Video: John Jenkins “Christopher Roberts”

Check out the latest single from Liverpool singer-songwriter John Jenkins.  Runner-up in the Americana UK ‘Emerging Artist’ category back in 2021, Jenkins is a talented writer, whose thoughtful lyrics and reflective songs draw the listener in.  ‘Christopher Roberts’ is a gently compelling song that engages right from the beginning, thanks to the inclusion of actual an spoken-recording from Jenkins’ childhood.  Then, his delicate strum and understated vocal feel absorbingly intimate.

Jenkins explains the song’s background: “This is an autobiographical song. When I was in junior school, Christopher Roberts was a school class friend I had. Being a catholic school and doing our 11 plus exam everyone in our class ended up going to different senior schools. I never saw him again once we moved on and I often wonder how life treated him, did he marry, has he a family? I sometimes think that as over 50 years have passed I could be sitting facing him in a pub or next to him at a bus stop and be totally unaware it is him.  Incidentally the father and child recordings at the beginning of the song talking about school is actually me and my Dad from about 1964.”  It’s a charming and nostalgic story that prompts our own reflections on the people who have come and gone during the course of our lives.  ‘Christopher Roberts’ is a personal song that easily becomes universal and meaningful for all of us.  We’ve all got our own Christopher Roberts.

The Brian Roberts-directed video reinforces the song’s themes of childhood, memory and the passage of time.  There’s a clever moment at the end, summing up the song, when the younger versions of John and Christopher fade away; it’s touching and relatable.

Jenkins’ previous record was the well-received ‘If You Can’t Forgive, You Can’t Love’, which is well worth checking out.  This is the second single from forthcoming album ‘Tuebrook’, which is due out on 7th July 2023.  He says of the new record: “I was tempted to call my new album ’63’ after my age like Adele does with her albums but I bottled out because it looked a bit naff on the cover plus I’d be questioned where the other 62 albums were in my catalogue!”  Enjoy.