The Music Minds triple CD I’ve posted about in previous posts is now on Spotify and iTunes etc and here’s the Spotify link if you fancy hearing my version of Ronnie Lane’s Annie.

Play Annie by Steve Roberts

I recorded it in my home studio in bits and pieces. I first played a guide keyboard part, the accordion sound you hear, and then I quickly recorded the acoustic guitar and lead vocal, both also intended to serve as guides until I could do them properly. All these parts stayed on the finished song. I wish it was this easy all the time but usually I’ll labour away re-recording things all the way along but I got lucky with this.

I took my computer up to Matt Hill’s house where Matt recorded a couple of banjo takes in the hour or so I allowed him. Similarly Steve Davies was given a couple of takes on the Piano before I whisked him away for a pint. I think I was trying to preserve the spontaneity to the recordings I sensed were in the guide recordings I’d made. Or I’m just lazy.

Martyn Campbell was then coerced into visiting with the promise he’d be fed and watered in return for bringing his bass guitar and helping me to finish the song off. Martyn’s more of a perfectionist than me but within a few hours we’d done his bass and percussion fashioned from lentils, chick peas and other pulses in old boxes. I think Marty helped with backing vocals too.

Appropriately and something I’m delighted with, my wife Ann agreed to play flute and recorders to put the icing on the song cake. So to speak. This is only the second time she’s been persuaded to record and I’m made up with the finished song. My daughter Fae has recorded some video footage so I hope that might see the light of day. In the meantime I hope you enjoy the song and the rest of the album.

Here’s to Ronnie Lane. Chin chin!