Eighties pop legend creates new album for Men United

Eighties pop legend, Nik Kershaw, has joined a host of pop rock icons to produce a nostalgic album for men’s health in aid of Men United – Prostate Cancer UK’s flagship movement for everyone who believes men are worth fighting for.

A Gift from Men United is available to buy from Amazon, iTunes and more from Friday 9 October and features Squeeze’s Chris Difford, Average White Band frontman Hamish Stuart, Go West, and Andy Fairweather Low. They've all been inspired to step forward and donate tracks for dads, uncles, brothers, sons and friends everywhere who have been affected by prostate cancer.

Kershaw, whose late father was diagnosed with prostate cancer, has written a new single called 'Men United' for the album in honour of his dad and the 42,000 men who face a diagnosis of prostate cancer every year in the UK.

Kershaw said: "My dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer when he was 70. He was one of the lucky ones: it wasn't one of the more aggressive strains and he lasted another 15 years before it helped to see him off. However, it wasn't until I visited the offices of Prostate Cancer UK that I realised what a major men's health issue prostate cancer is, especially when it comes to awareness.

"We’re blokes. We don't talk about stuff and we rarely go to the doctor. I really hope that this album and the new 'Men United' single gets guys talking about this disease and it goes some way to changing men’s attitudes towards their health for the better."

Brainchild of Squeeze's Matt Irving

A Gift from Men United was the original brainchild of bassist, keyboard player, and friend to many of the artists, Matt Irving, who died from prostate cancer in April last year.

Irving, who famously played with the likes of Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, Squeeze and Los Pacaminos, started pulling the album together at the beginning of 2014 but sadly didn’t live to hear the completed collection of tracks.

Hamish Stuart was a long time friend of Irving; they grew up together in Glasgow. He said: "When Matt asked me if I'd like to come on board with the making of an album for Prostate Cancer UK, I knew he had been diagnosed with the disease so the answer was a no brainer.

"We recorded the song 'My Father’s Son' and the session was a gathering of old friends. It was a joy to be a part of. Everyone who was there really wanted to be there for Matt, who – unbeknown to us all – only had a few more weeks to live. A little over two months later he sadly passed away on 2 April 2014. The whole experience became all the more poignant and the music we recorded that day is dedicated to his memory, of which all of us have many happy ones – not least, these last sessions for this album.”

Using music to raise awareness of men's health

The album is Prostate Cancer UK’s latest step into the music scene, following its long term link to Rock ‘n’ Horsepower which saw The Faces reunite in a one-off gig in aid of the charity last month.

James Beeby, Deputy Director of Fundraising from Prostate Cancer UK, said: “Prostate cancer is set to become the most common cancer overall by 2030, but all too often men are unaware of the stark danger they face from the disease.

“Music could be one of the most powerful motivators and awareness drivers for men’s health, which is why we are so privileged to be collaborating on this album of music legends. Each track has been carefully selected by the artists themselves and the music transports you back to a time when rock was king and the eighties mullet was rife! However, the album is not only nostalgic; it is also incredibly poignant and represents the strength and importance of lifelong male friendships, which stand the test of time.”

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A Gift from Men United: full track listings

1. Men United – Nik Kershaw
2. Dance One – Andy Fairweather Low
3. My Fathers Son – Lance Ellington
4. Like I Did – Chris Difford
5. I Don’t Wanna Be a Rock – Hamish Stuart
6. White Water – Go West
7. Every Little Hero – Los Pacaminos Ft Matt Irving
8. Mr Blue Sky – Joe Brown
9. Life’s Too Short – Paul Carrack
10. I’m Still There – Abigail Ft Matt Irving

The album was produced by Dale Newton, a long standing friend of Matt Irving. All proceeds will be donated to Prostate Cancer UK.