Making music from adversity is a powerful process of transforming trauma into triumph.
I will never let this happen to you while I'm alive, Not while I'm alive. You made a promise, You would look after me - Is it now a lie?, Take heart we are all here – these are just a few of the lyrics contained within the new Bruce Soord album 'Ghosts in the Park'.
And the contrivance of this involves challenges, pain and loss as fuel for its creative expression. All of which is deeply personal.
'Nothing extraordinary' though Bruce alludes to in the sleeve notes. To my mind – and the way I have read it anyway - Bruce is acknowledging that, in the grand scheme of things, he is not alone. We could all face similar challenges at some point in our lives.
But, (and I'm trying to remember Bruce's words from a recent gig), he wanted these new songs to remember the times from when he was young and not necessarily reflect back on all the difficult days.
But, of course, when you are confronted by these issues, it is one of the most extraordinary personal challenges you will confront. It can all be so frustrating, deeply upsetting and incredibly difficult to come back from.
Music serves as a lifeline and sanctuary for expressing emotions that are difficult to otherwise articulate. This is a cathartic exercise of providing some relief through the open expression of intense emotions.
On this album you find a set of songs that can soothe, even melt a stoic mindset such as mine. It has certainly had me in reflective mood lately.
The songs emphasise themes of resilience, acceptance of fate, emotional control, and finding inner peace amidst chaos.
This new set of songs, together, is quite simply a wondrous album. Just absorb and file under engaging, exquisite and elegant.
Yet while adversity can be challenging, it can clearly be a profound source of inspiration for music that offers hope, redemption, and connection to others. I think 'Ghosts in the Park' does just that.
This album hasn't been written in a pitiful way. You are not fully entering Bruce's world, you are I think, looking into a slightly open window. This isn't how life should be but, sadly, it can.
Hilda Woodward - The Homing Pigeon 1972 interview.
by Pete Clemons
At short notice and being more or less set in her ways, Hilda hadn't
even dressed up for the grand occasion, though of course she looked
her best. Hilda does take a pride in her appearance. That favourite
old black and white turban hat and that nice green dress with fur
trimmed collar, that would do nicely. It's best to feel comfortable
when you're in strange surroundings.
It wasn't so much
the hat, nor the dress, nor for that matter her insistence on shaking
everybody's hand that gave the impression that it was all a bit new
to her. It was the cup of tea and the plate of sandwiches that Hilda
was clinging to as she made her way with some trepidation through the
music business reception throng of beautiful people breakfasting on
chilled champers, deep fried drum sticks and calling each other
'dwarling' that first gave me the impression that this might just a
shade different from those coffee mornings back home in
Coventry.
Still, this sort of thing happens when suddenly
you're top of the nation's singles chart.
You've never
heard of Hilda Woodward?. Well she's not the kind who seeks
publicity. She prefers to remain one of the two piano players in
Lieutenant Pigeon - the cuddly grandma in dark shades who pounds out
'Mouldy Old Dough' on Top of the Pops.
What does stardom
feel like?.
'It's absolutely incredible and this is a
lovely cup of tea'. Hilda admits in the same breath, in a voice that
reveals an accent as distinctive as the motor car engine that
originate from her part of the world.
'To tell you the truth, I haven't come
down yet' she adds.
Hilda's husband George couldn't attend
this reception laid on in her honour by Decca Records.
'You
see, he's an engineer and at the moment he's on nights'.
But
Hilda doesn't think he has missed much because 'George is a quiet
sort of person'.
Up until now Hilda Woodward has enjoyed a
small measure of fame as an accompanist round the Coventry cabaret
and working person's club circuit. She also organises a choir of
disabled people at the Enterprise Club, who do charity appearances.
Though the offers are starting to pour in, Hilda and the
other Pigeons aren't planning live appearances. 'I'm 52 and it's a
bit hard to start doing one night stands at my time of life'.
