MARTIN STEPHENSON: video session (The Mouth magazine)

IN SPRING 1990 MARTIN STEPHENSON AND THE DAINTEES RELEASED THIRD ALBUM SALUTATION ROAD. THE MOUTH MAGAZINE HAS POSTED A PREVIOUSLY UNPUBLISHED INTERVIEW WITH STEPHENSON FROM MAY OF THAT YEAR, HERE.To complement the discovery of the interview in our archives, Stephenson and occasional collaborator Jim Hornsby recently recorded an exclusive video session for The Mouth Magazine, featuring performances of songs from SALUTATION ROAD.

The duo were in fine form during the afternoon of recording, in York. Relaying how they’d just been for a stroll round the city centre and posed for a caricature artist, Stephenson’s boyish grin lit up as he showed the sketch and explained “I think the fella who drew this was a wee bit sweet on me… He’s made me look real cute on here, see? So I had to tell him me and Jim are, yes, just married”… Hornsby decided to keep his flat cap on throughout filming “to reinforce the Northern stereotype”, though Stephenson elected to change his own for his more familiar trilby: “We don’t want people thinking we’ve going for a big Pet Shop Boys visual concept… Anyway, our vibe’s more like the Betting Shop Boys, eh?”

Read on...

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO

Bolivia CD - £9.99

Salutation Road CD - £9.99

Lilac Tree  CD - £7.99

Disciples Of Merle &...  CD - £9.99

Church & The...  CD - £7.99

Yogi In My House  CD - £7.99

Haint Of The Budded  DCD - £11.99

Down To The Wood  CD - £9.99

HELEN McCOOKERYBOOK: With The Daintees at the Keys in Huddersfield

Andy and Tina, who promote the gigs at The Keys, are the perfect hosts. The table is set with sandwiches and cakes (coffee and walnut, chocolate and a vanilla sponge) and the concert goers have a pie and pea supper.

Everyone had been caught in traffic on the way to the gig and it was a stressful beginning, but the pine tables were thronging and the Gary Stewart band started the evening with a well- rehearsed set (they are playing the Bedford in Balham tonight). I'd been intending to play some new songs but had a stressful journey although I did play an old one, Memento Mori, which I wrote in honour of my grandmother. Martin joined me for a feisty finish on Heaven Avenue and Loverman. And every time I play Feathers it seems to strike a chord (ahem) with a couple of people in the audience. There are a lot of bullies around so I'm glad I've written a song in defiance of them!

Read on...

...and check out her Gonzo artist page

LINK: Martin Stephenson review

http://s14.zetaboards.com/Zeitgeist/topic/6700791/1/

MARTIN STEPHENSON & THE DAINTEES
California Star
Gonzo Multimedia 2012



A name I've seen in music papers since back in the days when there was no internet and a weeks reading of Sounds would leave your hands black as night, yet I don't think I've ever actually heard anything he's ever recorded, either solo or with his band the Daintees. Which considering the thirty or so albums he's been involved with over the years is quite an achievement. Not even at the height of their flirtation with the album charts. Mind you that was back in the days when my life was devoted to metal thrashing mad.

So what is this Martin Stephenson and who are his Daintees. Well, turns out to be indie folk / pop with some country / Americana tinges. Which is nice. It's not a life changing album and I doubt that anyone apart from the people who buy Martin Stephenson & The Daintees albums will be queuing around the internet to buy it. But there are a couple of really nice songs, like 'Streets Of San Sebastian' and the fairly rocktastic 'Ready To Move On'. You won't want to listen to 'I'm In Love For The First Time', though. Ever.

The one good thing is that each song does have stylistic variations [c] (which is going to be the name of my soul opera, when I get around to writing it), so you don't get bogged down in one groove or move. If you like the solo work of Mark Knopfler or even the earthier records of Chris Rea, then the folky arrangements and strong arrangements may get your blood flowing. He's on tour all the time, or you could just pop up to teuchter country and visit Ullapool for his monthly residency at The Argyll Hotel. Fact! And not an internet one.

Web type buy place link

LINK: How Martin Stephenson sabotaged his own career and found contentment

THERE can’t be many musicians who, when poised for stardom, deliberately set out to sabotage their own careers — but then Martin Stephenson is not your average musician.

With his band The Daintees, the amiable Geordie was one of the rising stars of the British music scene in the mid Eighties.

The album Boat to Bolivia had established him as one of the best songwriters of his generation and the big time beckoned.

“At 22 I found myself employing 18 people and paying a VAT bill of £38,000,” said Martin. “I was cocooned like a queen bee with all these worker bees doing things for me.

“We were playing to 2,000 people a night but I realised it wasn’t what I wanted.

