The Virginian

Warren – lead guitar (’65 Epiphone Casino)
Dick – Spanish guitar solo (Ibanez PC344)

I remember watching this programme on Tuesday nights (I think) when I was young. Great Western tune ideal for a guitar instro. Special thanks to Tony Hoffman for sending me the original theme on a mini-disc! We've added our own middle section as the original only lasted 40 seconds!

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The Eye In Flat Five

Dick – lead guitar (1968 Harmony H76)

I don’t know whether this came from a movie or a TV series but it’s obviously about a private eye – it has that real Philip Marlowe vibe. It was originally done by Al Caiola and I absolutely love the tune – it’s so mental and has hardly any notes in it that correspond to the chords! Speaking of which – it took bloody ages to figure them out especially the very last one on the guitar. Warren’s great orchestration involved a considerable amount of head-scratching too. It’s a bit of a monster.

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Kid

Warren – lead guitar (’65 Epiphone Casino)
Dick – guitar solo (Fender Telecaster)

I love most of The Pretenders' stuff and Chrissie Hynde is the ultimate rock-chick! I recall working at ATV Music in the late seventies when Eric 'monster monster' Hall suggested at a songwriters’ meeting that someone should send this track to The Shadows to cover. I guess it never happened. Great solo by Dick and I love the outro on this number - I also loved playing the bass and drums on this.

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The James Gang Rides Out

Dick – lead guitar (DeArmond T400)

I wrote this on holiday in Cala Mondrago on a travel guitar. It’s one of those western themes which just seems to fall out of the guitar once you hit a certain rhythm. Warren’s strings bring it nicely to life.

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Tornado Alley

Warren – lead guitar (Fender Stratocaster ’57 reissue)
Dick – guitar solo (Fender Jazzmaster)

I had the title before I wrote the track and I've actually got two other tunes with the same title as I couldn't make my mind up! Just a brainless surf tune really - pretty simple and to the point, although I tried to put some nice 'norwegians' into the middle eight. The thunder was recorded by Dick in a field near Swanage.

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Bus Stop

Dick – lead guitar ('61 Kay Jazz II)

The Hollies were such a brilliant band and the sound of Alan Clarke’s and Graham Nash’s voices together had an identity as strong and as individual as the Everly Brothers. This is one of my favourites and I think we managed to hang on to the wintry feel of the original.

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Cutty Sark

Warren – lead guitar (’65 Epiphone Casino)
Dick – harmony guitar (Kay Barney Kessel Pro)

I recently bought a very old Dansette record player and one of the first 45s I played on it was this old John Barry tune, which I believe was used as the theme for a TV show called Dateline. Dick and I play harmony on a few of the verses and the idea was to be a bit Nivram-ish. It was hell playing the claves on this!

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Sunday Girl

Warren – lead guitar (’65 Epiphone Casino)

Aah, Blondie! Oooh, Debbie Harry! I used to cut pictures out of 'Sounds' of Debbie Harry and plaster them on my underwear!! (Nurse! – Ed.) We put a touch of Union City Blue at the end of this one. Mmmm, Debbie Harry! As Kenneth Connor would say, whilst adjusting his shirt collar: "Phwoar!"

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Love Potion No. 9 / Poison Ivy

Dick – lead guitar (Burns Vibra Artist)

I’ve always been a big fan of The Searchers and in particular of John McNally’s amazing rhythm playing. I’d been planning to do this for a while, already having figured out a plot to link the two Lieber & Stoller tunes together and when David Martin graciously sold me his fabulous Burns Vibra Artist, I had all the Searchers’ guitars available to do it (the Burns, a Hofner Club & a Gibson 335). This was completed by Warren playing the bass on his Hofner Violin to give us a total Searchers line-up! Just wish my rhythm playing was up to John McNally’s standard!

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The Protectors

Warren – lead guitar (Roland VG8 guitar synth)

Loved the show, loved the theme. John Humphrey (I refuse to insert the Hank bit!), who took the photos on our first album, was badgering me to do this - so here it is. I think we would have done it anyway. Mitch Murray co-wrote this. How does he do it, I wish I knew!

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Forever Autumn

Dick – lead guitar (1999 Gretsch G6129T)

I realised that we had quite a few up-tempo numbers organised for the album and thought this atmospheric tune would work as something to mellow things out a little. Having said that, it gets pretty up and running in the middle where Warren’s huge orchestra piles in! Stand back!

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Blackberry Way

Warren – lead guitar (Fender Stratocaster ’57 reissue)

Roy Wood is a genius - enough said. Classic British pop. I played a bit of slide guitar on this and when he'd stopped laughing, Dick said it was a really good try!

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Storm Chaser

Dick – lead guitar (Mosrite Ventures)

This started life intended as a surfing tune but eventually took off in its own direction without my having any real say in the matter. I hit upon the title when I was on the net looking for info on tornadoes and thought it would fit perfectly. A real stroke of luck was that, as I was recording it, a terrible thunderstorm was raging outside and some of the sound of it got on the tape in a couple of opportune places! Quite unbelievable, really! Check out Warren’s drumming on this – it really kicks the track along at an unholy rate.

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Town Without Pity

Dick – lead guitar (1955 Gretsch 6121)

A fabulous melody by the great Dmitri Tiompkin. The original, sung so brilliantly by Gene Pitney, was a hard act to follow. Once again, a bunch of deranged chords only recognisable by a real musician but a total mystery to the likes of me! I think, with the help of Warren’s orchestration, we managed to capture the bleak vibe of the original. I hope it might be considered that we did the tune justice because it sure as hell deserves it.

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