There used to be a club called Cloud 9 in Manchester in the 1980’s.  This is a - not great recording of my band The Latest when we did a gig there.

The Latest- Cloud 9- Manchester-7th November 1985.mp3

The Latest -Demo-The Sound Corporation-Sale-1986.mp3

The Latest-The Boardwalk-Manchester-22-06-1986 2.mp3

The Latest -Demo-I Confess- Damaged file.mp3

I discovered Garageband and now i am trying interpret the songs that I wrote in the 80's for Guitar, Bass, Drums and vocals in this environment.  I am not a great singer unlike John McCann who was/is or even anywhere as good as Chris Britton who was our guitarist and main backing vocalist.  In this song - originally called 'The Reception' I have swerved the vocals, but i won't be able to do that in some of the others that i am working on.

The Reception 2024

The Latest-I Close My Eyes-Pluto Studios-1986 & Burned Out.mp3

There have been many iterations of this song from the time it was written back in Salford in the early 80's. Obviously my vocal doesn't compare to John's who was/is a magnificent vocalist, but thats not the point. I am doing this for me to get these songs out there, even if they are not the drums, guitar, bass and vocals of The Latest. Its also a moveable feast in that if anyone wants to add a vocal to it or do the whole song in a different way, I would be interested in doing that. Some people were a bit unhappy with the last version of the song - that John sings on - which we recorded back in the 2000's, due to the production being a bit MOR, and with hindsight i agree. Thats why i have gone in a different direction this time. I'm still learning Garageband and that includes the mixing, so bear with me.

I Close My Eyes 2024

You can't teach an old dog new tricks or so they say.  The original 'Elation' can be heard on a variety of the gigs that i have uploaded.  There will be more when i can afford upgrade my subscription and have more space, but the version in the Cloud 9 file from 1986 is hilarious due to John not having the right set list and Wayne calling him a 'Dozy Bastard' from behind the drums.  If you scrub along to about 26:14 minutes you can hear the exchange and John's threat to Chris that he was 'gonna kill you 'Crispin', Crispin being one of the many nicknames that Chris gathered up over our years together.  In terms of 'Elation' 2024, it's another attempt by me to revive what was a song by a four piece band into something different and contemporary.  I have re-written the words to reflect on the differences between me in the early eighties as a 22/23 year old to the now 59 year old me.  I also was not able to replicate the dynamic of the middle eight from 1986, with Chris and his guitar, Wayne and his drums, my bass and of course John's vocals.  Therefore i have fallen back on my DerryManc accent and spoken it.  I hope you enjoy it.

Elation 2024

'The Sad Boy' was one of the mainstays of our set back in 1985/86 and if you go to the file 'The Latest - Cloud 9 - Manchester - 7th November 1985' on SoundCloud and scrub to about 11.35 you will be able to hear how we used to play it. As I learn the ropes in Garageband I am finding re-calibrating those songs that I wrote in the 80's very enjoyable. I was 20 years old in November 1985 playing in a band in pubs and clubs in Manchester and the thoughts and feelings I had then, when I had my whole life in front of me, are more nuanced now as a 59 year old.  Hence the change in the lyrics.  The bells and whistles that Garageband provides obviously mean i can add lots of different instruments in comparsion to the Bass, Drums, Guitar and Vocals back then. I think Chris and I used to enjoy playing this song for the whole Big Country bit and i have tried to capture that in this version.  The vocals are still a mix of my warble and my DerryManc accent. I hope it doesn't spoil it too much for you.

The Sad Boy 2024

Another track from the 1980's that The Latest recorded in a studio in Salford in 1986.   John's remarkable voice is the highlight for me, and its not one i even tried to copy in the 2024 version.  You can hear the original following the 'I Close My Eyes' Pluto recording at about 3.30 seconds.  We didn't play this live that much if i remember rightly due to the strain it put on Johns voice, but the recording is one of my favourites from our times in the various studios in and around Salford and Manchester, especially for the sound Chris gets from his guitar.  As for this 2024 version, again i have leaned heavily on the loops and tracks that Garageband provides, but i do play the guitar and bass on it, and try my best on the vocal.  I am very happy with it and i hope you enjoy it as well.

Burned Out 2024

One from 1984/85.  There was a beautiful girl called Jane R who traded up and I was devastated.  Hence the song.  She’s in the picture - the only one I have of her - sat to my left.

Jealousy .wav

I wrote this after I read that Trump was going to use Guantanamo.  I had this awful thought of anybody being sent there being gassed in the showers, like the Jews were by The Nazi’s.  I am so angry and affronted by Trump and Musk et al.

Guantanamo Showers

An old song i wrote in Salford in the eighties with my old friend John McCann on lead vocals. I'm not crazy about the production but it's still a great tune.It won us - me and the band i was in then called "The Latest" -a battle of the bands competition hosted by Piccadilly Radio - now Key 103 i think - and the prize was the chance to record the song in a 24 track studio.The guy who did the engineering worked on The Smiths first album.We thought we'd made it. We hadn't.  I haven't heard that version in donkeys years but i remember it being a million miles an hour. Just like we used to play it live in and around the pubs and clubs of Manchester and Salford.

 

I close my eyes

I was born in Salford in September 1965 but did the main part of my growing up in Manchester in the later 70’s and 80’s.  I had a band in Salford in the early 80’s with my mates John, Wayne and Chris.  We became quite popular in and around town and some of the stuff will appear here (thanks Chris) I’m also trying to reinvent some of those songs that I wrote because some of them were very good and I feel like it’s unfinished business.  I discovered GarageBand and I’m just learning how to use it. Even at 59 you’re never too old. I have been living in and around the the north west of Ireland since 1989, although I still have family in Salford.

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