OCTOBER 1983

Sat 1
Amazon studios: Hugh working on rough mixes in anticipation of  vocal session with Steve. But Steve is delayed so Gil takes Hugh and David into Liverpool for a night out. Go to Everyman Bistro where they meet up with Geoff Higgins and The Lotus Eaters who have a fine new single called "First Picture Of You".

Sun 2
Amazon studios: The last days studio booking. Steve arrives for vocal session. Hugh discusses the recent events with Steve and David and rings me to say that neither wish to continue with the extended line up idea.

Wed 5
To London. Group meeting at Chris Carr's office in London. Main topic of discussion is ideas for a video. (David has a black eye!) Interview with journalist Betty Page follows then she accompanies us all to the local pub where we meet up with Gene Loves Jezebel. Then for a meal at the Lantern in Bayswater with Chris and Sarah before retiring to the Columbia Hotel.

Thur 6
RG Jones Studio Wimbledon: This was supposed to be booked for mixing, but as we are running behind Hugh has a session with Ian adding saxophones and clarinet to the tracks.

Meanwhile, Steve and David and I have meeting at Polydor re-video. Shown new Cure video then product manager Paul Lowe and Billy Keen take us for a late lunch to discuss possible directors. The issue of "extra band members" comes up and Billy and Paul assert that Polydor have signed the three of them and that is how they wish it to stay.

Taxi to Wimbledon RG Jones Studio to join Ian and Hugh. Steve then does backing vocals until 4am. All back to the Columbia.

Fri 7
RG Jones Studio Wimbledon: Session player Geoff adds Congas to "No More Proud" with David and Hugh in attendance. Meanwhile Ian and Steve make whistle stop journey to Darlington Arts Centre to open a music workshop. Cellist Caroline Lavelle records parts for Blue Emotion. Then David does backing vocals for The Moment.

Sat 8
RG Jones Studio Wimbledon: Trumpet is added by session man Luke to The Moment and No More Proud. David finishes backing vocals to the former. Steve then arrives back from Darlington and helps to record claps for Splurge.

Sun 9
RG Jones Studio Wimbledon: A day of Steve and David's backing vocals. David unearths an old Polymoog from  a dusty corner of the studio and uses it for harpsichord parts on Blue Emotion. The track is declared finished by the end of the evening.

Mon 10
RG Jones Studio Wimbledon: Rick Martinez with Hugh adding extra drum parts.

Ian is summoned from Wakefield to Polydor to see Billy Keane. Billy intends to have a pep talk with him about the extra band members issue which was raised with Steve and David last Thursday. (Ian is seen by the record label as the catalyst of the affair). When Steve and David and I arrive is obvious that things have not gone well as, before the meeting, Ian had spotted new live backing tapes in the office which have arrived from Amazon Studios and a row had ensued.

This is followed by a meeting for all with video director about "Secrets". A whole host of ideas come out and by the end a complete script has been envisaged with plenty of band input. Ian then heads to the studio to check on Rick's progress while Billy takes the rest of us to a Chinese/Jewish café before driving us back to our new hotel in Wimbledon. Main topic of discussion at the restaurant is Ian's reticence to drop the extended line up idea.

Tues 11
RG Jones Studio Wimbledon: Steve and David working with Hugh on Breaking The Boundary backing vocals. Cymbals and maracas are also added plus a Casio keyboard part. Meanwhile Ian heads back to Wakefield via Chris Carr's office where he discusses yesterdays matters with him. Chris speaks in favour of the Polydor argument.

Wed 12
RG Jones Studio Wimbledon:  Recording tabla with top session player Dinesh for Splurge. Gary Brooker of Procul Harem drops in on the session. Hugh then starts a mix of Blue Emotion. David rings me to say he has taken a call from Rick Martinez trying to make a bid to continue with the group and claiming that he really likes playing to click tracks.

Chris and Sarah attend a playback of Hugh's mix in the evening then Embers is set up ready for a mix tomorrow.

Thur 13
RG Jones Studio Wimbledon: Hugh mixes Embers and The Moment. Meanwhile Steve and David go to Polydor to meet GLO the video production people. A&R take them all out for a pizza and further discussions on Secrets video take place. Steve then heads for Wakefield in anticipation of a house move, while David meets Chris and Sarah with the Polydor crew at a Time UK gig at the 100 club.

