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The Gliders: latest news |
After a time that seems even more unbelievable than Tony Blair's speeches the second album is finally here.
We started recording it in 2001 after the demise of Pathway left us stranded for a suitable studio. We wanted to up some of the production values without losing the old-beer night-sweat chipped-mug fagged-up one-teaspoon stale-breath sun-in-your-eyes smell of Clear Blue Skies. We found a studio in North London which seemed about right. It's on a street where no-one has more than three working limbs and everything is for sale out of a cardboard box with no sell-by restrictions and a no-returns policy. It used to belong to an old guy who hadn't touched the interior design since 1967 and bequeathed a Hammond B3, a Fender suitcase and a Korg Junior to the new owner.
We spent a couple of days in there, and although the tracks sounded good the engineer was in love with his Apple Mac and the cardiographs it made of the songs... so a nod and a wink later we moved down to Battersea and Mark Smith's den. Headlight Eyes and Down were recorded in good style with three mics, a gallon of coffee and no separation at all. Sounded great. Mark has an addiction to outboard gear from the 70's matched only by his sponsorship of Silk Cut and insider gossip.
Of course having started at Mark's we knew it was going to have be a stop-start affair because of his commitments to Brian Ferry - and Andy's impending fatherhood, which was on him like a winning lottery ticket. However, it went good and even though there was the odd three- or four-month hitch like when I smashed my head (funnily enough this was just after BJ recorded his parts) and lost history for a while, we put the sleeve together with snowboarding Matt Powell and mastered it with Dennis Blackham again early this year.
So here it is.
Just like the last time we have no record deal, no manager, no agent, no marketing budget, and no gigs. In fact just like a plane with no engine. Hope you enjoy the flight.
Sean, 14 September 2004
March/April 2001: Morris is on a US tour with The Soft Boys for the next six weeks, so if you're in the States go check it out. The Softies have sold out their New York gig at Maxwells but there's availability on some of the other dates. Support on all dates will be provided by Four Fresh Fellows - from Seattle with big REM connections.
Meanwhile Andy and Sean will be in the studio working on tracks for the follow-up to "Clear Blue Skies". No release date yet, but late Spring early summer is rumoured. Mark Smith is again on bass and Terry Edwards (http://www.terryedwards.co.uk) from Gallon Drunk is guesting on keyboards. Reports from the studio suggest dark grooves and sinewy riffs leaking under the door. Titles include: Medusa Shades, Dr Wishbone, Down, Empty Halls, The Boy with the Headlight Eyes, Morning Sun...
One gig in April at The Greys, Brighton, and this will be without Morris but with Terry Edwards.
That's all for now. Details of future dates to follow soon.
Sean, 27 February 2001
The Gliders have been playing in and around London for the last year, headlining at The 12 Bar Club and The Spitz, and supporting amongst others Patti Rothberg, Mike Henderson, and Robyn Hitchcock. They have also recorded their debut CD.
It was during the recording of the album that they took time out to make a promo video for "Wasp In Autumn" with director and VJ Phil Smith. It was shot in a derelict Hackney Town Hall in an afternoon, and edited in Phil's studio in The Blue Note Club, Hoxton whilst up-and-coming artist Tracy Emmins was directing a performance installation in the next room. Some of her original drawings are used as a collage in the video.