A little bit more work was completed on the album today Anthony
went in and recorded some mandolin for the track Second Life. And the band returns in full
force at the end of the month for a three day session that should see everything completed
except for some brass overdubs.
This will
also be getting a revamp in the next few days so check back soon for updates.
19
April
This site regularly attracts visitors from around the world we know
this because we can see where people come from thanks to some hit counter software loaded
onto the pages. However, the last few weeks have been truly remarkable.
Weve seen
people arrive at the site from India, Thailand, Israel, Greece, Egypt, Argentina, Russia,
Iceland, Croatia, the Czech Republic and Poland. These visitors join fans of Chris from
France, Scandinavia, the UK, Spain, Japan, Italy, the US, Australia and Canada, who all
make regular visits to the site. And Chris is delighted.
"Its
really exciting seeing so many people coming to my site from around the world I
really wouldnt have expected such a truly global interest in what were trying
to achieve on these pages. Thanks to everyone please keep coming back."
13
April
Another step closer to completing the album Anthony and Andy Thomas
spent last weekend recording some guitar parts at Andrews home studio down in
Folkestone. The track, Second Life, has been handed over to our producer, Dick Coppen, for
him to ready it for some vocals.
Chris and
the band will be recording a version of All the Action at the next session and while
working up an arrangement Chris remembered a verse that failed to make the final cut on
the Stevie Klasson take.
24
February
Here's a
video from the Marquee gig - a fine version of Shake Some Action. Enjoy...
17
February
This weekend saw Chris and Anthony return to the studio to work on some
vocals and add some guitar overdubs. The result of the two days labours is that
there are now eight songs nearing completion basically all thats needed is
some final mixing and mastering. As before, Dick Coppen sat at the controls. He also made
some valuable contributions to arrangements and generally helped drive things along.
Well
be back to finish off the album very soon so check back for updates
8
February
The Marquee gig last night was a great
success. Chris turned in a blistering set with the aid of Jim Kimberley [drums] and Bob
Kelly [bass] from support band Kellys Heels, and this sites web master,
Anthony Clark, on second guitar. Chris was joined by Robin Wills of The Barracudas for the
first encore, supplying added punch to Teenage Head and Slow Death.
The only sour note of the night was
the news that The Marquee is closing this weekend, to be replaced by a shopping mall. But
Chris had the honour of playing the venue out in good style, his guitar being the last to
echo around its walls.
Were back into the studio next weekend to resume work on the
album. More news soon
16
January
Chris is playing a London date at the capitols famed Marquee club.
The show, on 7 February, will feature Chris and a full band playing songs from his
Flamin Groovies back catalogue and some material from his solo career. Theres
also the chance of some new songs from the forthcoming album. More details about the show
will be available soon.
Chris is
also set to record some material over in Paris at APC studios. 2008 looks set to be a busy
year
14
January
The Greg
Shaw tribute album He Put the Bomp in the Bomp has finally been released and
features a blistering take of Rocky Ericssons Red Temple Prayer (Two Headed Dog) by
The Barracudas, with Chris handling the lead vocals. Its by far and away the best
rack on the album, which also features a version of Slow Death by Brimstone Howl.
There are
four new videos on YouTube of Chris rehearing for his Paris gig. If you search around the
site youll also find footage of the gig itself both Chriss solo
performance and him with the band.
The first
piece of news is that Chriss gig in Paris on 20 December was a great event
very friendly and enthusiastic. There are already a couple of songs from the show on
YouTube go check them out.
Glen, Stevie and Chris in the studio
The
second piece of news concerns the Stevie Klasson album, Dont Shoot the
Messenger its out at last. The CD features two songs with Chriss name on
the credits All the Action and Downbound Train, the old Fortunate Sons
number. All the Action feature Glen Matlock on bass, pictured here with Stevie and Chris.
And
finally, Chriss album has come on a step further. We have a final mix of one song,
Set Free, and a couple more will be joining it soon.
13
December
Four more
songs have started to come to life after a studio session last weekend. The tracks
Under the Power Lines, Sweet Deceit, Rise and a new version of Never Love Again are
sounding great. The band was the same as before and once again Andy Thomas [keyboards] and
Andy Woodard [drums] added some real energy to the tracks.
A further
session is planned for the New Year, which will be predominantly for vocals and mixing.
2
December 2007
Plenty of Groovies news First, a version of Shake Some Action is
apparently being used for a Latvian TV show, while a reworded
take on the song entitled Take Some Action is being used somewhere in Europe
by political activists. If anyone knows anything more about these please let us know.
The Not Lame record
label has published a book, aptly titled Shake Some Action, that reportedly lists the
"Greatest 200 Power Pop Albums". The eponymous Flamin Groovies album is
placed at number 23. Surely some mistake.
And finally, both
Shake Some Action and Slow Death were played by Paul Schaeffer on the Letterman show.
10
August 2007
Weve had a couple of days to listen to the mixes of the four songs
are theyve turned out really well. There are a couple of fixes that need to be done
one 12-string part suffered a tuning problem due to the heat we chose the
hottest weekend of the year so far to go into the studio! Apart from that its just a
brief tidy up.
The next
session will take place in early September due to the commitments of Anthony Clark and
Andy Thomas a pair of hard-pressed journalists. In the meantime well all be
working up some more songs in readiness.
4
August 2007
The first session for the album is over and was a great success. Four
tracks were started Set Free, Not for Real, Shake that Feeling and Blaze Away.
Drummer Andy Woodard was the star of the day his contributions really brought the
songs to life.
18
July 2007
The studio
is booked, the songs are written and the band's in place yes, Chris is about to
start work on a new album. Joining him for the recording will be Andy Woodard on drums,
Andy Thomas on keyboards, with bass and some additional guitar being supplied by Anthony
Clark. Track titles include Shake that Feeling, Set Free, Not for Real and Blaze Away.
"The Groovies only ever had one run-in with the police. We'd just come back from
France - the middle of November 1972 - and we were in this big Ford Transit. We were going
to see Flaming Star, the Elvis movie at a cinema on the Kings Road, so we pulled up this
little side street and started spinning up a couple of joints when this copper comes
walking up. Johnny, our tour manager, spotted him and yelled back 'Stash it!'.
"He looked inside the van at these blokes with long hair and velvet
suits and said 'Stay where you are', went off to call for backup and returned with a squad
car full off coppers who started going over our van. Fortunately, Johnny had screwed up
the gear and had thrown it on the floor along with all the crisp packets and sweet
wrappers.
"Earlier in the day we'd been to Granny Takes a Trip and
Cyril had got a load of clothes which were all stashed in a bag along with a bloody great
flick knife which he'd brought back from France. It was about ten inches long!
"The coppers took one look at the floor of the van and decided not to
search it but they picked up Cyril's bag and started going through it. One of them found
the knife and asked whose bag it was. Cyril said 'It's mine', forgetting about the knife.
"They grabbed Cyril by the collar and dragged him off to the local nick
so we all rushed over to our record company's lawyer, who lived not far away, and he went
down and bailed him out for 50 quid.
"He was up in court the next morning for having an offensive weapon and
the magistrate said it was either a £100 fine or three months in prison. It was a bit of
a stretch but we came up with the money.
"Cyril wasn't looking too good."