Thank you for your music!And... Happy New Years✨

Bathing in the glow of this wonderful song.  Truly excellent work, Mark, Dan and Dick…sorry I'm a bit late to the campfire gathering

Wow Mark, 787 plays.  That is amazing.  I loved the song 3when we were making it.  I didn;t dream it would be this popular.

Good job on the fiddle by Dick, adds exactly the right vibe for this track, living at the country-side

The famous duo Bennet/Lockhart delivers another quality-song; I could explore another side of your voice here, which is unusual deep, the lyrics, the instrumentation and the performance are creating an exactly drawed picture of a farmer's life. The sagging (is this the right word?) groove is like the hard daily work of the farmer

interesting sound - very warm & intimate - the progression has a nice twist in it, for some reason the track reminds me of Nirvana Unplugged

Dan https://soundcloud.com/progrockdan1 is one of the most inventive and exciting people to collaborate with on SC. If you haven't heard his work before you should check out his cloud. Mark

Collaborations with ProgRockDan1 (and Oorlab)

After collaborating with Dan on 'Wordlessly', being keen to try another project and seeing that he was interested in all types of music, I suggested we try a country song. Dan sent me a Banjo/Guitar track that made me instantly think of the Travelling Wilburys, with a Beatles-like rhythm and as I knew I couldn't sing like Roy Orbison the challenge was how to approach this. I knew what I wanted the story to be as the music somehow suggested it straightaway - verse with a longing feeling, urgent pre-chorus and then a release - made me think of a long distance love. The song came easily but it took me a long time to gather up the courage to sing a country-style song. I hope you find me treating this unique form of American music with appreciation and respect. I suggested that Dick might help with his great fiddle playing and thankfully he did. We had a little fun setting up the campfire atmosphere. I'm greatly indebted to Dick and Dan for their huge talents and time. Please check out my collaborators' clouds too if you have time. Cheers, Mark

Music: http://soundcloud.com/progrockdan1 
Lyrics and vocals: Mark Bennett 
Fiddle: http://soundcloud.com/oorlab

I’m leavin’ 
’s like grievin’ 
Feels as though my heart’s breakin’ 
I’m workin’ 
Day’s dawnin’ 
Far away from home 

Seven more days till I’m coming on back to you 
Just one week and I’ll be coming on home to you… 
…And when I’m home

I’m prayin’ 
Not strayin’ 
Stayin’ true to my love 
I’m waitin’ 
’ticipatin’ 
When I’ll be back home 

Three more days till I’m coming on back to you 
Few more days and I’ll be coming on home to you 
Only days and I’ll be right there next to you… 
…And when I’m home.

I’m leavin’ 
Completin’ 
My shift is endin’ 
I’m drivin’ 
’s excitin’ 
I’m on my way home.

Couple of hours till I’m coming on back to you 
Few more hours and I’ll be coming on home to you 
Just a few hours and I’ll be right there next to you…

...And when I'm home.

When I'm Home (ProgRockDan1/Oorlab Collaboration)

My idea for the subject matter came from Dan saying the music made him think of mountains and water. In my head I made a leap to a human story I knew of a mother and son who waited for much of WWII at a tiny seaport (Kyle of Lochalsh) in the North Western Highlands of Scotland to occasionally see the husband/father who was on mine sweeping missions with the Arctic convoys. Life expectancy was 6 months but he returned safely. This story would work just as well as a scenario for a fishing village where all the men had been gone for days during a storm.

I can't thank Dan enough for his inspirational piece that triggered these words and likewise Dick made this sound so emotionally charged with his fiddle and harmony vocals. I am greatly indebted to my collaborators for making this possible with endless patience and skill.

Please check out their wonderful clouds. https://soundcloud.com/dan-lockhart/by-the-waters-edge-with-mark-bennett-oorlab-with-video-link
All Music (except for Violin), Vocal - https://soundcloud.com/dan-lockhart
Violin, Harmony Vocal and Video - https://soundcloud.com/oorlab
Lyrics, Vocal and Artwork - me 

Video link - http://youtu.be/UAfy0vtMmsc


By the water’s edge,
All her thoughts are out at sea,
The child in her arms belongs to he,
He who’s gone

Ev’ry storm is a pain in her heart,
Waiting for news that would tear her apart,
Of he who’s gone
By the water’s edge

She is not alone in her wait,
All the women share her fate,
By the water’s edge

Tears of joy from all on the shore,
The ship is home once more.
By the water’s edge

By The Water's Edge (with Dan Lockhart & oorlab) with Video link

Hot on the heels of 'By The Water's Edge', Dan came up with another maritime sounding arrangement that he was keen to share with Dick Vestdijk and myself. The original music was very inspiring and my immediate suggestion was on the theme of 'impressment' - the press-ganging of sailors into naval service against their will. No sooner had I suggested this than Dick had drafted a great start to the fine lyric we have now. I added a verse then Dick completed the lyric and delivered a guide vocal that took my breath away. I thought we should leave it at that, however we all continued to work on multiple versions with a variety of arrangements and vocal set-ups. What we were seeking was something organic and natural sounding, as if a couple of sailors were singing in a tavern about their life at sea, surrounded by other impressed seamen. The quality of musicianship, imagination and patience that Dan and Dick brought to this continues to astound me. As well as their generosity and skill, they really are great guys to collaborate with. I look forward to many more projects.

