Fuchsia - Fuchsia, Mahagonny & Other Gems (2005)

The first three songs on the album were recorded on a primitive 1/4 track in the wilds of Torquay, in the West of England. "The Band" and "Ragtime Brahms", Maddie's title for the track, were recorded about 9 months after the 'Fuchsia' album was released. With our musical progress on hold for the best part of a year, we were looking for a new record company to record & promote us. The third song is from the original Fuchsia demo acetate. The Mahagonny project was I suppose a second incarnation of Fuchsia. In 1975/76 I wrote a series of songs for a theatre show. The inspiration for Mahagonny came from two works by Bertholdt Brecht and Kurt Weill, and I believe came closest to realising the true potential of the string trio/rock band ensemble. Mahagonny was based loosely on The Threepenny Opera, and The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. It was a story of urban decay and exploitation, a story told through 'black humour' and satire, of a society divided by wealth and poverty, as its protagonists go about securing their livelihoods in any way they could. The end comes as the masses eventually take up arms. Michael Gregory from Fuchsia played drums on the demos, while other players were friends I was working with at the time, or students from the Royal College of Music, London. I wrote and arranged the songs over about twelve months. We eventually recorded five demo tracks at 'Spaceward Studios', Cambridge, then mixed them at Majestic Studios, Clapham London. Being part of a theatre production, the aim was to secure Arts Council backing in the UK supported by a record deal. One major label was interested in signing but the deal was never done. Perhaps not too surprising as punk rock was emerging as the new 'big thing' in London. It was around this time that I recorded the next 2 songs with my good friend Bob Chudley in a small London 8 track studio. He wrote "Me and My Kite" on the Fuchsia album, and some other really good stuff, but never got the publishing deal he deserved. "I'll Remember Her Face, I'll Remember Her Name" was part of some music I recorded for a film around 1978. I love John's vocals.

Thanks to all the great people who made this music possible by contributing so much to these projects. Special thanks to my good mate Gianpaolo, at Night Wings Records.