martyn baker

Salvation Sunday – Cold Grey Eyes 1987

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Promo Photo & Cold Grey Eyes inner sleeve. supplied by Martyn Baker

The song. Music by Martyn Baker, Ashley Pepper and Steve Winterbottom. With lyrics by John Prawer. There is a secret contained within these lyrics. Recorded at Wessex Studio Islington, London N.1. by Dietmar Schillinger ,Produced by Tim Friese-Greene (Talk Talk), Vocals – Joanne Winterbottom , Songwriting, Guitar & B/V’s – Stephen Winterbottom, Lead Guitar & B/V’s – Marvin Naylor, Keyboards – Mingo (Robert Talbot) ,  Songwriting & Bass Guitar – Martyn Baker, Drums & Percussion – David Rowley.

Martin Richter… a great band

Mark Gilham… Great photo

Martyn Baker… I resigned from a comfortable BBC career in 1986, to spend my life on the road with this bunch – all because Polydor records gave us a cheque for a quarter of a million pounds – even though we hadn’t sold a single record. It was a particularly stupid name for our pop group, especially as we were all pretty much atheist, but a lot of fun and drinking of fine wines ensued…. and we never had to pay back a penny! Je ne regrette rien. —

 

RITZ various & The Crown review.

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Martin Stringer, Marytn Baker, Paul Guimbeau, Paul Dengate, Judith Clarke & Andy Knight.

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Paul Dengate photo

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1996 review  -supplied by Phil Little. Music Files.

Phil Gill… I sort of vaguely remember this gig.

John Laidlaw… You stood in for me, Phil? I thought I’d remember that… if only because I’d have been worried they wouldn’t want me back after.

Phil Gill… You’re very kind, but you needn’t have worried. I have a low mandolin threshold.

Peter Bridger… I was at that gig. Still have the cassette I bought – but nothing to play it on!

 

 

 

Tich Turner & John Wilde together in Steppin’ Out – 1977

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https://soundcloud.com/martyn-baker/steppin-out-hurt-again-live-on-hastings-pier

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Martyn Baker… In case John Alexander Wilde was feeling left out from my earlier comments about great soul singers from Hastings…. Here he is singing dual lead vocals with Tich Turner. For one night only in 1977 the two ex-“Stallion” lead vocalists singing together on Hastings Pier singing in the band Steppin’ Out. (From a very rare live tape). Recorded live on Hastings Pier c.1977. The band on that night were:- Tich Turner – vocal,  Johnny Wilde – vocal,  Roger Hubbard – guitar and vocal, Stevie Whitefield – guitar and vocal, Wesley Magoogan – saxes and vocal,  Andy Knight – Drums, Martyn Baker – Bass

Pete Prescott…  ran into kevin hoad last night at porters. We talked briefly about steppin outs photo session by winkle Island. It was the day after lynyrd skynrds plane crash in 77.i would love to see a photo from that session. I was a very inexperionced young singer completely out of his depth.i had never sung harmonies before. But l loved the band and learned a lot.i moved to Hastings on Christmas Eve 77. The band broke up on new years eve ha ha ! Ray fenwick had organised a recording using tich and wes plus session players in london.no other members were involved. Wes (as I recall ) was having none of that (good on him! ) he and tich had a fair old barny. End of band. Tich did the session. Enter the roaring 80’s. Shame. Amazing band steppin out.i had a fairly miserable few years not really knowing anyone. But it got better. I was very lucky moving to the most amazing town for music in the country. I have a couple õf cassettes of songs. And a few photos. Roger hubbard wrote most of the songs with tich I recall.not completely sure how all that worked. If anyone has any photos I’ll be at the White Rock Hotel Friday.

Martyn Baker… This gig happened just before you joined us Pete Prescott. Before that we had Martin Stringer as our other lead vocalist, John Alexander Wilde was there on this night to help with the transition, but I don’t really think it was his cup of tea, as we heard that he had left the gig before the encore to go directly to Portugal that night!  This song “Hurt Again” by Martin Stringer and Tich Turner. Also featuring Wesley Magoogan, and Andy Knight.

John Wilde… Thanks for the word up Martyn. I have absolutely no memory of this. Tich was/is a great Soul singer and still giving it large! Best wishes to you.

Mick O’Dowd… Tich was a good soul singer that’s why I signed him up for Deep Purple.

Steppin’ Out – Dance Dance Dance & Hurt Again 1976

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https://soundcloud.com/martyn-baker/steppin-out-dance-dance-dance

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Dubbed from an old cassette, (Originally recorded in 1976 – Hastings).

Written by Martin Stringer arr. Steppin’ Out.

VOX – Martin Stringer, VOX – Tich Turner, ALTO SAX & B/V- Wesley Magoogan
LEAD GUITAR & B/V – Roger Hubbard, RHYTHM GUITAR & B/V – Little Stevie Whitefield
DRUMS – Andy Knight, BASS GUITAR – Martyn Baker

Janine Anne Hemsley….I love it

Andre Martin…..Interesting – very mid 70s disco structure would gone down well with the glam/disco music in that time – good find.

Martyn Baker….Here is a recording with the final lineup. Kevin Hoad had taken over the drumstool, Pete Prescott had replaced Martin Stringer by then. We decided to split the band up shortly afterwards.

https://soundcloud.com/martyn-baker/steppin-out-hurt-again

935003_10151699947769287_870860994_nphoto supplied by Pete Prescott

Pete Prescott……I remember that gig.i was very much in awe of everyone in the band.also i was still living in north kent.i used to travel down wednesday nights and weekends.tich was amazing as a frontman.didnt know why they needed me.throw in wes and roger h.amazing band.i moved to hastings on christmas eve 77.the band split up on new years eve ha ha ! i was left stranded in a town i didnt know.bit tough for a while.but it picked up a year later with the jims.i think we did smoke on the water at that gig with ray for the first time.he had that yamaha.great guitar.

Salvation Sunday – Heart In Motion

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“Heart In Motion” was Salvation Sunday’s second single for Polydor. Music producer was Ed Stasium (Ramones, Julian Cope), the promo video was shot in Feb. 1987 in a film studio in Middlesex, UK on 16mm film, much of it using “stop-frame animation” which basically meant each 1/24 second was shot like a still frame on a normal camera – like “Wallis and Gromit” except with real people – it took all day! This technique was, and still is, very unusual for a pop video due to it’s complexity. It was directed by Nick Brandt (Michael Jackson – Earth song, Stranger in Moscow etc).

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Vocals – Joanne Winterbottom
Song, Guitar & B/V’s – Stephen Winterbottom
Lead Guitar & B/V’s – Marvin Naylor
Keyboards – Mingo (Robert Talbot)
Bass Guitar – Martyn Baker
Drums & Percussion – David Rowley

Phil Gil commented …..Nice – very empty and understated and it works. Everything to a minimum and implied, which leaves a lot of room for the song to to breathe, but the groove’s still there. And now I can’t get it out of my head