Mike Batt “used to wish” he had a voice like Sir Elton John.
The 75-year-old conductor-and-songwriter – who was the musical brains behind children’s group The Wombles – got his big break when he responded to an advert placed by Liberty Records’ Ray Williams, which Elton and his writing partner Bernie Taupin also did, but he thinks their career trajectories were very different as they had such a different vocal sound.
Mike exclusively told BANG Showbiz: “With Elton, he does things that I can’t. He has a fantastic voice, but I always used to think it sounded like Herman’s Hermits, and I used to wish I had a gravelly voice.
“And I even used to drive to the studio in the morning without speaking. It never really worked until I got older and drinking scotch and smoking cigars and, eventually, I got a little bit of a crackle. I’m quite pleased with my voice now, it’s OK.
“When I first started out, I just had a little squeaky voice but Elton had a fantastic voice. But because of all the session singing he did…
“I think I’m just as valid a pop star as a lot of other people. Some people have described my voice as a little bit Beatlely because it is sort of that non-descript pop voice because I’ve lived in Bradford, Southampton, Winchester, Coventry.
“I’m sort of a man from everywhere. I’ve got this voice from nowhere.”
But musically, Mike thinks he has more skill than Elton, though their skills as pianists are comparable.
He added: “I do things he can’t do. I love conducting and arranging. But, weirdly, we’re almost identical as piano players.”
And Mike – who has just released his autobiography, ‘The Closest Thing To Crazy’ – accused Elton of having copied his fashion choices.
He said: “I was always a ridiculously loud dresser, but he took it to the extreme. Bernie got f***** off when he saw him dressed up as a duck. And here you have me as a Womble laughing at a bloke that decided to dress up as a duck.
“But the difference was, he was on the stage at Maddison Square Garden dressed up as a duck, and I, being a Womble, is not the same thing. But it’s all fun.”
