We all have an alter ego in us right, starred in our own fictional band maybe?. OK maybe not.

Purple Haze, my own band, were simultaneously reviving and parodying the music of 1960s/70s UK music scene. We began performing in 1967 at the height of the hippie counterculture and achieved national fame after appearing at the Isle of Wight music festival in 1969.

During the 1970s Purple Haze played at, among other places, the Fillmore East and West opening for such bands as the Grateful Dead, The Mothers of Invention and The Kinks. As Purple Haze grew they began headlining at other venues. Once, one of their opening acts was Bruce Springsteen no less. In 1972 Purple Haze was one of just five acts invited by John Lennon and Yoko Ono to perform with them at their One-to-One benefit concert at Madison Square Garden. Subsequently, the group appeared in the 1978 movie The Last Waltz and then reached, perhaps, the height of its success,with its own syndicated television show that featured guest musicians such as Eric Clapton, David Gilmour and David Bowie.

Billing ourselves as ‘from the streets of Coventry’ Purple Haze members were frequently outfitted in gold lame or leather jackets and sported long unkempt hairdos.

Later, towards the end of the 1980s, I discovered that ‘real musicians’ had similar visions albeit far more ambitious than my own. Steven Wilson, for example, had put a band together whose members included Mr. Jelly on bass, Sebastian Tweetle-Blampton the Third on electronics and acoustic guitar, Timothy Tadpole-Jones on percussion, the Expanding Flan on drums and, on lead guitar, The Porcupine Tree. They were always welcomed on stage by master of ceremonies Solomon St Jermaine.

Steven’s partner in no-man, Tim Bowness, has also revealed that he too had an alter ego. And he has turned his into the most incredible reality.

Moonshot leader Jeff Harrison has, it seems, always been an inspiration to Tim Bowness. After all they were both born in Warrington it seems, both sharing the same birthday. Moonshot, although described as Crimsonesque, were clearly, also influenced by the likes of Yes and Genesis.

This album is such a clever idea and it has been so well executed. The results are staggering. And Tim Bowness, it seems agrees, after I asked him about his involvement in it all.

‘I think they’ve done an excellent job as well’ Tim begins.

‘The idea is that they’ve performed the songs in the style Moonshot would have played them and within that they’ve also echoed the fictional timeline (so, Stupid Things That Mean The World is deliberately delivered in an early 1980s Prog Pop style and Before That Before in an early 1970s pastoral Folk way)’.

‘The band worked from my material and imaginary back catalogue. Beyond that, I had no involvement other than telling them which versions I thought were good and assembling the album order’.

‘Outside of being Moonshot, the band operate as an all-era Genesis covers band. The bassist was in my pre-No-Man band Plenty (whose album It Could Be Home, I’m still very fond of). They all liked Lost In The Ghost Light, so it was definitely more labour of love than comedy parody’.

I am sure listeners would have soon cottoned on to what was going on here. There are clues to the authenticity of this band within the lyrics. ‘The Great Electric Teenage Dream’, for example, contains the line ‘Automatic, incomplete, an unknown friend, a tossed-off tweet’.

As a stand alone album, however, this release is a triumph and well worth investigation.

Not only did 2019 see the loss of renowned and charismatic drummer, Ginger Baker, it also saw an influx of reissues from a band who are only touched upon when the media focuses on Ginger’s life.

Firstly, April saw the release of a box set collecting together remastered editions of the entire studio works from the Baker Gurvitz Army.

Then, during the second half of the year, and, in celebration of Gingers 80th birthday, as well as in remembrance of their manager Bill Fehilly, a previously unreleased live album by the Baker Gurvitz Army was set free.

And all of these albums are really worth investigation. In fact almost any release involving the Gurvitz brothers is worth a listen.

Ginger Baker was famed for being taught ‘time’ by fellow drummer Phil Seamen during the late 1950s. This led to Ginger having stints with Blues Incorporated, Graham Bond, Cream and Blind Faith.

