NOTHING’S REALLY LOST FOREVER

Track 1: This Special Day

Lyrics:

We slide through the shadows of what has gone before
Never knowing the full story, never really sure
Of what is new and what is borrowed from those leading the way …
It’s time to think of them - on this special day

We go through life together with friends we never see
Just feeling a connection and strange harmony

Of those who came before us, their stories long since gone
How many shaped our meaning? How many changed our song?
For nothing’s really lost forever as we find our way
It’s time to remember - on this special day

Credits:
Music and Lyrics Richard Plenty (2023)
Musical Arrangement and Production Ben Tompsett
Assistant Producer Richard Plenty
Vocals Richard Plenty
Piano Ben Tompsett
Audio recorded at Studio 59
© Plenty Partnership 2025

Richard's Reflections

Unlike the other songs in this series, I wrote this relatively recently, beginning work on it in 2020, though not completing it till 2023. It serves as an introduction to all the other songs in the series.

At times in our lives, many of us can feel lonely or isolated. The broader reality though is that none of us is really alone. We are all part of a pattern of relationships far bigger than ourselves. Unfortunately, everyday life can be so busy that it’s increasingly only on ‘special days’ - birthdays, weddings, funerals, anniversaries, religious festivals like Christmas - that we can take the time out to think about others who have had an impact on our lives.

It’s important we do that. So much of our thinking and actions is shaped by what happened in the past - our family histories, the teachers we had at school, the people we admired, the friends we made, the stories we heard and the songs we listened to. A lot of this influence is shadowy, with the specifics lost in the sands of time. The better we understand what has impacted us, the easier it is to make choices and decisions about who we are and what we want for ourselves.

This song started off as a simple melody that I composed on the saxophone during the pandemic. I was feeling isolated, dreaming of escaping the confines of my house. I played it a lot, first on the saxophone and later the piano. I imagined it as an expansive musical film score or – thinking of my parents who had been dance teachers - as a beautiful waltz on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.

After the pandemic, I was keen to explore the world again. I researched my family tree and made contacts with seven cousins I barely knew in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, meeting up with some of them at their own family gathering in Devon and others while I was on a super ‘working holiday’ in Australasia. It was a lovely experience and very educational, providing all sorts of insights into my family history. My trip made me think about how many people had influenced me, in ways that were often unexpected, both in my own family and in wider society.

I wrote the words shortly thereafter. The song made its official debut at my own birthday party in late summer 2025. This was my own special day. I invited as many of my family as I could. Some of the cousins I had recently met were able to come and meet my children, grandchildren, sister and brother’s family for the first time. My son Mike and I put together a short video to go with the song, complete with old family footage from home movies, shot when I was the same age as my grandchildren. It was a wonderful way of connecting across generations.

I like the song because it prompts me to think about important questions that I often gloss over:

Track 2: Burn the Midnight Oil

Lyrics

Well I creep downstairs it’s a quarter to one
My wife’s fast asleep, am I the only one?
Who can’t get to sleep on this housing estate
Everybody else is dreaming, but I’m fast awake

Got a thousand ideas to help save the world
Got to get them down fast, cos my brain’s in a whirl
The only trouble is that there’s no one around
To take any notice of what I have found

Got to burn the midnight oil, got to burn the midnight oil

Will it all seem senseless when a new morning dawns
And all I’ve got for trying is a day full of yawns?
Or have I got it right, got it all sorted out
And finally discovered what life’s all about?

Got to burn the midnight oil, got to burn the midnight oil

Credits
Music and Lyrics Richard Plenty (1978)
Musical Arrangement and Production Ben Tompsett
Vocals Richard Plenty
Keyboards and programming Ben Tompsett
Acoustic Guitar Richard Plenty
Electric Guitar Charlie Tompsett
Bass Guitar Rhea Tompsett
Audio recorded at Studio 59
© Plenty Partnership 2025

Richard's Reflections

This song was written in 1978 just after I moved from living in a flat in London to a brand-new terraced house on a small housing estate in Epsom. Moving to the suburbs felt very strange after spending years in a flat in a big city.