Read on...

Check out the artist page for Martin Stephenson

Check out the artist page for Martin and Helen

Check out the artist page for The Daintees

LINK: Martin Stephenson review

http://www.the-rocker.co.uk/

MARTIN STEPHENSON & THE DAINTEES
California Star
Gonzo Multimedia 2012



A name I've seen in music papers since back in the days when there was no internet and a weeks reading of Sounds would leave your hands black as night, yet I don't think I've ever actually heard anything he's ever recorded, either solo or with his band the Daintees. Which considering the thirty or so albums he's been involved with over the years is quite an achievement. Not even at the height of their flirtation with the album charts. Mind you that was back in the days when my life was devoted to metal thrashing mad.

So what is this Martin Stephenson and who are his Daintees. Well, turns out to be indie folk / pop with some country / Americana tinges. Which is nice. It's not a life changing album and I doubt that anyone apart from the people who buy Martin Stephenson & The Daintees albums will be queuing around the internet to buy it. But there are a couple of really nice songs, like 'Streets Of San Sebastian' and the fairly rocktastic 'Ready To Move On'. You won't want to listen to 'I'm In Love For The First Time', though. Ever.

The one good thing is that each song does have stylistic variations [c] (which is going to be the name of my soul opera, when I get around to writing it), so you don't get bogged down in one groove or move. If you like the solo work of Mark Knopfler or even the earthier records of Chris Rea, then the folky arrangements and strong arrangements may get your blood flowing. He's on tour all the time, or you could just pop up to teuchter country and visit Ullapool for his monthly residency at The Argyll Hotel. Fact! And not an internet one.

Web type buy place link

SONG BY SONG: 'California Star' by Martin Stephenson and The Daintees (Part Two)

Yesterday we started a new feature here on the Gonzo Daily. It is called 'Song by Song', and it does exactly what it says on the tin. Basically I go through an album song by song, and then pass my notes on to the artist who made the album in the first place, and see what they have to say. And we start off this exciting new series with the irrepressable Martin Stephenson and his smashing new album California Star:

4. California Star

JD: The title song of the album has an immediately infectious tune and deceptively simple words, which have been going round and around my head ever since I first heard it. . Once again I am struck by the kindliness and gentleness of Martin Stephenson’s vocals. I was struck by what a nice man he was when I interviewed him the other week, but on several of these tracks he manages to communicate this easily in the way he sings.

What is particularly impressive about this song is that whereas most songwriters manage one hook for the verse, and if they are lucky another one for the chorus, Martin sprinkles memorable hooks across his songs with gay abandon. Bob Dylan is reported to have claimed (as I said in a review of David Dalton’s biography of him the other day) that each line of A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall is actually the start of another song. Well the same could be said about the melodic hooks on ‘California Star’.

MS: This song was a blessing to Mickey Rourke written when he was suffering, the music was written in a blink and again, could have easily been just one guitar. The engineer played lead acoustic guitar on it, so Im not really fussed who plays what, as long as its in the ball park, The song is also about my time in Hollywood working with Russell Kunkel and being signed to Capitol, Chateux Marmont etc

5. Ready to Move On

JD: Just when you weren’t expecting it, Stephenson changes pace entirely with a harmonica and guitar driven rocker that sounds of all things like classic Thin Lizzy. How does this man do it? He seems to put out such things effortlessly. It’s time to move on he claims. Why? You are doing perfectly well here.

And then just when you think the song is over, there is a storming reprise and a burst of his irrepressible North Easterh humour. Wot a star!

MS: Yes its pretty much a fun band song this, with not much intelligent content, features the wonderful Stevie Smith from the band ‘Ruthless Blues’ the wee cheeky cockney

6. Boy to man

JD: And then he changes pace once again with an acoustic country ballad featuring jaunty fiddle and mandolin, and the cheeriest whistled hook I have heard for many a year. It is a lovely song of childhood and murder, that really defies categorisation, and has a hook to die for. If I had to give any musical analogy, believe it or not it would be the Irish republican folk group The Wolfetones. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not making any political similarities at all, but the jaunty tune married to the grim subject matter has a few similarities.

And the heavily reverbed whistling coda is amazing.

MS: Yes this song is all about a curse, and the request to not be a killer granted to the victim.

This series will continue, and we shall be revisiting martin's fantastic album with what (in the good old days) would have been side two in a few days time. In the meantime check out his Gonzo artist page...

