SftBH News Archive Jan 2004 - Mar 2004
Helstock 2003 - Helen's birthday bash goes off OK.....eventually - 18/03/04
Words by Helen: -
Well, if you weren't at Helstock 2004, frankly, you should be giving yourself a darn good kicking. So much music, so many gorgeous people, such enormous quantities of olive-topped cheesy bread rounds... all the ingredients were there to ensure an evening that will doubtless be mentioned in many future autobiographies.
Due to a last-minute change of plan, SftBH played last and meandered endearingly (we trust) through our previously untried "festival set"; but really, the preceding acts were what made the event so truly splendid. I'm not going to review individual acts (I know quite a lot of words, but I'd definitely run out of superlatives after the first couple of sentences), so I'll just say that I'm awed by how many talented people I'm lucky enough to know (and indeed, be related to).
Special mention goes to Mr Shane Kirk, for initial call-outs, posters, tireless co-ordination and MCing on the night; and to Moj, because writing a song for the reviewer is a sure-fire way of getting a good write up. You're the sweetest thing, sis. But more than anything (and I'm sure James concurs), I'd like to thank everyone with all my heart - those who played, those who listened and particularly those who helped out with the Portman Road cheer in 'Not That Kind of Girl' - for helping to make it the best birthday evening it could have been.
Pictures from Helstock 2004 here.
Better late than never!! - online CD sales! - 06/03/04
You can now buy Songs From The Blue House CDs online for £10.00 via those lovely people at Paypal. Go to the 'CD' page. Many thanks to Donna Mulley for invaluable help with this.
SftBH 'Too' Further Update - 02/03/04
So after just over a month of to-ings and fro-ings, we've completed the recordings for 'SftBH Too', and will wait until April before mixing after a brief day's editing next week. We've drafted loads of mates in to add bits here and there, and have given ourselves a hard task as we work out how to mix the plethora of instruments that have made it onto some of the songs. No one is safe though, as all sorts of carefully crafted performances might make way for someone else's spur of the moment brilliance...and vice-versa! Suffice to say that if we get this right, 'Too' will be magnificent, even if we do say ourselves.
Many thanks to all that have contributed, which, in addition to the regulars means Tony Winn, Matt White, Stephen Constable, Chris Jarvis, Alie Byrne, Steve (Kilbey) Mears and about 25,000 people one afternoon at Portman Road, Ipswich, who were surreptitiously recorded screaming "Yeeeeeesss...oooohhhhhh!" at an exciting but ultimately fruitless moment.
SftBH 'Too' Update.....Singing - 09/02/04
There's been a lot of singing going on at Soundmagic Studio over the weekend, all James' and Helen's lead vocals are now done, and a fair swathe of backing vocals are also in the bag...or should that be 'in the can'? Actually they're all on a very big hard drive so it's fairly academic. There will now follow a period of quiet reflection (three weeks) while we contemplate the rough mix and decide which bits to leave in and and which to cull! That's the difficult bit...wish us luck!
Full steam ahead - 06/02/04
Words by Bill Pipe, member of the audience, The Steamboat, Ipswich 05/02/04. Published by a very grateful James who didn't really know what to say: -
At last I have managed to meet the boys and girls from Songs from the Blue House. Let me set the scene, a small pub in the old quay area of Ipswich with no carpet, good beer and a friendly atmosphere. On introducing myself to James I was rewarded with a pint of Ridley's Prospect, so please be under no illusion that this is an unbiased review (I was got at).
The band started off with All The Way To St. Dunstan's, an instrumental off of the 1st CD. Then they continued with a mix of songs from the current album and some new ones that they are recording at the moment. Let's Do It Country always does it for me, especially when the lovely Helen starts singing - hairs up on the back of the neck time. One of their new songs stood out, but when I asked James the title he said "Song 3"so I am none the wiser. (But that's what it's called! - James).
An energetic rendering of Breaking These Rocks ending in Pete Pawsey rolling around the floor playing a wicked harmonica - that got everybody rocking, and as James commented about Pete "he's the baddest mother south of Woodbridge". Great stuff. Another song that I can't stop singing is Special Kind Of Love, kinda country but in a folk kinda way. More great songs followed in the second set, Ophelia is another that sticks, very nice guys. But the highlight of the second set for me was Not That Kind Of Girl, sung by Helen; indeed we were told it was "her song", and very good it was too.
All in all a fine nights entertainment. "Any criticism?" I hear you ask, well maybe some of the new songs were a bit "woolly" and there was some fine bits of feedback (steel dobro too near the mic?) but that's about all, and the new stuff will get better with more performances. And the dobro player can stand in the car park.
