1-2-3 is a mid-60s pop hit in the style of Motown. This version is an attempt to replicate the original, using the same instrumentation and arrangement.

1-2-3

Matt Black

Near And Far

Matt Black, Pt. 2

Matt Black Pt2

A twist of Sam Cooke, a hint of The Drifters, a touch of The Foundations and a nod to The Locomotion.

Joe's Place

There’s always been stories around here. Tales of strangers blowing in on the wind. There’s one from a few years back, when some people stole into the old granary around a spring equinox. We never knew who they were or what they were doing in there but every now and then we’d hear sounds of music floating in the breeze. There were times when I swear I heard drums in the pitter-patter of the rain and guitars entwined with bird song but Clara told me I was hearing things and maybe I needed to cut down on the drinking a little.

This went on for ten days or so but by the time Palm Sunday came there were no more sounds coming from the old granary and we thought they’d blown out on the wind, just like they came in. Some people said the whole thing was just overactive imagination while some of the older folk said it was the woodland spirits.

Anyway, a few months ago the local officials decided it was time to restore the old granary because they said it wasn’t safe anymore and it was an important part of our history. Occasionally bits of it broke off and they were worried about folks being hit by tumbling masonry. So before the restoration work started we went in to clear out anything that had been left inside and, in an old crate hidden up in the rafters we found boxes of tapes, studio tapes that beat-combos were using back in the day for recording music. The boxes were covered in dust and cobwebs but we could make out faded handwriting that seemed to spell out EL…..TON. Now we thought that maybe we’d hit the jackpot, finding some long lost Elton John recordings while someone suggested maybe it was the Duke himself.

We were mystified so we took the tapes down to Ned at Gold Inya Soul studio, where he’s got some of the machinery that plays these old tapes - computers haven’t quite reached him yet. And on those tapes were the sounds I’d heard through the rain and birdsong all those years ago. Ned and I thought the music was pretty darned good and decided that maybe there are folks out there who are going to feel the same way when they hear it. So we started working through those tapes and making the music on them available to everyone. It’s a slow and careful operation because the tapes are so old and delicate but we’re getting there.

What does it sound like? You can listen for yourself but I’d say it’s timeless popular beat music with a sprinkling of blues and soul. It takes me back to a time when songwriting was what it was all about and three minute pop masterpieces could transport you to a place a little bit closer to heaven.

Of course, we’re none the wiser as to who they were, where they came from and where they went. We just call them The Long Departed.

The Long Departed

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