Herasius The Dreamweaver
This is an album of unreleased songs and tracks from the Green Pepper Junction catalogue – all composed in various locations (mostly outdoors) on seashores to the mountains – and on one occasion, a tropical hothouse!
The tracks were recorded from time to time and were not and have not been influenced by current music trends of the moments – be it then or now.
Nearly all the tracks have a colourful music history in both their composition and production, as nearly all the songs were written for specific acts – but recorded by other artists.
The theme song ‘Holding on to nothing but a handful of dreams’ in itself created music history as both versions on the album were recorded at the same time in two different studios 30 miles apart, with two different sets of musicians and production team, and the only person aware of this was the artiste who literally fitted between the two studios to ‘lay down’ the vocal tracks – though this track and ‘Shangri-La’ were specifically written for a major European star who fell unwell with a throat infection days before the recording session and was unable to sing resulting in Shani Raindrop stepping in to do the vocal tracks with just two days’ notice! – And the result speaks for itself.
Then there were other adventures – like recording ‘Tenement Boogie-pop’ and creating the feel, sound and mood of the ‘Swinging 40s’ – no easy feat – It took a lot of ‘on hand’ brandy, beer and stocking up the heat (an open fire in the studio would you believe!) for everybody in the studio before it all started to come together – only to find that the ‘trumpet man’ had disappeared!
An urgent phone call at 2’oclock in the morning got Tommy Hulcup out of bed and into the studio – and with no previous knowledge of rehearsal of the track ‘laid down’ an amazing trumpet solo on the production and, from Stockholm, Sweden, Martin Contra (recording the only track in Europe outside the U.K). phoning Asher Halle from his Stockholm studios on New Years Eve – an hour before midnight as Asher was leaving for a New Years Eve Party – urgently requesting a copy of the lyrics for the song “This Year – Next Year” (quite appropriate for that moment) as they (in Stockholm) had ‘somehow mislaid’ the lyric sheet and as they were in the studio ’laying down’ the vocal track (on New Years Eve?!) and nobody there could understand the singer on the ‘demo’ vocal – ‘could they have the lyrics faxed to Stockholm – right away please!
Asher didn’t have a copy of the lyrics – and couldn’t remember all the words either! So he had to sit down and play the ‘demo’ over and over (he likewise had problems ‘deciphering’ the vocal lyrics on the tape) – and was still writing and working it out after the bells had gone for midnight – and The New Year!
Finally, ‘little fish in a jar’ written and composed one summer afternoon under a tree in Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow, and recorded as a ‘filler’ in about an hour while waiting for various musicians to arrive for a recording session – and just put together and recorded by the few musicians in the studio at the time – and a session singer who’d arrived early (to do backing vocals) adding a cool vocal rendition to the track – with thanks too – and not forgetting ‘Whistling CY Jack’!
This is just an example of the fun and adventures we had recording these tracks – we could go on – but enough of this – on to the music and the real thing.
This is the first album ever to be released on the Green Pepper Junction label, its content and theme is a compilation of ‘across the board’ music for all ages and tastes – from Reggae to Rock – some with a lot of fun and some, jus about life.
Listen – dance – and enjoy!
Asher Halle