I Searched (And Never Found)

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Just finished the first track on my “Places in Time” album (below)

<a href="http://stmedia.bandcamp.com/track/i-searched-and-never-found">I Searched (And Never Found) by ST Media</a>

More about the Places In Time project HERE

It would be in the early 90’s Molly and me found ourselves in Derbyshire visiting Matlock Bath (Little Switzerland) and one day we set out to find Crich Tramway Museum. In those days I was not a driver so we got off the train at Whatstandwell and trekked for what seemed like hours. It was a beautiful day and at one point we had climbed so hight that as I looked down at the valley to the railway snaking through the rolling countryside, I felt that I was on the top of the world. Even the air seemed thinner.  For me this track evokes that feeling. Hope you like it. The (And Never Found) added to the title is artistic license. We did indeed find the museum but it took some doing. Mark my words, Peak District travel leaflets are prone to exaggeration. Remarkably I found a guys blog HERE – his pictures tell the same story as my music.

Power Glam

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click to enlarge

click to enlarge

In the early 70’s my band Bullfrog were signed to Cube Records. In a moment of madness we wrote a jokey song called “Riddley Tiddley Tum”. We tried to cloak our daftness by naming it Glancy after our first singer. However, our record company picked up on it and pronounced it to be our first single. We were mortified being a serious rock outfit so we promoted the B side on TV shows and the like which must have driven our record company mad.

Anyway, I thought that was all long forgotten but it seems that in the digital age your past is just behind you. I gather the track is out on a compilation and doing very well under the title of “Blitzing the Ballroom: 20 UK Power Glam Incendiaries” (oh my goodness!) It’s available on Amazon http://bit.ly/powerglam and apparently it’s 59 in Tower Records top 100 best sellers of glam rock CDs and it’s available and reviewed all over the web. Infamy at last!

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Places, first notes finally laid down after 2 years

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Two years ago I contemplated a music project idea in a restaurant in
Tuscany https://steve-thompson.org.uk/places-in-time/

I’ve thought of it many times since but have still to lay down the
first track. At the weekend, I finally began. I awoke in the
Blackenrigg Hotel to one of my favourite views overlooking Ullswater
in the English Lakes. On listening back once home again I must say the
slow evolving chords do indeed evoke that scene. Lots more needed
before there is a full music collection. I hope the sound of the Duomo
bells tolling in Prato is still in my iPaq. (HP)

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A songwriter, his songs and his lawyer

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This is the title of a presentation I’ll be giving at the Stockton International Riverside Festival on July 31st 2009. More details on venue e.t.c. to follow.

“Creating a hit song, or several can be a rewarding experience, however the song will be published, performed, recorded and sold globally. Keeping up with where the song goes, and making sure copyright is intact proves a very interesting journey for song writer Steve Thompson.

Not just in the field of writing and publishing, but as a producer and arranger for other bands and singers. Years of experience in the music industry provides a fascinating web of interwoven stories within the music industry. He takes the journey with his long established lawyer, Simon Long of Collins Long (London) with fascinating insights into the music industry, publishing and what happens once the song is internationally renowned and played, plus his own personal journey of defending his copyright with the help of Simon Long from vinyl to social media and downloading. This will be a highly entertainingevent with some very interesting stories”.

MySpace Song Reinstated

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Further to this story, I finally got an answer from MySpace re their removal of one of my songs. They suggested I write to Sony BMG which I did. I wrote the following

Hello,

I am the composer of “Ne Me Plaignez Pas” recorded by Celine Dion in 1983. It was originally released by Sheena Easton in 1982 under the title “Please Don’t Sympathise”

I added the Celine Dion recording of Ne Me Plaignez Pas as a non downloadable example of my work as a songwriter. Whilst I accept that I do not own the copyright of the recording or Celines performance I DO own the copyright of the song (I am it’s publisher) The recording is 26 years old and I am not misrepresenting myself, nor am I making money from having it on MySpace and I don’t think I am negatively affecting your rights or financial situation. Given all this I wonder if you would write to MySpace (their suggestion) and ask that they unblock the content. (or allow me to upload it again)

My MySpace URL is http://www.myspace.com/stmedia2

As an artist myself I can assure you that I take copyright very seriously. In this instance I think there is a little scope for leeway.