I can't finish without saying that as a fledgling bass man I watched Gibbon with interest, all those notes at the right time and not a fret in sight (you can't half go off some people). But with such a high standard of musicianship right through the band, I would not have expected anything else. I can remember back in the 70s seeing people like Tom Robinson and The Stranglers and thinking this was something quite special; well I get the same feeling watching The Songs. So if anybody wants to book a really good turn that would fit in a folk club, country music club or anywhere that good quality music is appreciated remember SftBH.
Rough Mix Frenzy - 02/02/04
Words by James: -
Having run out of time on Friday, Monday 2nd gave us an evening opportunity to sort out the first meaningful rough mix of the new stuff. I, along with Soundmagic's Amy Fry, a solid engineer and redoubtable chanteuse in her own right, set about a basic reference copy of that which will be 'SftBH Too' and came away with something that sounds very much less murky than I thought it would. Everyone has contributed moments of absolute genius amongst the laid-back strummy stuff, and we can't wait to get Helen in to do her vocals and start polishing the thing off properly. As we've basically just plonked everything (and more) on there, we now have to go through the painful process of deciding which bits to leave off, to convert the basically 'live' experience into something that would bear repeat hearings in your living room. We don't just turn up and muck about you know - oh no, tha's blimmin' hard work actually.
Particular 'Moments of Genius' awards go to Fiddly for his new violin bits, Pete for just about everything and Russ for driving mandolin and banjo parts (and for making Amy laugh). Well done everybody.
SftBH Too - Some producers write...29/01/04
Words by Shane: -
A keenly awaited return to Soundmagic Studio in darkest Essex, this time under
the sole stewardship of phlegmatic engineer and NWOBHM survivor Steve Tsoi, for
the second series of SftBH Too sessions, this time involving the multi-stringed
talents of Tony Winn and, all the way from Thorndon, Fiddly Richard Lockwood. By
the time I turned up in the newly-purchased 'Buffy the Corsa' Tony was adding
electric guitar parts to 'Ophelia', having tried various guitar effects on his
big red set of pedals and finally settling on the sound we all agreed was the
best of the bunch, something called 'bypass'. Fiddly rolled up in his wagon
shortly afterwards, having packed a shovel and a big bag of gravel to help him
negotiate the tricky journey south, and settled down with his CD of demos and a
resolute expression. Lots of lovely parts were added during the afternoon,
several of which were even on the same take, and we settled into a routine of
recording, listening and assuring Fiddly that we'd "keep that one" but
could he just try another for safety's sake? James took an entertaining MPEG at
one point of me occupying the big swivel chair in front of the desk and talking
our maestro through his most recent performance in a manner almost equal parts
Simon Cowell and David Brent and then went back to taking pictures of the
studio, clipboards and Steve's cat. He'd had a hard day. As the worst freeze
since the last one settled in I accepted an invitation to 'The Eastern View' in
Coggeshall's traditional Bangladeshi home-cooking night, a sleepover at The Blue
House and cursed the fact that I'd not brought a spare t-shirt. Fiddly looked
forward to a three hour drive home in the snow.
The next day brought a mild thaw and mandolin, dobro and banjo guru and all-round folk connoisseur Russ Barnes to the studio, and I sat in a mildly bhoona-fragrant shirt as he and James worked their way through James's big cross-referenced clipboard ensuring that no melody remained un-mando'ed as & where required. He also brought a very nice tenor guitar ("It was a fiver") with which many a happy hour were spent later that same day as JP, Russ and I rotated from chair to sofa to (during one notable period) floor as Fiddly, ever the perfectionist, went for that elusive final 'one' with which to nail his contribution. Steve, manfully as ever, remained in calm control of the gadgets with mere chicken wraps and tea for sustenance throughout the day, and we have ended up with some beautiful sounds which have dramatically enhanced what were already pretty fine-sounding rough mixes. I would put very serious money on 'Leaves' getting James laid, for example. Having nailed the oh-so-vital four bar twelve string solo in 'The Big Dipper' in a mere two takes I now have a day off to look forward to, which will mean I have to miss the experience of having Radar Pete Pawsey fill in the gaps (such as they are) and generally (I'm sure) baffle even Steve with his requests on the best way to mic up a Fisher Price activity set. Mind you, there aren't many engineers who'd not even blink when asked to insert a digital camera overdub "just at the front of the coda" so I'm sure he'll be fine.
