Spirogyra & Martin Cockerham news!
Pinkmoon
gentilmente speditomi da Martin Cockerham: fatene buon uso!
Pinkmoon
> Martin Cockerham Songbank
> ('Spirogyra' Founder Member)
>
> Martin Cockerham - (Mahaaksha). Founder member of 'Spirogyra' - British
> late 60's and early 70's progressive psychedelic folk cult band.
>
> 'SPIROGYRA' - Please note that I am now systematically making available
my
> recordings over the years. Many of these are only demos and of the quality
> of good bootlegs. The songs and material is however of the highest
standard
> in the pursuit of musical and lyrical progression without consideration of
> commerciality. So far none of these albums have been sold or released by
me.
> They could all do with being mastered professionally. In some cases, with
> money, the more recent work - recorded digitally - could be completed to
a
> top standard by adding more vocals and other instruments. If any record
> company or web site wants to lease/buy the rights to any of these albums I
> will use the money to complete the chosen album to perfection. I have all
> the necessary ingredients to do the job. Only the money is missing to do
it
> in a top studio with professional help. I was always hoping to do this and
> therefore did not release anything over the years. But now I'm thinking
> better to put it out as is - in case I leave the planet and the work is
lost
> entirely. (By the way - Sorry but I can not send free samples out to
record
> companies. )
>
> For those of you who already know about this I am hereby including more
> complete details about each album. If you have interest (even if you have
no
> money to buy them) please contact me anyway as we can "talk story".
>
> I have sacrificed my self sufficient farm in Hawaii - with a garden of
> mangoes, avocados, bananas, jackfruit, breadfruit, oranges, lemons,
> cashewnuts, chicos, pineapples, guavas, coconuts, grapefruits, tangelos,
> mandarins, mountain apples, tangerines, oranges, mangosteins ........ need
I
> continue!!!!!!!!! I sacrificed the whole thing to come back to hellish
> London to put out all my music over the years. I want to leave a little
nest
> egg of music for the future.
> Many thanks to those who have supported 'Spirogyra' and please look out
for
> my new project involving the original 'Spirogyra' line up of myself and
Mark
> Francis plus Neil Duckworth named:
> 'T'Bolton BeatAlls'
> For this band I am currently approaching record companies. If anyone can
> send testimonials about how much you enjoyed 'Spirogyra' recordings it
can
> be included by me in my package that I'm sending to the record companies.
If
> you feel like it - Please write something (it can really help!!) and send
it
> to:
> mart...@yahoo.co.uk
>
> So now on to the details about the new albums I am making available.
Please
> note that this includes an album called: 'Spirogyra Arkives'.
> This is my collection of all the last remaining unreleased Spirogyra
> recordings. I was listening to it yesterday and I think it may be my
> favourite 'Spirogyra' album yet. It is very raw and unproduced. Yet it has
> that special homely 'Spirogyra' essence perhaps more than any other album.
> The sound quality is on the level of a Beatles bootleg from Camden Market.
> Some recordings are salvaged from old cassettes. But the songs and
> musicianship are not a let down.
> It has 12 previously unreleased songs as well as alternative rawer
> recordings of 9 previously released songs. It's a must for all 'Spirogyra'
> fans. Now on to the details. 'Arkives' details are number 19.
>
> ALBUM DETAILS
>
> 1. 'Canterbury Tale' - The Best Of Spirogyra
> (Martin Doctored)
>
> The Furthest Point
> Dangerous Dave
> Parallel Lines
> The Sergeant says
> The Duke of Mary
> Don't Let it Get You
> Here's Today Crew
> Love is a Funny Thing
> The Western World
> Consumption Song
> Home in the World
> Wings of Thunder
> World's Eyes
> Van Allen's Belt
>
> These are all my favourite 'Spirogyra' recordings from the original 3
studio
> albums. The recordings are extensively edited by me and I've taken out
parts
> that I was never happy with and kept only what I think are the essential
> best parts.
> 'The Duke of Mary' is a composite of 'Magical Mary' and 'The Duke of
> Beaufort'. 'Here's Today Crew' is a composite of 'Happy Crew' and
something
> else which I forgot. Don't think these are artificial edits as these are
> how the songs actually started when I first wrote them. It was only later
> that they split into 2 songs respectively (as Spirogyra's will........).
> This cd is jammed packed to capacity with great 'Spirogyra' moments. All
> meat and no fat - or for a vegetarian like me - all tofu and no scuds er
> spuds!
