Karel Fialka

Fialka entered the world in Bengal to parents of Scottish and Czechoslovakian descent before emerging in 1980 under the banner of the decade’s street poet. Poet, traveller, musician and actor, he wove his recordings from sharp-eyed reflections on everyday existence and memorable melodic lines, shaped further by the studio guidance of Wally Brill and Robin Langridge. His first album, Still Life, earned favourable notices, while the track ‘The Eyes Have It’ enjoyed steady radio support and secured a modest yet creditable UK chart placing. Despite that encouraging beginning, the following seven years saw him issue only a handful of singles across several small imprints. Returning in 1987 via Miles Copeland’s IRS label, he achieved a Top 10 success in both the UK and Europe with the straightforward protest number ‘Hey Matthew’. A subsequent collection mixing fresh material with earlier compositions appeared, yet it stirred little interest.