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.
