WITH more than 20 top 40 charting records including six number one hits Gilbert O'Sullivan has been a dominant song writer since the late 1960s.

The Irish-born song writer may be best known for his 1970s hits Alone Again, Clair and Get Down, but he has never rested on his laurels, and with a new record due later this year he is showing no signs of slowing down.

A quick look at the 71-year-olds Wikipedia page and you only get a brief snapshot at just how prolific he has been in a career which has spanned more than 50 years.

So what keeps him going and still producing music of the highest quality?

"A love of song writing," the musician tells The Gazette.

"Without the songs I would not be the performer and the artist I am today."

"I don't know how many songs I have written, so it is good with the back catalogue that when we do it live we can pick the obvious ones and then the ones off the albums that people like."

What makes O'Sullivan such a prolific songwriter is that he sees himself as most of a storyteller rather than speaking of his own life experiences when it comes to penning his songs.

He adds: "Many of my lyrics are like a newspaper the common denominator is the hook line. I just pick up on things that are going on in the world.

"Very few of my songs are heart on the sleeve based on personal experience. But I think that the understanding of a subject is what makes you a good lyricist and being able to experience it and write about it in an sincere way."

One thing that hasn't changed for O'Sullivan in the time he has been writing and producing music and that is how he gauges success.

With the accelerating pace of technology in music the songwriter is under no disillusion that it plays a big part in today's music scene, but insists if you can't write a good melody you will struggle.

He continues: "I understand that technology is a big part of how music is made today but for me I couldn't rely on it, as long as it doesn't interfere in the basis of what you do writing music it can be a useful tool.

"For me success isn't what happens outside of the release of a record, it is what happens when you complete what you think is a good song, To me that it justifies your existence."

Gilbert O'Sullivan will appear at The Anvil on Wednesday, 18 April. For more information and tickets visit anvilarts.org.uk