In the early sixties my folks applied for the £10 Pom thing and we were all set to go to Australia. However, my mum got cold feet a few weeks before the boat sailed and so we never went. My brothers and I were gutted - we had already given away most of our toys. Had to get them all back again! I did make to Australia in my late twenties for a working holiday and often wondered what life would have been like if we had went - it's all that sliding door stuff. I spent a month driving round the place - it's enormous! What struck me most is how much of it so familiar and alien at the same time. Everything is kinda backwards - Xmas in summertime!

Australia (Xmas in Summertime)

 When I left school I worked in a huge factory for three years doing a job I hated! Later on I worked in one of Dundee's last jute mills on the Dens road. The Mill Lavvies were still on the go. I used to sit and have a fag with a luvly old guy who had worked there since 1929! Honest! The groove emulates the giant machines that used to pound all day doing Feck nose what! There's also a wee nod to the Beatles "Day in the life" in there with the clock and piano chord.   
 

Anything Precious

This is Paul Schofield singing Each Day in London. 1988. Chris Marra came down from Dundee to play guitar on it. (god bless im) The piano is played by Dennis Haines of the Hollies, would you believe. Another very nice man. Lots of people have asked me for this version. It was lost for a while but I have managed to splang up a cassette version of it which I think is well worth listening to. Hope you enjoy it. Luv Knightee. 

Each Day

When I wrote this the title reminded me of the kind of message you used to get on lovehearts. I mentioned this to Carol Storrier and she drew me one! Ahhh! Carol did the artwork for the Rope and Vine cover. Another fab vocal from David Webster, who told me that his uncle "burst oot greetin" when he heard it. That makes two of us... Hope you enjoy it and feel free to pass it along. Cheers, Knightee.   

Everything Wonderful

This is the final mix of the song - mastered at Gardyne College, 11 april 2013. A huge thanks to Ross Nicoll for the sound of the boots in the line-dance section. Ross mixed the song. Great drums from Michael Benbow and the usual superb vocal from David Webster. 

Great Big Gun

This is the final mix of the song. Sounds pretty much the way I want it to. People are used to hearing me play this on an acoustic guitar when I blooterered at New year perties so a bit of a departure from that. David Webster on vocals. Michael Benbow on drums. A tongue in cheek look at the "demon drink"  

Such A Jealous Mistress

The first time I heard Dave Webster singing he was performing halleluiah by Leonard Cohen. It was fabulous. This version is a wee bit different. Enjoy 

Singing Halleluiah

When I was in my late twenties I went to see a performance of Beethoven's Ninth at the Caird Hall. It was just before Christmas. I couldn't persuade anyone else to go so went on own. It turned out to be a mixture of professional and local Dundee musicians. There was a massive choir which took up all the back stage of the hall. In the orchestra were school-kids and in particular one wee lassie on the violin who looked about ten or twelve. I was captivated by her and the other kids giving it laldy on their violins. I wondered how it felt at that age to be part of such a huge production. The concert was wonderful - the music!!!! Anyway this song is dedicated to those kids  - wherever they are. Hope they still remember!    

Ode to Joy

This song was recorded in 1988 at Advision studios in London. It was one of these massive 80's studios with loads of expensive reverb units (check out the piano chord art the end) . We were there for a month courtesy of Polydor records. In studio one was the pet shop boys, studio two  - Status Quo and us in number three. We met a lot in the common room which had a chef who would cook you up anything, anytime. The blond guy from Status Quo used to roll in every night about ten for a listen -One night he came in to our studio with a blond dame one each arm and four bottles of champagne - He said "f@@king rock and roll" and laughed and left!!!. This song features Howard Hughes on piano who did loads of work with Billy MacKenzie. Matt Backer on guitar who recently turned up on the Fiona McKenkzie album and the fab Paul Schofield on vocals. The producer was Graham Dixon who did loads of stuff with Joan armour-plating This is one of my sister's favourites so dedicated to her xxx. The photie was taken at the same time!!
I'd just been to a big sale of clothes and stuff  that used to belong to Elton John. Bought that jekit - It's still in my wardrobe.

If I still have you

This song is a big thank you to Nick Drake for getting me through a lot o teenage angst. This is the final mix of "Lyke a River. I've had so many people responding to me on this song - thank you so much. I thought it might be time to give it another post. Happy sunday. This version was mixed by my lifelong friend - Mr Chris Marra xxx. I am proud to say he is one of the constants in my life.
 
luv 
Knightee

Lyke a River

This is the final mix of AP. It is the first song on the album, Rope and Vine. This song was inspired by some of the dreadful jobs I had in factories after I left school. It was a time when Dundee had lots of massive factories like Timex and NCR. I had a job briefly in of Dundee's last big jute mills. It hadn't changed for decades but looking back it really was the end of an era. I used to have fag in the mill lavvies with a guy who had worked  there since 1929! He just walked around with a brush all day pretending to sweep stuff - luvly man. There is a deliberate nod to Sgt. Pepper's Day in the Life with the alarm clock and piano chord at the end - similar themes and one of my favourite songs.   

Stevee Knight

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