Ginger also formed Airforce with jazz drummers Phil Seamen and Art Blakey at, it was reported at the time, huge expense. And it was apparently an incident at one of those gigs that set the scene for an ice breaker when he met the Gurvitz brothers several years later at the Speakeasy.

Following Airforce Ginger move to Africa to get into a style of music first introduced to him by Phil Seamen. While there he played and recorded with multi instrumentalist Fela Ransome-Kuti and Africa 70. But after three years in Nigeria, that included the building a recording studio, it all went badly wrong.

Returning to England, Ginger was absolutely broke, and needed to start working again in order to get some much needed money.

And it was at this point that Ginger met with Adrian and Paul Gurvitz at the Speakeasy in London during 1974. They invited him to a rehearsal with them. It was all he could get according to his wife. But it was also around this time that Ginger left his wife for his daughters first boyfriends sister. Married 18 year old Sarah Dixon.

By all accounts the bands manager, Bill Fehilly, was quick to see the potential in the Baker Gurvitz Army and also guided Ginger through a more settled period as he became a good friend and ally. The Baker Gurvitz Army also included Steve Parsons aka Mr Snips on lead vocals and keyboard player Peter Lemer.

Ginger Baker became fitter and healthier during most of his time with BGA. He appeared to have left the hard drugs behind. But that was all to change during the recording of the ‘Hearts of Fire’ album. ‘Hearts of Fire’ was the third and final studio album by BGA, released during 1976.

The crux of this set back for Ginger coincided with the loss of his new mentor Bill Felhilly who was killed in a plane crash during July 1976. It was a disasterous period for Ginger who decided to get away from everyone he knew and moved to Italy. During his time there he kept dogs and a couple of horses and lived in, what was described as a ‘delapedated house’. Second wife, Sarah, ended up going off with a young local lad.

The Baker Gurvitz Army were no more. But they left us with a wonderful legacy that has, once more, been made available to us.

Incidentally, there is a tenuous link between the Gurvitz brothers and Coventry. Both Paul and Adrian Gurvitz were once members of rock trio, The Gun, who will always be remembered for their hit single ‘Race With the Devil’. Coventry musician and songwriter, Johnny Goodison was credited as the producer of The Gun’s self titled album from 1968. This was purely by the fact that John had worked for CBS records and had them up the band. That was about all he did by way of production work.

It is incredible to think that mid January 2020 will mark 56 years since local band, The Avengers, ‘stole the show’ during a major Sunday concert at the Coventry Theatre. The band became known as The Mighty Avengers to avoid confusion with a band with a similar name.

Not long before this show, during December 1963, The Avengers had become the first band from the Midlands to play The Cavern Club, Liverpool. Under the stewardship of Harry Flick, they were already on something of a roll.

According to local press Teddy (Kevin) Mahon (rhythm guitar), Tony Campbell (lead guitar and vocal),Mike Linell (lead singer and bass guitar),and ‘Biffo’ Dave Beech (drummer) were greeted with loud cheers from a largely teenage audience before they began their first number ‘I’m a Hog for You Baby’.

The audience continued to shout for The Avengers long after they had finished playing and right up until nationally famous , Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, took their places behind the microphones.

Brian Poole had been the big attraction but the show was really staged to introduce ‘The Coventry Sound’. Apart from The Avengers others on the bill included The Sorrows, The Sabres, The Matadors, The Mustangs, The Midnights, Tony Martin and the Echo Four, and Lynne Curtis originally from Wales but then living in Leamington Spa and who also sang with The Mustangs as well as having her own solo slot. Lynne was also being managed by Larry Page.

Coventry trio, The Orchids and who recorded for Decca Records, were supposed to have appeared on the show but were prevented from doing so by a 1933 Act of Parliament – ‘The Children and young Persons Act’.