I
expect the rest of the lads in the band, who also appear under the
name of Stavely Makepiece, must have told Hilda about the perils of
living on a diet of M1 transport caff grub.
'Anyway' she
continues 'I just haven't got the time. I've got the house to run and
my club work to think of'. What an amazing lady !.
What
will Hilda do when the Mouldy Old Dough comes rolling in via royalty
cheques?. 'Well one thing's certain, I'm not going on a spending
spree......I'm not that kind of person'.
She ponders on
something to splash out on. 'I've always fancied a fur coat, so I
might buy myself one, and I'd love to buy a television for the
Enterprise Club'.
By Christmas world sales for 'Mouldy Old
Dough' could mean that Santa will be delivering a gold disc to
Hilda's home. This could prove to be a bit of a problem too. Say's
Hilda 'We'd have to get the house done up first and then think of a
special place to put it......I'm glad you mentioned that'.
Hilda's
particularly pleased for her two grand-daughters, Barbara, seven and
Susie, six. 'They're over the moon' she says in a voice that only
proud grandmothers possess, but ponders the predicament, 'but I'm
afraid that they've now got a rock 'n' roll grandma'.
Well,
when you come to think of it, there are worse things in life.
Mrs Mills is alive and well and living in - well, almost living in the personage of a Mrs Hilda Woodward. Hilda is just one of the surprising aspects of a band named Lieutenant Pigeon, currently at number 2 in the charts. Every year you expect a few freak hits, and if you thought we'de got through '72 on the strength of 'Amazing Grace' and 'Popcorn' you didn't bargain for the freakiest of them all - 'Mouldy Old Dough'.
Lieutenant Pigeon have never played any gigs together. They don't intend to either. Three of them - drummer Nigel Fletcher, bassist Steve Johnson and pianist Rob Woodward form the nucleus of another band, Stavely Makepiece.
Lieutenant Pigeon is a send up. Drummer Fletcher informed me: 'It's not meant to be taken seriously - the whole thing is tongue in cheek. It's the first time we've made a record under that name - and probably the last. Stavely Makepiece is the main concern'.
Neither Abbey Road or Trident Studios, nor for that matter any studio, had the honour of Lieutenant Pigeon hiring out time. The record, like the best jam, was home made. Hilda's front room in her semi in Coventry was the scene of the crime.
'We didn't use the best equipment - it was recorded on a domestic machine. We find we get a better sound using the front room'. And obviously they cut corners on recording costs.
While most people are under the impression that 'Mouldy Old Dough' has rocketed up the charts in a matter of weeks, Fletcher is quick to point out it really is a mouldie oldie.
'It was released in February this year and didn't do a thing. Then it was picked up in Belgium where it went to number one. And it's now about number six in Holland'.
Fortunately he's under no illusions that his voice is reminiscent of Presley or Mario Lanza. He says 'I can't sing for nuts - that's why they put me on it'.
A mickey take at the expense of the public, it may seem? - 'No, we're not taking the mickey - we just want to enjoy ourselves, we're not out to take anyone'.
For the immediate future, Fletcher says they are going to 'sit down and sort something out - I'm not sure what. We've had a lot of agents phoning up to find out if we're working or not. We're working on an album too - there are about five tracks done so far. Yes, made in Hilda's room'.
And Hilda? She's still adjusting to life as an artiste (it's uncool to say star ya know) and planking away on the old joanna.
Fletcher says he is particularly pleased for her because she's put in a lot of hard slog over the years playing for charity, and it's good that she should at last get some kind of recognition.
June 1972 saw the release of Lantaloon, Dando Shaft's third album. It
would be their last - (until the brief reunion in 1977). One review
mentioned 'The groups sheer unpredictability is a joy'.
Despite
its adulation, soon after Lantaloon's release, the band broke up.
This wasn't quite the end however. By October mk 2 Dando Shaft was
under way seemingly led by Martin Jenkins.........
