JULY 1983

Fri 1
Chris Carr rings to say Polydor now want to go with 'Diary' (Secrets) first. Steve and David not keen, still want 'Photography' out. 

Sat 2
Early evening take David to London. Check into the Lancaster Gate Hotel. Meet with Chris Carr and Sarah Swain, who take David to a party at their drummer friend 'Desperates' (!!) house. 

Sun 3
Drive to The Townhouse to collect 24 track tapes then with David to RG Jones Studio Wimbledon. David puts down extra guitar part on Aqua Vitae, then Hugh begins mixing this as a 7 inch and 12inch, and Photography. Steve arrives at 3pm. Chris Marshall also calls in. Mixing doesn't finish until 8am next morning.

Mon 4 
Drive Steve and David back to hotel in rush hour traffic. Just time for a little sleep before we head for Kilburn where Chris Carr is in the process of moving offices. Back with him to Polydor where A&R boss Alan Sizer discuss single release question. We manage to argue the case for Photography again. Back to Wakefield. 

Tues 5 
Strawberry Studio 1 Stockport: Recording B-side to Secrets: Comfortable Life. Ian back from holiday. Meet Hugh at the studio. Morning is taken up with drum machine programming. After lunch Rick Martinez arrives to do real drums. Then David records bass part. Finish 2 am. Stay at local pub B&B. 

Wed 6
Strawberry Studio 1 Stockport: Steve, David and Rick take a leisurely breakfast while Hugh and Ian rush off to the studio to do sax parts. Steve does vocals, then David adds guitar and keyboards. There is a track of backwards talking and smashing glass in dustbins etc which all have fun getting involved in. All recording is finished at 7pm so the band have a night out in Stockport while Hugh spends the evening doing a mix. Rejoin him at midnight and all is finished by 2am. Back to our lodgings. 

Thur 7
Leave Stockport with Ian, David and Hugh all heading back to Yorkshire while Steve goes to London. Have meeting at my house. Hugh then goes back to Smithy Brook Farm with David. In the evening they have a meal at Ian's followed by a night on the town in Wakefield. A eye opening experience for Hugh no doubt. Hugh stays in Wakefield overnight and heads off for London in the morning. 

Mon 18 
Collect Ian and David and his girlfriend Danette and have a fraught journey to London due to road works. Collect Chris Carr at his Kilburn office and head to Polydor where we meet Steve. Have meeting with and designer from Dagmma who shows us proposed artwork for Photography sleeve. Meanwhile at Sarm studios A&R man Billy is with Hugh Jones overseeing yet another mix of Aqua Vitae.  In evening go for drinks at The Grosvenor with some of the Decca staff. Then we all split off into smaller groups for food before returning to Columbia Hotel where we are once again staying. 

Tues 19
Steve, Ian and David have their own meeting in Bond St with lawyer James Wylie to formalise contracts between them and Chris Carr and myself. So far we've managed without any paperwork. Chris and I meet the band at RCA where Steve Catner from their publishing department takes us to a great Italian restaurant. Then to Polydor. First there is a photo shoot on the roof with Bleadyn Butcher. Then Hugh arrives and we hear what the "Billy mix" of Aqua Vitae sounds like. All back to the Columbia. David & Dannette, Chris, Sarah and Hugh then go to Dingwalls to see The March Violets. 

Wed 20
Lunchtime meeting at Polydor with two video companies interested in doing a "Photography" Video. Then pub lunch with A&R head Alan Sizer. Drummer Rick Martinez join us here and then goes back to the Columbia with us where we meet Isaac Guillory. There is a plot hatched for Isaac to try doing bass parts live and perhaps work up to having Rick play drums. 

Thur 21
Ian & Steve return to Wakefield. David and Danette stay in London for a couple of days before also heading back North. 

Mon 25
Collect the band and show them an old converted church that a friend owns in Holmfirth.  I thought it might make a good rehearsal space for them. Then back to my house where Isaac is waiting along with old college friend Kev Moore who is looking into helping us with a fan club. Then Ian and David and Isaac accompany me to Stephens Music in Leeds to collect a mixer, drum machine and tape deck plus various accessories which we then take to Smithy Brook Farm. 

Tues 26
Smithy Brook Farm: First live rehearsal with Isaac on bass. Rick Martinez rings to check on progress. In evening a trip to The Wakefield Arms in the city centre ends up with band members being invited to join in the local rock n roll band. Ian get his sax out while David starts on bass and ends up on drums. 

Wed 27
Smithy Brook Farm: In the morning take Kev Moore round to interview the band for a press release biography that I have commissioned him to write. Isaac has another rehearsal with them in the afternoon before playing his own gig at Buxton in the evening to which Steve accompanies him. 

Fri 29
Smithy Brook Farm: Just the three band members practising today while I head off a demand that the band go immediately to London to choose photos for the record sleeve.

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