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.
hotel
Brian Protheroe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the TV they said they had reported you dead.
It was my fault 'cause I could've sworn that you said,
It was easy to find another for your bed.
How does it feel to leave me this way,
When all that you have's been lost in a day?
Everyone knows, but not what to say.
I've been staring at the hotel ceiling,
Drinking everything I've found this evening,
Trying to hold onto the sweetest feeling,
So I'll never let you go, don't you leave me lonely.
Start to see this, everyone I know cannot believe this.
Trying to hold onto the sweetest feeling,
So I'll never let you go, don't you leave me lonely now.
When my eyes open, morning pulls me into the view, no
I guess I'm only acting in the way that you do.
Just being alone, no.
Only time tells me more than I hoped, all that I know is
I'll be fine in a fortnight, lo and behold,
I knew I shouldn't have let you go.
I've been staring at the hotel ceiling,
Drinking everything I've found this evening,
Trying to hold onto the sweetest feeling,
So I'll never let you go, don't you leave me lonely.
Start to see this, everyone I know cannot believe this.
Trying to hold onto the sweetest feeling,
So I'll never let you go, don't you leave me lonely now.
I can see it coming round full circle, my friend.
On the TV they said they had reported you dead.
The lyrics to Brian Protheroe's song "Hotel" revolve around the themes of regret and loss. The singer reminisces about an unsuccessful relationship that ended with his partner leaving him for another person. The first verse establishes that the partner has been reported dead on TV, and the singer expresses regret for not taking their feelings seriously when they were still alive. The chorus expresses the singer's desperation to hold onto the pleasant memories of the relationship, while the second verse suggests that the singer is beginning to move on, although he still feels alone and lost. The final verse echoes the beginning, further emphasizing the cyclical nature of the singer's regret.
Overall, the lyrics suggest that the singer is struggling to come to terms with his own emotions regarding the relationship's end. He is haunted by his past mistakes and unable to let go of his former lover, even though he knows it is not healthy for him to do so. The mood of the song is introspective and melancholic, emphasizing the singer's feelings of loneliness and heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
I can see it coming round full circle my friend.
The situation is coming back around to where it started.
On the TV they said they had reported you dead.
The singer heard that their friend had died from the news.
It was my fault 'cause I could've sworn that you said, It was easy to find another for your bed.
The singer blames themselves for not realizing that their friend was leaving them for someone else.
How does it feel to leave me this way, When all that you have's been lost in a day?
The artist wonders how their friend feels about abandoning them when everything they had is now gone.
Everyone knows, but not what to say. I've been wonderin' now.
Everyone is aware of the situation, but no one knows how to address it. The artist is left to ponder on their own.
I've been staring at the hotel ceiling, Drinking everything I've found this evening, Trying to hold onto the sweetest feeling, So I'll never let you go, don't you leave me lonely.
The singer is drowning their sorrows, hoping to hold onto the happy memories of the relationship so they can hold onto their friend, and not be alone.
Start to see this, everyone I know cannot believe this.
The singer is starting to realize that everyone around them is shocked by what happened.
Trying to hold onto the sweetest feeling, So I'll never let you go, don't you leave me lonely now.
Continuing from earlier, the artist wants to hold onto the happiness they once shared so their friend doesn't leave them alone now.
When my eyes open, morning pulls me into the view, no I guess I'm only acting in the way that you do.
The artist wakes up the next morning, realizing they are mirroring their friend's behavior.
Just being alone, no. Only time tells me more than I hoped, all that I know is
The artist is struggling with being alone, but feels it is necessary to sort out their feelings. They hope that time will help them find clarity.
I'll be fine in a fortnight, lo and behold, I knew I shouldn't have let you go.
The singer believes they will feel better in two weeks, and regrets letting their friend go.
Contributed by William B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.