℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded, mixed and mastered in Logic. 
Guitar played: Taylor 714CE in standard tuning (Capo 1st Fret)
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
Song Notes:
For those who have expressed an interest in how I record my acoustic guitar, I use two small diaphragm condenser mics set up in an XY pattern mounted on a stereo bar within a reflexion filter. I record identical versions of the guitar tracks and then select one for the stereo left channel and one for the stereo right channel. 
Soundcloud has proved to be a wonderful place to connect with musicians and with people who love to listen to music all over the world. There is something truly magical and inspirational about receiving feedback from someone who has listened to my music. 
It’s incredible to be able to post a song on Soundcloud and know that someone - maybe on the other side of the planet - or as the song says "...down in the delta..." has somehow connected with my music.
Thank you for listening!!

LYRICS:
Winding its way through the canyon 
Like a snake in the mid-day sun
I could sit here for a lifetime 
And watch that river run
And somewhere down in the delta 
Where the river runs to the sea
Maybe someone is watching that river 
Someone just like me

Running wild, river running deep 
It’s something I can’t explain
But somehow I feel that river
Is running ………….through my veins

It’s a universal story
Under the mid-day sun
Another life in another lifetime
Will watch that river run
And somewhere down in the delta 
Where the river runs to the sea
Someone will watch that river 
Maybe Someone just like me

Running wild, river running deep 
It’s something I can’t explain
But somehow I feel that river
Is running ………….through my veins

Someone Just Like Me

℗ © Copyright Ian Stokes. All Rights Reserved
Recorded, mixed and mastered in Logic. 
Guitar played: Taylor 714CE in standard tuning (Capo 2nd Fret)
Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.
Lyrics:
Maybe one day I’ll go sailing
Out on the big blue sea
Where the fishes swim around, going up and down 
Like a fish …….was meant to be

What a lovely way to spend the day 
Just being out there afloat 
And oh what joy to shout ahoy
From the deck of a sailing boat 

Sailing along in the sunshine
Just me and the ocean breeze
Then across the bay I’d make my way
Back home in time for tea

Steady as you go
Steady as you go   

Maybe one day I’ll go sailing 
Out on the big blue sea 
Along the coast I could make the most
Of the nautical scenery

What a lovely way to spend a day 
Just being out there afloat 
See a smugglers cove or a treasure trove
From the deck of a sailing boat 

Sailing along in the sunshine
Just me and the ocean breeze
Then across the bay I’d make my way
Back home in time for tea

Steady as you go
Steady as you go

Steady As You Go

Stop!

Remove those worries from your head
Remember what your pappy said
You can't control what others think
Hold that anger til it shrinks
Don't let their thoughts control you moods
If you look, you'll see their hooves

Remove those worries from your head
Some things are better left unsaid
Sometimes you act before you think
Boy hold that fury until it shrinks

Don't be a stoic, be a king
Some good emotion never stings
You'll be a prince til you find your queen
Don't be a stoic, be a king
Don't be a stoic, be a king
You'll be a prince til you find your queen

Don't go around pretend your dead
There's no monsters in your bed
Take your hints from me my son
Don't let no one spoil your fun
You've been through so much so far
I pray a break will not be far
Remove those worries from your head
Have some faith in what I said

Let the rockets smoothly lift
Let the blessings roll on in

Don't be a stoic, be a king
Some good emotion never stings
You'll be a prince til you find your queen
Don't be a stoic, be a king
Don't be a stoic, be a king

Some good emotion, good emotion never stings

Eden

Good Emotion Never Stings

Any Old Day 🤖

5 Star Commended Entry in the 2024 UK Songwriting Contest
Graham Williams - Vocals, guitars & bass; Katie Gill - Piano; Israel Pereira - Cajón.

I found a demo of this song from 2018 - just a run through for The Peace Band really - recorded on my Tascam DR-05. It was just me on acoustic guitar and vocals with help from Peace Band members Katie Gill on piano and Izzy Pereira on Cajón. I loaded up the recording into Cubase and recorded a new double tracked lead vocal over the top. I then added some backing vocals, electric guitar, bass and strings. There's an ocarina track in there as well. Katie's piano has got a bit lost in the mix unfortunately. I was originally going to record this song from scratch until I came across the demo.

If you're looking for a heaven on Earth, you can make it so,
Like planting seeds in a garden with love, flowers bloom and grow,
To make this world into a better place, all you need is just a little faith,
If you're looking for a heaven on Earth, you can make it so,

Heaven on Earth, heaven on Earth, we’re looking for a heaven on Earth.
Heaven on Earth, heaven on Earth, we’re looking for a heaven on Earth.

When you’re looking for a heaven on Earth, things of things you know
Rain falls upon the mountains above, makes the rivers flow,
To give this world the magic stroke, all you need is just a little hope,
When you’re looking for a heaven on Earth, things of things you know

Peace and love, peace and love, peace and love come from heaven above,
Peace and love, peace and love, peace and love come from heaven above,

If you're looking for a heaven on Earth, you can make it so,
Like planting seeds in a garden with love, flowers bloom and grow,
To make this world a better place, all you need is just a little faith,
If you're looking for a heaven on Earth, you can make it so,
If you're looking for a heaven on Earth, you can make it so

Heaven On Earth

Heaven On Earth (Graham Williams)

LYRICS

All my friends are telling me
You're not loyal - you're a cheat
They say that you have brought me down
They want to meet me on the town

I will secede
I will secede 
I will secede 
I will secede 

I've been sad since meeting you
You've made me look like such a fool
Now I hear you're whispering names
All your friends think I'm insane

