So the new album is finally done! I got together with Livingstone for last minute tweaks to the mixes a few days ago and the master recordings have now been shipped to the manufacturers so there can be no more polishing from either of us. The album finally has a name and, after a good deal of agonising, a running order.
I'm genuinely excited to announce there will be a 12" vinyl record as well as the CD. I fell in love with records when they were only available in vinyl. I actually released an album on vinyl in 1979. It didn't sell well which is why you've probably never heard of it, but it gives me immense pleasure to be doing so again 44 years later. It could be said, in fact it has been said, that these delightful artefacts are destined for the loft just like their predecessors but I don't care, it has to be done. The running order is optimised for a Side One/Side Two listening experience with a gap between the two while you turn the record over. I know this isn't how people generally do things these days but I think it rewards those that do. If you've shelled out a premium price for the vinyl, I think you deserve to be rewarded.
The CD will have exactly the same tracks and running order, just without the gap. You can always press pause for a moment between tracks 6 and 7 if you don't want to miss out. My plan is to release a couple of singles and an EP on the streaming platforms so you can only hear the full album on the physical record. I don't want to sound churlish but the streaming services pay so very little to the artists and their audience is unlikely to play more than one track anyway.
Many people gave their time and talent to help get the project finished so there are a bunch of people to thank. James Walker for his excellent drums and percussion and managing to squeeze his kit into my tiny studio, Eva Perrin Fontana for her glorious vocals in spite of the pollen count, Peter Buckle, Nick Bliss and Charlie Kelland for their robust vocal stylings in Peter's back garden, Glen Vaal for the harmonica wizardry, James Pusey for that amazing sitar performance, Becky and Mia Cooper for helping me fix the artwork, Patrick Haveron for introducing me to Livingstone Brown whose mixing and mastering magic did so much to bring out the very best in the recordings not to mention some very fine upright bass playing.
I'll talk you through the songs in detail next time but I'm really proud of this record. You can be the judge but I think it's my best yet and way better than my efforts in 1979. I always was a slow learner.
Jim