>
> 2. Best Of Spirogyra (Double)
> (including songs from Burn The Bridges)
>
> Dangerous Dave
> Love so easy
> The Furthest Point
> Parallel Lines
> The Sargeant says
> The Duke of Mary
> Don't Let it Get You
> Here's Today Crew
> Love is a Funny Thing
> The Western World
> Consumption Song
> Home in the World
> Wings of Thunder
> World's Eyes
> Van Allen's Belt
> A Canterbury Tale
> Bring Me Back
> Burn The Bridges
> Counting The cars
> Defender of the Faith
> Joe Somewhere
> Mackerels and Fishes
> Razamattaz
> She's the One
> Turn Again Lane
> Where There's a Will
>
> 3. The Ship
>
> The Ship
> Love Lives Again
> Come Out of the Dark
> Manblind
> Burning Alive
> Brighton Easy
> I Believe
> Make Me Dance
> Lady
> Fool
> New Kind of Love
> Holy Earth
> A Seer's Song
> The Ship of Deliverance
> It's so Nice
> Build a World Made of Love
>
> This album includes all kinds of songs from different circumstances
written
> and recorded between 1978-1984. The recordings are only demo standard
sound
> quality - but there is a lot of work gone into the recordings and quite a
> few musicians involved.
> It includes - Havi, Kripa Moya, Samba, Tridandi, Ananda Moya and even Rick
> Biddulph and Julian Cusack are on a song or two. Most of my spiritual
> friends think these are my best ever songs.
> Paul McCartney and George Harrison both complimented me on the quality of
> these songs. Linda McCartney also heard some of this work and introduced
me
> to Paul as a result. It was during this period that I first met Paul on a
> beautiful Sussex summer evening in England. We spent 2-3 hours chatting
and
> after I left - Paul wrote his song 'One of These Days'. He is quoted in
The
> 'London Evening Standard' as saying that I inspired the song - and he
wrote
> it immediately after our first meeting.
>
> 5. Seer's Songs
>
> the hidden treasure
> ship's ahoy
> fool
> holy earth
> beautiful world
> guruvayor
> time of death
> sleeping soul
> bamboo flute
> holy name
> when the morning comes
> kingdom of the lord
> love like an ocean
> break the barrier of love
> beautiful lord
>
> These are very fragile acoustic guitar songs. Very folky and written by me
> at the peak of my early Krishna time just after coming back from India.
> Where 'The Ship' album goes more into folkrock band type sounds - this one
> is more acoustic. The recording quality again is bootleg salvaged from
> cassettes and the like. The first few songs were written by me in West
Cork
> - Eire in my Gypsey Horse and Cart days. Written in 78. The middle ones
were
> recorded and written 80's ish - and the last few only later - 86 - when I
> first arrived in the USA living in a Volkswagon van in Topanga Canyon
> California. Lots of this is very raw. Just me and an acoustic guitar.
>
> 6. Valley of the Kings
>
> he's the one
> love barrier
> heaven's above
> block that kick
> the love book
> the song of in
> golden garden
> byrd of paradise
> the speed of love
> mystic king
> radha faire
> rainbow krsna
> mauna kea
> in that land
> he has followed love
> cross the world
> heaven's reprise
> new tomorrow
>
> This album takes a huge turn in another direction. At the end of 86 I got
an
> injury that caused tendonitus in my left wrist. As a result I had to stop
> playing guitar for 11 years. (It was only in 99 that I slowly started
> playing guitar again). For the first 2 years I played nothing and lived
in
> the jungle in Hawaii on only wild fruits with absolutely no money. But
after
> 89 I got some land and a cabin of my own by selling paintings (sent to me
by
> friends in Bali) and bought a synth and started writing songs on the
> keyboard. This album is the result. It was recorded on solar power in my
> cabin in Paradise park on the Big Island. I did everything myself on
> keyboards/sampler and drum machine. It was recorded on an 8 track Tascam
> cassette Portastudio in 92-93. It's as psychedelic as I got so far by
then.
> That cactus!!!
>
> 7. "standing on one of the stones - up in the sacred field"
>
> glastonbury sample album
> glastonbury
> come to pass
> the band keeps playing
> the love
> meeting of the tribes
> wonderful one
> indah
> radha's grove
>
>
> I'm still working on this double album. It is very avant-garde. It was
> written during two summers (94-95) that I came back to England for
> Glastonbury festival - including the classic 95 - 25th anniversary. I did
a
> lot of it using Glastonbury samples captured with my portable DAT. This
> album is my 'Revolution No 9'. The complete list of songs is hard to give
as
> it is very free flowing from one idea to another and it's hard to say
where
> one song ends and the other starts. It also includes ideas for songs
> recorded live in a tent in the middle of Glastonbury festival. It's all
done
> on sampler or crappy little portable kiddie keyboards. It's a good one
for
> all cutting edge progressive psychedelic fans.
>
> 9. "maui wowee"
>
> i'm gonna get to you
> i'll dream of you tonight
> full list forthcoming
> harmony
> govinda
> a lad in
> feelings
> wonderful one
>
>
> This album was written and recorded in Maui in 96. I was sharing a studio
> with Om in his pre 'Lost At Last' days - a great progressive dance trance
> gypsey bhajan band from Maui - see:
> www.lostatlast.com
> But I was still living in a van. "Once a gypsey always a ............"!!
> At the end of the year I met Emmy, Mike and Nate from Hollywood band 'Jus
> Luv'. We recorded 'Harmony' in Bali. It includes a lot of Bali samples and
> it's also on this album.
