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* 4th March 2010 - The CD's mastered, the booklets are ordered and I'm copying discs with one hand and typing with the other.... The link to PayPal will go on next week and other than that, if bought in person they'll be a fiver. It was going to be more but we binned the idea of a plastic case, etc, and decided to make it more minimal and therefore as cheap as possible. So the discs will be in a white card wallet with a booklet containing the lyrics and the usual information. So the first project of Damp Cellar Productions for the Electric Baileyland label is almost finished.

Anyone interested in the choice of name and logo?

Anyone interested in a gig to perform the album and some of my own favourite covers?

I'm working on the next album and even the one after that. Fool.

* 27th February 2010 - Well Al has done some filming in the cellar of all places for the single Turn Around, so I'll announce it when it's ready on YouTube. Can't wait to see what he's done with that!! Clever bugger.

I'm doing the final (yes final) mixes for the album Unbreakable and Claire is trying to find a decent yet low cost way of packaging them. The artwork is ready. I'm going to add a "lyrics" page to the site too.

* 3rd February 2010 - Sorry for the gap and lack of Happy New Year stuff but it's been a difficult time. Suffice to say, it's Mum's funeral tomorrow.

So brother Al is over and boy I wish it was for different reasons. As he has around a month to fill and you can only look around the Abbot Hall Museum a limited number of times, he has kindly agreed to film a video for my new single Turn Around (which incidentally is my daughter's favourite from the album: not because of any innate talent of her father or songwriting prowess of her mother; but simply because it contains a rude word!).

Bootleggers is probably the scene after the recent re-furb and probably the good old cellar, and the rest is up to Al. There'll be no six packs or scantily clad ladies (trust me, I've asked) but at least we don't need to find parking for the film crew's trailer. I've stopped making promises of timescale so it'll be ready when it's ready I'm afraid.

In other news, I have left the Fabulous Picasso Brothers (again!!!) and Jez Procter has filled the post (again!!!).

Anyone up for Jon Allen on Tuesday 9th at Bootleggers? Only £7.50 - I got my ticket today. I bought the album a while ago and it's fab. People do the Rod Stewart comparison but I think he's better (and younger) and it's a well put together, nicely rounded album. Bargain.

So a belated Happy New Year and health, wealth, luck, love and good gigs to you all xx

* 26th December 2009 - Happy Christmas to anyone reading this. Hopefully it was a pleasant experience. I did my back in last week (no really - not just glass back syndrome - I've now got enough painkillers to knock out a horse) so had to miss a few gigs. Apologies for things still unfinished. Hope you all have a good New Year and see you at gigs in 2010.

* 22nd November 2009 - Disaster at the home of Damp Cellar Productions. The PC had a heart attack and died. Great. So to PC World (there are other PC retailers available) for good and bad news. Good: I can have my £24.99 for data transfer services refunded. Bad: the hard drive is some kind of shrink wrapped and must be sent away to some special laboratory on Mars to be opened in a sterile room costing a mere £700.

Worse news - My name is Stuart and I haven't backed up lately.

While this is not a forum for cursing...well you can fill in the rest. So although its not square one, its  a lot to re-do. Still, some of the vocals were a bit ropey. I've totally lost the bonus track and one lot of Simon's drums. Thankfully I wrote down all the drum settings.

* 19th September 2009 - Busy mixing the album between very late nights, very early mornings (3.30 a.m. - yes there are 2 lots of 3.30 in one day!), gigs and the school run (that's not 4.5 minutes in a Land Rover Discovery but a 2 mile walk each way...) and the occasional very short conversation with the woman I live with. If there's time... No more actual recording to do, just mxing and arguing with myself.

* 27th August 2009 - More Simon - real drums on the title track - much better. Now for mixing.

* 4th August 2009 - Pete has been to put his part of the bass on. Now up to me to tidy, mix and finish off. It's like pulling teeth. I'm a picky beggar; I can't help it! Maybe if I stopped listening to John Mayer and Butch Walker, I might ease up a bit.

* 22nd July 2009 - Simon has been back so all drums done and dusted. Dave Kinley is coming next week to add the remaining bass. Tidying still to do and then maybe, just maybe, it might finally be fffffinished.

* 23rd June 2009 - Her highness is 6. Her favourite mutt and Unbreakable single cover star is 23. I'm just old.

*21st June 2009 - Is this the new album cover? Please click on the image to enlarge it. I genuinely would like feedback (unless it involves comments on hair loss, wrinkles, etc) NO ANIMALS were harmed in the making of this CD cover. Spot the super star dog...? Look at him, he's enjoying it.

 

 

 

* 19th June 2009 - All vocals and guitars done. Lots of tweaking. Drums and bass to be added next week. Pete is back from the rigs, so looking forward to that. Gary Abbott has kindly and expertly added trumpet parts to 2 songs so far. Tight as a duck's you know what. He will be adding his skills to another song hopefully. This time he won't have to come back to re-record the lost  parts.....

* 16th May 2009 - Got the PC back and after major hiccups, i've managed to rescue most of what we've done so far. I've also totally altered 2 of the songs I wasn't happy with, and recorded 3 new ones, which Simon will hopefully be drumming on next week.

* 30th April 2009 - All work ground to a halt because of technical issues - no really - technical problems. The mother board (I will resist the temptation for profanity) has gone to meet its maker so sorry for your wasted journey Simon, and thanks to Martin the computer doctor from Furness PCs.....in advance.....

* 21st April 2009 -  Steve Harris has agreed to add his bass talent to the album. So thank you for that Steve and I'm looking forward to hearing your interpretation. As a post script to the NWE Mail article, I was thinking off the cuff when asked for my top 5 influences - so difficult! Therefore apologies to Messers Bowie, Elton John, Prince, Buckley, Mayer, Waite et al.

* 16th April 2009 -  The North West Evening Mail have kindly put an article about my recent efforts in their Going Out Guide. Sorry about the photos..... Anyway, the link for now, until I scan it and all that stuff, is: LINK

* 14th April 2009 - I was interviewed today by our local paper, the North West Evening Mail, and that should be going in over the next day or two. I will try to put a copy on the Gallery page when its available. Finally finished the brass arrangement for the new song Bring Me Down - over to Dad...

* 11th April 2009 - Spent a damn cold morning attempting photos for the album in Abbotswood. Hope its worth it. Abbotswood is above Furness Abbey and very atmospheric (and cold in April).

* 6th April 2009 - Simon Kidson has been back to the cellar to record some more drums for the Unbreakable album.  Boy, can that guy play! He listened to a demo and has added his own extra touches to really finish the songs off, particularly his high hat work and cymbal flourishes; all giving new accents to the songs.

 

 

* 16th March 2009 - My new single is finally finished. Its on YouTube and is now available on iTunes, Amazon mp3 and Napster!. See Demos/Videos. My brother kindly made the video from material filmed during his visit in September 2008. I'm busy at home on the album, with a little help from my friends - particularly Mr Kidson! Cheers Simon...

 

 

 

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