Mark Pentleton

This song takes me back – my brother Derek and I used to sing along to this song, probably long before we understood the lyrics. It was released on Billy Joel’s 1982 album The Nylon Curtain, and is one of the most well-known songs about the Vietnam War. Not sure about the dodgy helicopter sound [...]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

When choosing a Billy Joel song for Celeste the other day I recorded Leave a tender moment alone as well as An innocent man. Leave a tender moment first appeared on the 1984 album An Innocent Man and was subsequently released as a single. In a move virtually unheard of today, the song didn’t have [...]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Today’s song is Billy Joel’s 1983 classic An Innocent Man and it was specially requested by Celeste Teenan who celebrates her birthday today. Happy birthday, Celeste! Hope you have a lovely day and that you enjoy the song.
Podcast: Download (Duration: 5:21 — 7.4MB)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Given that this is the 200th song in my 365songs project (just 165 to go…!) I wanted to play something big today and I’ve opted for the Billy Joel classic Piano Man. I’ve always loved this song – I used to play the harmonica along to it, but I couldn’t find a harmonica when I [...]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

On New Year’s Eve 1999 Billy Joel performed at Madison Square Garden in New York. I would have loved to have been there (though we had a very enjoyable and memorable night at Glenda and Brian’s!) and one of the most poignant songs from the concert is the song 2000 years. The lyrics of the [...]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

In my opinion this song is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. It dates from 1983, although it wasn’t released until six years later on Billy Joel’s Stormfront album. It’s said to tell the tale of the relationship between Billy Joel and the model Elle Macpherson, a relationship which the musician knew would [...]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

I’ve had some requests over the past few days to play the Billy Joel song She’s Always a Woman as the Fyfe Dangerfield version is being played all the time in the John Lewis ads on tv at the moment. I’ve actually already played this song, back in January, but I thought I’d do another [...]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

We’re returning to Billy Joel for today’s song. I’ve loved these days was written in 1976 and first appeared on the Turnstiles album. In 1976 Billy Joel returned to New York after living in California. It is said that the lyrics of I’ve loved these days refer to the decadence of his time spent living [...]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

After yesterday’s late posting, I thought I’d get today’s posted nice and early! It’s one of my favourite songs by Billy Joel and it’s also one of Catriona’s favourites, so this one is for her.
She’s always a woman was released in 1977 on the album The Stranger. It was also released as a single in [...]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

As part of the Apple Leadership conference happening alongside BETT I attended a dinner on the Silver Sturgeon last night and I had been asked to play a few songs with saxophonist and fellow ADE Joe Moretti. We hadn’t had the time (or piano) to rehearse anything, but enjoyed ‘busking’ our way through a few [...]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

In this morning’s Herald “Review of the Decade”, I was reading about 9/11 and I was thinking back to one of my lasting memories from the time after the horrific events. Billy Joel performed the brilliant New York State of Mind at the benefit Concert for New York City and along with the other brilliant performances [...]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.