WHAT A RACKET! The mysterious and humorous stylings of Max Champion
By Michelle Charles - Summit FM Membership Director
Born in 1882 in East London, Max Champion wrote a library of songs with unusual musical and lyrical twists and turns. Other than that, we know very little about him except that he was possibly related to noted performer Harry Champion. Only one of his recordings “The Bishop and the Actress” survives, and until recently, his sheet music was thought to be lost forever.
According to Joe Jackson who recently released “What a Racket”, an album of entirely Max Champion’s songs, the first two pieces of his music were found in Malta. A couple of years later, nine scores were found in an old wardrobe in the back of an antique store in East London. A few more resurfaced in the attic of a boarding house and then finally in an old farmhouse in Belgium. Only a few of them had been published – most were still in his handwriting.
The style of music that Max Champion wrote in is called ‘music hall.’ This was music created by the working class and was performed in the streets and pubs of nineteenth-century London. The songs were not considered respectable and features lyrics that are either humorous, satirical, sentimental, or patriotic. While the lyrics were not overtly sexual, they do feature many bawdy innuendos and double entendres. These songs were extremely popular back in the day because they featured the trials and tribulations of the working class.
Singer and producer Joe Jackson was drawn to this music when it was discovered because of its humorous side. He found their spirit of fun to be refreshing and from an era when people knew how to go out and have fun – despite how horrible their lives may have been. Joe feels that we need that type of spirit now. The timeless lyrics are almost as if Max is speaking to us now from the 20th century.
Joe Jackson’s album “What a Racket” features Jackson along with a 12-piece orchestra performing 11 of these songs. According to Jason Rubin of The Arts Fuse, the album features “a set of songs that really feel authentic to the time period they are meant to convey.”
The album is an absolute delight and is one of the first that I personally have purchased in several years. It is available now wherever you buy or stream your music. You can also catch him in concert in late May early June this summer.