It was a busy period. I had just got married and was trying to complete a part time PhD at the same time as doing my job. My brain was having to work overtime and there were many times when it was buzzing so intently that sleep seemed impossible. It was on one of those occasions that I wrote the song - words and music together. It didn’t take long to write – there wasn’t time!

I forgot about the song until I was searching through all the material I had kept from that era and found the words written on a piece of paper. There was no recording of it, and I had to search my memory to remember the chords and the tune. I sent a very rough phone recording to Ben with just strummed acoustic guitar and my voice. To my surprise he liked it and said he could imagine a strong arrangement. Sometime later, Ben came back to me with the basic backing track, which he had recorded with help from his family. His wife Sandie, daughter Rhea and son Charlie had all contributed to an energetic, intense, tight wall of sound. I added the rhythm guitar part and then the vocals. I am amazed that the original handwritten notes could turn into this recording!

The lyrics still ring true for me. In one way, I am struck by how little has changed. I continue to have similar feelings and experiences, particularly when times are hectic, there are tight deadlines, and I am working on complex intellectually or emotionally demanding work. Occasional sleepless nights don’t worry me unduly. I think of these as the price that sometimes has to be paid for the positives that go with it - creativity, high performance and achieving results. Over the years I have learned ways of ‘delivering’ more consistently in high pressure situations, being resilient and mentally tough, and recovering quickly from setbacks.

But I grew up in psychologically less demanding times. The increasing attention paid to the importance of psychological well- being and ‘mental health’ is testament to that. Today’s world is faster- paced, has continuous distractions, requires innovation at the same time as compliance, has less trust in institutions, less religious faith, and less family support. The demands can be relentless, and people may not feel well supported, which can lead to exhaustion and burnout.

We also understand more about psychological differences than we used to. From this perspective, the issues raised by the song are more relevant today than ever. For example, sleep problems are common with people who have ADHD. In the 1970’s when this song was written, only a tiny proportion of the population (<1 % in England). were diagnosed with it but by the 2020s the numbers had grown to between 3- 5%, and that is almost certainly an underestimate. Today’s world is not a great fit for people with this condition, some of whom find it difficult to focus, hard to manage time, are not naturally well organised, and tend to act impulsively.

And there’s also the question of what people believe is important. Societal expectations, particularly in the West, have been changing. What priority do people put on achievement compared with feeling relaxed and stress free? Can real progress only be made through sacrifice and suffering? Or should people prioritise their own health and wellbeing at all times?

The intensity of the ‘here and now’ experience in this song arises from efforts to think about the future and understand the very essence of what life is all about. The song makes me think how much more complex the world has become. Some questions I ponder:

Track 3: Let’s Make It Now Together

Lyrics

The food has been eaten, the wine has been drunk, and the music’s stopped
The people have gone now, the party is over, it’s 3 o’clock
And there’s no one left to hide behind now the guests have gone out the door
So let’s make it now together - and forget what went before

For singing, for laughing, for discotheque dancing, it’s now far too late
There’s only the cleaning, and you won’t find much meaning, in washing the plates
And there’s no one left to hide behind now the guests have gone out the door
So let’s make it now together - and forget what went before

It’s no use concealing, I can’t hide my feelings, I’d like you to stay
The smile in your eyes tells me you’re getting over this difficult day
And there’s no one left to hide behind now the guests have gone out the door
So let’s make it now together - and forget what went before

The food has been eaten, the wine has been drunk, and the music’s stopped
The people have gone now, the party is over, it’s 3 o’clock

Credits
Music and Lyrics Richard Plenty (1975)
Musical Arrangement and Production Ben Tompsett
Assistant Producer Richard Plenty
Vocals Ben Tompsett
Keyboards and programming Ben Tompsett
Saxophone Ben Tompsett
Electric Guitar Richard Plenty
Audio recorded at Studio 59
© Plenty Partnership 2025

Richard's Reflections

I don’t remember the exact circumstances and event that inspired this song. What I do know was that it was written at a time when home dinner parties with lots of people invited and ‘singing’ laughing and discotheque dancing’ were very popular. They were great fun but there was a price to pay – a lot of preparation and hard work beforehand.