(with the band)
http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/artists/5931/Martin%20Stephenson%20and%20The%20Daintees

(solo)
http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/site.php?s=2&action=list_table&t=products&filter_id=152&dbf_search_for=Martin+Stephenson+%28artist%29&image.x=15&image.y=13

SONG BY SONG: 'California Star' by Martin Stephenson and The Daintees

Welcome to a new feature here on the Gonzo Daily. It is called 'Song by Song', and it does exactly what it says on the tin. Basically I go through an album song by song, and then pass my notes on to the artist who made the album in the first place, and see what they have to say. And we start off this exciting new series with the irrepressable Martin Stephenson and his smashing new album California Star:

1. The Ship

JD: The first thing that one notices with this song, and indeed with the whole of this impressive album are the rich and varied textures of instrumentation. This is something that I have always liked in music, right from the days when I was a teenager and used to listen to The Rolling Stones after I had been indulging in a suspiciously long cigarette. The mixture of delightfully laid back lead guitar which verges on the classical at times, with the warm funky organ sets out the stall for the album as a whole.

Martin is at his most soulful, like a Geordie Marvin Gaye, and – believe me – I don’t use such terms lightly. The whole thing has an elusive spirituality about it, and occasionally strays into gospel territory, which is no bad thing.

An impressive beginning.

MS: ‘The Ship is coming’ is a mantra that was channelled through the crown chakra a number of years ago, the music is merely a river for it to boat, although I did pick specific chords I stumbled on, particularly this Fsharp shape around the 2nd fret using open E’s, but I originally recorded the music with The Suns of Arqa in my house, there is still some subliminal citar gated in the mix which was played by Michael Wadada, this mantra sounds equally as good on an open acoustic guitar

2. Streets of San Sebastian

JD: Once upon a time Jack Bruce penned a song called ‘Theme from an Imaginary Western’, and this delightful song which takes a similar chord sequence to ‘Ghost Riders in the Sky’, but marries it to a beautifully gentle vocal which suggests depths of emotion that one hardly ever gets in this genre of music. About half way through, some gorgeous cod-Spanish guitar, and an insistently martial snare drum take the song into territory vaguely reminiscent of Calexico, which as they have been one of my favourite bands ever since a bizarrely psychedelic night in the Nevada desert some ten years ago, has got to be good.

MS: It is a true story of when my first marriage broke, and I lost everything, I had to walk from a very controlling partner and leave my children as hostage, I had to make a really tough decision, when I was in San Sebastian I found myself in a square full of Basque folks, their collectivity overpowered me and my pain was overwhelming, I decided to take my life, and it was a simple glance from a child that made me stay, to re-connect with my children through the guidance of the Universe and not the dark companions fear and materialism, the story in the song begins where I left off, the ‘bridge of holding sorrow is symbolises the site (place) of suicide, from the streets of San Sebastian, the music is another medium to enhance the poetry/lyric/message

3. Power that is greater

JD: One of the things that I like about this album is that each song is stylistically different to the one before. This one introduces barrelhouse piano, reminiscent of John Lennon’s Crippled Inside. It is a glorious song of humility, if that is not an oxymoron. “I’m not important anymore” sings Martin as if it was a hymn, but follows it up (unless my ears are playing up) by saying that he doesn’t want to be a “savage whore”. A complete delight.

MS: Nope, I am saying ‘Im not an orphan anymore‘ meaning... we as travelling celestials with perfect knowledge in our physical casing (say ‘body cars), seek our bill of divorcement from the Father, (universe) or whatever language you use) ,eaning perfect knowledge, and set up our own illusory version and keep our attention on holding the imperfect dimension up, to do this we need the dark companions such as fear, pain, punnishment, death (illusory forces in our toolbox) where in truth, we are in perfection, so an orphan so to speak, is an Angel in Heaven (or Garden of love/Nirvana/whatever/ ) in denial, an oprphan is an Angel in denial, resisting true power and enlightenment, all that is truly real, so when an orphan, addict such as myself says, ‘Im not an orphan anymore’ I am saying I understand I am in the illusory world, but I will practice not giving it my full attention and study, I will hand myself over to a power that is greater, which is very 12 steps AA crossed with Eastern philosophies.

I don’t want to feed that savage whore’ is the same thing, meaning, I must turn my attention away from holding up pain and sufering as an addict, and step into the light.

Eric Clapton would understand this, as would Judy Collins, try em?

The music on the other hand is a jam, it could be anything...

There will be more tomorrow, and I (for one) am looking forward to it..

LINK: Martin Stephenson and the Daintees – “California Star” – Album Review

http://www.zoiksonline.com/2012/05/martin-stephenson-and-daintees.html

Martin Stephenson and the Daintees – “California Star” – Album Review

Martin Stephenson and the Daintees are described as British Rock/Folk/Pop Band. I try not to be critical of musicians, but there is a genre of music I’m not a big fan of, and that genre features artists such as Jason Mraz, Dave Matthews, John Mayer etc. While listening to Martin Stephenson and the Daintees new album “California Stars” I can’t help but say to the artists mentioned above that this is what your music is supposed to sound like.

