CREDITS
Singing and playing by CG
Songs written by CG, published by Gregsongs, administered by Bug Music Ltd (UK)
Recorded & Mixed by CG
Produced by CLIVE GREGSON
Mastered by JIM DeMAIN at Yes Master, Nashville, TN
Photograph by: Clive Gregson
Singing and playing by CG
Songs written by CG, published by Gregsongs, administered by Bug Music Ltd (UK)
Recorded & Mixed by CG
Produced by CLIVE GREGSON
Mastered by JIM DeMAIN at Yes Master, Nashville, TN
Photograph by: Clive Gregson
| I LOVE THIS TOWN, TAKE ONE |
NOTES
Somewhere between the last Any Trouble album and the last Gregson & Collister album, I got into the habit of
"trialling" potential album projects. "I Love This Town" was no exception. Prior to going into the studio with the
musicians, I had already written all the songs and recorded my first solo drafts. As things transpired, I don't own
the rights to the final album and since that is the only one of my solo albums that is currently unavailable in any
format, I thought it might be interesting to release the original recordings as my first ever "download only"
album. So here it is..... hope you enjoy it!
01: "I LOVE THIS TOWN"
This version of the song was the template for the Nanci Griffith recording, which is perhaps one of my better
known cover recordings. I recorded this at home on a Tascam 488 multitrack cassette machine and mixed it
down to a Revox B77. Talk about old technology! It's not about anywhere in particular... any town that you've
had enough of will work just fine.
02: "TATTOO"
My dad's favourite song.... well, his favourite of my songs, anyway. I got the idea for this one from a roadside
sign that Nancy, my ex-wife, spotted in Kentucky.... "Charlie's Tattoos - Done While You Wait"..... Couldn't
make it up, could you? A bit of a mandolin workout.... I actually learned a fourth chord in order to play this one.
Recorded at home on the Tascam 488. I pulled that machine out the other day.... it still works perfectly. Pretty
amazing...
03: "LOVE CASTS A LONG SHADOW"
I must have been very into experimenting with key changes when I was writing this album... the title track is a
frenzy of modulations and this little toe-tapper has a wander into pastures new for the solo sections. I played
my trusty old Gretsch Tennessean on this track... the tuning is a tad youth club but the vibe is great!
04: "JERICHO JUNCTION"
We ran this song in live on the 1992 Boo, Clive and Eddi tour.... a much more acoustic version. Pretty
complicated tune....as mentioned, I was really into key changes back then: I'd read somewhere that many
Motown hits featured modulations. I spent ages "flying in" the backwards stuff from a Sony Walkman. We're not
talking hi-fi here.... I think The Feeling should have a crack at this.... anybody know how to get it to them?
05: "LONELY STREET"
Title lifted from "Heartbreak Hotel"... of course! My Elvis Presley fixation surfaces again.... I'm particularly
proud of the middle eight in this song: I'd worked out a chord sequence that cycled through various keys before
arriving back at the starting chord.... then all I had to do was float a melody over it and fit the words in! Dead
easy, this songwriting caper...
06: "THINGS I DIDN'T DO"
One of my personal favourites of my own recordings.... very simple song with somewhat universal
sentiments.... or at least I hope so! I wrote this on acoustic guitar but this version is pretty much led by the piano
part. A firm live favourite....
07: "GEOGRAPHY"
I wrote this as a bit of a companion piece to Boo's song "History"... we used to joke that we were working our
way through the school curriculum in song! More mandolin.... fairly rocking along. The electric guitar is my old
grey Telecaster, my Any Trouble guitar. I don't break it out often enough.... it still makes a great noise.
08: "SECONHDAND CAR"
A story song in a rock and roll style.... and the oldest recording in this collection. This first cropped up in the
final days of Gregson & Collister and I cut this version on my old 4 track portastudio.... and thus it's not very
high in the fidelity stakes! Dead vibey though.... The Bellzouki electric 12 string and my trusty pink Giffin Tele
play off each other. None of the "facts" in this song are true..... honestly!
09: "RUMOUR FACTORY"
Ah, those loveable media folk. I never cease to be amazed at what they print and/or broadcast on a daily
basis.... if only more of it was true! I wouldn't know where to start if I had to play that guitar/piano duet now.... I
must have been nuts. I always had a mental picture of chattering typewriters in sync to this track.... must get
some different hay fever medication!
10: "THE CROSS I BEAR"
From one Memphis to the other.... my attempt at a groovy soul track... but with Biblical imagery. Can't imagine
why this never caught on in Nashville, the buckle of the Bible Belt! I've always had a soft spot for this one.... I
kept the fade out pretty long just because I liked the vibe and thought the old grey Telecaster had never
sounded better. Go figure...
11: "RAMSHACKLE ROAD"
Another live favourite.... everybody loves a sad song, right? Chiming acoustic guitars.... the solo is played on
my lovely (but very battered) '64 Texan. People sing this one in English folk clubs..... I've heard them!
12: "MY BRILLIANT PAST"
Autobiographical..... what's that all about then? Don't ask me.... I just write them! Must learn this again.... I'd
quite forgotten how much I liked it. Piano and grey Telecaster trade solos.... and the acoustic 12 string drives
the rhythm along. "How far from tomorrow till the day I drop dead?".... closer now than when I wrote this song,
that's for sure!
