Last year, SLAP wrote that if Thom Yorke did an impression of Axl Rose, he might come up with something like ‘Different People’ – a ‘dark and catchy’ single released last year by Jonny Melodic (you can read the full review here). We also revealed that Jonny – aka Jonathan Stuart Ransted – was in the 90s Britpop band Slim Fit. His new single ‘One Step at a Time’ sounds like Blur doing a Christmas song. However, it’s no cheeky cockney commentary about Santa and his sack of magic. ‘One Step at a Time’ is a charity single for Prostate Cancer UK. As Jonny said:
“Earlier this year I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and in May I had a prostatectomy to remove my prostate, which was successful, and I’m now in remission. The song describes how I felt in my prostate cancer journey, trying to take things a day at a time, dealing with diagnosis, treatment and recovery.”
A truly grim ordeal, yet on the single, Jonny seems as happy as a lottery winner chugging champagne with Noel Edmonds in front of fifteen million people. “I thought that I was going to die / But then someone saved my life” – if that’s not cause to celebrate, what is?
‘One Step at a Time’ is accompanied by the B-side ‘Check it Out’, which urges people to get checked and tested early if they have any health concerns before it’s too late. The track has an ascending chord progression that Belle and Sebastian would be proud of, and “don’t die of embarrassment” is a brilliantly concise line.
Seren Evans, Senior Head of Mass Fundraising at Prostate Cancer UK, said:
“Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with over 63,000 men diagnosed each year. But it’s completely curable if found early, so awareness really can be a lifesaver. We’re so grateful for the dedication of Jonathan and so many others across the UK who help Prostate Cancer UK raise that awareness and raise funds for ground-breaking research to stop this disease damaging the lives of men and their loved ones.”
You can support Prostate Cancer UK by donating or volunteering via https://prostatecanceruk.org
Jonny is aiming to raise £1000 for Prostate Cancer UK. You can donate directly to his JustGiving page and/or you can buy his fantastic new single.
‘One Step at a Time’ (and ‘Check it Out’) will be released on 14th August via Bandcamp
By: Neil Laurenson