Fri 14
David visits 2 wardrobe/property warehouses with Lee from GLO looking for costumes for the Secrets video. Chris Carr announces that the band have landed the Howard Jones tour support in December. David joins Chris at Polydor to wait for the delivery of the RG Jones tapes, but they don't arrive so he takes the train back to Yorkshire.

Mon 17
Drive all three to London in time for a meeting with GLO followed by a trip with Lee from the video company to Contemporary Wardrobe for choosing and fitting of hire costumes for the Secrets video. Then to Polydor where Hugh arrives for the postponed play of the Amazon/RG Jones album tracks. A&R then take us to a celebration meal at the Pizza Pie Factory in St George's Square. Billy Keane then takes us for drinks at our hotel The Everad while Steve continues in central London with Hugh (who is leaving for America in the morning). Meet Carmel and her duo in the hotel  bar and have drinks together. Ian unfortunately knocks the table and spills a beer into her lap.

Tues 18
Take Ian to Chris Carr's office in the morning while David waits for Steve to return from seeing Hugh off at the airport. Chris is keen to continue to smooth the riff created by the difference of opinion on the extra musicians issue. Meanwhile Steve and David return to GLO where Lee takes them to the Kings road to buy extra clothes for the video. In the evening Chris joins us at The Columbia hotel where a meeting between us all on the subject of Polydor and future live direction seems to finally clear up the damage to morale caused by the Amazon incident.

Wed 19
Secrets Video Shoot, Beaconsfield: Get the guys up at 6am and off to GLO by 8am where we are taken by bus to Beaconsfield church hall. Meet director Mark. Amazing amount of facilities trucks and efficient personnel waiting there for us. There are even mobile caterers. Steve Ian and David are called into make up with Penny, the first scene to be shot involves coloured faces - red green and blue respectively. This was filmed in the hall with black costumes on a black out curtain so that the faces could be superimposed later. Jeremy who did the Shepherds Bush photographs arrives to take stills. After lunch they film the inside of the tents shots where the band build a Camera Obscura while wearing face masks. As dusk falls we are bussed to a local country house where the main body of the video is to be filmed on a folly. The instruments that I have organised - Mellotron for David and Harmonium and  medieval wind instruments for Ian are set up. It's very cold and there is concern that they are getting condensation on them. Many runs through the song to get different shots. The band are given a pretty free hand. There is also the medieval tent to one side of the set which they go into to cut to the inside shots from earlier in the day. By 1230 am it's a wrap. A long day but a very successful one. There is much anticipation on the bus back to the film company. Everyone thinks that we have a good one!

Thur 20
Checked out of Columbia hotel. After a brief visit to Chris Carr's office to tell him of yesterday's events, I drive the band back to Yorkshire.

Mon 24
Amazon Studios Liverpool: Pick David and keyboards up and drive him to Amazon where he begins work with Geoff Higgins and Gil Norton creating Live backing tracks for forthcoming tour. Some of the multi-tracks from the Hugh sessions are used where possible while other songs have to have new backing created from scratch. For this I organise the hire of a Linn Drum which David programmes in the evening at the hotel. Feedback from Polydor about the now finished Secrets video is positive.

Tues 25
Amazon Studios Liverpool: Live backing tracks created for Winter, Comfortable Life and Illness today. Ian arrives mid afternoon just as David had finished the keyboard parts. Gilly from Polydor arrives to deliver a bass guitar and a copy of the Secrets video. Bass guitar parts to Winter and Illness are finished.

Wed 26
Amazon Studios Liverpool: Mixing Live backing tracks. Chris phones wanting us to re-edit the video while Billy from Polydor rings to say that there is no need to as everyone there is happy. Tape copying is completed by 9pm. David and Ian stay another night at the Rockland hotel.

Thur 27
I arrive in Liverpool in the morning to collect gear and David and Ian. Have my first viewing of the video before we set off for Yorkshire.

Sat 29
Steve's wedding. Today Steve married Gill. I take a minibus full of Yorkshire folk down to London for the proceedings. David and Ian and Mary amongst the passengers along with old college friends etc. Billy Keane represented Polydor at the service.

Mon 31
David and Ian practise with the new live backing tracks at Smithy Brook Farm.

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