Sent To Coventry

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Coventry's revitalised music scene. Part 1

I am proud of my Coventrian heritage. Although the city is the butt of jokes such as 'Sent to Coventry' which is actually based in fact, Coventry has a rich history and particularly when it comes to music. I was equally proud to be on the Mainstage of the Coventry Godiva Festival with Sonrisa on the final day and the relaunched Coventry Jazz Festival earlier in the spring.

 

Click on the photo opposite for the whole Godiva Festival gallery. 

There is also a huge ska movement still some 30 years after the Specials and the Selecter became household names. I have been honoured to jam, record and perform with some of these guys and hope to become close to the fabric of this fair city's musical fabric as they are.  
 

Baby I'll be Yours:
 

Originally performed in 1970 by the Gaylads who shared the same roster as Toots and the Maytals, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Desmond Dekker, Jimmy Cliff amongst others on Leslie Kong's Beverley Records Label. Curiously this cut remained unissued until ealier this year as  a Limited edition 7" now sold out. 

Rob Moss had the idea of reissuing a 2013 version of the original using a cross section of Coventry musicians some of whom have made their own history on the UK Ska scene.

 

Produced by Grammy winner Roger Lomas (Lee 'Scratch' Perry, Bad Manners, Toyah Wilcox, Roy Wood and scores of others) and recorded in Coventry.

 

'Baby I'll be yours' features the special vocal talents of Johnny St. John (Brothers of Soul) and a fine array of musicians from the Midlands.

 

Guitar - Neol Davies (Selecter)

Drums - Rick Medlock (Pazazz)

Bass - Wayne Matthews (Leah McFall, The Risk)

Keyboards - Mark Steeds (Pazazz)

Trombone - Dale Gibson (Glenn Miller Band)

Tenor Saxophone - Leigh Malin (The Beat)

Trumpet - Andy McIntyre (UB42)

 

Available for download from 8th July 2013 as full length vocal track and full length instrumental.

 

Click on the Soundcloud link below for a sample of the track.

 

Part II will focus on other local talents such as Wes Finch, Lucy Anne Sale and Verity Pabla.