“California Star” and the music of the Daintees is not my preferred genre of music, but “California Star” was a pleasant listening experience. I’d definitely add the album to my iTunes catalog so that I could rediscover some of this music over time. There wasn’t one song on the album that left me bored, but I must admit that I’m kind of partial to “Streets of San Sebastian.” As a fan of movies, that song fits right in with any Quentin Tarantino film or Spaghetti Western.

If you’re into the singer songwriter thing, but like music that has a lot of atmosphere…it’s almost visual, then I think you should give Martin Stephenson and the Daintees a listen. If you’re a filmmaker, well known or otherwise, you must check out the Daintees, because I think there is a good shot you could find a place for their music in your movie.


BYLINE: Bob Zerull is the Managing Editor of Zoiks! Online. He writes pop culture commentary, does interviews with bands, and reviews music and stand-up concerts. He also administers Zoiks! Online's Facebook page. Follow

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LINK: Martin Stephenson review

http://dmme.net/reviews/reviews50.html#sfmucl

MARTIN STEPHENSON and THE DAINTEES - California Star Gonzo 2012

Four decades on since their kitchen-sink start, the Tyneside bunch cook up their second - and most eclectic - record for a new millennium. Formed in 1982 and split in 1992 only to go at it again in 2000, THE DAINTEES, led by undaunted Martin Stephenson, are looking for stellar delights now - the delights, as the cover of the band's sixth studio album suggests, in the vein of ''Le Petit Prince'', from the mature point of view. This point is the focus of the record's folksy centerpiece "Boy To Man" that, via the piano boogie "Power That Is Greater" with its "I'm not an orphan anymore" joyous chorus, innocently connects the urban shimmer of the Knopfleresque opener "The Ship" with the eyes-wide-open reggae of closer "I'm In Love For The First Time". As a result, each song creates a buzzing microcosm which the singer inhabits and expands to let his listener in. It's easy to relate to the reckless rockabilly rumble of "Long Way To Go" or the harmonica-oiled blues riffage of "Ready To Move On", but the flamenco lace of "Streets Of San Sebastian", a fabulous relocation of a certain Ralph McTell's ballad, brings a tragic romance into the picture which is framed with Stuart Macleod's acoustic guitar and Kate Stephenson's marching drum. Elsewhere, the delicate hoedown of "Sweet Cherwine", high on the fiddle doodles, flows down the humorous lane to drink from the timeless source of inspiration and spread the tuneful water around and ooze the class as it goes. Far away from Laurel Canyon, "California Star" shines as one of the best British records of 2012.

MARTIN STEPHENSON: Review

http://dmme.net/reviews/reviews50.html#sfmucl

MARTIN STEPHENSON and THE DAINTEES - California Star Gonzo 2012

Four decades on since their kitchen-sink start, the Tyneside bunch cook up their second - and most eclectic - record for a new millennium. Formed in 1982 and split in 1992 only to go at it again in 2000, THE DAINTEES, led by undaunted Martin Stephenson, are looking for stellar delights now - the delights, as the cover of the band's sixth studio album suggests, in the vein of ''Le Petit Prince'', from the mature point of view. This point is the focus of the record's folksy centerpiece "Boy To Man" that, via the piano boogie "Power That Is Greater" with its "I'm not an orphan anymore" joyous chorus, innocently connects the urban shimmer of the Knopfleresque opener "The Ship" with the eyes-wide-open reggae of closer "I'm In Love For The First Time". As a result, each song creates a buzzing microcosm which the singer inhabits and expands to let his listener in. It's easy to relate to the reckless rockabilly rumble of "Long Way To Go" or the harmonica-oiled blues riffage of "Ready To Move On", but the flamenco lace of "Streets Of San Sebastian", a fabulous relocation of a certain Ralph McTell's ballad, brings a tragic romance into the picture which is framed with Stuart Macleod's acoustic guitar and Kate Stephenson's marching drum. Elsewhere, the delicate hoedown of "Sweet Cherwine", high on the fiddle doodles, flows down the humorous lane to drink from the timeless source of inspiration and spread the tuneful water around and ooze the class as it goes. Far away from Laurel Canyon, "California Star" shines as one of the best British records of 2012.

EXCLUSIVE: Martin Stephenson Interview (Part Two)

Yesterday we posted the first part of an interview with Martin Stephenson; a massively talented and somewhat intriguing singer, songwriter, and all-round good bloke from the north of England.

