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Dead Man's Trousers

Recorded between January to June 1997 Dead Man Trouser's was my first album which was recorded in the spare room of my flat on Petticoat Lane in East London. I had very basic equpment which consisted of a tape cassette 4 track and then 8 track which I would bounce onto a DCC recorder (a digital cassette recorder). This was my mastering stage and was about the same quality as a CD player.

This album was hopefully my stepping stone to getting interest from record companies. I started these songs whilst I was still working with Midge Ure & Jc Grimshaw but I was very self conscious and struggled to pitch these songs to anyone. I plowed on nevertheless and created what I thought was an album both entertaining and thought provoking.

I had some great contacts with some fabulous musicians who I enlisted to help me on certain tracks. These included Sim Jones ( fiddle) Martin Wheatley (mandolin) & Dave Terry (drums). The tracks were as follows:

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Pirate of the Heart

Pirate of the Heart was originally a song called Pierrots are Coming to Town which was about a wonderful street theatre band I knew and would eventually join. Pirate of the Heart ws a rewrite but the tune stayed the same and fixates on the fantasy of being a swashbuckling character who would win you away in a swirl of romance on the high seas.

Musically this tune began as an instrumental on acoustic guitar with an open G tuning. To this I added accordion, dobro and double bass. I created a layer of percussion with shakers and a wooden clave. There was no loop feature so doing the percussion took a few takes. There are trains whistles and samba whistles and the solo section is guitar and dobro in harmony.

The Moon is on the Pull Again

The introduction of this song I owe to my friend Sim Jones who suggested moving up a semi tone, with that and a chromatic harmonica I thryed to conjure a rare atmosphere before the vocal starts. The acoustic guitars are tune with a dropped D and I played exactly the same parts twice and panned them hard left and right . Occasionaly they are slightly out of sync which is the effect I was going for. There is a subtle was of accordion and a backing vocal counterpoint in harmony. I remember being obsessed with KD Lang & her album Ingenue. Her vocal harmony style became an obsession with my recordings and this was one of the first tracks I tried it.

The song was written on the Isle of Wight after coming home from a gig where a full moon and clear night stole my thoughts. In this song the moon is shameless and knows it has captivated everyone. The singer knows this but  falls ifor the fickle charms of the moon like everyone else.

Dead Man's Trousers

The relentless beat on this track was supplied by the most basic of drum machines put through an effects pedal. It seemed to have one setting on or off . i wanted a heavy blues groove and placed my double into the corner of the room and played a very basic bass line. The bluesy guitar is a national resonator with an open tuning and bottleneck. The harmonica is heavily distorted and if it wasn't for me being unable to resist making silly noises there's quite a groove going on . In the background I'm playing a xylophone keyboard part for a skeleton effect.

The track deals with the thorny issue of buying secondhand vintage trousers and a pair I had brought (lovely dogtooth wool ) However much I liked them they had to go because of the yellow crutch

We Went for Supper

In the mid 1990's I was playing both on the island with Jc and his sister Angelina and touring with JC and Midge Ure. It was a lovely time and I'm pleased to so we didn't take it for granted but revelled in how fortunate we were. This was made all the easier by some of the gorgeous characters on the island including Nick & Margaret who hosted impromptu parties after gigs in their cosy home in Cowes. Nick & Margaret got married in amongst all of this and Jc and I both wrote a song for them. This is the song I sang for them on that happy day, about a legendary party at their house . It's a moment in time song and and there are references to running jokes and the songs we were singing at the time including Paul Armfields Pecadillos song. I really miss Johnny Grimshaw whenever I hear this song as I can picture him there laughing.

The tune is written in an open D tuning on guitar and I'm playing mandolin, piano and accordion. I like it how the song picks up suddenly after 2 minutes when everything comes in.

Cowboy In Transit

This instrumental is my take on the classic western cowboy sound . There's more than a hint of morricone hear with whistling, slide guitar all building up to the main musical theme being played by harmonica. It's quite restrained compared to may cowboy vibes now , they'd definetly be a chorus of a hundred butch cowboys in harmony if I did this track now

Nothing Can Break Us Apart

The song has an existensial conceit at the heart of it how Nothing 'Can' break us apart, rather than the usual platitude. I guess I have always been obsessed with evrything having to have a purpose otherwise what are we. I release that alot of what I write about is how hard it is to stay positive when your intellect tells you constantly just to give up.

I am in totally in debt on this recording to Sim Jones whose solo's on violin I think elevate this recording . Again the influence of Ingenue is heard here not just in harmonies but the sound using piano, accordion, lilting guitar and a counterpoint on violin. I was lucky to be working with the drummer Dave Terry who played a great drum part. The military idea was his and it really builds the song. I struggle listening to my own tracks but this one I just love it peaks and troughs and Sim's second solo well !

The Loyal Cobbler

I had recently started playing with the wonderfully talented vintage musician Martin Wheatley. I couldn't resist asking to play on this ragtime style song about Emelda Marcos. Martin plays mandolin and I play acoustic guitar and harmonica. The song has the feel of a jug band like the Memphis Jug Band and although the sonically it sounds a bit cranky it still works mainly because of that amzing mandolin.

The song is written from the point of view of the cobbler to emelda Marcos the wife of the dictator of the Phillipines. She was infamous for having the largest show collection in the world of anyone whilst simultaneously her subjects lived for the most part in poverty very often with no shoes. It's trickle down economics as what will the cobbler do now she's gone.

Insode the Muffler She Carries a Gun

In the 1990's the whole Soviet Bloc thing completely imploded and the Russian threat was gone in an instant. The TV was still full of Russian spy movies and Tv series like the Avengers. This song like the last is nostalgic for the past when you could rely on a good russian murder. I'm not sure how i feel about that sentiment now but I loved the idea of the beautiful assasin with a reveolver hidden in her muffler.

I tried to create a 1960's baroque pop sound with a nod to James Barry . The mandolin and harpsichord are held together with acoordion and a guitar with a mild phasher effect to which I payed midi snare drums and timpani. This midi pad also that had a helicopter sound as well as pistol shots ( i couldn't resist). I added a bbc cassette tape of an intellectual talking about Russia in a ridiculous accident.

Have I Found You

A jolly song of finding a wonderful partner but as is always the case there's is always a seed of doubt in the protaganist. Emotions and sentiments are being pinned to mast but will this be reciprocated.

As most of the trackson this album I'm using a a drum machine acoustic guitar, double bass and acoordion to make the bed. I've added mandolin and dobro too.

Trust in Tomorrow

Perhaps the overriding sentiment on this album is hoping for the best and this song is no different. In my mid twenties I was becoming aware of people I knew getting blown about by life much more. This song was my observations on a friend dealing with a breakdown and divorce used the smallest of things to deliver hope.

The recording uses the national guiat and the piano . I loved the sound of Dire Straits Romeo and Juliet and tryed that as an idea for the main guitar part.

When the Show Came to Town

I worked with Midge Ure for two years touring with him mainly up and down the Uk in town halls. He put a brave face but was struggling with the realisation his career at the time ws in a bit of a downward spiral and he ws struggling too with alcohol. I always enjoyed our shows which I thought were always well received and I loved working with my best friend JC Grimshaw. After a while you got to know Midge's fans who for the most part were loyal and lovely people. Every now and then though we'd meet someone clearly obsessed with Midge in an unhealthy way. This song focuses on both that person in the audience and the singer both trying to get through the night both needing each other . The song focuses on their eyes. For her she still has love in them and for his weary minces its hometime.

Sim Jones once again adds atmosphere on this sparse recording.

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