has the whole story and a rather fine discussion and mailing list. More importantly, it has all the lyrics and some tracks.

Yup. I'm quite a significantly serious fan of Clive's (and Pete's). It's worried a lot of peoplemen over the years when I've described Clive as a sex symbol!