Tim Wilde (UK)

When Humble Bundle says "try this looping software for 72p"* you'd be entitled to think you can produce music that's worth more than 50c ... "You know it! ;)" My review of the software? ... "It definitely brought me 72p's worth of entertainment"

I wrote this many maanny years ago, but was (and still am) simply not happy at how 'sequenced' it sounds ...My voice isn't really suited to the jazz scat I want at the end [think "Great Gig In The Sky"], so rather than ruin it, this has been hacked down to simply repeat the 1st verse ...Maybe one day I will record it properly, but 'til then ...Enjoy. This is how it feels when ______________

The first time I heard this song I fell in love with it. I think I had listened to it three of four times before it dawned on me that (given who recommended it) the lyrics possibly said something that the attached message didn't... The song went on to accrue sentimental value and, after much playing around, I came up with this arrangement.

An acoustic arrangement of a classic Hal David/Carpenters song. Whatever I say, some will be convinced this was recorded as "a lockdown song". Others will probably be convinced I'm 'hitting on' the person I recorded this for. The truth is, it is simply a gift to someone who followed me through hell, and never once faltered. And who, after two (or three) phone upgrades, still has *chirp* set as their ringtone.

Just over 3yrs ago (shortly after Nov 11th 2017) I was on Farcebook one night, musing the various inane utterings of, well, mostly people I'd met whilst drunk, when I came upon a poem by Terry Earl. I got to the end and, and upon noticing the tears on my cheeks, I read it a second time. ...I could name any number of songs that 'pull on my heartstrings', but I had *never* had such a overwhelming reaction to a poem before. Five (or was it twenty) minutes later I realised my head had noticed the poem was *perfectly* structured to work with music, and had dutifully made me pick up a guitar and do just that: Play the music that had just appeared in my head. Every syllable in this song is exactly as I found it on Terry's page that night; the music is merely a reflection of what those words inspired in me. In my head there is an orchestra and a Welsh male voice choir. On this recording is me and a guitar. Terry, I hope the music means to you even half of what the words mean to me. Thank You. Terry explained to me that although the nouns reflect a British WW1 soldier, the sentiment speaks to every mother and every child that has been required to 'make the ultimate sacrifice', in all places, and across all times. "Lest we forget." A young man, not yet 21, Army beret, Enfield gun. Not known First Love, nor learned to dance, Awaiting orders: Northern France. A hundred miles, my Home, my Land. A pencil in my shaking hand... If I don't make it back to shore, Smell mother's cooking once more. Read aloud, with Pride, this note: Top pocket of my army coat. Came here a boy, died a man. Not My war, not My plan! Whistle blown 4th of July, "King and Country", "do or die" Life is ruin, blood is spilled. War is kill or be killed... So up the ladder, through the gate, To kill a man I do not hate. My best friend lies wet with death. Mouth open - final breath. War is won, at Any cost. Victory Bugle. Mother's loss.

I fell in love with this track the first time I heard it, and just had to find a way to do it on stage with nothing but a guitar ...then I added some (far too many) layers of vocals... @doddleoddlee Thank You for so much good music ...If you ever hear this, I hope it makes you smile :)

I could probably write an entire essay on the background and meaning of this song, where it started, the people who inspired it, and how it changed again and again before finally settling in to something that even I didn't expect. ...And how Jack Conte inspired me to stop worrying about the occasional bum note, missed chord, entirely absent string section, desperate lack of a guitar solo [NICK!], etc. ...and actually "publish" something! Hope you enjoy it.

An acoustic cover of Through The Barricades by Spandau Ballet, written after the death of a friend in 1983 during The Troubles in Northern Ireland. I learned & arranged this many years ago, and was recently asked to record it by a very dear friend ...And never have I found it easier to choose the right photo to sit alongside the title. [May 2020]

A cover of an old Peter Gabriel number. I remember watching the tsunami hit Japan, and wondering why nobody had approached Peter for rights to use the song. Anyway, here I am in solitary isolation (April 2020) with a condenser mic and a guitar, trying to remember how lucky I am ...Probably about a billion times luckier than the girl in this photo! [WOW! Just listened back to this ...HOW out-of-tune am I?! ...Note-to-self: stop recording with reverb in the cans! ...Oh well, it's up now ~shrug~]

A stripped back version of "Why" from Annie Lennox's album "Diva". I've tweaked the lyrics in a few places to reflect how the song feels to me, but otherwise it's a fairly straight cover. The first chord is a C with a high G (on the top E) - then just run down on the bass. The key change (for the bridge) is to D. There's a capo on 3 in this recording. This was recorded by Stu E Skinner at his last Open Mic night before the UK COVID-19 lockdown ...So, if it all goes badly, this could be the last thing I ever upload - so pretend to enjoy it! ;) Oh. And a special shout out to Elliot for his eloquent and critical appraisal, which was said loudly enough to be picked up by the stage mic (on the end of the recording) ...Love you too Elliot x

My version of Don Henley's classic "Boys of Summer" Rob from Ambigram wanted to mash this number, so I learned it ...then realised what a beautiful song it really is, and set-to on the arrangement. Jim Reynolds asked me [and others] to play at his 50th birthday and surprised us all with a recording of our offerings. So thank Jim for this upload :) I think verses 1 and 2 speak as they are heard; verse 3 is interesting. A "Deadhead" was a diehard fan of The Grateful Dead, a group that epitomised the 60's free sprirt and their anti-capitalism movement. Years later Don notices a Deadhead sticker on a car and remembers his dream; then realises the car is Cadillac - the automotive antithesis of everything Deadhead. And realises, he sold out, just like everyone else :,( ...If you're looking for the riff, the first chord is an open Am7, and the bass roots are A, F, G, F ...the chorus modulates to the major, so replace the Am7 with a C.