However, they still participated in the show by clapping their hands to the music as they sat in a specially reserved box where they could be seen by the audience.

The whole evening had been arranged by Coventry theatrical agency, Top Variety, and compèred by Alan Field. Musical direction was by S. Calland. A number of record companies also sent representatives to hear our local talent.

Of course, for a lot of these groups, it didn’t all end there. Several of them went on to achieve recording contracts. Later on during 1964 The Mighty Avengers released their first single ‘Hide Your Pride’. Later on that year, a follow up, ‘So Much in Love’ was released.

This new song was specially written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones and was produced by Stones manager Andrew Oldham. Oldham was now guiding the band and was keeping them busy with dates up and down the country. Soon after its release, disc jockey Bob Wooler, featured the record on his Radio Luxembourg show ensuring it had good visibility and helped ease it into the charts.

Two further Andrew Oldham collaborations, ‘When Blue Turns to Grey’ and ‘Walking Through the Sleepy City’ sadly failed to have the same impact on the charts as ‘So Much in Love’.


More about the Mighty Avengers from Pete Clemons https://coventrygigs.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-mighty-avengers.html

Arthur (Modie) Albrighton was born in Bell Green, Coventry on September 3 1940. He is the eldest son of Arthur (Senior) and Anne Albrighton. His Father was an engineer in the defence industry and was also a pianist.

Brought up in a musical environment it was not long before Modie began performing. During the weekends Arthur (senior) would entertain at working men’s clubs and by the age of 5 young Arthur would accompany his father on harmonica. During this time he also got to meet and perform with the legendary Larry Adler.

At 16 Arthur began to study radio and television technology. Initially he trained as an electrical engineer by first of all attending courses at Coventry Technical College (The Butts). Then in 1961 he began an advanced apprenticeship which he completed in 1962.

Modie’s gigging career began as far back as 1956 when he began playing with bands like The Solpanos and The Firebirds while, at the same time, introducing his brother Roye to the guitar. Roye of course found worldwide success with progressive rock band Nektar.

It was also at that point that Arthur began to be known as ‘Modie’. The name derives from the word moody, because says Arthur, ‘if things did not go right when we used to practice, I was getting real moody’. To this very day the name has stuck.

After a spell with the Ricky Thompson Dance Band, who were based at the Grand Ballroom, Coalville, the early to mid 1960’s saw Modie join the short lived bands Makeshift and The Plague. 1968 saw those last two groups evolve into the first formation of Peppermint Kreem.

Paul Kennelly remembers ‘As far as I recall, when Modie first linked up with me, he had been living in Ibstock and had been playing bass in the Ricky Thompson band, hence his conventional hair cut ! By the time we met, he had moved into 188 Barkers Butts Lane, the ground floor flat, that became the Plague / Peppermint Kreem H.Q. and where the likes of Roye Albrighton and Journey of a Lifetime would gather and chill out.

Peppermint Kreem toured extensively and worked incredibly hard during 1968. They appeared regularly at venues like The Navigation and The Walsgrave. Their line-up was made up of vocalist Paul Kennelly, Ray Haywood on lead guitar, Dave Fairclough on keyboards, Tom Ryan on drums and Modie on bass guitar.

Due to long term commitment issues Peppermint Kreem folded and Modie moved on to bands such as Heaven Sent and New City Sounds. New City Sounds had, by then, become regulars at the West End Club amongst other venues around the city. He was not, though, a part of the line up who would appear on TV talent show Opportunity Knocks.

1972/73 then saw Modie founding his own company that specialised in radio, TV and jukebox repairs. That same period also saw the reformation of Peppermint Kreem who went onto to achieve more good things. This time around Modie had switched to lead guitar with the rest of the band being vocalist Paul Kennelly, Keith James on bass, Bob “Spindler” Hopkins on keyboards and finally Pete Davoil on drums.