The next bit of the interview, for some reason, turned into him talking to me about my records. Because I would hate to be seen as a shameless self-publicist, I have cut that bit out, but if you really want to know more, look me up on Spotify.

Here, dear friends, is part two...

Jon: So what sort of timescale are we talking about for the next in the series of re-imaginings of your early albums

Martin: Well, actually Rob has them all. And he’s pressed them all up, so he actually has Boat to Bolivia, he has Gladsome, Humour and Blue, he has Salutation Road and then the fourth Daintees album, The Boy’s Heart, so he actually has all four which I delivered to him at the end of last year. He’s got them all.

Jon: So I’ve just got to ask him when it’s coming out. (which is something that I singularly forgot to do)

Martin: Yep.

Jon: Salutation Road, I think was my favourite

Martin: Well it was interesting doing that because the original recording, you know there was songs about the mining industry, there was also spiritual songs, but they were recorded in Los Angeles and I had the bass player from Toto – I mean he didn’t know anything about being down the pit, you know.

So it was quite odd that they got recorded there in LA at the Sunset Sounds Studio and all these places, so actually doing that acoustically made more sense to me because I could hear what the songs really were, you know.

Jon: What I want to do one night I’m going to sit down and play the originals and the new ones back to back

Martin: That would be interesting. I haven’t got a clue what that would be like. I mean I didn’t listen to the originals, I just remembered them and played them by memory

Jon: It would be interesting, in the same way that - there is somebody I know who is about my age early 50, who lost his driving licence and had to take his driving test again and he found how the things he had picked up in the meantime were so different to what he learnt when he first learnt to drive and it would be interesting to ... I bet you will find there are differences – you have slightly changed the tunes, changed the rhythms or something just because that’s the way your mind works

Martin: I am sure if you were to go back to your first album, you know, or your first recording, you would probably just interpret them wouldn’t you, it would be like someone else learning our material

Jon: Oh very much so, my first album was horrible anyway unlike yours which is really good

Martin: I don’t know, I was flying on the seat of my pants as well like

Jon: Well isn’t that really what one does throughout life when you are an artist?

Martin: I love it me, I just .. I mean I’ve worked with a lot of other artists now encouraging them... I’ve worked with a lass called Miriam. I’ve just finished rehearsing with her actually. She’s 34, she’s about 4’8 and she an amazing little singer – she’s just got it, you know, and I’ve been recording with her at home.

I’ve got a little two-channel audio USB interface and one vocal mike and an SM58 mike and I’ve just been using that and I’ve been using this thing called Easy Drummer and I’ve an old 1959 Hoffner bass and out of that kit I can get a Memphis sound – it sounds like it was recorded at Sun Records in 1955.
Sounds bloody brilliant

I’ve got this mate who runs a company called Grammatical Amplifiers and he’s an amplifying nut. He sits in his laboratory and listens to valve amps all day and he’s basically reinventing the Fender Bassman you know. I’ll send him recordings over, and he’d say ‘oh when was that done and what year?’ And I’ll say ‘well actually it was in Invergordon on May 7th 2012’, and he’ll go, ‘you’re fucking joking’.

Jon: So you are channelling the spirit of Sam Phillips.

Martin: Well yeah in a way. The use of technology – well I love going into Logic and saying well I’ll have that and I’ll use that, and I’ll use that. It’s like being a vegan going in to Morrison’s, you know, I don’t need that, and I don’t need, I’ll get some..... you know you just use what you need

Jon: That’s bloody brilliant – I’m looking forward to hearing this. When will her record be coming out?

Martin: Well it’s finished now and I already got a couple of tracks. I sent them to Shane Meadows the film maker and it’s amazing because I’ve totally found a talent – it just worked with her, it just went whoosh and even a couple of recordings I’ve done you could technically do them better, but it just happened then and that’s the magic, you know.

Jon: I think it sounds fantastic. I can’t wait to hear it.

And there, for the moment, it ends. I am waiting for my copy of 'California Star' to arrive, and when it does, I shall go through it, track by track, with Martin. In the meantime, if you have any questions for this most amenable, and approachable of men, email me on gonzo@cfz.org.uk, and I will ask him next time we speak.

Check out the Martin Stephenson artist page on the Gonzo site, and also the Martin Stephenson and the Daintees artist page, and the Martin Stephenson and Helen McCookerybook page...

EXCLUSIVE: Martin Stephenson interview (Part One)

After all the trials and tribulations of the last few days, it was wonderful to finally get to sit down and chat to Martin Stephenson.

It was the first time we had done anything except for exchange emails, but it was like we had known each other for years...

