Another reason why I’ve neglected my words over the last few months is this: I’ve been busy recording and mixing my band’s new album, Stone Owl on the Shore. This is finally being released on 7th November 2014 as a download from all the usual places, plus as a real, skim across the room, CD from […]
Are you Curious about So Near Yet So Far...
It’s been a busy time with two projects budding simultaneously. Painted Ocean So Near Yet So Far is the first song to be released under the new name for the band. We are now Painted Ocean; a better fitting monicker for the kind or music we are making. We have seven songs in various states […]
Meeting a Mellotron
It was a message on the Flower Kings newsgroup that sent me to Mike Dickson’s web site. “Listen to his Mellotronworks” it said. I’ve long enjoyed the sound of the mellotron, from listening to the Moody, Blues, Strawbs, Yes, and in particular Tangerine Dream and King Crimson. Mike Dickson’s Mellotronworks is a loving crafted rendition […]
When Snow Falls at Night (Acoustic versi...
Just waiting for the snow to fall. Edinburgh is spectacular under a blanket of white. It’s not happening here, yet, maybe later today we’re told. Meanwhile, I couldn’t but help do a quick video of me singing When Falls at Night. Here it is. Hope you enjoy it.
When Snow Falls at Night
It’s snowing here in Edinburgh, so it’s time to break out one of our Christmas songs again. This one is called ‘When Snow Falls at Night’ and I wrote it three years ago for our Christmas concert in Dumfries. When snow falls at night, There’s a hush in the darkness The peace that you feel […]
We Won’t Find Monsters
The next in my solo set. When Mark first came up with the idea of the ‘Songs of Apollo’s Children’ project, I found myself returning to the most momentous time in the history of mankind: Neil Armstrong taking his first step on the Moon. It was the 20th July 1969, and I was nine years […]
Fahrenheit 451 – the Acoustic Version
While Arbelos are having a quiet time I thought I’d go through some of my songs and record some simple acoustic versions. Here’s the first, Fahrenheit 451, a song based on Ray Bradbury’s book. Here are the words if you want to sing along. The fireman paid a call today, he’d heard about my books […]
When Snow Falls at Night
“There’s a hush in the darkness.” I wrote this song a couple of years ago for our Christmas concert in Dumfries. Hope you like it: This was recorded with Mark Toner on guitar and harmony vocals and Jenny Johnson on piano, my learned colleagues of Arbelos. When snow falls at night, There’s a hush in […]
When Snow Falls at Night
When Snow Falls at night is a song I wrote last Christmas for Arbelos. It was after we released it that the snow fell. This year, we put it out on Progressive Christmas II. And the snow really fell. What shall we do next winter? It’s a song about slowing down, taking your time, thinking […]