I'm sure Dan and Dick will gladly respond to any comments posted here. Thanks for taking the time to listen.
 
Original Music, All Other Instrumentation and Final Mix - https://soundcloud.com/dan-lockhart
Guitar, Harmonica, Lyrics, Vocals and Vocal Melody - https://soundcloud.com/oorlab
Additional Lyrics and Vocals - me
 
Also attached is a link to a beautiful video made by https://soundcloud.com/oorlab
- https://youtu.be/I2mUn3yWxPs
 
They took me from the harbour,
 
While I was still asleep,
 
Chained and gagged and bent and ragged,
 
Human turned to sheep.
 


In the days of impressment,
 
Flogging instead of caressment,
 
A captain cruel, an empire’s tool
 
... ship of fools.



Though the sails are torn,
 
The bow cleaves straight,

For the Equator.
 
Unto its fate.
 


The King's shilling will be my lot,
 
My fate's sailing, willing or not,
 
The wind's ailing and I've been bought.
 
The wind’s ailing, It's come to naught.



This coin of treason,

Was in my cup,

The pressgang thugs will never stop,

My love, the world's a station, cruel & dim,

Where is the truth & dignity,

How can this law be for the free?

The King's shilling will be my lot



They robbed me from my hometown,

And pressed me on their ship,

Forced to fight their dirty war,

Slave under their whip,


In the days of impressment,

No law forbade his arrestment,

Sailor’s freedom for what it’s worth,

Where is the justice on this earth?

In the days of impressment.



The King's Shilling Will Be My Lot (with Dan Lockhart & Oorlab) + videolink

The train to nowhere has no end
As far as you can see around the bend
There always is another curve
Another chapter to the story
So we can continue to pretend
Not to see how our story ends

We try so hard to never see
The end of tracks go on endlessly
We hear them rumble beneath our feet
We feel the sway in perfect time
An effect for every cause we find
Creates our end in harmony

A life of storms with wind and rain
Teaches us to weather pain
There is no sense to lie and blame
Hardships on bad timing
The train that I am riding
Is my story just the same

The Train To Nowhere

Like "The King's Shilling Will Be My Lot' this song started with a maritime theme from Dan, to which Dick found the highly original subject of Napoleon's jailor on the island of Saint Helena. There are conspiracy theories (rumours of arsenic poisoning, etc) about what really happened in Napoleon's last years, although both sides of the story are well documented. Dick was inspired by some research he made via the British Library's website. For more information follow these links -
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_Lowe
http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Napoleons-Exile-on-St-Helena/

It is always a pleasure to get the opportunity to work with such wonderful collaborators. Please check out their clouds if you haven't already. This will become part of a set of songs that relate to nautical themes with more to follow soon.

Original Music, All Other Instrumentation - @dan-lockhart
Guitar, Violin, Additional Drums, Lyrics, Vocals, Vocal Melody, Final Mix and Video - @oorlab
Additional Lyrics, Vocals and Artwork - me

Link to video - youtu.be/_PVXdPRpitc

Hudson Lowe took his ship
To horizons far & wide, 
As long as he was sailing,
He felt no need to hide,

Fighting for King & country,
God & honour ran through his veins,
Securing domains,
In campaigns,
With the insane.

Writing letters from quarters,
Beyond the sea,
From an island full of rats,
And devoid of trees.
The Emperor still conniving,
For an escape, that he was striving.

Hudson Lowe
So long ago
Played his part,
In this final act

The Emperor & his jailor,
Prisoners in time, 
Six times met face to face,
In Longwood’s walls of his disgrace 
The Corporal was waiting 
For his final hour,
Using his power,
The Ferryman’s come.

Endless streams of blood,
In Europe's ground, Europe's soul. 
This prison below the equator,
For them both, it would take its toll.

Where is the purpose,
Of rising through the ranks,
When your ship is stranded,
On history's treacherous banks.

Yet Hudson Lowe
So long ago
Played his part,
In this final act
Hudson Lowe
Long ago
Played his part,
Final show.

