Mick J Clark Talks ‘Mick’s Christmas Mix EP’, New Single And More
Words by Glenn Sargeant
Photo Credit: PR
As Christmas approaches, it seemed only right that JLTT try and get into the festive spirit so we have chatted to singer-songwriter and musician Mick J Clark about his forthcoming ‘Mick’s Christmas Mix’ EP release:
You will be releasing your new original Christmas single ‘It’s Christmas Party Time’ on 1st December 2023. What was the story/inspiration behind the track?
Christmas means many things to many people, it brings up many emotions and memories of Christmases gone by, I think most people can remember going to a great Christmas party and having such a great time, I hope playing this song brings back some of those memories or maybe helps to make new happy memories. Why did I write this song ? Oh yes, I do love a Christmas party 🙂
What does Christmas mean to you?
As a kid I would always enjoy giving presents to family, even my cat, and I’m still the same today, ( but cats gawn). I work right up to Christmas, mainly ‘promoting’, and those endless ‘pub meetings’ 🙂
On Christmas day, first big job, having to get up early whilst still recovering from Christmas Eve, ‘and enjoy the day’, (so says my wife:-) as my daughter and her two children stay with us for Christmas. The phones are ringing red hot, and I sit reflecting on the past year, how lucky I am, and how unlucky so many other people are today.
Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?
Croydon, Surrey. ‘a very very small ‘New York’ !!
The new single is accompanied by an official music video. Who did you work with on that, where was it recorded and do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the video filming?
Oh yes, I could fill a book with ‘funny and interesting stories on this Video:-), but first a special thanks to my camera man Dave Parsons who filmed the Video (good surname for this Video:-)
It was filmed at Selhurst Railway Club, Dagnall Park. SE25 6NS. Rock ‘N’ Roll Night with Dj Pat da Kat.
I thought it would be amusing to make it ‘Thriller-esk’ with a ‘Grinch’ !!! so bought a big Grinch mask and forty ‘face masks’ and we filmed it in ‘one take’. I had to quickly tell everyone ‘the script’ and luckily they all agreed to take part, but I put my beard on wrong and looked more like the ‘Abominable Snowman’ than Santa, Then I kept loosing my belt, ‘slipping down’, lower and lower 🙁 Needless to say, ‘this Michael’ is no threat to ‘the real Michael’, ‘What’s the problem ? Huh, Huh, Huh, Huh 🙂
The single is taken from your Christmas EP ‘Mick’s Christmas Mix’. How did you want to approach the making of the EP?
I never thought of writing a Christmas EP, I had some Christmas songs so put them out on an EP, but I must say sorry for such a ‘cheesy’ title 🙂
How do you look after your voice?
I like to think I’m a good songwriter, who sings his songs, I don’t do anything or take anything, so if a note comes out right, I’m happy.
Do you have any live plans to support the EP release?
No Gigs or going on stage anywhere this Christmas, but I will be ‘promoting’, at as many Christmas Fairs/Markets as I can get in, from the 1st of December, two weeks and then the public go on ‘cruise control’ and stop wanting new Christmas songs, so the ‘window’ is quite a short time 🙁
What are your future plans in 2024?
I love what I do, but I can never do all I want to do 🙁
I played at Hailsham Theatre in August which I really enjoyed and some guest appearances around the South Coast, so next year more of the same, a new single(that’s ready to go) but for me I won’t just ‘rattle off’ an Album, I spend a lot of time on each song and I hope that comes through to the listener.
Where can people purchase the EP and single?
Linktree
What makes Mick J Clark happy and what makes you unhappy?
The strange thing about life is the moment you start thinking how good life is going, ‘how happy you are’ life ‘bites you on the bum’, and it all goes ‘Pete Tong’, but for this ‘question’ I will say, I am always a happy chappy:-) of course my family and my grandchildren make me laugh so much, and so many other things make me happy, songs I write, songs I listen to, footer, exercise, good conversation, tennis, stop, stop, stop !!! well you did ask 🙂
What makes me unhappy is cruelty of any kind, towards children, women, animals !!!
Bullying in Schools !!
On Bullying,
The Croydon Education Dept put:
‘Me My Body And I‘ By Mick J. Clark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCbPpfIGk-s
into all the Schools in Croydon, Surrey and Leethan Bartholomew of the National FGM Centre has accepted this song because FGM is mentioned in the song.
Empowering Song for Children’ against Self Harming and Bullying.
(And yes Life can be a Bully as well).
Using the ‘lyrics’ in Songs to influence and help children should be seriously looked at.
If you’ve been Bullied, you now need ‘a Voice’ picking you up, giving you back your confidence and self worth’ and getting you back thinking positive. Telling the child all the things ‘they need to hear’.
Empowering song, with Empowering words, to Empower the child, to ‘Ignore’ the Bully’.
Three years ago we went into the Schools with our Anti Smoking/Drugs song called,
You Don’t Look Cool by Teenagers. (Kids Telling Kids don’t Smoke/Drugs/Vape).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec-kvBNRX6w
which was sung by The Brit School.
Photo Credit: Supplied By PR
Mick Clark’s latest single ‘It’s Christmas Party Time’ and ‘Mick’s Christmas Mix’ EP are released on 1st December 2023.
Purchase link to single: https://linktr.ee/mickjclark
For more information visit his official website here: https://www.mickjclark.co.uk/