JON: So, tell me, why did you decide to take one of your old albums - Boat to Bolivia - and re-record it?

MARTIN: There is a promoter who goes by the name of Simon Moran, and he’s a well-known promoter now, in fact at the moment he’s doing a Guns ‘n’ Roses tour, but I knew him in the ‘80s and we were on a kind of parallel and he became really successful in the UK. He ended up owning Warrington Rugby Club. He’s probably one of the top promoters in the country and he remembered me from the 80s and came to a gig I was doing at the end of last year, and he asked me if I fancied doing a Daintees tour and re-doing Boat to Bolivia.

And I said it was quite a good idea so we decided to have a go and he did a really good job of it actually because he’s got the power to promote things really, really well, you know.

JON: I like the new acoustic version

MARTIN: Oh the new acoustic version...yeah that was an interesting journey to do that, because sometimes when you’re young and they put you in a studio with a producer they tend to try to control you and it’s really good to hear a song that’s not over-produced. It’s a bit like art, you know, I like the sketches and I like all the pencil lines before the covers go on.

JON: I know exactly what you mean. I prefer the way you’ve sequenced the tracks on the new version.

MARTIN: That’s nice to hear somebody liking that. That’s nice, you know.

JON: I listened to it the other night – I got Boat to Bolivia years ago - but I listened to the new version the other night and it totally changes the context of them, if the song before and the song after is different.

MARTIN: Yes. I mean albums in a way, are like photographs really. I wish I had more of a documentation-type perspective when I was younger - I would have had an easier time, but the kind of vibe the people gave you in the studio in the early ‘80s, it was like the be-all and end-all , you know, the vocal take your life was on it, you know. It induced a lot of stress in the music, and there was the pressure because of the money was being spent, and you felt a lot of pressure, you know.

JON: And also you were young and didn’t know as much about the way the world works as you do now, I’m sure

MARTIN: It’s still a mystery.

JON: Are you going to be doing this with any of your other old records?

MARTIN: Yeah we did try out at the Jazz Cafe about year and a half ago – we did Gladsome Humour and Blue and we did it at the Jazz Cafe and it seemed to go down quite well actually, ‘cos that’s a whole different trip that album. That was done with Paul Samwell-Smith out of the Yardbirds.

JON: That would be interesting. Are you likely to actually go and re-record it?

MARTIN: Yeah, well what I did last year was – there is a recording studio on Hackney Road and it’s called The Premises and it’s the only solar powered studio in the UK actually, or one of a very few. They’ve got a little bee hive on the roof and they’re a bit left-field, you know.

I went in there, now when I did Boat to Bolivia we got the mike sound and everything – they set the mikes up around the vocals and everything. And we didn’t use headphones, and I was sitting with a banjo player called Jimmy Cole who played a high strung guitar as well, and we sat down and we looked at the price and it was £50 an hour, so I said ‘right, let’s get to work’, and by the end of the first day we had cut 28 songs.

The first twelve was Boat to Bolivia and the next twelve was Gladsome, Humour and Blue so that was it. So I looked at my budget and the budget for that was about £1,200 so I came home and tried to do the third and fourth album at home, and I tried to match the quality which I kind of got close, so the first two – yeah the budget was £400 odd, and £600 each and then the third and fourth album was zero budget.

And we continue tomorrow, as Martin and I find we have more in common than age and being friends with Rob Ayling...

MARTIN STEPHENSON: Bank Holiday Monday blues

I was supposed to be interviewing the massively talented Martin Stephenson today. However, I fell asleep and missed the interview. I felt terrible, and emailed him to apologise, whereupon he told me that he had done exactly the same thing.

As he said, maybe we should rewrite THAT Boomtown Rats song to reflect what is obviously a common syndrome amongst musos of a certain age. We shall be trying again to do the interview today, and in the meantime, check this out...

MARTIN STEPHENSON AND THE DAINTEES COMPETITION

http://www.journallive.co.uk/culture-newcastle/2012/05/04/win-tickets-to-the-jubilee-bash-at-the-black-horse-beamish-61634-30900630/

Win tickets to the Jubilee Bash at the Black Horse Beamish
By Jayne Walsh

The Black Horse in Beamish is throwing a Jubilee Bash on Bank Holiday Monday, June 4, when visitors can enjoy live music from local bands in the pub’s front paddock. Culture club members are being offered the chance to win two tickets to the event, worth £15 each.

Renowned local group Martin Stephenson and the Daintees will be headlining the festival following the release of their album ‘California Star’ and their successful national tour in April 2012, which included a sold out performance at The Sage Gateshead.

