Collaborations with others

Coffee4Craig (https://www.coffee4craig.co.uk) is a not-for-profit organisation working tirelessly and voluntarily to support the homeless community in Manchester & Cardiff. What started out as two volunteers for a local Manchester charity quickly took on new meaning after being driven into taking more direct action by the passing of family member Craig White, who died on the streets in Cardiff in Sept 2013. 

Lyricist Rod Barry approached me to write a charity single to raise funds for the charity. As Craig was a reggae fan it was obvious what style of music the song had to be written in.

We soon realised, however, that we needed an authentic reggae musician/ singer to add the necessary flavour - and in stepped Marlon Clarke to sprinkle his Jamaican magic on the track and add his superb voice.

It can be downloaded for £1.99, with ALL proceeds going to the charity, at http://bit.ly/coffee4craig

Please buy a copy - thank you.

Lyrics: Rod Barry
Music: Ian Jenkins
Instruments: Marlon Clarke & Ian Jenkins
Vocals: Marlon Clarke
Engineered and Produced by Marlon Clarke and Ian Jenkins

In this modern day and age 
Is it really is so hard to gauge
Just how many people
Can’t work for a living wage
How many of our fellow men
Fall down and can’t get up again
Without a helping hand
Who offers it, and when?

Coffee4Craig 
Please help the homeless folk
We can reach out to them
Coffee4Craig 
Please help the homeless folk
And fix it if it’s broke

When you climb into your nice warm bed
Tired but cosy and well fed
How many caring thoughts
Go spinning through your head?
Do you want to help the poor and needy
Or are you selfish, grasping, greedy?
Look hard in the mirror
You’ll see yourself - oh yes indeedy

Coffee4Craig 
Please help the homeless folk
We can reach out to them
Coffee4Craig 
Please help the homeless folk
And fix it if it’s broke

Coffee4Craig a symbol now of hope
Out there to help
The people who cannot cope
Then take away
Their trouble, fears and strife
For a better life
Point them towards 
A new fulfilling life

Coffee for Craig 
Please help the homeless folk
We can reach out to them
Coffee for Craig 
Please help the homeless folk
And fix it if it’s broke

Coffee 4 Craig

Never Believe Me New Mix

Lyrics, music, guitars, lead and backing vocals by John Stewart (https://soundcloud.com/john-stewart-13).

All other instruments, samples and weird ideas by me!

Produced and engineered by John and I.

When I was a little kid, the whole world seemed a bright place
Now it's funny how perspectives change
It's really true that you only remember all the good times
if that doesn't sound too strange

And you know that they'll never believe you, my friend
Yes you know that they'll never believe you deep inside
And you know that they'll try to deceive you, my friend
Yes you know that they'll try to decieve you deep inside

Growing up has not been easy, I've had my hard times
It seemed all sadness on the horizons.
Some people find it hard to cope with the pressure and they don't make it,
And it don't seem hardly surprising

And you know that they'll never believe you, my friend
Yes you know that they'll never believe you deep inside
And you know that they'll try to deceive you, my friend
Yes you know that they'll try to deceive you deep inside

And looking back at all my friends, they all seem easy
Or am I graspin' at the greener grass?
So I'll look forward and hope for sometime the better the fortunes
But I'll take what comes to pass

And you know that they'll never believe you, my friend
Yes you know that they'll never believe you deep inside
And you know that they'll try to deceive you, my friend
Yes you know that they'll try to decieve you deep inside

Never Believe Me (new mix)

My friend Jenny Corke came round to record some tracks for her website/ CD. We worked on this as a pretty straight version of the Alannah Myles song but then I got to thinking about adding loads of BV's and messing around with it a bit - and this is what came out. I don't even know if i've finished with it yet but have a listen to be going on with!!

Black Velvet remix

I was sent a piano demo of this song by lyricist Carroll Kiphen and composer Robert Baitinger who asked me to perform the vocals. 

Being quite taken by the song I offered to create an orchestral setting to it, which I'm delighted to say was welcomed by the other guys!

Lyrics by Carroll Kiphen (@carroll-kiphen) 
Music, piano by Robert Baitinger (@robert-baitinger)
Orchestral arrangement, instruments, vocals, engineering and production by me.

It seems like only yesterday 
You and I were young
Our life was an adventure 
Living it was fun

I don’t know where the time has gone 
But it’s gone by too fast
We couldn’t keep up with the pace 
So we re-live the past

The future seemed uncertain
The past kept us content
We closed our eyes for a second
Now we don’t know where it went

Reels of old home movies
Postcards of yesterday
Echoes bounce off the walls
As stories are re-played

It’s life as we recall it from
Postcards of yesterday
Echoes bounce off the walls
As stories are re-played

It seems like only yesterday
We said and did those things
We’re comfortable in this life
And its familiar ring

We’re older we don’t look the same
But that is all that’s changed
We’re still stuck in the same old rut
That’s where we will stay

The future seemed uncertain
The past kept us content
We closed our eyes for a second
Now we don’t know where it went

Reels of old home movies
Postcards of yesterday
Echoes bounce off the walls
As stories are re-played

Postcards Of Yesterday

I've been a semi-pro keyboard player and singer since the mid 70's but only started writing songs whilst at a loose end in February 2011 - don't ask why!

In no way am I a lyricist so I rely on collaborations with others, nameley my fellow Soundcloud members Paul Beaumont (found on here as The Time Zones), Carroll Kiphen (found on here as Carroll Kiphen!) and Lucy Prasad (yea, you guessed it, on here as Lucy Prasad!!), along with Rod Barry.

If you have any comments to make please add them, they're most welcome.

For those of you who maybe interested, I have another Soundcloud page featuring the instrumental music I compose and record, and you'll find that at https://soundcloud.com/ian-jenkins-104831901

Collaborations with others

Ian Jenkins 3