Not many boxers can say that they’ve had a song written about them.
English singer/songwriter Johnny Wakelin did enjoy chart success in the 1970s with In Zaire and BlackSuperman, both dedicated to the great Muhammad Ali, while renowned jazz bandleader Count Basie composed a tribute to heavyweight legend Joe Louis. But now joining that elite group is Edinburgh’s Ken Buchanan, former undisputed champion of the world in the sport’s lightweight division.
Leith based musician Kevin Gore, a long time of admirer of the fighter, has composed and recorded Ken Buchanan – Edinburgh Man and his CD was recently launched, with Buchanan appearing as guest of honour, at the Leith Folk Club.
“I think the song’s brilliant” said 72 year old Buchanan as he sat amongst the appreciative audience at Edinburgh’s Victoria Park House Hotel, ironically a business he had once owned. “Kevin’s a lovely guy and I was very emotional when I first heard the song played. I wanted to greet! It’s such a beautiful song.
“He sat down beside me one night at the Central Bar in Leith. I didn’t know who he was but I was very impressed with his knowledge of my career. He had clearly done some intensive research. He was talking about things that happened to me and I was thinking ‘how did he know that?’ I had no idea he was writing a song until people started coming up to me and saying ‘just heard your song, Kenny’ and I’m thinking ‘what song are they talking about?’”
Gore’s song was written with a view to supporting the ongoing campaign for a statue of the fighter to be erected in Edinburgh.
The statue campaign, run by the Ken Buchanan MBE Foundation, has so far raised almost £17,000 as it looks to reach its £50,000 target and Buchanan himself is delighted with the progress which has been made.
“It’s a brilliant idea” he said, “and if it goes ahead I’d like it to be situated at the foot of Leith Walk. I started my boxing career near there with Leith Victoria Boxing Club when I was eight years old, weighing just over three stone! I was club champion in that weight division and, 64 years later, I’ve still got the newspaper cutting.”
Ken Buchanan – Edinburgh Man by Kevin Gore is available for download on bandcamp.com and the CD can be purchased from Gladstone’s Bar, Leith or by contacting The Ken Buchanan MBE Foundation via Facebook.
All proceeds from the song will be donated to the statue campaign
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