Born to a Welsh father and English mother, Protheroe joined a local church choir when he was 12 years old and started piano lessons at about the same time. The music of Cliff Richard and the Shadows inspired him to start learning the guitar. He joined a rock band called The Coasters as lead singer in 1961 and also joined an amateur theatre group called The Studio Theatre at around the same time.
First job was a library assistant for a year followed by three years as a student technician in a hospital pathological laboratory.
Musical influences around this time were Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Josh White, Big Bill Broonzy, Sonny Terry and Brownie Mcghee, Dave Brubeck, and the choral church music of Bach.
Brian joined the folk group, Folk Blues Incorporated (FBI) when he was 19, while at this time listening to Bob Dylan and especially The Beatles.
He came to London with FBI in 1965 and played in folk clubs in and around London.
"The three of us lived in one room of a flat in south London owned by a blues singer called Gerry Lockran. We had no money and lived fairly rough for about three months before we gave it up and went home. During this time we met Paul Simon who was playing the same clubs as us."
In 1966, Brian began his career as an actor. His first job was with his local repertory theatre in Salisbury. He worked there for about 7 months then spent the next 5 years in various theatre companies around England, developing his musical skills as well as becoming an experienced actor.
In 1968 he worked for nearly two years in a theatre company in Lincoln in north east England where he met Martin Duncan who was also a musician, writer and actor. Over the next few years they collaborated on various musical and artistic projects.
"When we wrote together Martin would usually write the lyrics and I would set them to music. I was quite conventional in my approach to song writing but Martin had a more anarchic style and a wonderful surreal sense of humour that would force me into unusual musical forms."
During 1973 Brian lived in a flat in London's Covent Garden.
"I wasn't working much as an actor and wasn't in a relationship at the time but was writing the occasional song. I wrote a song called "Pinball" one weekend about my life at the time and made a simple home demo of it along with a couple of other songs."
Later in 1973 Brian was playing the part of a pop singer in a play called "Death on Demand" when a representative from Chrysalis Records heard a song he had written for the show.
"He asked if I had any other material so I played him my home demos. He liked them and I was offered a recording contract."
Brian's first single, "Pinball" was released in August 1974 followed by Pinball. This was followed over the next couple of years by two more albums - "Pick-Up" and "I/You."
Brian's acting career continued and in 1976 he starred in the London Production of the rock musical, "Leave Him to Heaven" at the New London theatre.
Basta Records collected his first three albums, remastered and released them as a box set with a "new" disc of unreleased material. The package was called "Brian's Big Box" and was the first time his material was available in more than two decades.
With the development of the internet, his recordings became more available to the fans that remembered him from the 70s, and he is enjoying a resurgence in popularity and has begun recording again.
The 2005 album "Citysong" was released by Basta as "Brian Protheroe's New Single and 17 Bonus Tracks." It also included two homemade movies to accompany the single. It was also released on iTunes.
In 2006, EMI released "Pinball and Other Stories," a career retrospective, with the included tracks having been remastered at Abbey Road studios.
His personal web page includes his extensive Theater/TV/Movie experience.
As a pianist Brian is a big follower of Dr. John and Randy Newman.
Every Roman Knows! is the official BP fan page.
Pinball
Brian Protheroe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I feel like I'm in jail
And my music bores me once again
And I've been on the pinball
And I know longer know it all
And they say that you never know when you're insane
Got fleas in my bedroom
Got flies in my bathroom
And the cat just finished off the bread
So I walk over Soho
And I read about Monroe
And I wonder was she really what they said
Got a call from a good friend
Come on down for the weekend
Didn't know if I could spare the time
I knew a woman who was crazy
About a boy who was lazy
But it didn't work out 'cos they just couldn't make it rhyme
Hey Jude you were alright
I could have grooved with you all night
But you turned your back on the part again
Mama if i keep my head clean
Will I really have a good dream
Or will I wake up in confusion just the same
And I've run out of pale ale
And I feel like I'm in jail
Got fleas in the bedroom
Got flies in the bathroom
Got a call from a good friend
Come on down for the weekend
Hey Jude you were alright
I could have grooved with you all night
And I've been on the pale ale
And I feel like a pinball
The lyrics to Brian Protheroe's song "Pinball" describe a sense of restlessness and dissatisfaction with life. The singer is bored with their music and feels trapped like they are in jail, exemplified by their running out of pale ale. The pinball machine they've been playing on no longer holds the same thrill it once did, and they question their sanity. The singer further describes their living conditions with fleas and flies in their home, and their cat eating their bread. They escape to the streets of Soho where they read about Marilyn Monroe and wonder if the media's portrayal of her was accurate. The singer receives a call from a friend inviting them to spend the weekend, but they are unsure if they have the time. Additionally, the singer reflects on past failed relationships where the couple couldn't "make it rhyme." They mention a desire for a good dream, but question if it is possible to achieve.
Overall, the lyrics can be interpreted as a critique of modern life, where the mundane and trivial can easily overshadow bigger questions about one's purpose and happiness. The pinball machine symbolizes the monotony of life and the feeling that it is all just a game one must play.
Line by Line Meaning
And I've run out of pale ale
I have drunk all the pale ale and now I have nothing to drink
And I feel like I'm in jail
I feel trapped and bored, like being in prison
And my music bores me once again
I am tired of my own music and find it uninteresting
And I've been on the pinball
I have been playing pinball
And I know longer know it all
I am no longer confident in my knowledge or abilities
And they say that you never know when you're insane
Some people say that you might be crazy without realizing it
Got fleas in my bedroom
My bedroom is infested with fleas
Got flies in my bathroom
My bathroom is full of flies
And the cat just finished off the bread
My cat ate all the bread
So I walk over Soho
I walk through the streets of Soho
And I read about Monroe
I read about Marilyn Monroe
And I wonder was she really what they said
I wonder if the things people say about her are true
Got a call from a good friend
My friend called me
Come on down for the weekend
My friend invited me to visit for the weekend
Didn't know if I could spare the time
I wasn't sure if I had enough time to go
I knew a woman who was crazy
I knew a woman who was mentally unstable
About a boy who was lazy
She was interested in a boy who was lazy
But it didn't work out 'cos they just couldn't make it rhyme
Their relationship failed because they couldn't understand each other
Hey Jude you were alright
Hey Jude, I liked you
I could have grooved with you all night
I could have danced with you all night
But you turned your back on the part again
But you became distant and left the party
Mama if i keep my head clean
If I stay out of trouble and be good
Will I really have a good dream
Will my life be better and happier
Or will I wake up in confusion just the same
Or will I still be lost and uncertain about my life
And I've been on the pale ale
I have drunk a lot of pale ale
And I feel like a pinball
I feel like I am bouncing around without direction or control
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brian Protheroe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind