
The song, named “We Can Sing Together”, was composed by Steve and recorded in Quinta do Conde, near Setúbal, in the studio of Portuguese musician Ricardo Verdelho. “The composition process was a bit different with this project because usually it’s with my own words, this time I was doing it with someone else’s but there was no problem at all”, Andrews told Central Magazine. “I managed to get a tune together in 10-20 minutes!”
The lyrics for this song were written by Stephen Friedland, known by the stage name Brute Force, a veteran of the music industry. Speaking of the collaboration, Steve shared he “felt very honoured, because Stephen is a very talented singer-songwriter himself”. Friedland is best known for his time as a songwriter and keyboardist with The Tokens and for working with John Lennon and George Harrison on Apple Records with his song “King of Fuh”.
“We Can Sing Together” also features background vocals courtesy of a choir of Portuguese children, an idea put forward by Ricardo Verdelho, who is also a music teacher. The two musicians collaborated further on the music video, in which Steve appears with the children.
“The most challenging part possibly was the afternoon before we were filming for the music video”, Steve recounted. “Ricardo had to tell the parents whether or not it was going to take place at 6pm because we had to get permission to use the Boa Água Amphithetre, in Quinta do Conde.”
Calling for peace
The song is an acoustic ballad calling for peace among people of all nations. “At this particular point in time, we have problems going on all over the world. We have wars, political issues, riots, all kinds of terrible stuff going on between human beings, and this song is about conveying the message that we can stop all this. Can we not all share this planet and coexist as human beings? It’s a call for people to get together and recognise that we’re all human, we all have red blood, and we should stop all this fighting and division”, Steve explained.
“It’s demonstrating as well, which is important, that we can in fact do this”, he added, “that somebody in Portugal and somebody in New York can collaborate on this, that someone else from Portugal can get involved too. I think the song shows that people can work together, enjoy working together, and enjoy living life and sharing this beautiful world we have”.
The Bard of Ely has made a career out of creating activist music, calling for not just world peace, but also for a society built on empathy for both people and nature. “I really believe in people going out there and doing stuff. We are a part of nature, so if we’re not looking after nature, we’re not looking after ourselves.”
One of his more recent works of activism was at the World Ocean Summit in Lisbon earlier this year, where he advocated for a concert featuring various artists from around the world with the goal of raising money for ocean conservation. He is also an active promoter of butterfly conservation and has written a book on the subject.
Career highlights
Steve’s roots are in the folk scene of 70’s Cardiff. Inspired by music legend Bob Dylan to become a singer-songwriter, the 71-year-old wrote his first song at the age of 17. “I’ve had a weird career, but it’s had some real highlights. I performed at Glastonbury several times. I was at the 1st and 2nd Green Man Festivals in Wales, and that’s how my beard became green”, is how he summarised his experience. “ After a break, I really got back into to it all in 1989, when I was on a collaborative music album. I’ve been writing songs, performing, and recording since 1990, for over 30 years straight.”
He further elaborated on how much luck plays its part in becoming a successful musician. “When I auditioned for Britain’s Got Talent, the reason I told them why I wanted to be on the show was that I was looking for my big break. In my time, I’ve had many what you could call little breaks, but I’m still searching for my big break to this day.”
Recently, Steve left Cardiff behind to move to Portugal. “I have my residency here now. I’m very interested in nature and this is a very good place for wildlife. You’ve got the weather, the people, I think it’s an amazing country.”
“We Can Sing Together” is now available to listen to on Youtube and Bandcamp, as well as the rest of the Bard of Ely’s extensive discography.