There
was no great fuss when Dando Shaft broke up recently. In any case
many people weren't aware of the fact that and only their faithful
followers mourned the passing. 'Lantaloon', the third fine album of
their work, had scarcely found the opportunity to make an impression
when the decision was made.
But in the past month lead
Instrumentalist Martin Jenkins has succeeded in picking up the pieces
and has put together a new Dando Shaft with a fresh approach to the
music. After an intense period of rehearsal they are all ready to go
out on the road once again.
Only conga and tabla player
Ted Kay survives from the original band, and the new Dando's will
feature Coventry songwriter Roger Williamson on guitar, and the old
bands roadie Bill Borthwick on bass.
'The old group had
steadily built up a following although we'd never been a huge draw'
Martin reflected. 'There were lots more things we could have done -
like we had plans to go electric with the old band but never quite
got around to it and economically it was difficult.
'The
first person to leave was Polly (Bolton) because she didn't really
dig the travelling too much. Then later Dave (Cooper) just decided he
didn't want to do it anymore and Rog (Bullen) and Kev (Dempsey)
decided they didn't want to do it anymore either - they just didn't
want to go on playing professionally'.
Martin's first
reaction was to join another band but in the meantime he started to
jam with Ted Kay, the old group percussionist, and Bill Borthwick.
'That's what made us decide to have a bash at getting another Dando
Shaft together' Martin went on. And this was the cue for him to use
his fiddle, mandolin and cello in an electric context for the first
time.
'We figured on asking Rog Williamson, an old friend
from Coventry to join up with us, and at the moment our material
consists about half and half of his songs and mine. We're also doing
a few of the old group numbers like 'Coming Home', 'Road Song', 'It
Was Good' and 'Now's the Time For Changing', but the basic difference
is that this band is a lot funkier - Rog's stuff is pretty funky'
Martin added.
'We decided to keep the same name because
the feel of the music is generally the same, it's just a bit heavier.
In any case during the early days of Dando Shaft we used to listen to
a lot of Roger's stuff back in Coventry, and Ted and I did a couple
of things with Roger on record'.
Had Dando Shaft evolved
in the way Martin had intended during their two and a half years
together ?. 'It didn't really, because I wanted to use electric gear
on 'Lantaloon' but in the end we just didn't have time to get into
the instruments properly - in fact, we were a bit rushed in doing the
'Lantaloon' record'.
So where had the first band slipped
up - mismanagement perhaps? 'Well there's no way of knowing whether
or not we were mismanaged', Martin decided. 'I'm just pleased that it
took a long time for us to build up a following: I think that if the
old band on and gone electric it would have turned out pretty well as
we are now'.
The band now hope to get their stage act
worked out with a series of live performances. They have a good deal
of work ahead of them as bookings have continued to come in for the
old band. Maybe after a few months they will decide to start work on
an album for they have no doubts about the material.
Roger
and Martin will largely be sharing the vocals, and although initially
Roger will be playing mostly a rhythm behind Martin's lead work,
eventually they hope to get the same counterpoint playing going as
Martin had succeeded in doing with Kev Dempsey.
'Kev's a
genius and it's sad we lost him' Martin went on. 'But Rog and I hope
to be doing similar things as we'd achieved in the old band'.
Martin
already has designs of augmenting the band as soon as finances allow.
A full drum kit, various other instruments such as flute which he
Hope's to incorporate himself, and a likelihood of at least one
addition to the band.
'I just hope that all the people
who saw the old Dando Shaft will enjoy the new Dando Shaft as well'
was his parting remark.
As it happened, Mk 2 Dando Shaft
failed to fly. That said, dates were undertaken. Amongst them in
places like Cheltenham, Hull, Exeter and the College of Education in
Leicester but sadly the album failed to materialise.
We can say with some surity that Beverley Martyn's life has been extensively covered in many places but here I am hoping to cover her more recent activities.
