The
Children
Equals
(TP1000,
2007)
Sample
track Democracy
Songs of unrest
When we first
started picking out the songs for this album, back in 2005, we didnt
realise how quickly theyd become topical, what with rising political
unrest and deepening economic crisis and the steady worsening of nature.
Perhaps we were influenced by the tough place we'd been living for seven
years. Still we wanted a music to antidote your troubles rather than adding
to them. Therell be ructions tonight but theres hope
yet.
The recording
spanned the period when we moved with our Tipi Studio from the grinding
vortex of the Elephant & Castle to a new pitch among the wooded hills
of Londons deep south (to dig our potatoes in the shadow of the
Crystal Palace). The core performance is our live duo bass, guitar
and voices. Then one or two other players contribute to each track: the
sensitive snare and cymbals of Paul Barrett, for example, and the salty
concertina of Kath Tait; or the Arabic drumming of Dunstan Clarke with
the Spanish-tinged trumpet of Terry Edwards, bringing out the colours
in the atmosphere of the songs.
The basic tracks
were done down there in the carbon shadow of the New Kent Road. Finishing
touches, mixing and mastering took place with the sun, or more likely
the moonlight, filtering down through the Norwood oaks onto our long-serving
Akai 12-track.
The musicians
Armorel Weston,
voice, bass, percussion
John Gibbens, voice, guitar, keyboards
with
Paul Barrett, snare drum and cymbals
Dunstan Clarke, darbuka
Terry Edwards, trumpet, cornet
Hayereyah, harmonica on Hope Yet
Charlie Kronick, mandolin
Niall McDevitt, bodhran
Rob Mason, harmonica on Western Civilisation
Kath Tait, concertina, harmonica on The Base
Lyrics
and audio clips
Democracy
Is the queen of hearts [MP3
audio clip]
[YouTube]
Western
Civilisation All aboard and away we go, stick with me till
the fuel runs out [MP3
audio clip]
Hope
Yet Come down the mountain, bring what you found there
Are
You Now (Or Have You Ever Been)? They said keep out of the
firing line if you cannot stand the heat
Working
on the Problem While we hang around things just get ropier.
They said full speed ahead for Utopia
Mother
and Child She looks up into the sky that's filled with darkness,
and she looks away from Mecca to the West [MP3
audio clip]
Sea
People They never worked a day or made a thing [MP3
audio clip]
The
Base They cried out the chances are slimming and theres
nobody here but us women
Ructions
God help those who help the rest and devil take the careless [YouTube]
Not
the End of the World When it seems like half your friends
are missing persons [MP3
audio clip]
Mud
Maid at Heligan, Cornwall, by Sue & Peter Hill, photo by John Gibbens.
Album cover photo
of hands by the late, great Burhan Tufail.
They
got kicked and cursed,
They surely got treated like dirt,
And they won in the name of peace
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Equals
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Equals
The Children
(TP1000)
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£7 (inc. P&P)
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£8 (inc. P&P)
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