Chris Charlesworth (Wallingford, UK) - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Bass
Jimmy Dean Brooks (Warrensville, North Carolina,USA) - Lead Guitars
Dirk Forsdyke (Stowmarket, Suffolk, UK) - Drums

Produced By: Chris Charlesworth & Jimmy Dean Brooks
Engineered by: Chris Charlesworth

Octavius Wigram (by Chris Charlesworth 2013)

East Coast Radio Love Letter Of The Week back in 2001

ECR - Valentines - 2001

Live at The Red Lion, Cholsey
.....a Live set at our Village pub. Good Times :-)
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Heather Charlesworth (Vocal)
Chris Charlesworth (Guitar, Harmony)
Loz Brown (Cello)
Daniel Gill (Recording Engineer)

Fields Of Gold (Sting 1993 cover)

Song: Hoppian, My Dear (Ancestors Too)
Orginal by: Chris Charlesworth (However, all the muso's have added their bit to the composition)
Just having fun, rehashing my previous release of song "Ancestors"
This instrumental is an attempt to bring a little joy. 

Musicians
Chris Charlesworth - Guitar (Cholsey, England)
Sibusiso Victor Masondo - Bass (Johannesburg, South Africa)
Steve Turner - String Orchestration (London, England)
Patricio Böttcher - Flute (Berlin, Germany)
Sergi Trotsenko - Accordian (Vyshgorod, Kyyivs'Ka Oblast', Ukraine)
Ben Aylon - Percussion (Tel-Aviv, Israel)

Hoppian (Old English) - From Proto-Germanic *huppōną ("to hop"), Dutch hoppen‎ ("to hop"), German hopfen‎, hoppen ("to hop"), Swedish hoppa ("to hop, leap, jump"), Icelandic hoppa‎ ("to hop, skip").

Hoppian My Dear (Ancestors Too)

Trousseau was written on 23 December 2023.
It's a saga of love. The song took me surprise, upon arrival.
I will leave interpretation to your own imagination.
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Chris Charlesworth - Guitar & Vocal  (Wallingford, UK) 
Rory Evans - Guitar (Wallingford, UK) 
Sergi Trotsenko - Accordian (Vyshgorod, Ukraine)

Trousseau

A song written in 2011, to lift one from fear & the mundane.

This song features Estonian guitarist,Jaan Reim & Bristish drummer, Dirk Forsdyke.
"Spirit Beckons" got to the Semi Final of the UK Songwriting Contest in 2011. It caught the attention of Stuart Epps (http://www.songwritingcontest.co.uk/the-judges.html).
He passed the simple acoustic version on to Caleb Quaye (guitarist for Hookfoot & early Elton John band). Caleb told me he enjoyed it ........

Spirit Beckons

This song happened whilst playing my Teleporter guitar.
What came to mind was people needing comfort, trying to understand what the heck happened ?

♥ Chris Charlesworth (Cholsey, UK)
Guitars, Vocals, Mouthharp, Bass, 1st Guitar Break, Organ.

♥ Jimmy Dean Brooks (Warrensville, NC, USA)
Guitar Riffs, 2nd Guitar Break.

♥ Annemiek Beex (Breda, Netherlands)
Piano

♥ Dirkie Forsdyke (Stowmarket, UK)
Drums

- Tracks self Recorded by each musician.
- Mixed at POWR Studio's, Cholsey, UK 
- "Baobab" Etching by Albert Joseph Lastovica
                                      November, 1978

Babbaluche The Tree

Sight in Time was written in 1985 - took 33 years to get it recorded.
It is a song about silencing guilt, the most abused emotion, keeping us all trapped under condemnation.

Stephen Austin Roberts has been my friend since 1962. He led me into playing Guitar at at age 14, taught & encouraged. It took us almost 40 years to re-connect. Here we are, together again.

Steve Turner is a most talented musician, with a long string of musical accomplishments. In 2018, Steve toured with Jeff Lynne (ELO).
He kept me focused & correcting errors, long after I was ready to give up.

Sight In Time

You Promised To Be (by Chris Charlesworth 1993)

Dark Valleys  (by Chris Charlesworth 1987)

Even My Pain (by Chris Charlesworth 2010)

Nothing Takes That Away (by Chris Charlesworth 1991)

A song about my Great-Grandparents emigrating from Birmingham to Durban, South Africa, in 1880.
My Grandfather was 3 and his 7 siblings ranged up to age 22. They must have faced many hardships - recession in Birmingham, leaving family behind, 70 days aboard ship "The John Bright", being rowed ashore from outer anchorage & arriving in SA only a year after the slaughter of the British Army by the Zulus.

When the first ships attempted to sail into the harbour, many of them were swept over the bar, overturned & washed onto the rock strewn shore.
With this final ignominious end at the entrance to a wild and lonely African lagoon, on the other side of the world - the future of the survivors must have been very bleak and uncertain in that unforgiving environment.
Between 1845 to 1885, 60 ships were wrecked on Durban harbour entrance.