As recently as 2023 Beverly Martyn began to resurface once again. Releasing past interviews stories and anecdotes from her turbulent past. It felt like more music was possibly on the way too. But, sadly, it was not to be.
The comeback, after so many years, began with an album called 'No Frills' in 1998. With help from Art Garfunkel and fellow Dylan obsessive Wilko Johnson, Beverley began to write new songs and record some demos in the '90s, finally releasing an unaccompanied acoustic album after a very long silence.
The songs on 'No Frills' are intense. Beverley's voice was still expressive, the accompaniment sparse but competent. 'No Frills' was aptly titled.
Reviews for the album generally highlight its raw emotional honesty while occasionally noting its minimalist production. It was an album that Beverley was particularly proud of and called it a 'phoenix moment'.
A quite graphic book, Sweet Honesty' was released during January 2011. For years Beverley had kept quiet about the abusive relationship. But here, in those pages, she tells her story in her own words, taking us from her childhood in post-war Coventry through the making of classic albums 'Stormbringer!' and 'Road to Ruin' to the books release, where she survives as a woman beaten but not bowed.
Another head above water moment came during 2014. Aged 67, Beverley returned with an album titled 'The Phoenix and the Turtle' . This was only her second since 'Stormbringer!' and 'The Road to Ruin', the pair of classic folk-rock records she made in 1970 with her ex-husband, the late John Martyn.
'The Phoenix and the Turtle', recorded with former members of Los Lobos and Counting Crows, is an affirming testament to her survival instinct. 'It's been the best thing for a long time' she says. 'It's good to work, it's a great way of escaping your everyday troubles. I'm enjoying this time of my life. I just turned 67, I'm still here, and I think I know who I am now. This is what I do'.
Described by Beverley as a very personal album, 'The Phoenix and the Turtle', features songs written throughout her entire career, from her very first song, 'Sweet Joy', to the previously unrecorded Nick Drake & Beverley Martyn song 'Reckless Jane' which began life in 1974.
Several live performances followed. This included a gig in her native city of Coventry where she was accompanied by producer of 'The Phoenix and the Turtle' and guitarist Mark Pavey. Support for that evening was Cliff Hands.
A collection of live and home recordings, often featuring collaborations with John Renbourn titled 'The Attic Tapes' was released during 2015.
Finally, 'Where the Good Times Are' was released during 2018. This is a compilation and was released for Record Store Day in vinyl format. The album features early recordings from the 1960s, including her solo singles and previously unreleased tracks from her time with the Deram label.
50 years or so after their recording original tapes were unearthed and restored to create a representation of what could possibly have been Beverley's debut album. It is a remarkable record.
The New Wave of British Heavy Metal was a big genre in the 1970s and continued into the 1980s. An awful lot of heavyweight bands were associated with the scene. A couple of compilation albums 'Metal for Muthas' were produced on the back of the metal phenomena. Leamington Spa band Chevy contributed to volume 2 of that series. A huge article littered with interviews was released to the music papers in order to promote the Muthas albums. Here I have extracted the parts of the article relating to Chevy..............
Every so often something comes along as a total shock, bursting upon you instead of creeping up via an escalating feeling of 'hmm must check them out properly sometime they sound quite promising'. Chevy were one of those rare exceptions; their eponymous contribution to 'Metal For Muthas' passed by a welter of other cheapskate sounds, and only much urging by record company Avatar coaxed me to Coventry where I - and many others - were knocked sideways and proceeded to rave, froth at the mouth and shout Chevy's virtues.
And then the album emerged, a good solid debut of......nothing in particular. Great songs well played but no sparkle of life, and it began to appear that the Coventry cataclysm had been a bit of a fluke when the Alvin Lee tour found them being rushed on and off with little fire or apparent commitment. An ongoing 'forget it lads' scenario was in the air.