Singer and songwriter Martin Stephenson’s career stretches back over 30 years, and his eclectic range of musical styles include Zappa & Beefheart, through Rockabilly, old time string music to straight ahead rock 'n' roll.

Other local artists performing at the event are Rosie and the Hips, Shipcote and Friends and Fickle Lilly. Hot food and refreshments will be available throughout the day, and visitors can explore the pub’s ten acres of vegetable gardens and orchards. Doors open at 1pm, and the headline act will take to the stage at 7pm.
Tickets are £15 for adults and a restricted number of free tickets are available for under 12s (who must be accompanied by an adult). Live music will continue in the bar until late. Tickets are available from the Black Horse bar, or online at Ticketweb.co.uk.

For more information, contact the Black Horse Beamish on 01207 232 569 or visit http://www.blackhorsebeamish.co.uk/

FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN
email your answer to the question below, along with your name, address and daytime telephone number to cultureclub@ncjmedia.co.uk or alternatively call 0191 2016021leaving your name, membership number, answer and day time telephone number by no later than Monday, May 14, 2012. Please include ‘Black Horse’ in the subject of your email.

Read on...

MARTIN STEPHENSON - TOUR DATES

MAY

Wed. 16th: READING: Crooked Billet, Stoke Row, Henley -On-Thames
Martin’s string band Jimmy Cole Banjo/Histring Guitar, & James Morrison Fiddle/Mandolin The cats who played on 2011’s release: ‘Beyond Leap‘
Sat. 19th: ULLAPOOL, THE ARGYL HOTEL
18 Argyle Street Ullapool, Ross-Shire IV26 2UB, TEL: FRANNER & NIGEL ON: 01854 612422
Sat. 26th : Banff Castle,
Castle Street Banff, AB45 1DL Tel: 01261 815325

JUNE

Fri. 1st: ULLAPOOL, THE ARGYL HOTEL
18 Argyle Street Ullapool, Ross-Shire IV26 2UB, TEL: FRANNER & NIGEL ON: 01854 612422
Sat. 2nd: The Ship Inn, near Alnwick, solo performance
Sun. 3rd: ALVINOS BAR, NEWCASTLE:
88 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6SG
TEL: 0191 2615656 or 07949094019 Web: http://www.alvinosbar.co.uk/
Mon. 4th: MS & DAINTEES PLAY JUBILEE FEST, BLACK HORSE BEAMISH
Tue. 5th: MS & DAINTEES PLAY CARLISLE BRICKYARD
Wed. 6th: FULFORD ARMS, YORK
www.fulfordarms.co.uk 121 Fulford Road Fulford, York YO10 4EX
TEL STEVE: 01904 620410
Thu. 7th: THE BLUE CAT
www.bluecatcafe.co.uk
17 Shaw Rd, Heaton Moor, Stockport, SK4 4AG
Tel Danny:0161 432 2117 Email: danny@bluecatcafe.co.uk
Fri. 8th: Brook Street Club
(formerly the Knutsford Liberal Club)
Promoter: Kevin Jardine: Kevin Jardine
Martin’s string band Jimmy Cole Banjo/Histring Guitar, & James Morrison Fiddle/Mandolin
The cats who played on 2011’s release: ‘Beyond Leap’
Sat. 9th: Nottingham, The Guitar Bar :
at Hotel Deux, Clumber Avenue, Sherwood Rise, Nottingham.
Tel: 07770 226 926
http://www.guitarbar.co.uk/
Fri - Sun 16-18th: SONGWRITER WEEKEND
Fri. 29th: Eyre Chapel
Newbold Village, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S41 8RJ Mon. 9th
For information and ticket purchase
Contact: David Leleivre : dc-lelievre@tiscali.co.uk
We go tickets url: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/161919
Sat. 30th: HUDDERSFIELD, KEYS RESTAURANT
Promoters: Andy & Tina Roberts: tinaandandrewr@hotmail

JULY

Mon. 9th: The Robin 2.
20-28 Mount Pleasant, Bilston Wolverhampton, WV14 7LJ
TEL: 01902 401211
Buy tickets online: http://www.therobin.co.uk/
Wed. 11th: The Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
Queen's Road, Leeds LS6 1NY
www.brudenellsocialclub.co.uk/
Thu 12th: Darwen Library Theatre
Knott Street Darwen, Blackburn with Darwen BB3 3BU
Web: www.darwenlibrarytheatre.com Tel: 01254 706006
Fri. 13th: Kirkgate Arts Centre & Theatre
The Kirkgate Centre, Cockermouth
Cumbria - The Lake District, England CA13 9PJ
Tel/fax: 01900 826448 email: enquiries@thekirkgate.com
Sat. 14th: Sheffield, The Shakespeare
146-148 Gibraltar Street, Sheffield, S Yorks S3 8UB
Tel: 0114 279 9655
Doors: 7.30pm. Price: £10.00
The direct link for this event is http://www.wegottickets.com/event/159716
Sat. 21st: ULLAPOOL, THE ARGYL HOTEL
18 Argyle Street Ullapool, Ross-Shire IV26 2UB
TEL: FRANNER & NIGEL ON: 01854 612422

