Tony Christie: 'Born To Cry'

While Oasis, Razorlight and Burt Bacharach captured most of the headlines at last week's Electric Proms, the most intriguing performance probably came from Tony Christie. Those whose knowledge of the aging warbler doesn't extend beyond his Children in Need hit were surprised by a singer with an amazing set of pipes for a 65-year-old and a set that sounded as fresh as many of the whippersnappers rocking out elsewhere.

The majority of Christie's gig was made up of tracks from his forthcoming Made In Sheffield LP, which features songs written by Alex Turner, The Human League and, in the case of 'Born To Cry', Jarvis Cocker. The grandiose lyrical musing ("Some were born to greatness, some were born to die") and lush, orchestral production lend themselves well to Christie's crooning vocals, with quietly impressive results. This won't make us forget that Peter Kay dance, but it does suggest there's more to Christie's career revival than 'Amarillo'.