The Ballad Of Hudson Lowe (with Dan Lockhart and Dick Vestdijk)+videolink

Special thanks to Ashesndreams for her acappella

Lyrics :
Baby no me pidas que me aparte
Yo ya te he buscado en todas partes
Solamente vengo a recordarte que estoy
Imaginandote
Una y otra vez
Que tu estas aqui conmigo
Acariciandome
No seas timido
Dejate querer
Que si dudas te prometo
Que vas a volver

No tengo miedo
Soy un kamikaze
Mi imaginacion se prende con lo que me haces
Diario yo te pienso
Te tengo en mis suenos
Eres el motor para escribir todos mis versos
No te voy a mentir te quiero todo pa mi

IMAGINANDOTE. 🎧.  feat  Ashesndreams

Take Flight (mix #1)
Step into the sonic slipstream with Three Photons as they unveil "Take Flight"—a soul-drenched journey through warm tape hiss, vintage textures, and melodic uplift. This isn’t just a track—it’s a moment suspended in analog air.


Written and Recorded by TJG May 2025
Written in B-flat Major 😉
Trying for a vintage sound jazz composition. Thanks for listening. 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Technical Details:
Rhythm Guitar: Gibson ES 175
Lead Guitar: Gibson ES 335
Guitar Amplifier: Fender George Benson Hot Rod Deluxe
Fender pedal board: Line 6 delay
Bass Guitar: Fender Squire recorded with API 505 DI
Mics: a pair of Royer r10 ribbons on guitars
Mic: AEA R44 vocals
Mic preamps: API 312
Spatial effects: analog reverb
Mixer: API 32 channel summing mixer (8200/7800)
Stereo Bus processing (API EQ and API compressor)
Final mix down to a MARA MCI JH110 1/4inch 2-track at 15 ips using ATR Master Tape.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Take Flight

Take flight, you’re on your way tonight
Take time, you’re always on my mind
You’re always on my mind

Dark night, we can’t see stars or light
We can’t see stars or light
We can’t see stars or light

Star light, I’m on my way tonight
I’ll be there, at first light
At first light

Star light, I’m on my way tonight
I’ll be there, at first light
At first light

Take flight

Written, performed and recorded by Neli CoKo, 2025, all rights reserved. 
Thank you for listening :)

Original Photography by https://www.pexels.com/de-de/@anna-nekrashevich/

Lost In Dreams

Furchtbare Zeiten

Recording sessions from 25/10/2020 - 31/12/2024.
presets, mixing, processing and editing: Pier WILL.
ALL TITLES ARE DOWNLOADABLE
________________________________________________________________________
- Made with MOOG & Modular / Multi-tracks / Without AI
- Composed, arranged, performed, produced by Pier WILL & Studio 4H09
- Artwork - Pier WILL
- Acknowledgements - Ableton, AKG, Arturia, Audacity, Cantabile, Focusrite, 
  Korg, M-Audio, MSI, Sony, SoundCloud, Teac, Techniks, Yamaha.
________________________________________________________________________

AMBIENT_25

Ambient_25

Another song to add to our collection of 'Songs from the Sea'. As before, Dan offered a slow celtic air, which had such a beautiful melody that it felt like a 'boat song'. I was inspired to write a lyric about the herring fishing industry that was once so important to so many nations. Dick and Dan added some more lyrics, then the tempo had to quicken to convey the joy of the fishermen returning home and once it had all three of us singing, it began to really take shape. Thank you for taking the time to listen and comment.

Original Music, All Other Instrumentation, Vocals, Additional Lyrics, Final Mix - @dan-lockhart
Guitar, Violin, Vocals, Additional Lyrics - @oorlab
Vocals, Lyrics and Artwork - me
The image, I believe to be of 'Herring Girls' in Scarborough, North Yorkshire but I can't be sure and unfortunately I have no source to thank and credit either.

Sunrise on the horizon,
Beyond tired and cold,
Dawn begins to brighten,
Homeward if this course we hold
'Til we roam again

Homeward, 
Landward,
With our nets full,
Of the silver darlings

With only wood and nails,
Between us and peril,
With the wind in our sails,
And herring for the barrel,
'Til we roam again.

Homeward, 
Landward,
With our nets full,
Of the silver darlings

Neptune and Saint Peter,
Bring us to the shore,
Bounty from the ocean
Harvest the sea once more
'Til we roam again.