13: "JERICHO JUNCTION" (reprise)
A little snatch of the psychedelic and backwards stuff from this track.... just for the hell of it! Lava lamps and
loon pants at the ready...
Clive Gregson, Houston, TX, March 2010
Somewhere between the last Any Trouble album and the last Gregson & Collister album, I got into the habit of
"trialling" potential album projects. "I Love This Town" was no exception. Prior to going into the studio with the
musicians, I had already written all the songs and recorded my first solo drafts. As things transpired, I don't own
the rights to the final album and since that is the only one of my solo albums that is currently unavailable in any
format, I thought it might be interesting to release the original recordings as my first ever "download only"
album. So here it is..... hope you enjoy it!
01: "I LOVE THIS TOWN"
This version of the song was the template for the Nanci Griffith recording, which is perhaps one of my better
known cover recordings. I recorded this at home on a Tascam 488 multitrack cassette machine and mixed it
down to a Revox B77. Talk about old technology! It's not about anywhere in particular... any town that you've
had enough of will work just fine.
02: "TATTOO"
My dad's favourite song.... well, his favourite of my songs, anyway. I got the idea for this one from a roadside
sign that Nancy, my ex-wife, spotted in Kentucky.... "Charlie's Tattoos - Done While You Wait"..... Couldn't
make it up, could you? A bit of a mandolin workout.... I actually learned a fourth chord in order to play this one.
Recorded at home on the Tascam 488. I pulled that machine out the other day.... it still works perfectly. Pretty
amazing...
03: "LOVE CASTS A LONG SHADOW"
I must have been very into experimenting with key changes when I was writing this album... the title track is a
frenzy of modulations and this little toe-tapper has a wander into pastures new for the solo sections. I played
my trusty old Gretsch Tennessean on this track... the tuning is a tad youth club but the vibe is great!
04: "JERICHO JUNCTION"
We ran this song in live on the 1992 Boo, Clive and Eddi tour.... a much more acoustic version. Pretty
complicated tune....as mentioned, I was really into key changes back then: I'd read somewhere that many
Motown hits featured modulations. I spent ages "flying in" the backwards stuff from a Sony Walkman. We're not
talking hi-fi here.... I think The Feeling should have a crack at this.... anybody know how to get it to them?
05: "LONELY STREET"
Title lifted from "Heartbreak Hotel"... of course! My Elvis Presley fixation surfaces again.... I'm particularly
proud of the middle eight in this song: I'd worked out a chord sequence that cycled through various keys before
arriving back at the starting chord.... then all I had to do was float a melody over it and fit the words in! Dead
easy, this songwriting caper...
06: "THINGS I DIDN'T DO"
One of my personal favourites of my own recordings.... very simple song with somewhat universal
sentiments.... or at least I hope so! I wrote this on acoustic guitar but this version is pretty much led by the piano
part. A firm live favourite....
07: "GEOGRAPHY"
I wrote this as a bit of a companion piece to Boo's song "History"... we used to joke that we were working our
way through the school curriculum in song! More mandolin.... fairly rocking along. The electric guitar is my old
grey Telecaster, my Any Trouble guitar. I don't break it out often enough.... it still makes a great noise.
08: "SECONHDAND CAR"
A story song in a rock and roll style.... and the oldest recording in this collection. This first cropped up in the
final days of Gregson & Collister and I cut this version on my old 4 track portastudio.... and thus it's not very
high in the fidelity stakes! Dead vibey though.... The Bellzouki electric 12 string and my trusty pink Giffin Tele
play off each other. None of the "facts" in this song are true..... honestly!
09: "RUMOUR FACTORY"
Ah, those loveable media folk. I never cease to be amazed at what they print and/or broadcast on a daily
basis.... if only more of it was true! I wouldn't know where to start if I had to play that guitar/piano duet now.... I
must have been nuts. I always had a mental picture of chattering typewriters in sync to this track.... must get
some different hay fever medication!
10: "THE CROSS I BEAR"
From one Memphis to the other.... my attempt at a groovy soul track... but with Biblical imagery. Can't imagine
why this never caught on in Nashville, the buckle of the Bible Belt! I've always had a soft spot for this one.... I
kept the fade out pretty long just because I liked the vibe and thought the old grey Telecaster had never
sounded better. Go figure...
11: "RAMSHACKLE ROAD"
Another live favourite.... everybody loves a sad song, right? Chiming acoustic guitars.... the solo is played on
my lovely (but very battered) '64 Texan. People sing this one in English folk clubs..... I've heard them!
12: "MY BRILLIANT PAST"
Autobiographical..... what's that all about then? Don't ask me.... I just write them! Must learn this again.... I'd
quite forgotten how much I liked it. Piano and grey Telecaster trade solos.... and the acoustic 12 string drives
the rhythm along. "How far from tomorrow till the day I drop dead?".... closer now than when I wrote this song,
that's for sure!
13: "JERICHO JUNCTION" (reprise)
A little snatch of the psychedelic and backwards stuff from this track.... just for the hell of it! Lava lamps and
loon pants at the ready...
Clive Gregson, Houston, TX, March 2010