The time and effort involved in planning and organising events like this is easy to underestimate, and I imagine this was one of those occasions, leading to pre-party tensions. During the party, everybody was on their best behaviour and any feelings of aggravation and resentment evaporated. It was only after the guests disappeared that these feelings returned and a decision had to be taken as to whether this was the right time to forgive and forget

I gave the song to Ben to sing because I didn’t feel entirely authentic doing the vocals – nowadays I rarely stay up partying till 3am! He’s done a superb job with both the vocals and the overall arrangement. I play electric guitar on the track. At the later stages of the recording process, I asked Ben to add the sax solo as part of the ‘outro’. I think the result is excellent and this is my favourite instrumental part of the whole EP.

This song stands on its own merits. For me, its key messages are about the importance of making time to enjoy life with our friends, forgiveness and moving on quickly from setbacks. The questions that occur to me now:

Song: Think About the Present

Lyrics

Let’s think about the present and not the time to come
Just listen to the singer and the message in the song

For yesterday is over, and tomorrow never comes
But the song goes on for ever even though it’s seldom sung

You’re sitting in an old armchair and writing songs with me
We’ve no idea of how the words should go
Each separate line complete but every verse a mystery
The ending to the story only time will let us know.

The tune is all that’s needed, and the words just come along
Though we hardly need to sing them while the rhythm carries on

You’re sitting in an old armchair and writing songs with me
We’ve no idea of how the words should go
Each separate line complete but every verse a mystery
The ending to the story only time will let us know.

The tune is all that’s needed, and the words just come along
If you want to know the ending please come back another day

Now 50 years has passed us by and time has changed the game
Three children and five grandsons in the frame
The melody is changing but the message is the same
Just make the most of every moment – it will never come again

Let’s think about the present and not the time to comeb
Just listen to the singer and the message in the song

Credits
Music and Lyrics Richard Plenty and Annette Plenty (1978)
Musical Arrangement and Production Ben Tompsett
Assistant Producer Richard Plenty
Vocals Richard Plenty
Piano: Ben Tompsett
Saxophone Ben Tompsett
Acoustic Guitar Richard Plenty
Audio recorded at Studio 59
© Plenty Partnership 2025

Richard's Reflections

This is the song on the EP that brings back the most memories. It was written in a small flat in Balham London with my partner Annette in the period just before we were married. It was a song inspired by my folk music background, with words co-created by the two of us.

We had been going through a difficult time with both of us having had close relatives who had passed away. We were wondering how our life together was going to develop and speculating about the future. As there were so many imponderables, we concluded it was more sensible to make the most of the present rather than fret about the past or speculate about the future. Going with the flow- rather than wasting energy trying to plan everything in advance - made sense. When you are young and on a roll, why not just seize the moment and enjoy life!

I still subscribe to that point of view, though experience has taught me there are times when it’s important to take time out and think before we act. The way we behave in the moment can have consequences and a profound impact on what’s possible later. When times are challenging and the consequences of our decisions are important, it makes sense to think through our options and choices carefully before taking action. Tomorrow does come!

I have also learned that we can actively shape our lives and influence what happens around us to a greater extent than I had imagined. To do that properly, it helps to be clear on our purpose in life. Even when times are difficult, there are nearly always opportunities to be found if we are clear on our values. That makes it easier to spot opportunities when they arise. It’s important to live in the present and respond to events as they unfold rather than try and plan everything in advance.

The final chorus ‘Now 50 years have passed us by ….’ was added recently. It felt strange to put it in. So much has changed since the song was written, much of it beyond what either of us could have imagined. Still, it was a warm feeling to return to the song and – in the words of the previous verse - be able to ‘come back another day’ to report to our younger selves what had happened. We have been fortunate, so far, in the way things have turned out.

‘Thinking about the present’ seems very relevant in today’s world. There are so many distractions in life now – social media, texting, mobile phones - that sometimes it’s difficult to stay focused on what really matters – the here and now.

So as the song says: ‘Just make the most of every moment, it will never come again’.