I will secede
I will secede 
I will secede 
I will secede

That's why my friends been tellin' me
There's something that I oughta see

I Will Secede

Cast of Characters:
xian3-- @xian3 – vocals, lyrics, and beat programming
Holger Engel—bass
Llanpsych-- @llanpsych -- guitar, mix, and production
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)-- @josh-clary-1 – lead guitar, organ, and synth
 
This song started when Xian and Holger came up with the rhythm section. Xian reached out to Josh about adding some guitar and keys. Josh happily accepted and added some electric guitar, organ, and synth. Once he was done, he sent it back to Xian, who added his excellent vocals. Tez also added some subtle, yet thrilling psychedelic guitar to it, too, before producing and mixing it for us. 
 During a little odyssey Xian recently undertook, he came across this snippet of text, from which the lyrics were drawn, in the Museum of Literature in Dublin. It's from "Ulysses" (1923) by James Joyce (1882-1941) and he liked it immediately. The passage can be found in the episode "Cyclops", in which the novel's hero, Bloom, opposes division and prejudice.
 This is the first time Xian has collaborated with Josh and Tez, but we hope it won't be the last. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed making it.
Lyrics:
Alf And Bloom
(But it’s no use) …
(- What? says Alf) …     
But it’s no use says he
Force, hatred, history
All that
That’s not life 
For men and women,
(- What? says Alf) …
Insult and hatred
And everybody knows that
It’s the very opposite of that
That is really life.
- What? says Alf
- Love, says Bloom
(- What? says Alf)
(- Love, says Bloom)
(- Love)

Alf and Bloom (with Xian3, Entheogenic Psychonaut and Holger Engel)

Ok, You wanna hear some truth?
Dance away the night as a celebration for the human kind. At least the ones that believe Darwin is right and are completely sure about the spherical shape the mother earth is .
Fuck that ignorance, it's no bliss. Be yourself and stand up for mankind.
A few clowns make the fascist many to be ridicolous.
Celebrate life, celebrate yourselves.
Be kind!

Sergeant Groove
Sgt Nic

Sergeant Groove

Steel Horse

'ABDUCTED BY ALIENS'
Written, Performed & Produced
by Andrew Borderick copyright 2010/2017/2020
Mastered by Andrew Borderick 23/08/2020
(I wrote and recorded this song in 2010 with my old Boss drum machine.
A story about my brother and his mate (Camel) alien encounter. At the time 
of this there were reports in newspapers of other people seeing whatever they saw, my brothers friend is reluctant to talk about it.)

GIVE IT UP, ABDUCTED BY ALIENS X2

YOU'RE LIVING IN THE ATMOSPHERE
IT'S TIME TO COME DOWN AND BEAT THIS FEAR
GIVE IT UP. ABDUCTED BY ALIENS

I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE, WHAT YOUR TELLING ME
IT'S CONFLICTING TO SAY, YOU'VE BEEN TAKEN AWAY
WHAT WAS TAKEN THAT NIGHT, CAMELS UNDER THE BED
HOVERING BLUE LIGHT, AN EYE WITHOUT A HEAD

YOU'RE LIVING IN  A FANTICY
IT'S TIME TO COME DOWN AND BEAT THIS FEAR
GIVE IT UP. ABDUCTED BY ALIENS

News flash, an unidentified flying object was seen in Keon Park Melbourne Australia, Two witness's claim it hovered in the street with glowing lights and the eye chased them into the house,

THIS STORY'S BEEN TOLD  A MILLION WAYS
LITTLE FAT GREEN MEN IN THERE FLYING SHIPS
IF ALL OF MY DREAMS COULD BE LIKE THIS
THE WHOLE WORLD WOULD BE GONE, I AM THE ALIEN

YOU'RE LIVING IN THE ATMOSPHERE
IT'S TIME TO COME DOWN AND BEAT THIS FEAR
GIVE IT UP. ABDUCTED BY ALIENS

I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE, WHAT YOUR TELLING ME
IT'S CONFLICTING TO SAY, YOU'VE BEEN TAKEN AWAY
WHAT WAS TAKEN THAT NIGHT, CAMELS UNDER THE BED
HOVERING BLUE LIGHT, AN EYE WITHOUT A HEAD

YOU'RE LIVING IN  A FANTICY
IT'S TIME TO COME DOWN AND BEAT THIS FEAR
GIVE IT UP. ABDUCTED BY ALIENS

Did you see it, no, did you see it, no, did anybody else see it, anybody,
Are you sure the TV was turned off, did anybody see it, anybody, anybody

GIVE IT UP, ABDUCTED BY ALIENS
GIVE IT UP, ABDUCTED BY ALIENS
GIVE IT UP, ABDUCTED BY ALIENS
GIVE IT UP,

Timeline

ABDUCTED BY ALIANS

ABDUCTED BY ALIENS

Welcome to 2024 and thank you for visiting my Soundcloud page. 
It's great to connect with so many talented musicians here on Soundcloud! On this page you'll find my original songs (including 4 albums) and acoustic guitar instrumentals (including 2 EP's), together with various notes about guitars played, tunings, recording etc.

I am in the process of writing my fifth album which I hope to record at some stage during the year..

Musical influences for me have been many and varied including for example Bert Jansch, John Martyn, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Mark Knopfler, BB King, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Fairport Convention, Paul Simon,  JJ Cale, Eric Clapton, Colin Hay and John Mayer.

Hope you enjoy listening to my music.

Photography: Thanks go to Nigel and Libby Hume at Hume Photography.