Sea songs ... I first wrote one in the early 80s while living high and dry in north Texas. Flash forward nearly 20 years and I found myself volunteering as a crew member aboard the historic tall ship Elissa in Galveston while living aboard the 32' sloop Libertine. A few years after that, I'd married a lovely lass from Great Britain and moved aboard a 38' sloop named Sea Spell. Admiral Jo and I set out to sail the East Coasts and Caribbean for a few years. Along the way we wrote a variety of saltwater influenced songs ... from traditional sea shanties and calypso infused reggae to blues and country infused ditties. We've now moved high and dry to Colorado, but we finally got around to recording that collection. Enjoy! Fair winds and smooth water, Rob and Jo

Sea Spell

Classic LUCkY TAiLORs track from the late 1980s. Possibly the world's only ode to a much neglected body part. Recorded with a cassette based home studio.

Lyrics by Rob Lucey (bass)
Music by Judson Taylor (Vocals, guitar)

Sartor Resartus

Knees

In their post-college, post European sabbatical days, LUCkY TAiLORs engulfed upon careers in journalism (Lucey) and public relations (Taylor). Though separated by distance, they continued to get together periodically for several years to re-kindle the songwriting flame. Considering country music as a potential outlet to sell some of their songs, their music moved in that direction in the late 80s/early 90s.

A Bit of Country

L-O-V-E Love

This collection of sea songs was written over the past couple of decades (plus one song from forty years ago). This ballad is based on a true story.

Here on this Island

Here On This Island

Many of these songs were written while living on a boat in Galveston Bay. This one was penned on the way out of the state heading for friendlier waters. Viewed from afar, the once proud state of Texas is looking kind of sad.

Leaving Texas Behind

This one is written and sung by the admiral of our fair vessel, Jo. Our album, Sea Spell, is named after the 38-foot sloop we lived aboard and sailed along the East Coast and through the Caribbean for more than three years.

Sailing in the Caribbean

This is the one song on this album which has been previously recorded. It appeared on the CD "Crew of the Elissa" by the Barquentones, a sea shanty band I belonged to at the turn of the century. This is an all new rendition.

Faraway Katie

When blokes move aboard boats, lurking just below the surface, is the hope that somebody might join them aboard. Luckily, the romance of the nautical lifestyle provides an irresistible allure to a few adventurous damsels. Music and lyrics by Rob Lucey. Vocals, guitars by Rob Lucey. Recorder by Jo Lucey. Bass and backup vocals by Kevin Jecker. Drums by Darcy Bluebird.

Let's Go

Former UT Austin roommates and tandem busking duo Judson Taylor and Rob Lucey re-unite their quasi-eponymous band LUCkY TAiLORs in the late 80s for a bold attempt at taking over the country market.

Last Time For Everything

A song I wrote for my millennial sea shanty band, The Barquentones from the crew of the tall ship Elissa in Galveston, Texas. This was the second track on our only CD album. Bob Brown on lead vocals, guitar, banjo and accordion. I'm on bass. Reg Loudermilk on percussion. Allison Maddox-Brown, Judy Ryland and Max Riley on backup vocals. Might have been a whistle in there by Bob or Allison.

This was one of those cases where our friend CW wandered into our dorm room cassette tape studio and greatly elevated our production quality. In this case, he actually created and performed the spoken vox in addition to the funky cool bass. Judson on the sung vox and I think one of the keyboards. I'm on the guitar. It was always a cool collaboration. This is about the most Art Rock piece we produced. Headphones recommended.

Thoughtless Logic

When your college room mate and songwriting partner delves into your collection of bad high school poetry and performs the result in the guise of an itenerant minstrel whose name melds both of your middle names. James Scott the busking folk singer had a 1987 cassette release called "Christmas with James Scott." This song was not on it. In fact, it appears to have been previously unreleased.

Nature's Way

UT Jester Dormitory roomies Rob and Judson, performing as LUCkY TAilORs, spend their spare time during their 80s college daze recording ditties in their cobbled together cassette tape studio. This previously unheard track is one result. Lyrics, music and most of performance by Judson Taylor. Bass, second guitar and studio assist by Rob Lucey. Kind of a bouncy number. From the unreleased album Sartor Resartus.

How Can You Keep Me Away

We actually messed around with a tune incorporating the bizarre mugging of news anchor Dan Rather shortly after it occurred (as opposed to eight years later, like REM did). It remained, however, a fragment and never evolved into a full-blown rendering.

Kenneth What's The Frequency?

UT Austin roommates Judson and Rob set up a cassette tape recording studio in their 12th Floor Jester Dormitory room circa 1986. This is one of the results. Words, music and everything but the bass by Judson Taylor. Bass by Rob Lucey.

SomethingInDisguise

Wherein Rob attempted an homage to Gary Numan and only proves that his keyboard skills never even approached adequate. Roland drum machine and Moog synthesizer in the dorm room circa about 1986/87.

NOTE: This track is significantly altered from the original cassette tape recording. It has been sped up and edited to a shorter duration to limit your listening displeasure. You're welcome.

Key2BEanNoodle

Bored college student strings together cheesy pet names in the form of a lullaby. An early example of said student attempting to sing and play guitar at the same time (which he has gotten slightly better at since college).

Hypocorista's Lullaby

Wherein a suburban guy moves to a small Texas town and attempts to write country lyrics and his songwriting partner in San Antonio tries to write country music to go with them. Lyrics and bass by Rob Lucey. Music, vocals and piano by Judson Taylor. Drums by Sticks. (Pardon the cassette tape crunch at the :22 mark. Old tech dubbed into the digital age.)

Too Much To Leave You

A snippet from a dorm room recording session featuring Judson Taylor on acoustic guitar, Chris Ware on keyboard and Rob Lucey on crappy lead guitar. Not sure if the bass might be somebody else or Chris' left hand on the keys.

Golly

Three guys in a mid 80s Texas dormitory having a random jam session with their drum machine. It gets tedious, there are key changes, and it meanders to no where in particular. Along the way, a harmonica attempts to sneak in. The guitar starts to imprecisely slide around. Vocals dwell on baby and her transgressions. The keyboard churns steadily along. A hypnotic sense of eternity emerges before it all abruptly ends.

Caca Phoney

A quick demo from the 90s. Intended to be a duet with a dad verse and a mom verse, but we never polished it up and found a female vocalist.

Music, vocals and guitar by Judson Taylor. Lyrics and high guitar by Rob Lucey.

My Little Girl

Rob Lucey started writing songs in high school in the early 80s. At the University of Texas in 1986, he began collaborating with his dorm roommate, Judson Taylor, recording the results on a basic twin cassette deck. Rob went on to perform in a sea shanty band and more recently has written sea songs and Americana tunes that will hopefully be recorded soon. Meanwhile, he has dubbed many of the long dormant LUCkY TAiLORs cassettes into the digital realm for your listening pleasure! Today, my musical pursuits continue in collaboration with my talented wife, Joanne Lucey, as Lucky Sailors.

LUCkY SAiLORs

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