The Old Grey Whistle Test - part two - as promised... Is of a performance that went out in March 1973 and involves one of my favourite songs.

I've long been a fan of today's artist but I confess I was slow to get into John Martyn. I even had his 'Solid Air' album to review in 1973 yet somehow it didn't register. Three years later I rediscovered him, as it were, and I was hooked. 

My favourite memory was seeing him at the Half Moon pub in Putney performing 'May You Never'. The audience were almost unconsciously singing along, when sudden John stopped singing himself, and with a huge smile on his face he watched the crowd continue without him. Great moment.   

Early days of the OGWT conjure memories of a fluctuating start time, I think once it even missed midnight and so became the first Wednesday show. While the studio was only 32 by 22 feet, and due to the lack of technology that accommodated live performances, bands often mimed to a back track. No mining here, just John Martyn singing 'May You Never' >

Did you? John Martyn was born in New Malden, Surrey. Grew up in Glasgow and lived in 1975 in Hastings