AUGUST

Sat. 4th: ULLAPOOL, THE ARGYL HOTEL
18 Argyle Street Ullapool, Ross-Shire IV26 2UB
TEL: FRANNER & NIGEL ON: 01854 612422
Thu. 23rd: MS & DAINTEES, Stirling, The Tolbooth
Jail Wynd, Stirling, FK8 1DE, UK
Sun. 26th: Galtres Music Festival
http://www.galtresfestival.org.uk/

SEPTEMBER

Sat. 8th: ULLAPOOL, THE ARGYL HOTEL
18 Argyle Street Ullapool, Ross-Shire IV26 2UB
TEL: FRANNER & NIGEL ON: 01854 612422
Sat. 15th: MS & DAINTEES - HUDDERSFIELD, KEYS RESTAURANT
Promoters: Andy & Tina Roberts: tinaandandrewr@hotmail
Fri. 21st: Private House Concert: Battersea
Sat. 22nd: BENEFIT CONCERT ~ PAUL BENNING MEMORIAL
Sat. 29th: Stockton, Georgian Theatre
Calvin House, Green Dragon Yard,
Stockton-on-Tees TS18 1AE
Tel: 01642 606 525

OCTOBER

Sat. 8th: ULLAPOOL, THE ARGYL HOTEL
18 Argyle Street Ullapool, Ross-Shire IV26 2UB
TEL: FRAN & NIG ON: 01854 612422

Check out the Martin Stephenson artist page on the Gonzo site, and also the Martin Stephenson and the Daintees artist page, and the Martin Stephenson and Helen McCookerybook page...

Don't say we never do ow't for you...

THE TWO FACES OF MARTIN STEPHENSON

I found this video on YouTube: It is obviously a fan job done on a mobile 'phone, but it perfectly captures the warmth of Martin's stage performance.



I showed it to le Grande Fromage and he sent me this rather groovy little clip of Martin and the Daintees back in the day..



Check out the Martin Stephenson artist page on the Gonzo site, and also the Martin Stephenson and the Daintees artist page, and the Martin Stephenson and Helen McCookerybook page...

Don't say we never do ow't for you...

MARTIN STEPHENSON: In The Word

The Word is my favourite magazine, so it is a genuine pleasure to nick stuff from their website...

Martin Stephenson and the Daintees

When: Tuesday 10th April

Where: Liverpool 02 Academy

Comments: Martin reunited with the Daintees to play their debut Boat to Bolivia and a selection of songs from their later albums. I am sure the word exuberant was invented just for Martin. He had a massive grin on his face the entire evening as he treated an enthusiastic audience to his best known songs. Highlights for me were Rain, Left us to burn and a barnstorming Salutation Road which included the whole band walking through the audience jamming to their hearts content.

The Audience: Not much sign of any fuckwits - it was a joyous night and everyone seemed to be having a great time. The whispered audience singalong to the chorus of Rain was actually quite moving.

Food & Drink: Dodgy meal in a Tapas bar beforehand with my brother and Paul Waring of this parish - my brother was lured by the pretty girl offering free tasters outside.When will he learn?

It Made Me Think...: MS is a genuinely nice bloke who has no interest in fame and fortune.Not everything reaches the spot - one of the encore songs with Helen McCookerybook was out of kilter but we can forgive him that.

http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/martin-stephenson-and-daintees

MARTIN STEPHENSON IN TOLBOOTH MAGAZINE, JUNE 2012

MARTIN STEPHENSON: A smashing review

ARTISTS often say that creating a new painting, play, book or piece of music is like giving birth.

Now, I don’t know if Martin Stephenson feels like this, but he is touring his debut album, Boat to Bolivia, and is playing it in full. It could be said that as the album was recorded at Amazon Studios, the Liverpool gig sees Stephenson bringing it back to its birthplace.

Read on...

MARTIN STEPHENSON WITH ROB AYLING

I have known Rob Ayling man and boy since.... well since I was a man and he was a boy. Now he is a man and I am a middle aged disabled music journalist trying desperately to make sense of the universe. Then Rob sends me this. Two pictures of him and Martin Stephenson whose new album can be bought here wearing a strange hat. Yes. Hat. In the singular.

Tell me, what the blink is all that about?