"Night approaches slowly. With bells and waste-laden trains. We take a taxi cab and send it northward. And do a runner through well-remembered lanes. Well, we watched the red sky over Wembley. With pain in our hearts for all those we know ..." And this is how it all started. Sat listening to The Decorators' Red Sky Over Wembley, wondering why some things were lost and some things never found, and why some London songs were played to death and others never mentioned. Mick Bevan's band of doomed romantics were among the London-based outfits of the early 1980s that seemed destined to be dogged by ill-fortune. The Decorators had the songs, the beautiful guitars, the presence. They even had Dexys' Pete Saunders in their ranks. But it wasn't to be. The group's output was small, a few singles, a couple of mini-LPs, but it is a fine body of work, which has inspired words elsewhere.
Sunday, 31 January 2010
Red Sky Over Wembley
"Night approaches slowly. With bells and waste-laden trains. We take a taxi cab and send it northward. And do a runner through well-remembered lanes. Well, we watched the red sky over Wembley. With pain in our hearts for all those we know ..." And this is how it all started. Sat listening to The Decorators' Red Sky Over Wembley, wondering why some things were lost and some things never found, and why some London songs were played to death and others never mentioned. Mick Bevan's band of doomed romantics were among the London-based outfits of the early 1980s that seemed destined to be dogged by ill-fortune. The Decorators had the songs, the beautiful guitars, the presence. They even had Dexys' Pete Saunders in their ranks. But it wasn't to be. The group's output was small, a few singles, a couple of mini-LPs, but it is a fine body of work, which has inspired words elsewhere.
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My friend Colin Delaney wrote a brilliant jazz instrumental which I titled for him called: 'Wings Over W12' & I myself also wrote a tune about a rastaman in W12 called: 'Black In White City". I also wrote the lyrics (not about London) to the song "Falling Star', whcih Mick Bevan wrote the music to, and is featured on The Decorators record pictured above.
ReplyDeleteThanks Julian. Like to hear those tracks. Falling Star is one of my favourite songs, by the way.
ReplyDeleteThe songs on this album are very beautiful, and yes, Auntie, 'Falling Star' is gorgeous...I also loved the earlier 'Tablets' and something they sang which (I think) was called 'Place in the Sun'. It wasn't just good, it was great. I don't have any copies of this stuff, and would love to know where I can get hold of it.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, if you search the web I'm sure you will find copies posted, but if I can help let me know.
ReplyDelete"A place in the sun, I can't remember..." was never recorded properly. Good though.
ReplyDeleteCharlotte Rampling never married me... a lyric from A place on the sun... My Twilight View was a single
ReplyDeleteHi Pete, Charlotte Rampling never married me was a lyric from a song called Almost There. Johnny
ReplyDelete