Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but he's still without one.

But in the last OR you quoted him as saying it looked as if he'd landed a worldwide contract?

That's what John thought.  Actually, the company was RCA.  They ended up keeping him waiting another two months and then turned him down.  The other company he mentioned also went cold on the idea, so he was back to square one again.

What's happened since then?

We got CBS here in England really interested in having him.  Had John been living over here, I'm sure they would have signed him.  As it was, they put in a strong recommendation to the Columbia A&R people in Los Angeles.  I really thought that would do the trick, but that week those guys must have been suffering from an overdose of Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond.  Whatever it was, their critical faculties were impaired to such a degree that they couldn't see enough commercial potential in what John had to offer.

Have you heard any of John's new stuff?

Oh, yes, he's still an incredibly prolific songwriter.  The people at CBS were knocked out by the songs and the quality of the demos he sent them.  There's certainly an album's worth of material there.  I must have heard around twenty new songs and I'm sure he's got more up his sleeve.

How many of them have got 'Wind' in the title?

I think John's got over that!  I wish I could play some of those demos for you.  Just telling you song titles isn't going to tell you very much.

Tell me anyway!

Alright.  There's 'The American W ay,' which has a simply great chorus, absolutely irresistible, and would be a great album title cut.  'Same Old Heart' is a slower song which John is really pleased with.  Then there's 'Jennie Was a Dream Girl.'  If the Everly Brothers were still together they'd record that song in a hurry.  Ian Tyson heard it and reckoned it had to be a hit.

'The Queen of Hollywood High' is one that Pete Frame and I both think could be a huge hit in America, in exactly the way 'Gold' was.  It has all the elements of that song that made it a hit, but it's not a clone, it is totally original.  A really good chorus, too, John is particularly good on those.

'Under Heavy Fire' must be the way John feels right now.  A touch of the Fleetwood Macs about that one with heavy bass and drum lines.  'All the Desperate Men' may also sound as if it's about the way John feels right now, but I think it would more accurately portray the sort of record company people who feed off the talent that people like John have.  In John's case, of course, they can't even recognisethe talent when it is spelt out to them very slowly.

The thing about John, not only is he a prolific songwriter but there is great variety, too. ' Tears of the Sun' starts off with a gospel-like chorus and is very powerful.  I'd close off the album with that one it's the sort that would get you so up, you would immediately flip back and play the whole album again.  'The Wings of St.Michael' sounds as if it might also be a gospel-type song, but in fact it's real quiet.  Just acoustic guitars, simple drumbeat, and John' s vocal.  Of course, everything I'm describing is what I,ve heard on demos.  They can changes lot in the time it takes to actually get them down on record.

Lomax Gold has got 'Angeles' in his Record Collection on page 23 and I can quite understand why.  It's one of John's story songs and one of the absolute best he has written.  I know a lot of people prefer John doing these sort of songs to any others and they are not going to be disappointed by this one.  Some great lines in it.  I particularly like, "Greyhound hits the highway out on the midnight run/Wheels are singing you're on your way, your life has just begun/She's taking out a clipping from the Kansas City Sun/Where shehad the lead in 'Annie Get Your Gun.'"

That's nine you've mentioned, almost an album's worth already.

Yeah, and there's plenty more to choose from.  'When the Night Was Ours,' 'Hot on the Trail,' 'Might As Well Be Love,' 'Diamonds in the Coal,' 'Northern Lights,' 'High Flying Eagle,' 'Tear Down the Sky (Liddy Buck)' and loads more.

Liddy Buck!  That sounds like it mustbe his answer to Lindsey Buckingham's 'Johnny Stew' song on his new solo album?

I suppose it could be, though if John can make out the words Lindsey is singing on his song, he's a better man than I am.  I've heard it may be out as a single over here.  If it is maybe we can get John some reflected publicity.  Incidentally, John has written a song with Lindsey called 'Hiding in the Shadows.'  It might just end up on the new Fleetwood Mac album.  If it did, the royalties should keep him in guitar picks fora good few years.

Well, that's more encouraging news.  Anymore to tell us?

November 20 would be a good day to be in LosAngeles.  The Mayor there has officially declared it John Stewart Day in recognition of his 20 years (or more) in the music business.  He'll be playing at The Palomino that evening and it's a safe bet that a lot of his old music associates and allies will be there and probably joining him onstage.  Should be quite a njght.

And you'll be there, of course?

A Friday evening in Nivember is not the best time he could have chosen so far as I'm concerned.  If it had been during the Christmas/New Year holiday period, nothing would have kept me away.  As it is; I'll just have to hope I get some eye witness accounts and even some photographs to go in the next OR.

Surely his management will do that for you?

Apart from Peter Rachtman back at the beginning in 1973, you'd be surprised at what little help I've had frpm his various managers.  I,m even still owed $50 by Lloyd Segal!  Actually, John has just changed managers again.  He's left Management III and gone with a guy called Mike Gardener.  Ijust hope he'll be more helpful to me and, even more important, more successful in his dealings for John.

That means a record deal - and fast!

Well, I think there may be something else about to happen.  After so many near-misses and disappointments,  I'l1 not tempt fate by saying more, but maybe there will be more positive and better news in the next column of O'Bsessions. . . . .