Common Sense Dancing: Ladybird

Ladybird Books are a feature of many a childhood for children in the UK, and indeed, around the world. While the Ladybird name was first used by Leicester based printers Wills And Hepworth shortly before the First World War, the books as we know them were devised by Douglas Keen and appeared in shops in 1948. This song gives a potted history of the books between 1948 and 1971 (when they ceased to be part of Wills And Hepworth, and became a company in their own right.

There were many folk involved in the making of the books over the years - artists, researchers, story tellers, academics, etc - and I felt I could only highlight certain key points and people. Even then, in trying to be brief and non-didactic, it still ended up with eight verses, three versions of the chorus, and the middle eight appearing twice..!

The piece is intended as a celebration of the books, some of the people behind them, the 2oz tome's place in the shared history of many lives, and the joy that they represent.

If any relatives of people who worked on the books hear the song and feel I ought to have included their mother/brother/auntie/uncle/etc, I'm so sorry.. Omission wasn't personal!

Backing vocals ably supplied again by Kim Eames and Jeremy Richardson

See you tomorrow!

Common Sense Dancing: Family Entertainment

Family Entertainment started with the humming of a riff and singing the title while walking home from work as I'd missed the bus..

It was a number of years later before I revisited the idea, when I was getting this album together. Once I'd decided how the song was going to work, writing the lyrics came fairly quickly - singing them didn't! Rather than completely empty my lungs, the verses are sung in different overlapping takes so I wasn't blue-faced, gasping on the floor by the chorus..

"Is that a.."
Yes! Rather than guitar or synth solo, that's a.. listen and find out!

Backing vocals by Kim Eames and Jeremy Richardson

See you tomorrow <3

Common Sense Dancing: Antasia

Like yesterday's My Island, Antasia also started life as a short piece for a KvR monthly competition.

I had had the opening guitar part knocking around as an idea since the mid 90s, I liked it as it was reminiscent of the work of Genesis co-founder, Anthony Phillips. The atmospheric opening section gives way to a more rock tinged second half, which again drew on my love for Ant's work; I had elements of arrangements from the Private Parts And Pieces Vols II and VIII albums in mind with this section. NB 'Antasia' is, of course, a fantasia for.. well, you can work it out ;-)

The violin is by Sarah Sharp, who often performs under the name 'Tsarzi,' and I was thrilled to have Mick Somerset play saxello.
I had hoped to get Ant himself to play harmonium, but sadly that wasn't to be, and is now played on a Mellotron.

See you tomorrow :-)