La Bionda - One For You, One For Me
(M. La Bionda /C. La Bionda /Palmer-James). 1978, Milan.
Cover version, irreverently yet respectfully recorded by Gary Quin, Bristol 2021.

One For You, One For Me (La Bionda Cover)

Gary Quin is a Scottish singer-songwriter, currently based in Bristol, England. Something of a gypsy, Gary spent over a decade living and working in Germany and Italy, where he first began to write and perform songs. These are characterised by a strong sense of melody, the interplay of acoustic and electric guitars, and by sharp, storytelling lyrics that linger in the memory. He recently released his long-awaited debut album, “Ten Years Too Late.”
Gary began his musical journey as a fan: spending all of his available money on records and CDs, attending as many concerts as possible and working on the door for friends’ gigs. People kept asking if he was in a band, why he wasn’t in a band, how come his band wasn’t playing, which instrument he played, and so on. Destiny demanded that Gary Quin become some kind of musician. A key moment arrived in 2005, when he bought a pint of beer for a busker and received a guitar in exchange: “Tell your mum that you stole it,” he said. 
Gary moved to Italy in 2008 and it is here that he miraculously developed a style. A couple of years spent aimlessly bashing away at an old acoustic guitar had taken him, frustratingly, not very far. For whatever reason, it was only when Gary moved to Naples that he began to forge his own musical identity. Clouds parted, cobwebs disappeared, something clicked, angels sang. The more banal explanation is that, new in town, Gary didn’t know many people, so played a lot of guitar to pass the time. After a few months, Gary, by this time in possession of a very large record collection, had begun to DJ in local alternative bars. It was only a matter of time before he, emboldened by his improved abilities, began to perform live concerts as a singer-songwriter. The experience of being in a foreign country, of being a perpetual fish-out-of-water, is of key importance. Gary used music as a means of breaking the ice and of gaining acceptance and respect within the local community. This is evident in the catchiness of the music and in the lyrical style, which constantly aims to humour and engage – it is the product of years spent striving to win over disinterested Italian audiences. 
After many eventful years, a failed attempt at forming a band and a couple of false-started recording sessions, Gary returned to the UK in 2018 to reassess. The next two years were spent learning the rudiments of recording and mixing, performing low key solo concerts wherever possible. 
“Ten Years Too Late” was recorded between 2020 and 2021, with the help of Bristol music producer Daniel Farrell. The idea was to take simple, folky songs and build them into exhilarating, radio-friendly hits. It represents both the culmination of years of work and the emergence of a new talent.