Distant Shores

Here is a blog I actually wrote on Saturday.  Since then I have seen more footage from Japan and am saddened by what I see.  That is putting it mildly.  Pictures are on the front pages of most newspapers (except those more bothered about celebrity wannabes and the like).  The footage on the television and radio, and the reports are horrific.  My heart and thoughts are with the people who have been affected by this, and to the Catholic Bishop who said that it's because of the Japanese denying God - you are a man with no compassion, and are not even worth a bad word...  Okay, you are - twat!

Here is the blog...

A few years ago, members of different bands from Nottinghamshire got together and recorded a song that a couple of us had written together.  I initially came up with the idea of writing a song online when I had seen the events in Thailand's tsunami, and had the idea of people offering lyrics.  Admittedly though it turned out to be lyrics completely written by Andy Dobb who was in the band Abiotic at the time.  The music I think was largely Andy and mine I think, with Bill Rawson (Abiotic), Mark Page (Photobooth), and Tony Hearn (Alcohol) also there offering advice.  An aside is that the meeting to write the song was held upstairs at The Town Mill in Mansfield (thank you Kev Boot).  I liked that we were all working together.

I booked a day in the studio for it to be recorded, which I think was given free by Bandwagon Studios in Mansfield (RIP), and they also did a mix in another session.  First to be put down was a guide by Abiotic members Bill Rawson (bass) and Chris Huskinson (drums) with Alcohol member Tony Hearn (acoustic guitar).

This was cleaned up, with keyboards then added by myself and Photobooth member Mark Page.  Abiotic guitarist Ellis Waring finally put on some e-bow guitar.

First vocal to go down was Andy Dobb's, which meant that the whole song was there for people to know what they would be singing.  Other vocalists who put their voices on included Bill Rawson from Abiotic, Ste Cripwell from Alcohol, Daz from Starscreen, Ben from Pam (now called The Find), Karley Otter, and Ellie Mason (Project Marv).

Unfortunately there was no time to add percussion, but everything else was done in that one day surprisingly.

Sometimes things seem to happen in the world that make you want to do something.  Even if we weren't Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, we did something because it had affected us so much.

On Friday I saw the awful scenes from the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.  Back when we recorded the song Distant Shores I couldn't get the song available, but now there are ways and means, so I have issued the song as a free download in honour of those in Japan, and in honour of those who dies in Thailand when we recorded the song.

www.soundcloud.com/projectmarv/distant-shores

Take care

13th March 2011 (40 years, 3 months, and 15 days old)