COVENTRY Music Museum Curator Pete Chambers BEM writes for the Observer.
Danny Ansell
So the legend that is Danny Ansell is back with a brilliant new song ‘Bring Back the Feeling’ and he never disappoints.
Here is another cracker of a song, powerful vocals and superbly constructed in the musical area of course.
Thanks to the band that is Danny Ansell – vocals, guitars, piano, Patrick Beard – bass guitar and drums and it has been mixed and produced by Danny Ansell and Patrick Beard using our home studio in Coventry.
It’s expected at the end of July 2021 on iTunes and all other download sites.
There will be an accompanying video they are working on and, from what I have seen so far, it looks to be some clever 360 degree trickery.
The band also has a new drummer for our upcoming shows – Steven Shelly will be joining on stage from July 23 onwards when they support the session at the Arches in Coventry.
Danny said: “We can’t wait to get out as band, we’ve been rehearsing hard and the songs are sounding huge – good times ahead.”
Jerry Dammers
Record Store Day really splits the record buying community – some see it as nothing more than a cheap gimmick designed to make a cheap buck from contrived all new collector’s items.
Others however crave the excitement of the chase, and actually securing purchase of their favourite artists, even if it means standing in a queue all morning. After all it does keep vinyl very much alive.
Well I’m in the latter bunch and I thank FarGo record shop ‘Just Dropped In’ for their very professional involvement in all this.
So the latest batch of 2-Tone based releases was a clear vinyl LP of The Selecter live in Coventry’s Tiffany’s and (drum roll) a very exclusive 10-inch black vinyl featuring two previously unreleased home demos of Specials tracks by Jerry Dammers recorded between 1980 and 1982.
These two previously unreleased recordings are Jerry’s home recordings made on cassette in 1980/1982.
This is a rare glimpse into his working practice, including arguably The Specials most famous recording ‘Ghost Town’, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this month. Side A – Ghost Town (original demo) Side B – Theme From ‘The Boiler’ that features Coventry guitar legend John Shipley.
Of course, to cap it off we have the actual organ in the museum that this song was recorded on!
Terry Hall Home Sessions
Coventry City of Culture Trust have announced the second wave of acts and film screenings for Terry Hall Home Sessions, a unique four-day festival curated by Terry Hall with creative producer Suzanne Bisset.
Staged in iconic city centre locations, Home Sessions runs from next Thursday, July 29, to Sunday, August 1.
Following the latest Government advice on Covid, an extra 10,000 tickets will be released across the festival.
Venues include Coventry Cathedral Ruins, Coventry Cathedral and HMV Empire Coventry.
On the local front it is good to see Horace Panter’s Blues To Go included and Rugby’s lau.ra with more to come.
In the run up to Home Sessions, a special competition – Home Grown – will see local talent, with a focus on underrepresented groups, chosen to take to the stage as support acts to the internationally-known headliners.
The judging panel comprises Terry Hall and his creative producer Suzanne Bisset, singer/songwriter Peter Doherty, Strap Originals producer, Jai Stanley, Letitia George, presenter of BBC CWR, and Sarah Morgan, director of Tin Music and Arts.