================================================================

Sony BMG saw sense in my argument and sent me a long and eloquent response 🙂 they said – “you should be able to upload it now”

I still had to take the MySpace “copyright education program” which was complete and utter bollocks. One page of trivial questions and answers (they provide all the answers) and you tick OK at the bottom. None of the questions related to me so I just ticked anyway.

You can see all the Myspace Stuff by clicking on the “read more” link.

Read more! »

Cyber Bullying On MySpace

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I have sent MySpace a complaint about cyber bullying on their site. The cyber bully in question is MySpace themselves with their sledgehammer and nut tactics.

They have summarily removed one of my tracks with no discussion and no right to appeal. I own the copyright in the song in question. The song is Ne Me Plaignes Pas recorded by Celine Dion.

They add insult to injury by lecturing me on copyright. They clearly have not read the contents of my site; I’m no stranger to copyright. And then they say I now have to go on MySpace’s “Copyright Education Program” before I can ever upload anything again – no thanks!

Copyright is a moral and ethical issue as well as a financial one. I have done nothing morally or ethically wrong. You may have spotted this disclaimer on my site “Sound clips on this site are either my own copyright or I have some connection with the track. I have mostly used only short clips of tracks to give a flavour of it. It is not my intention to abuse the copyrights of others.”

Financially it’s another story. The track was not downloadable and I was making no money from having it on MySpace. The recording is 26 years old and long past its big money earning period. I am making no impact on Celine’s bank balance whatever nor that of her record company, indeed I may have encouraged a few sales of compilation CD’s.

In 1982 I had my biggest hit with Hurry Home by Wavelength which went top 20. Soon after I had a hit in Canada which seemed less significant at the time, except how were we to know that the singer was to become one of the most successful recording artists in the world. You may have heard the story of how Rene Angelil mortgaged his house to fund Celine’s early career! Well Celine set out on her dream of international stardom armed with one of my songs? Ne me Plaignez Pas ! – I think I deserve better treatment. Celine recorded the song in 1983 having heard Sheena Eastons 1982 recording of my song “Please Don’t Sympathise” (the English version) Shena’s version is still on MySpace (for now)

Bizarrely you can still here the song on MySpace via the YouTube Videos I posted. Click here.

View Compilation CD’s Here

My Space www.myspace.com/stmedia2

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When The Boat Comes Home

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I awoke last night
With the strangest of feelings
Of the like I’d never known
And I heard your voice
Tell me you’d see me
When the boat comes home
When the Boat comes home

When the storm clouds break
I’ll go down to the shoreline
And I’ll look way out to sea
Till I see your sails
On the horizon
When the boat comes home
Home to me

How many tides have passed
Since we last
Stood on this shore
Time seems to go so fast
But the heart still yearns for more

I was oh so young
As I watched you departing
And I stood here all alone
But I’m here once again
And I reach out to hold you
As the boat comes home
When the boat comes home.

There’ll be tears of joy
As we watch you returning
And we’ll greet you on the shore
And we’ll take you home
Safe in the valley
When the boat comes home
Home once more

Fire And Water

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The River fills
With tears from above
Flows down the valley
Into Skinnigrove
The River flows
Down to the sea
Where a fire burns brightly

FIRE AND WATER
THEY ARE WORLDS APART
LIKE THE STEEL IN YOUR SOUL
AND THE LOVE IN YOUR HEART
BUT THEN FIRE AND WATER
COME TOGETHER AT LAST
WHERE THERE’S HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
AND PRIDE IN THE PAST

The river rose
And flowed so strong
Drove out the people
Who’d lived here so long
But the people returned
Reclaimed their land
A fire burns
As united they stand

Repeat Chorus