A song that I recorded through mid-October to mid-November 2013.
This one started off with some... ahem, borrowed chords and went from there.
Tried to keep this one in check and keep it fairly short and sweet.

On The Ropes (Again)

Well I don't know of too many prog rock epics arising from the Isle of Wight, but here's my attempt! All 22+ minutes of it!
This tune is based on a short story written by Ray Bradbury called 'The Fog Horn' from his book of short stories entitled 'The Golden Apples of the Sun', which was required reading when I was at school in the 1970's!
As ever I'm playing and singing everything for better or worse!
Here are the lyrics;

KINDRED CALL
Sleeping in the darkness for a thousand years
A sound rings out and strikes into the sleeper’s ears
Giant slumbers wakened by a kindred call
Lonely monster thought he had outlived them all

The lighthouse casts it’s beam into the black of night
The keeper tends the lamp to keep it burning bright
A mist so thick descends, enveloping the bay
The fog-horn sounds aloud to warn all souls who stray

From the cold dark depths a huge form stirs to rise
Expectant hope that sparkles in his tired eyes
Swimming from the deep into the light again
From a thousand miles below he hauls his massive frame

An eerie presence reigns across the bay tonight
Beneath the waves he glides so huge but so silent
The keeper senses something strange upon the air
The light beams out, what was that shape caught in its glare?

I am here, calling you, please respond, my greeting
Burning eyes, thunderous moan, frightened minds, hearts-a-beating
KILL THE LIGHT! STOP THE HORN! Perhaps he’ll leave if we’re quiet
No response, anguished pain, lashing out, feel my wrath now

What is this? Some weak trick? I will smash you all to pieces
Struck by grief, so alone, it returned to the dark deep

Back to the dark, back to the deep
Back to it’s lair, back to it’s sleep
Back to it’s pain ever to keep
Never seen again (x 3)
Never wake again


KINDRED CALL

Here's another of my 'progressive' efforts, to my surprise this one picked up a Semi-Finalist Certificate in the 2011 UK Songwriting Contest, I wasn't sure they'd take to a 10+ minute song!
All voices and instruments by Nigel Leppard.

BRIONY BABY

Looking through some old files of my computer I found this old demo recorded back in 2010, it sounded a lot better than I remembered although the overall is a little low, but nonetheless I thought I'd upload it... One day I'll get around to recording it properly.

Daydream (Demo)

A piece of funk/rock that originated from a riff that fell out of my guitar late one night paired with an old lyric I had written some 20 years ago when I was obviously quite pissed off at somebody!
SPITE
1.	You know, I liked you once, but then you went and did me down
You screwed things up and inside out, and turned them all around
You went to try and make like, things were still the same
Tried to cover your tracks with a trail of lies
You caused me a heap of pain;

Ch) Spite, spit and claws, tooth for eye
       Better turn around and kiss your ass goodbye  
       (Repeat)

2.	You’re a worthless piece of nothin’, loud mouth and empty brain
You got no morals and you always think that you’re winning at the game
You try to be so smart, with your jokes and attempts at wit
Your so transparent, yet you can`t see through it
You stupid two-faced shit, I`m gonna get ya`…

Ch) -------------------------------------------------------

3.	I hear you runnin` off at the mouth, you know you make me wanna spew
I`m gonna make you pay, and pay, there`ll be no let up for you
And when you finally plead and grovel in the dirt
There`ll be no forgiveness I`m gonna kick your teeth
`Cos I wanna make you hurt.


SPITE

Just a snippet of a funky idea... more to follow!

Backstreet Funky Mojo. Snippet

Here's a song I wrote back in November 2008 and is somewhat personal as I seem to have an over-developed sense of guilt! 
I originally recorded a rough demo of it as a somewhat proggy rock song getting on for 9 minutes long, but something about it didn't quite click, so after having gone away and thought about it (for quite some time!), it now appears in it's new funky style here.
GUILT
1. Guilt, my old adversary, there you are as ever
     Always weighing down on me, like a monkey on my back
     With your caustic grey clutches
     Will you ever set me free?

2. Yes I know I did wrong, & I know I caused pain
    But it wasn’t planned or malicious
    I was broken down
    I had lost my way
    I just need some forgiveness

CH>	I can’t see you, but you’re always there
        Is this just something that I’m fated to bear?
        I don’t like the way you steer my mind
        I want to leave my guilt behind

3.  Guilt you are such a painful companion
     You’re like the very nerve of sorrow
     Conscience stained I can never feel secure
     Always present, here today, here tomorrow

Bridge; Guilt is regret for what we’ve done
	     Regret is guilt for what we didn’t

4. There’s an old saying that goes something like
    Every guilty person is his own hangman
    I  don’t know if that’s true but one thing I do
    Guilt the gift that keeps on giving


Guilt

Here is a song I originally wrote back in August 2000 while busking around on acoustic guitar, I'd previously recorded a rough demo on an old 8-track, but hopefully have done a better quality job with this attempt - lyrics below.