>
>
> 10. Topanga/Desert Hot Springs/Honolulu/Bali
>
> There's an album from this period that I'm still working on. 97-98. Song
> list not yet ready. In 97 I found myself caretaking a Hot Springs resort
in
> Desert Hot Springs, California owned by my friend Dahi - a great doctor
and
> personal friend of Dylan and the Beatles etc. At one party Jeff Lynne (of
> Electric Light Orchestra and Travelling Wilburys) rushed into a room where
I
> was playing and asked me if I wrote that song - which he dug. Apparantly
> Jeff never likes anything - so it was quite an achievement to have him say
> he liked the music - according to Dahi.
>
>
> 12. Maha-Deva Millenium Album
>
> People are Everywhere
> Living in the Now
> Mr America
> I Do
> Heart beat
> Still Leave Traces
> Midsummer Nights Song
> Sun Don't Fade
> The Streets of Canterbury
> Beautiful One
> Inevitable
> Take me There
>
> I recorded this album live in 'Maha-Deva Gallery' - San Anselmo - Marin -
> near San Francisco - on the evening of the New Millennium - December 31st
> 1999. I did it all on keyboards except that 'Streets of Canterbury' is a
> first return by me to guitar songs -albeit a bit simple. (Still living in
a
> van!!!!) One song - 'Beautiful One' - was done in Honolulu the year
before
> (with Arotika singing).
>
> 14. Blue Boy
>
> This is a compilation of all my Krishna Conscious recordings from
77-2000 -
> including kirtanas. I made it for my friend Gopal in Maui who won't listen
> to anything else.
>
> 15. T' Bolton BeatAlls *
>
> My latest project and not yet finished. It's me Mark Francis and Neil
> Duckworth and is so far a studio only band - originating back to 1966 in
> Bolton. In fact it is the original 'Spirogyra' and has songs written by
the
> three of us. Neil was not in the original 'Spirogyra' but his elder
brother
> Andy was for a month. Neil took up the baton.
>
>
> 18. "martyhari - storms the abbey" *
>
> Also uncompleted. My latest solo album - all on guitar this time -
acoustic
> progressive psychedelic folk. Recorded in my home studio on the site of
the
> original Abbey - in Abbey Road London.
>
> 19. 'Arkives-Spirogyra'
>
> spellbound
> grapevine
> by the way
> is that the way
> let the long winds blow
> a foremans firstborn
> linda's song
> island
> love is a funny thing
> at home in the world
> captain's log
> the future won't be long
> magical mary
> happy crew
> the furthest point
> old boot wine
> mary don't be scarred
> waves
> sea song
>
> Spirogyra fans - This is the one you've been waiting for!! It has 12
> previously unreleased 'Spirogyra' songs and alternative more raw folky
> recordings of 5 others. It has the earliest 'Spirogyra 'recordings and the
> last - when the line up included Rick Biddulph and Jon Gifford. Be warned
> that these recordings were auditioned and rejected from the 'Burn The
> Bridges' album because of poor sound quality. But it's my favorite album -
> having some of my favorite songs on it. It's raw and essential and will
keep
> you warm on the dark winter night of life. If you're a real 'Spirogyra'
fan
> it may have you in a heap of tears - or is that just me?
>
> 20. Sampler
>
> A song or two of your choosing/or mine - from each album.
>
> * Albums starred are not available yet. Anticipated for 2004
> I'm offering the CD'S at these low prices because they are not
professionaly
> finished or mastered. All cd's $10 plus $3 shipping. Or £7 plus £2
> shipping from: (£14/$20 for double albums - same shipping).
>
> Martin Cockerham
> 71 Casterbridge
> Abbey Road
> LONDON NW6 4DR
> ENGLAND
> Telephone 44+207 625 4428 (0207 625 4428 in UK)
> 44+(0)7940822070 mobile (07940822070 in the UK)
> e-mail: mart...@yahoo.co.uk
>
> ('Spirogyra' original albums are available to order from Tower
> Records/Virgin/HMV and many web sites such as www.amazon.com or
> www.rockinworld.com. There are many web sites which have these albums.
Just
> enter 'Spirogyra Progressive Psychedelic Folk' in a web search and they'll
> come up)
> 'SPIROGYRA' (68-72)
> 1. Burn the Bridges
> 2. St. Radigund's
> 3. Old Boot Wine
> 4. Bells Boots & Shambles
> 5. Happy Crew (A best of compilation not picked by the band)
>
> Any questions?????????????????????
> mart...@yahoo.co.uk
> Please forward this letter to anyone on your mailing list who may be
> interested. Also announcing:
>
> MERCURIOUS
> My once a month/second Fridays - club in 3 Green St. Mayfair - London.
> Starting (9 pm-2 am) Friday May 9th 2003 . Club includes 'Spirogyra' type
> music/special guests, smoke free environment - comedy skits - and also
'The
> Sahibs' - astrology panel - Vedic Astrology - my hobby. Get youself
analised
> by our vedic astrologers. No additional charge. Entrance £5. Free on the
> first night.
> Interested in performing? Let me know.
> PS I'm going to Cornwall tomorrow til April 3 so don't expect a reply
before
> that.
>
> Love
> Marty