And the Welcome everyone to episode 180 of soda Jaker on songwriting.

180. Where's Tony Green when you need them?

Not in this podcast for two in a bed, Bry.

This is Simon Barbara.

And I'm Brian O'Connor, and on the show today is a multi-Ivanovello winning English, singer, songwriter,

a musician, not to mention a member of Britain's biggest ever boy band.

Over a phenomenally successful three-decade recording career, he sold in excess of 50 million albums

and has had the hand in 14 number one singles and 24 top 10 hits.

Just last week he released his hotly anticipated fourth solo album music played by humans

so what better time is that to chat to one of Britain's most decorated songwriters

we're very tough to welcome the one and only Gary Barlow to the show

excited about this one.

Yeah, we actually chatted to Gary back in late September

as he was still adding the finishing touches to his new album, didn't we?

We did, and as you'll hear, he was in fine fettle and as passionate about his craft as ever and we had a lot of fun talking to him.

Gary was born in the town of Froggram Cheshire in the northwest of England in 1971.

He was first inspired to become a musician at the age of 10 after seeing our former guest

Vince Clark with the Pesh Mode performing just can't get enough on top of the pops.

He received his first keyboard from his parents that Christmas, which was upgraded to an organ for his 11th birthday,

and within a couple of years he was already playing his trade on the Northern Working Men's Club circuit,

where he provided musical accompaniment for a wide variety of entertainers including British Light Entertainment

stalwart like Russ Abbott Bob Monkhouse and Liverpool's own Ken Dodd.

...