PARADOX PENDING
VERSE ONE	
You said I’ve seen this place before
There in my mind it opened a door
I don’t know who, or where, or what, or why,
Flickering images raced through my head
I look in your eyes but don`t hear what you`ve said
Standing transfixed, I’m lost in space and time.

CHORUS
I want to feel whole again
I want to be home again
But now I’m standing on the threshold
To who knows where?

VERSE TWO
Where did you come from, why`re you here
I`d though my life settled, year upon year
I ask out of puzzlement not fear.
You took my hand to lead me away
I try to think of a reason why I should stay
There’s no one home, I can’t focus on anything.

CHORUS
INSTRUMENTAL

VERSE THREE
I walk on blind faith to a new world beyond
All that I’ve known seems to have vanished and gone
An unfamiliar place that strangely feels like home.
Numbed by it all, I`ve got to think straight
Paradox pending, perhaps I`ll just wait
I should be leaving, but the feeling here is just fine
I should be leaving, but the feeling here is just fine.

CHORUS


PARADOX PENDING

Here is song I originally wrote way, way back in 1998 and later recorded (in demo form)in the early 2000's, I was actually surprised at how long ago all that was!
Anyway, yes it's another 'searching' song as seems to be my penchant!! As usual everything you hear for better or worse is played and sung by this humble minstrel! Here are the words;

PARALLEL LIFE

1. Open my eyes, open my mind, 
I want to see, I want to find
The door is ajar, it beckons me in, I want to explore the unknown
Seeing the colours, hearing the sounds
The voices call to run free and unbound
Set myself free from societies chains, and let my mind run untamed

(Ch) I`m searching for another dimension
There has to be more than this 
Is there some kind of parallel life
A different way to exist

2. I followed the voice, until I`d lost my way home
Found myself in a strange world, I did not know
Where things are the same, but everythings changed
I recognise everybody, but I don`t know their names

(Ch) --------------------------------------------

(Bridge)
I`ll have to find my way here, 
I can never go home
The door shut fast behind me
I`m lost all alone

(Outro Ch) I went searching for another dimension
I`d felt that there was something I`d missed
Now I`m living a parallel life
A different way to exist.




PARALLEL LIFE

This was the first song I ever recorded when I bought my first Fostex 8-track some years ago that version was rough demo quality, although it was written way back in 1999 I've had a go at re-recording, so this is the 2016 version.

THEY SAY...
1. They say no regrets, but can you really mean it
I guess to some its just black or white
They say no regrets, thats not the way I see it
A different question all those years ago
My life could be different, but I don`t know
It could be better, it could be worse, but I`ll never know

2. They say don`t look back, you should look to the future
But for me all the answers lie in the past
They say be positive, but I just can`t be sure
A different answer all those years ago
My life could be different, but I don`t know
It could be better, it could be worse, but I`ll never know

Ch) Twists of fate just can`t be fathomed
       They throw you to the wayward winds
       They`ll whisk you down lifes winding highway
       Sometimes foe and sometimes friend

3. They say stay in touch, but I`ve been lost forever
Living in a crazy world of my own
They say that hindsight is 20/20 vision
A different decision all those years ago
My life could be different, but I don`t know
And it could be better, it could be worse but I`ll never know…

Ch) -----------------------




THEY SAY....

Here's an acoustic cover of Steely Dan's 'Only a Fool Would Say That', from a bunch of 'one-take' cover tunes I did  few years ago. 

Only a Fool Would Say That

Nigel Leppard is a early-sixties guy living on the Isle of Wight which is a small diamond shaped island off the south coast of England!
I've been making a racket in local covers bands for good many years as a lead singer / guitarist playing mostly classic rock, but also dabbling in metal and poppery and now in my current covers band #Hashtag, we play funk/rock.

I started recording my own material on an old Fostex multi-tracker around 2001, although my first efforts were pretty ropey production wise. I've been using Cakewalk for a few years now and for the limited gear I have can turn out a fairly reasonable recording these days.

I'm one of those one-man banders, in the best traditions of Todd Rundgreness and play and sing everything for better or worse (sometimes the latter!), although my main instrument is guitar.

Nigel Leppard

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