Modie began to make contacts in Germany and in 1976 he went over to there to tour with a band called Sabina. He must have taken to life in Germany because by the end of 1977 he had emigrated there. Initially, and through to the 1980’s he toured the German circuit with many different bands including Bullfrog and Trysapter.

But at the same time he needed to put down roots and establish himself. So to make ends meet he worked for the US army in Fulda, a town near Frankfurt, and took on any other work that he could get in order to get by.

But, over time, he did settle down and, through his music, he was able to make new acquaintances along the way. Here are some words written about Modie by the highly respected German artist and musician Paul Eddie Pfisterer:

‘I received a phone call from Modie Albrighton. He was interested in getting a group together. At that time Modie was playing guitar in several groups in Germany. In around 1978 I played with him in a band called ‘Trysapter’. This was short lived and I lost contact with him for many years. So it was a great shock when I got this phone call again. All the memories of the old times of real rock music came back. We managed to get a very good bass player called Michael Gawlik. This was crazy, as we never had a practice and yet it all came together as if we had played together for years. We made three CD´s, that, even today, I constantly listen to. Modie is an extraordinary guitarist, talented in a way that never exists in present time. He is a multitalented, playing guitar as well as Blues-Harmonica, Bass, Keyboards, Singer, Show and all the things a real professional musician is expected, including the unexpected things. Michael was a very young hot blooded Bass player with an immense energy, which was needed for ‘Nuts and Bolts’ as it was only a three piece band’.

During 1986 Modie built and founded Falcon Studios in the town of Bad Salzschlirf. As well as being a recording and production house, the aim of Falcon Studios, has been to encourage talented singers and musicians. And this he has done for well for many years now.

In addition to his various studio based projects Modie has successfully released many solo albums whilst in Germany. These include ‘My Style’ and ‘Out of the Blue’, Relax, Feelings, Roof Top Blues and Modie rocks the universe volumes 1, 2 and 3.

Until recently, and as far as I know ongoing, the studio continues to flourish with Modie putting together a dedicated team all working for the best possible recording and production results.

Thanks to Paul Michael Kennelly for his input around the Peppermint Kreem history and also for the images..

The four piece Flys burst onto the power pop and new wave battlefield during mid 1977. The boom in Power Pop and New Wave followed the Punk Rock explosion and The Flys were one of the pioneers of that field.

The Flys were Dave Freeman – lead guitar, Joe Hughes – bass, Pete King – drums and Neil O’Connor – rhythm guitar and vocals. Their musicianship was melodic and imaginative and, with a regular slot at La Chaumiere in the Burges during August and September 1977, their future looked assured. Especially after an early break for them when they hooked up for a support slot alongside Buzzcocks at Mr Georges club during October 1977.

That particular night was meant to be a one off but it went so well that the Buzzcocks invited The Flys to do most of the remaining tour dates. Especially those around the Midlands. So the band ended up doing around six more dates with them.

Before that Buzzcocks gig The Flys had laid down the tracks that made up their self financed debut, the ‘Bunch of Five’ EP on Zama Records. And all this early activity had alerted EMI who promptly signed them up. Zama Records was also the home for Black Parrot Seaside and their epic EP release.

With so many talented bands around, at that time, you needed that little extra boost like a session on the John Peel show. And there was no shortage of opportunity. The Flys appeared on his show at least three times. The first being during March 1978 when they performed ‘New Hearts’, ‘Fun City’, ‘We Dont Mind the Rave’ and ‘Living in the Sticks’.

Further Peel Sessions were recorded during November 1978 when they performed ‘Love and a Molotov Cocktail’, ‘Name Dropping’, ‘I Don’t Know’ and ‘Waikiki Beach Refugees’. And once more during September 1979 when, by then, drummer Pete King had left and Graham Deakin had replaced him. For that session the band aired ‘Lets Drive’, ‘Energy Boy’, ‘Frenzy is 23’ and ‘I’ll Survive’.