But now - shazam!. The renaissance of Chevy begins. They can still do it, I saw it with my own eyes (and I have witnesses!) - Chevy tore apart.....a radio 1 in concert session. I saw it all; in their brief thirty minute set. Chevy had a decidedly mixed audience all but dancing in the aisles, as they bristled with infectious energy and enthusiasm that left the audience breathless, let alone the band.
Words were definitely in order as I told them I was there to do an interview, dead casual like, and they said 'oh', dead casual like. So we did it, dead casual like.
Your history please, gentlemen....began the chat:
Martin Cure: 'the band first saw light of day, in its present form, about 2 and a half years ago as Four Wheel Drive. We even called ourselves The Sting for a while'.
Loud and embarrassed plea's for silence on that matter ensue.
Bob Poole: 'that was the biggest, most drunken bunch of loonies you've ever met, that lot was'.
Martin Cure: 'but anyway, that was 2 and a half years as a five piece. And we've looked back ever since'.
Paul Shanahan: 'we did a lot of covers then, a bit of our own material, and we were doing all the local gigs. Slowly we knocked the covers out and ended up doing our own material. We used to do Steely Dan numbers, Boston, the Allman Brothers Jessica, all good stuff that was enjoyable to play. We were doing pub gigs like that. Like we're still playing now!'.
As their own material took command they began to accost record companies with tapes, by a strange twist of fate they found a way of attracting attention to their own tape amidst the mass of others that flood into A&R departments everywhere:
Martin Cure: 'we were doing all these demo's, and it was a long job copying them into the early hours and, er, one slipped past quality control, which ended up at Bronze. They wrote a letter back which read 'thank you for your tape. Unfortunately after listening to it I couldn't find any music on it. I am returning your tape in the hope you will put some music on it and I will give it a listen when you send it back'. So we did and it was Peter Shallcraft who's now here at Avatar. He liked the tape and tried to get us a deal at Bronze but at that point in time they, er, felt unable to do that. It annoyed him a bit, and he heard that EMI were doing a compilation album and put the tracks forward for that and they took the track 'Chevy' as it was'.
'Shortly afterwards Peter left Bronze and came to Avatar, and he suggested that we talk to Avatar, which we did. And they let us do an album straight away, which we were very pleased to do. We'd had a few offers for one off singles, but we thought if we were going to give someone an arm and a leg, we might as well get an album out of it'.
Ok, the deal is in the bag, but what are you aiming to achieve with it?
Bob Poole: 'we're into people like Free when they started, Led Zeppelin - they wrote rock songs, that's the sort of stuff that we want to write, but with plenty of balls. Like the Praying Mantis single, that's great, that's the way it's got to go. In the next couple of years more and more bands will be going that way, there'll be much less of the thrashing. Right now you can think back, at many bands, and remember good songs, your heads swimming'.
Paul Shanahan: 'our personal taste is to try and write songs with a bit of punch to them. We're a ballsy band, we don't want to be like Steely Dan, it just wouldn't suit the way we are'.
So what happened to the album then? It had good songs, it was a good album but largely lifeless in chart position.
Chas Chaplain: 'it reflects the type of music we do, but doesn't reflect the way we play very accurately, we tend to play with a bit more aggression and life than the album puts across'.
Martin Cure: 'it's not our fault. The producer kept crying all the time. And the way he kept disappearing to the toilet when he was sad, and when he came back he was happy and his nose was red at the end. He must have had a terrible cold, and he kept taking all these Phensic tablets and crushing them and putting them up his nose, but it didn't get any better. We kept telling him the English way was to dissolve them in a glass of water'.
Bob Poole: 'seriously though, the end result was as much our fault for not opening our mouths and saying something. It was our first time in a studio, and we didn't know how much we could say'.
Martin Cure: 'I think you can sum it up as a safe album, a polite album. I think certain people, who aren't actually here at present, wanted it that way for a certain market that's quite large and isn't England. I think they blanded us little bit to be honest, but I also think they are coming round to our way of thinking now'.
