A while ago I got asked to help with the writing of a song by a complete stranger. We just happened to be doing the same online creativity course, and she had heard a song of mine.

Jan is a journalist in the USA who’d been carrying round a story in her heart for a few years. A story that she felt could be turned into a song. But she had never written a song. So she'd been looking for someone who she thought fit the bill to help her with the task, hence the request. I felt very honoured to be asked, as you can imagine.

And she was right. There really is a song in her sad, beautiful story. But for various reasons, after a good start, the writing got delayed and we lost touch.

But that song was eating away at me by now, and I managed to get hold of her again just recently. And then very quickly, after she had sent me more details and some very singable lines, the song got finished. It’s called The Ballad Of Clyde Burt.

Well it’s alway exciting to finish a song. Honestly it’s one of my greatest pleasures. But to have finished a song that I’m really happy with, AND to have the extra anticipation of sending it to my co-writer for a listen…that’s just like Christmas come early. Let’s hope she likes what I’ve done with it, huh?

Anyway, I like it, and I’m so full of it at the moment, that I’d love to play it you or anyone who will listen. But you’ll just have to wait. Jan’s got to hear it first.

Can you tell? I’m in the pleasure zone.