AFTER an incredible 15 weeks at number one in 1994, there can be few people who weren’t sick of Wet Wet Wet’s version of Love Is All Around by the end of its chart-topping stint. However, the band’s frontman Marti Pellow insists he still loves the song.

“I think you’ve got to look at being number one being like eating chocolate every day,” he says diplomatically. “It’s a wonderful thing, but when it starts to be not about the song and how long it’s going to be number one, that’s different.

“Now I can sing it as a piece of work I’m proud of and I’m cool with that.”

Love Is All Around was first recorded by The Troggs in 1967 and Wet Wet Wet’s version was from the soundtrack of the hit movie Four Weddings and a Funeral.

“I remember playing it to Reg Presley, frontman of The Troggs, and he loved my arrangement and how it fitted the chorus with my voice, in the same way as I love REM’s version,” recalls Marti.

The Scottish singer is currently on a Greatest Hits Tour that is coming to Woking this weekend and Guildford next year and will be revisiting a lot of old hits as well as delving into his now huge solo back catalogue.

“Yeah, I could pick holes in some of them,” he says. “But I like looking back as a 56-year-old man at Angel Eyes or Wishing I Was Lucky, which I sang as a teenager, and thinking I like that. I see where I was going there.

“I think what do I like about it, rather than what don’t I like about it? That’s just silly.”

The singer is keen to point out that he has now worked much longer as a solo artist than he did as Wet Wet Wet frontman, and he will be including songs in his live set from Stargazer, his latest album – number 12 as just Marti Pellow.

Marti brings his tour to the New Victoria Theatre in Woking this Sunday, 21 November. He says he’s particularly pleased to be appearing in the home town of Paul Weller – especially having covered The Jam veteran’s Brand New Start on his Between The Covers album.

“What a great singer and songwriter he is,” he enthuses. “I was there right back in the days of The Jam. I had all those early singles.

“As a songwriter, he is incredible. The man is absolute class.”

The second leg of Marti’s tour will reach G Live in Guildford on Tuesday 26 April 2022.

* For more music and theatrical shows around the area, get the 18 November edition of the News & Mail