NEW RELEASE DETAILS ...
Title: "Abbots Langley" Artist: Ollie Halsall
Format: CD album Cat No: MSMCD145
Bar code: 5 065001 032035
Released: January 14th 2008 through Proper Music Distribution
"Abbots Langley" – 1980 recordings from late Patto axeman Halsall
Further insight into the life and times of guitarist supremo Ollie Halsall
is revealed this January with an album of hitherto unreleased recordings in
"Abbots Langley" (Market Square; MSMCD145), a partner to Halsall's
posthumous 1999 solo, "Caves" (MSMCD103).
Following an early career with Timebox, Patto, Tempest and Boxer, Halsall in
1980 was to team up with former bandmate drummer John Halsey to record some
remarkable sessions that for various reasons (Halsall's life never far from
mishap) have not seen the light of day until now.
Halsall and Halsey were fun to be around, though the former unreliable in
all areas but his exemplary playing.
The duo had worked with Vivan Stanshall and John Otway – thus establishing
their anarchy credentials - and around this time went into the studios to
record tracks for a new band as well as pitch for a career in advertising
jingles. They also contributed a tracks to Morgan Fisher's (Mott The Hoople,
British Lions) extraordinary release "Miniatures".
The outcome is showcased on this album: spiky workouts fizzing with humour
and energy and some fine playing, interspersed with the duo's hilariously
doomed efforts for a pizza chain at jingle writing/playing.
When the new group failed to materialise and advertising likewise not bring
in the riches foretold, Halsall was to join Kevin Ayers' band, with whom he
was to spend most of the next 12 years up to his untimely death in Spain in
1992.
In his droll booklet notes for "Abbots Langley", Halsey recalls:
Vivian Stanshall got us to do some tracks with musical director Pete Moss
for the album "Teddy Boys Don't Knit".
I got my session fees - about £700 - through the post. Next day, I drove
over to Ollie's thinking: "At last, he can buy a guitar" because everything
he was doing, he had to borrow one. I was thinking that he could have the
electricity put back on, or buy some coal, or even food!
But, no: "Hi J. Yeah, got my money. Come and see." I went into the house
and, all around the walls, were pinned these giant sheets of paper. "I'm
gonna build an ocean-going yacht. Sail around the world. I'll build it in
the back garden and have it lifted over the house by one of those massive
cranes on the back of a lorry." The plans cost £700.
"Abbots Langley" is a snapshot of a particular period in the life of a
somewhat eccentric but extraordinarily talented musician.
"Sometimes, when it's late at night,
I can hear the London trains.
Feels like someone stepped on my grave.
And I don't understand why you're holding my hand"
Ollie Halsall 1980
www.olliehalsall.co.uk
www.marketsquarerecords.co.uk
Track Listing
1. Bum Love 1.02
2. Monkey On My Back 3.05
3. Marietta's Pizzas #1 0.33
4. Don't Understand 3.39
5. This One's For Me 3.40
6. Marietta's Pizzas #2 0.34
7. Seven Days 4.33
8. Time Is By My Side 2.55
9. We Want Out 3.11
10. Marietta's Pizzas #3 0.30
11. Roll Around 3.22
Bonus tracks:
12. Seven Days (alt. version) 2.47
13. We Want Out (instr) 3.38
14. Run 3.55
15. Shame Shame 2.36
Also by Ollie Halsall
Title: Caves
Cat No: MSMCD103
Bar code: 5 019148 623410
Previously unreleased songs by late, cult rock guitarist Halsall (ex-Patto,
Tempest, Grimms, Kevin Ayers) reveal a man of songwriting talent to go with
his acclaimed mastery of many different instruments. Cover illustration from
Ollie's archive, notes by former colleague John Otway
ends
Issued November 2007 by Singsong Entertainment Publicity. Contact: Peter
Muir T 00 44 (0)(1296 715228
FOR BOOKLET SCANS AND/OR IMAGES OF OLLIE HALSALL, PLEASE CONTACT SINGSONG
www.singsongpr.biz
T 00 44 (0)1296 715228
F 00 44 (0)1296 715486
C 00 44 (0)7703 648077
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