And almost all those tunes, along with many others, – the complete studio recordings 1977 to 1980 in fact – can be found on a wonderful release titled ‘Today Belongs to Me’. Additionally this release contains seven previously unheard songs.

In hindsight, the punk rock and new wave era was an incredibly short window of time. As such, timing was crucial. By the end of 1978 people were already saying that punk and new wave was dead. It just seemed to have run its course.

Power pop was mainly applied to UK bands and had no real legs overseas. So it was limited in its appeal. Having said that the likes of Elvis Costello and Squeeze faired well. But by and large the new wave soon became the old wave.

A lack of real commercial success led to internal bickering. And, despite a valiant effort, it was always a struggle. The Flys called it a day during the spring of 1980. But, and as this new release proves, what a legacy they left us. Listening to these songs 40 years on they still sound so fresh and not at all dated. And this double CD package comes with a wonderfully informative booklet.

Post Flys, Neil O’Connor joined his sister Hazel’s band. Bass player Joe Hughes and guitarist Dave Freeman would team up again in The Lover Speaks. They also penned the ballad ‘No More I Love You’s’ for Annie Lennox and took her into the charts during 1985. Pete King joined After the Fire but sadly passed away during 1987 aged just 26.

Incredibly, music first released during the same week John F Kennedy was assassinated, still resonates today. Especially at this wintery seasonal time of year. Yet, at the time, and possibly due to the sad events back then, the album was a relative failure.

The album ‘A Christmas Gift For You from Philles Records’ – named after the Philles label but was later re-titled ‘from Phil Spector’ – was recorded during the back end of 1963. It contained 13 tracks and was, predominantly, an all girl album in terms of vocals. It came from Phil Spector’s production skills that became known as the Wall of Sound.

Girls began to put together popular music groups as early as late 1950s in New York. And a good number of significant ones were formed between the rock n roll years and the beat bands era.

The Bobbettes were one one of the earliest. They released a number of singles over the years but none surpassed ‘Mr Lee’ released in 1957 and sold over 2 million copies in America.

The Chantels were next up. They were a do-wop harmony group inspired by Frankie Avalon and scored a hit with ‘Maybe’ in 1958.

In the Manhattan area of New York – Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Neil Sedaka, Jeff Barry, Barry Mannis, Ellie Greenwich all teenagers at the time, according to Neil Sedaka ‘writing songs in cubicles’ within the Brill Building. Collectively they became known as the ‘Brill building Set’.

All those song writers had their fair share of major success but it was Goffin and King who were the first to write a hit for an all female group. The Shirelles covered their song ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’ in 1960. It was a massive success but the lyrics were controversial. Lyrics covering the subject – will you still respect me tomorrow or is this a one night stand – were not the norm back then.

Inadvertently, the sound of the girl group was expanded by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who had written several hits for Elvis Presley a few years earlier. They had added elaborate orchestral sounds and strings to the 1959 Ben E King song ‘There Goes my Baby’. And that, in turn, had inspired Phil Spector, who was also based in the Brill building, and he studied the methods used.

One of Ben E King’s next hits, ‘Spanish Harlem’ was co-written by Spector, produced by Leiber and Stoller and contained more of their lavish production.

Phil Spector’s imagination ran wild. But his downfall was vanity as life revolved just around him. The records he produced were his records. The artists who sung on them became just a conduit.

‘He’s a Rebel’ by The Crystals became Spector’s second number one during 1962. Although not a member of the band, vocalist Darlene Love lip synced the lead vocal as Phil Spector began to manufacture the hits. The Crystals follow up hit similar ‘He’s Sure the Boy I Love’ was given similar treatment. The Crystals did tour the UK during 1964. Alongside Manfred Mann, they appeared at Coventry Theatre.

But then came Darlene Love’s greatest moment and it is her voice we hear year after year, by way of TV adverts, with her version of ‘Christmas (Baby please come home)’ and this was just one of the songs from the album ‘A Christmas Gift For You from Philles Records’.