Homeward, 
Landward,
With our nets full,
Of the silver darlings

Homeward, 
Landward,
Home

The Silver Darlings (with Dan Lockhart & Dick Vestdijk)

Well hello… A new song, with a new instrument. A pawnshop Ukulele. Ha. What a fun instrument to play. Just had to. A few simple Uke chords, some acoustic guitar soloing, and a tale of sailing the ocean as a metaphor for life. And yes, lyrically I was talking with a seagull. And just so you know I have gotten really good at ‘talking’ with birds. I can click talk like a grackle, whisper whistle like a robin, whistle talk a curious melody like a chickadee, among others. Still working on my duck call. Ha… Years ago, I remember annoying some people at a party with this wooden duck call my buddy had. So maybe a future song about birds? And right outside my door there are some interesting avian dynamics between the grackles and robins nesting in the spruce trees. They argue every day, about territory and invasion of their personal space, but when danger appears, like a hawk or cat, they come together in unison to fend off the threat. In the natural biology of things, humans haven’t fallen too far from that spruce tree. Anyway, robins do not like the dark. They anxiously chatter with loud worry chirping amongst themselves at dusk, and create a chorus melody of happy song at dawn. With me being a late sleeper, their morning serenades can be quite bothersome at 4:30AM. A lesson for me though, as at times I am not so welcoming as I wakeup to another frenetic global morning. Anyway, birds and their enthusiastic singing far outpaces my own. Ha. There are many other birds here, but I will save that for another time. Hope you are well. Thanks for dropping by, Mark

Uke Chantey

July 4th

On The Sea

With things so bleak and frightening at the moment, I thought a wee fun country number might bring a smile or two, for a moment anyway.
For the lovely Finse, Happy Birthday my dear! <3
Music, Lyrics, Vocals, Guitar, and Harmonica - Lizzie Taypen
Cover painting - Lizzie Pentland

Them Hitchin Angels

The story of Grace Darling to me as a child felt like the ultimate example of female heroism imaginable. This year celebrates the bicentenary of her birth. For more information on her life please visit these links –
http://www.gracedarling.co.uk
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Darling
http://rnli.org/aboutus/historyandheritage/museums/Pages/Grace-Darling-Museum.aspx

This song was different from most of our other collaborations in the way it developed. It started from a lyric for almost all of the song from myself, which Dick added to, especially in the chorus as well as coming up with the music and vocal melody. Dan came on board later with backing vocals and more instrumentation as well as the final mix.

I’d like to thank Dan and Dick yet again for their patience and creativity and for enabling me to realise this piece. I’d also like to thank some other fellow Soundclouders from the North of England for some invaluable advice whilst we were researching this subject -
https://soundcloud.com/the-secret-red-orchestra
https://soundcloud.com/sciencebase
and https://soundcloud.com/gibson-j-4-5

Mark J Bennett – Lyrics, Vocals, Artwork
https://soundcloud.com/dan-lockhart – Backing vocals, Mandolin, Bass and Final Mix
https://soundcloud.com/oorlab – Music, Additional Lyrics, Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Drums and Video.

Videolink - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V31JV3Bqz8&feature=youtu.be

Witnessing the wreck from her window,
Showed her mettle when facing peril.
With her father, she braved the storm
Little thought of fear or harm.
Survivors clamour for dear life,      
On half a ship as if cut by a knife.
Grace be brave, daughter of the lighthouse.
A ray of hope, when all else fades.

Rowed a mile in a Northumbrian coble,
Was an act so selfless and noble.
They rescued four men and Sarah Dawson,
Too late for the vicar and her children.
Newspapers clamour for her story,
And bathe in her reflected glory.
Grace be brave, daughter of the lighthouse.
A ray of hope, when all else fades.

Eighteen were saved from the sixty-two, 
Gifts and donations they did accrue,
From circus, Duke and even the Queen.
Such fuss, they could not have foreseen.
Artists clamour for her likeness,
Yet something faded from her brightness.
Grace be brave, daughter of the lighthouse.
A ray of hope, when all else fades.

Unwanted celebrity was hard to maintain,
The pressures of fame, proved a strain.
Already reclusive on her island retreat,
Her admirers became indiscreet.
Visitors clamour for a token,
Grace’s calm, forever broken.
Grace be brave, daughter of the lighthouse.
A ray of hope, when all else fades.
Grace be brave, daughter of the lighthouse.
Grace be brave, daughter of the lighthouse.


Grace Be Brave (with Dan Lockhart & Dick Vestdijk)+Videolink

Dear listener, Feel free to leave comments and I'll try to reply.

I've been making music for around 16 years now but because of the wonderfully generous community that is SC, I have learned so much in a short time. I look forward to learning even more by collaborating. 
I suppose my strengths are in lyric-writing and singing. I feel fortunate to have been able to work with some stunning compositions by some very talented SCers.

My very best to you, Mark

Some links to recent Continental Collision streaming sites, etc are available below:

When I'm Home (ProgRockDan1/Oorlab Collaboration)

markjbennett

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