DESCRIPTION:
From John Howard's 2005 album, As I Was Saying --- featuring Andre Barreau on guitar and Phil King on bass. Recorded through March to May 2005 at Dreamworld Studio in Pembrokeshire, the album marked John's return to the forefront when the album was signed by major indie label, Cherry Red Records.

"RPM had released my three 1970s albums which had been received well, and I had just completed The Dangerous Hours which I co-wrote with poet Robert Cochrane for the Bad Pressings label in 2004. When Cherry Red, which owned RPM, asked me to record an album of new material for them as well, suddenly the creative muse was being called on to work nightshifts!

"I had that year returned to live performing after a 20 year layoff, and had got together with Bootleg Beatle guitarist Andre Barreau ('George') and bassist Phil King (Jesus and Mary Chain, Earl Brutus) for the gigs. It made sense to continue that partnership into the studio, so in the spring of 2005 Andre and Phil came to stay with Neil and I at our Pembrokeshire home where the three of us routined the new songs I'd just written.

"The night before we went to Dreamworld Studio I played them Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited", to show them the kind of sound and vibe I wanted for this album. We recorded all the tracks live in the studio, with me singing and playing piano at the same time --- something I hadn't done for an album since Technicolour Biography in 1974. Then over the next couple of days I repaired vocal sections I wasn't happy with, double-tracked parts of some of the vocals, added more keyboards, and Andre, Phil and I overdubbed percussion, backing vocals and handclaps. The sessions were really a lot of fun. We gave ourselves the moniker 'The Collapsed Catholics' for the production credit.

"When the album was released in late '05 Chris Roberts' Uncut review said 'he's a British Jimmy Webb', which, being a huge fan of Webb's, thrilled me, The Record Collector review said the album had a 'Desolation Row' feel to it, which knocked me out as that had been the track I had picked out for Andre and Phil as the one that most captured the feel I wanted when I played them Highway 61.

"In 2010 I re-issued the album with four bonus cuts, including two live recordings from my 12 Bar Club gig in January 2006 with Pete Aves and his wife Sarah Freestone, where we performed songs from 'As I Was Saying' to launch the album." ---JH

This track and the album can be downloaded from iTunes and all good download sites. To buy the 2005 CD 'As I Was Saying' visit www.cherryred.co.uk/cherryred/artists/johnhoward.php and to buy the 2010 'As I Was Saying (Special Edition)' on CD go to http://www.kidinabigworld.co.uk/shop