Paul Shanahan: 'at the time we wanted it remixed, but it wasn't allowed'.
The article wound down with the interviewer explaining how it hadn't been easy putting Chevy together. And that included a lot of graft and hard work. Plenty of touring with amongst others Alvin Lee and Hawkwind.
There was also a sacrifice to be made in giving up easier careers in favour of a rock band. For some it was financially immense.
That said, money wasn't the main motivation for Chevy but, of course, if it is coming in it helps matters.
Cabaret bands were mentioned and how the safe option of regular income had been forfeited, by some of the band members, in favour of this new venture.
Bob Poole: 'the good thing about the tours we've done is that nothing's frightened us or worried us too much. There's been no sitting around in dressing rooms wondering what we were going to do that night'.
Martin Cure: 'mind you, there was a date in Middlesbrough when they said that we can't pay you tonight. That had us a bit worried I can tell you'.
All in all, what counted was quality and Chevy had it in profusion.
Footnote: Steve Walwyn left the Chevy in late 1981. His departure occurred shortly after the release of the band's only studio album, "The Taker", which came out in September 1980. Walwyn was part of the line-up that recorded The Taker and remained with the group until late 1981. So this interview, I have assumed, happened around the time of Steve's departure.
PUSB (Play Up Sky Blues)– Premiership Here we Come.
by Pete Clemons
May 19 2001 saw Coventry City play Bradford City. It was the last time either team would play a Premier league football fixture. The score was 0-0. For Coventry City relegation from the premier league had been confirmed the week before after a defeat at Aston Villa. After 34 consecutive seasons in the top flight it was all over.
But what else was happening 25 years ago in and around Coventry?
Well for starters Coventry based band, The Session, was formed in May 2001. Coincidentally, The Session had their latest magnificent single, 'The Fortress of Solitude', played at half time of the recent anti climactic game vs Sheffield Wednesday played during April 2026.
Jumpin Jaks and the Sky Dome Arena, as well as the ice rink, was an active live music venue with T'pau performing there around the time of that relegation. T'Pau, featuring lead singer Carol Decker, performed at the Sky Dome Arena on Sunday, 27 May 2001.
The performance was part of the "Sound of Sky Dome" concert series, which aimed to bring monthly music events to the then-newly built 4,000-seat arena.
For lead singer Carol Decker this gig was a sort of 'homecoming' as Carol grew up in nearby Nuneaton after moving from Liverpool as a child.
T'Pau's set included 'China In Your Hand', 'Heart and Soul', 'Valentine', 'Sex Talk' and 'Bridge of Spies'.
We also had Tony Hadley, John Keeble and Steve Norman giving us a nostalgic night of Spandau Ballet music along with crowd pleaser's Go West who 'closed our eyes'.
The Godiva festival for June 2001 saw headliners Cosmic Rough Riders, The Crocketts and Rachel Stamp. Local representatives included Swamp Donkey, Dreamgrinder, Jesus Deluxe, Thoria and The Four Kings.
Ikon superclub was just about to open and Careys, Scholars and Fatty Arbuckles on Stoney Stanton Road were still pulling em in.
That satisfying romp 'Three Minute Heroes' ran at the Belgrade for a couple of weeks.
Finally, in the Music/Charts: UK number one singles during May 2001 included "Don't Stop Movin'" by S Club 7 and "It's Raining Men" by Geri Halliwell. "Lady Marmalade" by Christina Aguilera. Pink, and Mya also topped charts that month.
How the times have changed.
Since we were relegated it is fair to say that Coventry City have had quite the journey. Not least we will be playing in a different ground from when we last played in the top level. As such teams like Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United et all will each be playing league games at the CBS in Coventry for the first time.
25 years on and Coventry City have been promoted back to the Premiership. It was a fantastic and memorable season. New horizons now beckon. New history will be written. It will be an interesting and exciting season to come.
