Clare Teal: Hallelujah, it truly is the singer who makes the song

As soon as I’m done, it’s off to London in order to board the early Eurostar to do some more recording for the Belgians.

Bizarrely, this time they’ve asked for a couple of Leonard Cohen’s, Ernesto Lecuona’s Andalucia, and The Locomotion. I’d always struggled to appreciate the considerable works of Leonard Cohen. That was until I heard Jeff Buckley’s version of Hallelujah. It’s curious that Leonard’s own version left me cold, but yet Jeff Buckley’s, and later KD Lang’s interpretations, made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

Moaney Mitchell is another example; for years, her piercing high voice kept getting in the way of the songs so I gave up bothering to listen.

Until I heard my dear friend, Ian Shaw, sing ‘Case Of You’ and ‘River’ in his set, and was blown away.

I’m sure my voice and writing has the same effect on some people – hopefully, not too many.

Something I’ve found researching the Great British Songbook, is that if a song is built well, it can withstand any amount of interpretation and tinkering.

Take, for example, Ewan Maccol’s beautiful song, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, as sung by the lady he wrote it for, Peggy Seeger. The original couldn’t sound more different to what most would call the definitive version, lovingly recorded by the fantastic Roberta Flack.

Speaking of different interpretations a funny thing just happened. Today, as part of Radio 2’s 2Day, I’m performing Willie Dixon’s ‘ Just Want To Make Love To You with Jules Holland and his orchestra. I’d asked what style he had in mind; was it Etta James or something closer to what the writer intended?

He’s just rung saying it was a bit of both and could he and the lads play it down the phone for me to see if I was happy with it?

It sounded absolutely marvellous. From now on I intend to carry out all my rehearsals this way – listening on the phone with my feet up.