'Too good to be lost to posterity and deserves to be heard by a wider audience.'
As work continues on Volume 3 of their local music history book series, Bradford’s Noise Of The Valleys, local authors and music historians Gary Cavanagh and Matt Webster have taken time out to release a new CD compilation which comprises the fifth edition of their Missing Music CDs.
The Missing Music 5 is another limited edition CD that presents more ‘missing’ tracks from Bradford born or based artists that were not included on any of the previous CDs that accompany Bradford‘s Noise Of The Valleys Volumes One and Two.
This latest CD in the series covers a thirty year period spanning four decades of changing styles and fashions in music.
It begins with the classic sounds of the sixties, veering into the local folk scene before careering through early seventies pop, including an early incarnation of Smokie (appearing here as Kindness) and Kiki Dee, the first Bradford female singer to reach number one, followed by late seventies new wave and eighties and nineties pop and rock, and even includes a Turner Prize winner with Talulah Gosh’s Bradford lass Elizabeth Price!.
‘Even as we are writing and researching Volume 3, which will take the story from 1999 to 2009, a lot of older material which we knew about but couldn’t find or, in some cases, knew nothing about, keeps turning up,’ said Gary.
‘We do our best to include this ‘missing music’ as extra CDs and update the story of these bands and songs in the preface of the next volume of the book. This is part of Bradford’s musical legacy - it’s simply too good to be lost to posterity and deserves to be heard by a wider audience.’
Gary and Matt find their ‘missing music’ by searching second hand record stores and websites or get sent tracks as more and more people, often ex-pats who have relocated to different cities or often different countries, discover their books and CDs.
‘Matt is a genius at audio restoration and digital editing so we can usually make a scratched old seven inch single or even a hiss filled cassette sound like a freshly recorded song, or as close as we can get.’
Volume One of the book covers the years 1967 to 1987, Volume Two continues the story from 1988 to 1998. Gary and Matt are underway with Volume Three, which will take the story from 1999 to 2009.
The Missing Music 5 CD album was released on 25th November 2017 and features the following artists:
1 Three Good Reasons - Nowhere Man © 1966 - This Beatles classic got this Bradford Band to number 1 in the Dutch charts in 1966.
2 Linda Russell - We’ve Got A Need For Each Other © 1969 - The only solo single by former singer Keighley’s popular 1960s rock’n’roll band The Presidents.
3 Hogsnort Rupert’s Original Flagon Band - Pretty Girl © 1970 - New Zealand based band of British ex-pats that included Bradford lad Ian Terry had a number 1 single with this song in their adopted home in 1970.
4 Rivington Pike - Wish A Little Love © 1972 - Collectable single by Bradford Cabaret band which featured Mike Berry, formerly of Lorraine & The Baht’ats.
5 Kindness - Lonely Long Lady © 1973 - The second incarnation of Bradford legends, Smokie, with one of their three singles on Decca Records in the early seventies.
6 Jovial Crew - Johnny Lad © 1973 - Keighley’s popular folk band with a track from a collectable Folk compilation album.
7 Janet Jones - Silver Coin © 1974 - Well respected Keighley folk singer with a track from her eponymous album.
8 Moonchild - Hour Glass © 1975 - The only single by this local folk rock combo, released on Huddersfield’s Look Records.
9 Hebric - Blow The Candles Out © 1978 - Cleckheaton folk band with a track from their second album, Later Ron.
10 The Collection - Spinning Wheel © 1976 - Local club covers band with a track from their self released album.
11 Kiki Dee & Elton John - Don’t Go Breaking My Heart © 1976 - Legendary Bradford lass’s classic number 1 single in a duet with some small bald bloke
. 12 The Donkeys - Four Letters © 1979 - First single from new wave band from Normanton (near Wakefield) which included Bradford lad Mark Welham on drums.
13 Silver Screen Girls - Photographs © 1980 - Short lived Queensbury band’s only single.
14 Excel - Rock Show © 1980 - Cleckheaton based new wave band.
15 The Invaders - Rock Methodology © 1980 - - Brighouse/Bradford based new wave band.
16 Stormtrooper - Grind ’n’ Heat © 1980 - Local heavy metal band.
17 Titan - Imaginary Lady © 1983 - Very rare single by Bradford folk rock group with all the instruments played by Colin Whitaker.
18 Rebecca Storm - The Wrong Girl © 1986 - Second single from Shipley born singer (real name Elizabeth Hewlett).
19 Talulah Gosh - Beatnik Boy © 1986 - First single by Oxford based quirky indie band which included Bradford lass Elizabeth Price who went on to win the 2012 Turner Prize for art with a pop influenced conceptual video.
20 Clocks & Clouds - Have A Heart (For The Children) © 1989 - Local duo’s benefit single for the Save The Heart Foundation, backed by a host of well know Bradford based musicians.
21 The Godfathers - She Gives Me Love © 1989 - Indie rock band that featured local lad George Mazur on drums.
22 Legend - Cry For Me © 1993 - Local rock band with a track from their CD single on Baildon label, Reckless Records.
23 Clouded Fish - Expect © 1996 - Local band with a track released on a compilation album from Fagley based record label In Yer Face.
24 Tooth Fairy - Take 5 © 1996 - This sax and cello duo were buskers and small venue regulars and also played with a host of Bradford bands.
Their books and CDs have received great reviews in Record Collector and R2 (Rock & Reel) magazines in past years, as well as getting 5 star reviews on sites such as Amazon.
Reviews
‘The two volumes reflect a part of Bradford’s social and cultural history which is just as important as its industrial heritage, Wool Capital and all that. It is a very impressive and important body of work.’ - Alan Whitaker, former T&A journalist
‘Every musician, historian and music lover should have these two books on their coffee table - along with the 12 CDs of some of the greatest music it’s been my pleasure to have heard.’ - Nagbea, Sound Shack Records
‘...the research and detail is stunning, varied and comprehensive, and it is carried out with the professional clarity rarely found in monkeys with typewriters!’ - Griff Smagic, DJ and Radio Presenter
‘...an utter delight from cover to cover...’ ‘What an amazing piece of work...’ ‘This book is a gem mined from obscurity. If you are a music fan, you need to take note of this story...’ ‘....unique time-capsule which encapsulates an entire culture.’ 5 star Amazon Reviews
‘An absolute benchmark for anyone, anywhere, planning a local rock history, this is a great read for anyone who’s ever listened to anything, sung or strummed from Britains best city...’ R2 Magazine, April 2010
‘...detailed and passionately written...’ 4 star review, Record Collector, April 2014