Originally dancers from the Peppermint Lounge in New York, The Ronettes joined the growing list of girl groups. After a couple of minor hits, Phil Spector auditioned and signed them to the Philles Label.

The Ronettes were the final piece in the jigsaw as Phil found ‘the sound he had been looking for’. That sound became known as ‘Wall of Sound productions’ – Symphonies for the kids that created a rich and powerful sound.

During mid 1963, ‘Be my Baby’ became the first, of what became massive hits for the Ronettes. Phil later married lead vocalist Ronnie Bennett but, as with his music skills, he took total control. The Ronettes supported The Rolling Stones on their UK tour of 1964 as well as appearing at the Co-op hall in Nuneaton.

But it wasn’t all about Phil Spector. Another band from New York, The Shangri La’s, became the next big all girl group. The Shangri La’s came with an image of all black clothing. 1964 saw hits such as ‘Remember (Walking in the Sand)’ and ‘Leader of the Pack’. These songs brought another view of how women could behave. The lyrics were moody dramas and plays.

The explosion of girl groups had not been confined to New York either. It soon spread to Detroit. The Marvellettes were a five piece formed during the early 1960s. Soon after he auditioned them, The Marvellettes gave Berry Gordy his first number 1 for his Tamla Motown label with their song ‘Please Mr Postman’ during 1961.

The music of the girl groups, created between the later part of the 1950s, through till the mid 1960s, has certainly endured the test of time. It has never been far from our pshyche for almost 60 years now and shows no sign of letting up.

What makes a great record?. Many reasons I guess. It’s all very subjective. But one thing life has taught me is that it is nothing to do with how many copies it sold or weeks on chart.

I do think, however, it is all about time and whether or not an album still has the capacity to move you over time.

And exactly that seems to have happened to a relatively unknown album first released September 1974. Many, who have heard it, will testify as to how wonderful it is and how it moves them.

That album is titled ‘No Other’ and was released by Gene Clark. Recently, it has been given the deluxe treatment. It has been re-appraised and re-released in various formats with additional versions and out takes of the songs.

After a spell with the New Christy Minstrels, Gene Clark moved to Los Angeles during 1964.

There Gene met Jim (Roger) McGuinn at the Troubadour. Jim was adding Beatles influences to his own songs. He was sat in a room of the Troubadour, called folk down, writing songs. At some point soon after, David Crosby happened to turn up with his guitar. David joined in and magic was formed.

Deciding that they had the potential for a band and, to achieve it, they required a bass player and drummer, they recruited Chris Hillman and Michael Clark. The Byrds were formed. And Gene Clark was a prolific songwriter and he was the creative glue of The Byrds.

Each of the individuals within The Byrds were completely different characters, according to Crosby. For example, Gene Clark was a totally honest guy. The band would pay bills by using bad cheques to get by. After ‘Mr Tambourine Man’ broke, bringing in much needed funds, Gene went back to honour those bills.

But according to other sources Gene could not handle the pressure that came with success. At one point The Beatles, Bob Dylan and The Byrds were all spoken of in same breath. Gene’s issues were further compounded by a fear of flying.

On 27th February 1966 while on a plane, Gene broke out into a cold sweat. Jim McGuinn thought Gene was picking up on something – a vision of disaster maybe. Gene simply got up and walked off plane. It was the beginning of the end as Gene officially left The Byrds during April 1966 to begin a solo career.

Gene did rejoin The Byrds briefly but, during 1974, he admitted it had been a mistake leaving the band in the first place.

After spells with The Dillards and yet another Byrds reunion ‘No Other’ was released on Asylum Records which, at the time, was run by David Geffen who instantly recognised Gene Clark’s talent.

David Geffen spoke to producer Thomas Jefferson Kaye and offered him Jackson Browne or Gene Clark for there up coming projects. Gene had been away for year and had written a bunch of songs. It had been a spiritual time for Gene and lot of soul searching had been done. It was felt that Gene needed a producer and sole mate.

