‘ RADIO OWLSNEST Episode 8 '
Welcome my OwlHead connoisseurs to Radio Owlsnest Episode 8! We’ve been chugging along nicely together now for a few weeks... what stamina and lack of good taste you obviously have. Thank you for your motivation, encouragement and overall OwlHead style; I’ll have you know, you’re part of a rather hip underground fraternity. I truly hope that you’re all hanging in there safely (that sounds good for OwlHeads!), during our ongoing battle with this awful pandemic. I hope today’s show eases a little of the stress - eases a little of the pressure - and allows you to escape into my songwriting world for a short while. Music is our tonic - our medicine.
Today I’ll be spinning a song that iconic producer Trevor Horn begged me to edit down to a normal reasonable pop-song time limit. It’s a song that Bernie Taupin was requested to rewrite lyrically - just the first verse - the damn cheek of it!
You’ll hear a demo made by a bunch of ‘Bad Englishmen’ in my garage - a little ditty on which John Waite does his totally unique thing. It’s one of my many, many songs that has ‘ghost’ in the title. I suppose I must really believe in them 🤔.... 👻
Episode 8 is a show in which Bernie Taupin makes many frequent guest appearances. In particular when I stumble upon a demo so utterly rare, I literally become quite gobsmacked! One of those moments to my mind, when my archives truly offer up a shiny hidden gold nugget. I hope you agree.
You’ll also hear me singing and demoing a song for Bernie Taupin’s solo album ‘Tribe’. It was lovely to find this rarity as it illustrates how Bernie and I worked together way back when.
Deep into the proceedings I’ll play an analog 8 track 80s ‘Q.Feel’ demo that I’m very proud of. It’s a track that features my trusted mechanical best fiend - my 80s Jupiter 8 synthesizer. I think this humble demo admirably illustrates how the 8Os ethic/spirit profoundly influenced and changed the future of music production.
I’ll reminisce about a very special friend of mine who we lost - and how his loss instigated an immediate musical outpouring from my heart; it’s a tribute to our long personal friendship and professional working time together .... it was written in the raw cocoon of grief.
Among these Pagey revelations you’ll also hear some spanking new experiments thrown in for good measure.
Naturally you’ll be bombarded by the usual caustic nonsense - but that’s par for the course; I’m sure by now you’re all quite used to it and terribly numb.
So sit back my loyal chosen ‘OwlHeads’, and put on your headphones if you have any. I thoroughly recommend you don a pair for the full throttle true stereo hi-fi hibernating aural experience! NOW THAT’S A MOUTHFUL.
Pour that soothing cup of tea with honey, or pour yourself that second Gin and Tonic... which ever gets you in the mood to join me on another magical mystery RETRO tour; where as my guest, you’ll sample some of the oddities, peculiarities and eccentric rarities of a veteran songwriter’s dust-laden archives.
Martin
