NINETIES POP STARS

As a host of former chart-toppers become nonagenarians, NEIL CLARK talks to JJ Barrie, the oldest living male number one artist who is about to release new music after five decades

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IT WAS the start of the long, hot summer of 1976. James Callaghan was our Prime Minister, 2nd Division Southampton had won the FA Cup and England's cricketers were facing the fearsome fast bowlers of the West Indies. While at the top of the pop charts was one of the unusual number ones ever.

No Charge, sung by the Canadian artist JJ Barrie, told of how a little boy billed his mother for doing household chores. When his Mom reminded him of all the things she had done for him, for free, since he was born, he was full of contrition. Moral of story: the real cost of love is no charge.

It's fair to say the song, which was actually a profound critique of putting a price tag on everything - divided opinion. Hip music critics hated it, (there was even a parody version by Billy Connolly), but the public clearly loved it with their purchases of the single propelling it to number one.

Fifty years on JJ Barrie (real name Barry Authors), is still professionally active and, in his 93rd year, is now the oldest surviving male number one artist.

"I can remember it like it was last week," he says of the time he made it to the top.

"It's amazing. I can remember sitting in the office of Chappell Music [my record company] and Roland Remy coming in and saying, 'You're number one!' It's a very strange thing.

"I was singing some good middle-of-the road music No Charge was so square that when I heard it, I just knew it was going to be a hit record. Every feeling I had inside me. Everybody thought I was crazy, but I just knew there was an audience out there who would really relate to what I was talking about."