And from James 30/01/04 (day 3): -
This was a day that can only be described as 'mental', in terms of just how much got done and what it was that was occurring. It took a very long time to mic up the 'Zippy Zither' toy, so I really hope it makes it on to the CD. With Shane on a day off I was forced to put on my proper producer's hat and say things like "No...you're doing it again", as Russ and Pete contributed further bits on mandolin, banjolin (yeah I know, I'd never heard of it either), dobro, slide electric guitar, harmonica and the aforementioned zither. Pete played his socks off on a very (VERY) gruelling schedule, to the point where he got nearly as grumpy as me and started answering back. Shocking behaviour. Gib sat in the corner and nodded in the right places and provided a smoking-partner during the breaks. Rough mixes where due by the end of the day but abandoned for the time being due to lack of time (and properly-functioning ears), so I'll get that done on Monday evening...after work - oh deep joy.
"Too" recording begins - 15/01/04
Words by James: -
The last four days have seen myself, Shane and Gibb huddled together in a studio with Steve and Amy at Soundmagic Studio in Great Totham in Essex, putting together the beginnings of the new CD "Songs From The Blue House Too". Having played the songs a few times live, this project has been somewhat easier than last time, as we didn't often have to make things up on the spot. Russ popped along towards the end to start on his bits.
Soundmagic have recently developed a new acoustic-instrument-recording technique and I'm pleased to report that the results are astounding. Even the rough mixes we have come away with feature warm, woody, natural-sounding guitars; down-home dobro and authentic Appalachian banjos (well, nearly!). Gib has played bass like some sort of sympathetic folk-rock demon with subtleties we never got to hear on stage.
As we were so tremendously excited about these recordings before we started, we will have to invent a new word to describe the level of anticipatory pleasure we now feel. Blimmin' marvellous. Next sessions are at the end of January.
Steamboat, Ipswich 08/01/04
Words by James: -
A mellow Thursday night slot attended by some attentive and friendly folk was an ideal opportunity for us all to concentrate a bit harder and actually remember most of the songs. A fresh cask of Ridley's Prospect was a welcome surprise when we were expecting lesser beers, so we steamed into that with gusto. As usual, the bacon and brie baguettes didn't disappoint. Both myself and Helen played around with the singing a bit this time, and the pair of us, at least, came away agreeing that SftBH is still very much in its formative stages as we try and settle on some sort of cohesive style that we all like. All of which sounds a bit serious considering that it's only just under a year ago that the first musical muckings about were started by Shane and me.
Tomorrow (12/01/04) we shall start recording 'SftBH Too', and see where that takes us!
Margaretting Tye - A Girlie Remembers 04/01/04
Words by Helen: -
Back to the White Hart, Margaretting Tye and interestingly, it was my turn to drive again. Brewers Gold was amongst the selection of fine ales on offer – but I’m sure those two facts are completely unconnected. After the PA debacle of our last visit, the boys opted for a much more modest set up, with just a couple of vocal mics and a small handful of boxes for Gib, which led to a pleasingly authentic acoustic feel without all that difficult making-the-vocals-heard-over-the-top-of-32-strings business.
It was an early start – and consequently, we were storming along wonderfully when someone noticed that we’d played all but six of our original songs and it was actually still only nine o’clock. After the hastily agreed break – and an impromptu folk injection from Fiddly, Russ and meself – we got the last half dozen out of the way… and then it was time for the “songs you know, but we don’t” part of the evening. Always a bit of a mystery parcel, this, but there was some fine work from everyone. Special mentions go to Mr Shane Kirk, for a frankly awesome Neil Young mini-medley* (trust me – I was sober and everything) and Gibbon, for playing like the divine creature he is, even though he was so tired he could hardly keep sitting up straight. And hell, to Fiddly for some fabulous jamming; to Russ for turning Shane into some sort of bizarre Buddhist idol for a chorus or two and for letting me talk him out of an all-night singaround; to Radar Pete for posing, leaping and leaning like some kind of demented mandolin-imp on speed and to James for ripping all the strings from his guitar in a rock'n'roll gesture not seen from the Partridge since about 1984. (his last words before falling asleep that evening? “remind me at some point before Thursday’s gig that I’ve got no strings on my guitar…”).
Personally, I’d like to thank the chaps for “Ophelia”, “Waste of Angels” and “Leaves”, all of which were played with true soul, man.
So now it’s on to the Steamboat on Thursday. I believe the ale of choice is Tolly Original – wonder who’ll be driving….?
* Also, admirers of Mr Kirk’s previous work should note that he replied to James’ extremely insistent demands that he play “Tonight’s the Night” with the words “It’s not the right time - leave ‘em wanting more…”. I was there and, as I’ve said, sober.
P.S. And how could I forget the guest appearance by the utterly fabulous Mrs Hannah Kirk? Her rendition of "These Boots Were Made For Walking" was not only typically smooth, sassy and satisfying; it also led to the landlord instantly booking her for a two-hour gig in February. She's just that kind of girl.