In the days when Mary first made her meteoric rise to fame, singer-songwriters weren't as common as they are now. Today you can swing a guitar and hit several at once, all pleading their particular case on life.
But then it was usually writers hammering away in locked rooms, giving their songs to the pretty girl and the handsome boy who would sing it to the world.
Mary has said that she wishes she could have written more, or been encouraged to write at the time. But once free of Apple, she started to come up with her own songs, which feature on the 'Archive' albums: Hope Is, Another Day, Brown Eyes and Me, and the others.
As her daughter, these songs are ingrained in me, like DH Lawrence writes in his poem "Piano". I too remember sitting under the piano (it was a grand then) listening to my mother write and sing these songs.
As I grew up, she continued to sing them. I knew they had already been recorded and so I am so proud that we can share these songs with you.
I am indoctrinated in pop music. Through various endeavours I know a good smattering of pop songs old and new, and I know my standard chord structures inside out. Mary, on the other hand, doesn't listen to much pop - her excuse is that she was busy making it. She even asked me what I was playing (anyone else would say "Stop playing Stairway!") on the guitar once in my bedroom.
So when I listen to her songs, she doesn't go where I'd expect her to. She writes sometimes in the old-fashioned way - a little introduction piece, then the main body of the song.
The chords will find a different route. Maybe it's because she's left-handed or contrary-minded, but what she ends up with is a song that takes you on an adventure.
You won't have heard everything yet. Not only is she still writing copiously but there are others not yet recorded. We are doing our best to get them to you!
Jessica Lee Morgan is Mary's daughter and runs Mary Hopkin Music.
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