Chaps. Here are the words inside the album that describe what and how.
Why Corvids '20? It's obvious if you think about it for a moment.
How else would four gentlemen of a certain age describe themselves,
locked down by the first wave of Covid-19, croaking their way through
a selection of their favourite songs?
This CD is a one off project, constructed over the internet between
March 2020 and September 2021. Two of us are based in
Southampton, one in north Dorset and the other in Dumfries; the greatest
number of us who've been in the same room at the same time is three,
and that only on one occasion, right at the end.
The vocal arrangements were taken from published sources or
transcriptions of existing recordings: backing tracks were assembled and
emailed round; parts were recorded in each individual's home studio and
emailed back for assembly into the final song. Sometimes this process
went fairly smoothly, but often changes had to be made and
embellishments added. The most elaborate track on the album,
High Germany, began as two competing versions in different time
signatures, but ended up being stitched together to form one long,
almost prog like, arrangement. Brose & Butter (it's somewhat risque
words collected by Robert Burns and sung to the tune of a slip jig,
The Peacock Followed The Hen), was too long and got chopped into
pieces and condensed in the computer. Other tracks were less
complicated. The children's song A Froggy Would A Wooing Go being
chosen to cheer up the unexpected lockdown of Christmas 2020.
The simplest track, Haul Away Joe, began as a first take in JSB's studio.
A couple of songs have their words adjusted for the times. The CD
opens with Country Life, its choruses taken from the Watersons recording.
When we recorded it we hadn't yet come across Jon Boden's opinion that
"You can't beat the Watersons' harmonies - many have tried and all have
failed". Hopefully we haven’t made a total mess of the choruses, but in
any case our verses are new, written by John Dutfield and Alan Peters
and describing the seasons in Dorset and Galloway. In Thousands Or
More, the original second verse has been brought forward and altered to
reflect the almost surreal heat-wave of the first lockdown. We resisted the
temptation to alter Boys Of Bedlam.
Corvids '20 are: John Dutfield (vox), John Wyllie (vox), Alan Peters
(vox, guitar), John Stephen Bradshaw (vox, guitars, bass ukulele,
keyboards, programming).
All songs traditional, except: #1, verses by John Dutfield and
Alan Peters; #5, based on an arrangement by the Copper Family;
#6, chorus by Fay Hield; #10, words adapted from a poem by
W.H Barnes, set to a traditional Swedish hymn tune; #13, words
translated by Susan Rancourt, arrangement after Genticorum; #14,
vocal arrangement by Paul Sartin; #16, tune by Nic Jones and
Dave Moran; #17, words and music by Paul Metsers.
All other arrangements by Corvids '20.
Corvids '20 would like to thank: Martin Carthy for much inspiration,
including his work with The Watersons, Brass Monkey, Steeleye Span
and solo; Pauline McWilliams and the Salty Sea Dogs for shanties;
Milo Fitzpatrick and Jez Bradshaw for help with mixing, and our wives
for forbearance (and cake).
I also designed the cover....
front and inside here:
it folds to make a CD cover. We made 50 CD's for friends and so on but a few people have asked to have a digital link to the 'abum' so here it is. Enjoy it free please...you'll need dropbox is all.
Bear in mind this is 4 ancient croaky blokes singing in isolation and it all going to one of us (John B, second rom left in the photo) who has a home studio. We sang, guitared and violined away and he added brass bands and etc and in the end, we got these 17 songs.
If you do listen, I'd love any feedback on your fave or most hated songs
Ta. Hope you like it.
John.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/okwx07y5oync78t/AACNaedjC7N-ljWS4t26_kSla?dl=0
Why Corvids '20? It's obvious if you think about it for a moment.
How else would four gentlemen of a certain age describe themselves,
locked down by the first wave of Covid-19, croaking their way through
a selection of their favourite songs?
This CD is a one off project, constructed over the internet between
March 2020 and September 2021. Two of us are based in
Southampton, one in north Dorset and the other in Dumfries; the greatest
number of us who've been in the same room at the same time is three,
and that only on one occasion, right at the end.
The vocal arrangements were taken from published sources or
transcriptions of existing recordings: backing tracks were assembled and
emailed round; parts were recorded in each individual's home studio and
emailed back for assembly into the final song. Sometimes this process
went fairly smoothly, but often changes had to be made and
embellishments added. The most elaborate track on the album,
High Germany, began as two competing versions in different time
signatures, but ended up being stitched together to form one long,
almost prog like, arrangement. Brose & Butter (it's somewhat risque
words collected by Robert Burns and sung to the tune of a slip jig,
The Peacock Followed The Hen), was too long and got chopped into
pieces and condensed in the computer. Other tracks were less
complicated. The children's song A Froggy Would A Wooing Go being
chosen to cheer up the unexpected lockdown of Christmas 2020.
The simplest track, Haul Away Joe, began as a first take in JSB's studio.
A couple of songs have their words adjusted for the times. The CD
opens with Country Life, its choruses taken from the Watersons recording.
When we recorded it we hadn't yet come across Jon Boden's opinion that
"You can't beat the Watersons' harmonies - many have tried and all have
failed". Hopefully we haven’t made a total mess of the choruses, but in
any case our verses are new, written by John Dutfield and Alan Peters
and describing the seasons in Dorset and Galloway. In Thousands Or
More, the original second verse has been brought forward and altered to
reflect the almost surreal heat-wave of the first lockdown. We resisted the
temptation to alter Boys Of Bedlam.
Corvids '20 are: John Dutfield (vox), John Wyllie (vox), Alan Peters
(vox, guitar), John Stephen Bradshaw (vox, guitars, bass ukulele,
keyboards, programming).
All songs traditional, except: #1, verses by John Dutfield and
Alan Peters; #5, based on an arrangement by the Copper Family;
#6, chorus by Fay Hield; #10, words adapted from a poem by
W.H Barnes, set to a traditional Swedish hymn tune; #13, words
translated by Susan Rancourt, arrangement after Genticorum; #14,
vocal arrangement by Paul Sartin; #16, tune by Nic Jones and
Dave Moran; #17, words and music by Paul Metsers.
All other arrangements by Corvids '20.
Corvids '20 would like to thank: Martin Carthy for much inspiration,
including his work with The Watersons, Brass Monkey, Steeleye Span
and solo; Pauline McWilliams and the Salty Sea Dogs for shanties;
Milo Fitzpatrick and Jez Bradshaw for help with mixing, and our wives
for forbearance (and cake).
I also designed the cover....
front and inside here:
it folds to make a CD cover. We made 50 CD's for friends and so on but a few people have asked to have a digital link to the 'abum' so here it is. Enjoy it free please...you'll need dropbox is all.
Bear in mind this is 4 ancient croaky blokes singing in isolation and it all going to one of us (John B, second rom left in the photo) who has a home studio. We sang, guitared and violined away and he added brass bands and etc and in the end, we got these 17 songs.
If you do listen, I'd love any feedback on your fave or most hated songs
Ta. Hope you like it.
John.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/okwx07y5oync78t/AACNaedjC7N-ljWS4t26_kSla?dl=0