Our emigration back to England in 2002, held some of the sentiments that GG Ralph & Sarah "Annie" must have experienced ........

This song was a Semi Finalist in the UK Songwriting Competition 2012.

Annie Dear (by Chris Charlesworth 2005)

This song was inspired by a Carling Black Label advert on UK TV.
Three astronauts arrive at the core of the Universe, wherefrom emits a bright shining light & a booming voice.
One of the Astronauts is wearing unbranded takkies (trainers, sneakers). He is bounced (prevented) from entering glory
because of his shoes.

Our society is riddled with unfair judgements......

The song says it all...."The bouncer's my friend, he'll not do you in, if your Jeans are unbranded....."


Laissez-Faire (By Chris Charlesworth 2008)

Minefield (by Chris Charlesworth 2012)
-------------------------------------------------------
Chris Charlesworth: Archtop Guitar, Vocals, Harmony, Bass
Pat Collard: Acoustic Guitar, Harmony
Dirk Forsdyke: Drums
Engineered by Chris

Minefield (Acoustic by Chris.Charlesworth 2011)

In a time of great darkness, there is light ... Do not Lose Heart !


I am very grateful to these fine muso's, in helping me get it done.
Tobais Wison is a renowned British Dobro & Pedal Steel player, having done sessions with many Americana & Folk outfits.

Damon Sawyer is British, Cresent Studio owner & Drummer with Leo Lyons (10 Years After/Hundred Seventy Split) & formerly with Mick Ralphs Blues Band (before Mick placed aside his guitar due to health).....Plus many others .... I met Damon in Reading, UK

Kelly O' Donohue does sessions as HipHorns & has supported many a big name on Tour. She is Australian, resident in Germany.

Gary Schreiner, a Soundman of note, from my hometown of Durban, KwaZulu_Natal....... spent hours listening & tweaking

Never Believe in Never

Never Believe In Never

Don't Drop the Armour
(by Chris Charlesworth)

This song has been an idea for many years. Adapted it for these times.
Inspired & begun near Felekisi, Amanzimtoti, South Africa (Top of Old Main Rd, opposite the trading store) I was in awe of Maskanda Guitar Players (Zulu Walking Music), walking & playing their Bellini Guitars, in the most awesome tunings, with a stick & rubber bands for a capo.

Maskanda (or Maskandi) is a kind of Zulu folk music that is evolving with South African society. Ethekwini Online describes it as "The music played by the man on the move, the modern minstrel, today’s troubadour. It is the music of the man walking the long miles to court a bride, or to meet with his Chief; a means of transport. It is the music of the man who sings of his real life experiences, his daily joys and sorrows, his observations of the world. It’s the music of the man who’s got the Zulu blues."

Don't Drop The Armour

By Delbert McClinton (1972)
Mervyn Fuller & I played this song back in 1979. Meeting up with Mervyn again on Facebook, 30 years later, got this song back into my scope. Just had to do a take on it.

Here.Comes.The.Blues.Again (Delbert McClinton cover)

Ancestors (Family Tree) by Chris Charlesworth © July 2020
                                                   isiZulu Lyrics by Musa Mashiane

♦ Chris Charlesworth - Vocal, Guitar, Low Harmony (Cholsey, UK)

♦ Musa Mashiane - isiZulu Vocals, Harmonies (Thembisa, SA)
(Idols SA Top 6 finalist 2014)

♦ Sibusiso Victor Masondo - Bass (ex-Durban, SA, now Joburg)
(Friends First, Ray Phiri, Miriam Makeba, Béla Fleck, Mambazo)

♦ Ben Aylon - Percussion (Tel Aviv, Israel)
(Blake Mills, Didier Awadi, Khaira Arby)

♦ Steve Turner - Strings & Arrangement (London, UK)
(Jeff Lynne’s ELO (Live), Clannad (Nádúr), Darlene Zschech)

- Mixed by Chris Charlesworth at Pow’r Studios (Cholsey, UK)
- Mastered by Barry Meintjes at Sleepy Hollow Studios
(Pietermaritzburg, SA)
- Photo by Andrew Alston (Bundaberg, Australia)

Thanks for all the help, advice & support from :-
Heather Charlesworth, without you love I could not do this.
Barry Meintjes, Dave Kisch, Gary Schreiner, Tony Scott Steve Turner, Damon Sawyer.

isiZulu Lrics by Musa Mashiane

Ukubaluleka kom'ndeni (importance of the family)
Ukuthandana kom'ndeni  (Family love)
Ukuzwana kom'ndeni (Family unity)
Ukubambana kom'ndeni (Family support)

(Last part on the song)
Uthando wumanqoba (Love conquers all)
Ukuzwana wumanqoba (Unity is power)

Chris Charlesworth

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