Chris Hillman mentioned that ‘Gene came up with divinely inspired lyrics’. ‘He went somewhere in that writing experience’.

The completed ‘No Other’ was designed to take you places and apply it to your own life. It was a joy for the musicians involved in it as it was open to interpretation. And they really went for it. It truly is a unique and magnificent album.

David Geffen was apparently disappointed with ‘No Other’ as it only contained 8 songs. As such the album didn’t receive finance to tour and to support it. It also, didn’t help I guess, when Gene Clark punched David Geffen. Frustratingly, Gene had rightly felt totally let down. ‘No Other’, today, really is considered as a lost classic.

A follow up album ‘Two Sides to Every Story’ came a little later after which Gene took a break from music. As mentioned many times by friends and acquaintances, ‘Gene continually missed ships leaving the harbour’. Having said that, a brief comeback with Carla Olsen was seen as something of a success in Americana circles as their two voices blended together delightfully.

Gene Clark passed away on 24th May 1991. However, he lived just long enough to see The Byrds inducted to the rock and roll hall of fame. They played together one last time 16th January 1991.

Trees. Great lumbering things. Behomoths. What’s the point of them?. What purpose do they serve?.

Well firstly, they store carbon dioxide taken in from the air, along with water from the ground. And in the process of converting that mix into wood they release oxygen back into the air for us to breathe.

Due to the amount of water they drink, they are a natural flood defence.

There are theories that they are able to communicate through their network of roots. Or even send chemical hormones to each other. Or, that they send pheromones to each other via the air.

But it is not only us humans they support. They are pivotal to the ecosystem and sustaining other animal and insect life due to the fruits they provide.

Amongst other things, they also provide us with construction materials and that is a partial reason for the vast deforestations happening around the world right now. It really is a fine balance. Maybe one that we are not getting right at the moment.

And these issues have been tackled by a host of local musicians in the form of an album titled ‘Here Come the Trees’.

The concept for the album came from Christopher Sidwell, soon after the release of the last Crokodile Tears album, ‘Old Skool’. Christopher also provided lyrics for the project along with poet Morphelia Ansell and Melanie Moon.

For this release Christopher enlisted the musical and recording skills of Keith Fabrique and Mick Walker.

And the storyline: in Christopher’s words ‘Well it’s generally about man vs. nature, or man vs. man (in the case of Conservationists vs. Big corporations) and explores the idea of ‘Heroes’. The lonely poet was looking for a man to save her but realised that she can save herself (as he’s not going to do it!) People expect Moon Girl to come and save them and their trees but she comes too late to save the trees. An ordinary person, her alter ego, Melanie Moon speaks out about the trees being cut down and Jack’s brother Zack gives up his job as a lumberjack as he starts to love trees and so rebels against his bosses at the lumber company’.

Strip back the bark and underneath you have a really decent album that has many fine musical moments. A host of musicians have been drafted in for this project and they have all excelled themselves. ‘Here Come the Trees’ is an absolute delight to listen to.

Talking to those behind it, ‘Here Come the Trees’ was clearly a lot of fun to put together. It was a relatively smooth production and there was an obvious mutual respect for each other.

Although there is a serious side to the album it is also a light hearted affair with plenty of humour, at a superficial level, within it. It also contains many metaphors. The heroes, that Christopher mentions, could well be the youth of today and their stance for the environment.

The project also has the potential for a theatre production as opposed to a gig. But that is one for the future.

One thing is for sure though, and that is ‘Here Come the Trees’ is a one off. Those behind it are not wanting to exhaust the theme and, as such, will not be following it up. It is a stand alone album and will not be an elder.

There is a lovely dedication at the bottom of the sleeve notes. It is to all you little acorns out there. Together, you can be big enough.to make a difference.