Producing this album was an intense but rewarding experience. I’ve heard these guys work described as “athletic rock” and that’s just about right. I’ve uploaded a couple of samples below.
We decided we wanted a marching sound to bring in the “Rock Until You Drop” track so we mike’d up the toilet floor next to the studio and went in there and marched. It wasn’t right though. We needed a gravel pit or different footwear. I took a coffee break to ponder the problem and then it struck me. The disposable plastic coffee cups had just that crunch factor we needed. We spread a hundred or so and stomped on them at the tempo that the track was to be. We then did several takes but had to keep replenishing the cups as they could not withstand the punishment. In the end we used the entire supply of three thousand. the next day the studio boss was well pissed off but, hey, you can’t make a cake without breaking eggs! Rock Until You Drop (listen) Wiped Out (listen) These guys were so over the top that I refused to produce the album non stop. Instead I opted for a three day week to give me time to recover between sessions |
Raven – fooling about during the making of “Rock Till You Drop” |
Digitising History
In 1999 a guy in Australia sent me 40 photographs of King George V and Queen Mary visiting shipyards in our area. He also sent me the Smiths Docks Role of Honour with hundreds of names of dock workers who served during the war. Mike Conquest sent me these family heirlooms as he assumed I would find a proper home for them so I dutifully donated the photographs to Newcastle Central library and the role of honour to the University of Teesside. Naturally I did not do this without first scanning all the pictures and asking an office temp to type up all the names in the role of honour. All of these things have at one time or another existed on a website so I’ve spent a pleasant hour or two this Sunday afternoon trawling through my hard drive. the pictures (example right) can now be seen at http://www.neukol.org.uk/images/george/ I have yet to find the names from the role of honour but I think I know where those files may be backed up.
Bush Carnival
I live very close to Teesside Airport. ìAir force Oneî flew over my house and landed there so that ol’ buddies Tony Blair and George Doublyuh could have a nice visit. When I mentioned in a forum an American replied ìgee I’m sorryî I had some inside information so me and a friend Andrew went to the edge of the airport runway. Andrew was afraid we’d be shot as spies but when we got there he need not have worried. There were hundreds of people there where the A66 goes under the flight path for the airport. There was a huge armed police presence and gawd knows how many plain clothes operatives.
Click on link for pictures and full story —>
The Police
Just Kidding. Surprising how many times I’ve pulled the same gag over the years. (scroll down) Must be an “…. ism”
Celine Dion: Ne Me Plaignes Pas
No doubt you’ve heard the charming story of how Rene Angelil mortgaged his house to fund Celine’s career! But did you know that Celine set out on her dream of international stardom armed with one of my songs? Ne me Plaignez Pas ! Click here to see a video clip – 56K Modem (REAL) – Faster Connection (REAL) or – MPG VERSION You can find this song on literally dozens of compilation CD’s Amour – C’Est Pour Vivre – Collection – Collection 82-88 The Early Singles – The French Love Album Les Plus Grands Success |
Searchers Find Missing Mastertape
In 1982 The Searchers released my song “I Don’t Want To Be The One” on PRT as a single. It only achieved moderate chart success but went Gold on “Street Scene” a compilation album.†
There was talk of an album with PRT and another of my songs “Innocent Victim” was recorded. However, the album never materialised and the master tapes for the song mysteriously disappeared. This year the Searchers celebrate 40 years in the business and have released an all encompassing double CD to commemorate the fact. Luckily the Innocent Victim tapes were found just in time to be included on the CD. Referring to the proposed PRT album the sleeve notes for this CD state “Innocent Victim is an indicator of what might have been”
Anniversary
Today is my 22nd wedding anniversary. I came across the document below left that shows this month marks another, and some would say (don’t tell my wife) an even more important one. See below, me and that red strat have been together for 27 years and never a cross word!
The Attitude (Fear of Crime Project)
I produced a CD with a group of young people from East Middlesbrough in Studio 64. Over a period of 4 weeks I had helped the group write a track that expressed their feelings about the place they were growing up in. II also produced a video featuring the song and this was shown along with another video on the same subject made by a group of older people at a presentation at the University of Teesside. Presiding over the occassion was the Mayor of Middlesbrough, Ray Mallon. |
|
Songs Of Love Work And War
This was originally a review at South Shields Customs House with music from the Steve Thompson Band, narration from Tom and back projected images. It has become a Kelly/Thompson “genre” of material and new songs are being added and new forms of delivery considered. Below is the live album available to listen for free and to download. Only 3 tracks at present but more to be added.
Steel Town
Around 1996 I started teaching music composition part time at South Tyneside College. Here I met poet, playwright and local historian Tom Kelly. Tom had written many songs too and over the next 3 years or so we exchanged stories and anecdotes in the staff room. I told Tom of my early days in a rock band whilst serving an apprenticeship at Consett Steel Works and how I “escaped”.
Then one day passed me a note “Steel Town…a new musical..a young man dreams of escaping, to be a rock and roll star…”
Of course I was hooked and we embarked on what was to become quite and adventure for me.
The Burgundy Cobbler – Whitley Bay circa 1978/79
In the late seventies I was producing bands and running a record company in Wallsend (UK). At night I played in the Mick Whitaker Band. We played the Burgundy Cobbler in Whitley Bay on Tues and Wed nights. I lived in Manor Court Next door, a block of bedsits owned by the Sid McCulloch who also owned the Cobbler. So the Cobbler became my living room. A whole gang of musicians and muso type people hung out there and for a few years there was a great “Cobbler Community”.
Now here are some sounds from the recording session that spawned this line-up. It is a studio session but it is all live with no overdubs. Typical of the stuff we were playing at the cobbler. Sorry it’s in REALmedia but if I get the time I’ll dig the tracks out again and MP3 them.
Long May You Run -|- I want To Be Loved
The View of South Parade from my Attic Room in Manor Court |
Thompson And Whitaker in the Cobbler Cupboard Dressing Room |
Of Course you can’t spend your entire life just having fun so I got married (just kidding) With such proximity it was bound to happen – I married one of the Cobbler barmaids – Molly (that’s my Gran in the Picture)
WMDJ Urban Grit
In 1999 I worked with Poet Tom Kelly on a CD called “Urban Grit”. We called the collaboration WMDJ. There is a WMDJ site at www.wmdj.org.uk and specific details of Urban Grit HERE