I kept the Gallery for 3 years, during which time I opened up 2 off licences as well as having my first daughter Kelly. I thought if I was ever going to give up playing in bands, after 15 years, now was the time. I was 30 on 25th December, and my first child Tony was born on the 30th.
I opened my rock club "The gallery", in Birkenhead, on the 21st December. Nothing was happening - no real promotion. We had not long released the "Back to Thunder" album. As he said to me recently, "Every day, when I wake up, I say to myself "Great - another day!"" He continues to fight the diseases that have followed him over the years. In 2003 his circulation problems became so bad that he had to have a leg amputated. Since then, Gordon's health has deteriorated. Nightwing reformed for one last album, "Natural Survivors", in 1996. After a while, I realised that I could spend more of my time following another of my interests - horses, and organised horse shows in this country and throughout Europe. Soon after this, I was hospitalised again - this time with cancer. In the late 1980's, Strife reformed for a few gigs - it was great to see so many friends again. I continued to work as an engineer and producer, mainly in the US. Steve Bartley has put his recollections down here. We played a couple of gigs, but my heart/circulation problems returned and put a stop to touring.
Further albums followed, "Stand up and be Counted" 1983, "My Kingdom Come" 1984, and finally "A Night of Mystery - Alive, Alive!" 1985.ĭel Bonham (Stray) and I had talked about playing together ever since we met, and we went into the studio with Steve Bartley on drums and recorded an album as "Razorback". We then toured on our own, and also as support for "Rainbow"! Our second album, "Black Summer" was released in 1982, and was very well received - particularly in Eastern Europe, where we toured regularly. "Nightwing" was formed soon afterwards, and the first album was released in 1980, with Graham Nash's "Barrel of Pain" pulled as a single. We had one rehearsal, but I realised that I wanted my own band. I was starting to get a band together, when I was asked to join "Rainbow". It was great fun but, feeling stronger I wanted to play "live" again. (Engineer on "Rush") We worked on sessions together - engineer and bass player! I soon picked up work as an engineer myself and ended up at Rudy Records (Graham Nash's studio) working on CSNY's "Daylight Again" album and the "No Nukes" concert/album.
After a few months, I returned and played a few gigs but could not continue gigging as we had always done. This recording also features the genius of Garth Hudson (on accordion on "Burn The Bridge"), a former member of The Band.Īll in all, this is a standout work that uses talent and feeling like a razor to cut through the void of false sentimentality and overproduction that plagues much of today's folk and rock music.Just as "Back to Thunder" was released, I suffered a heart attack. The album's very present sound owes much to the thoughtful ear of sound engineer Matthew Cullen, who has worked with artists such as My Morning Jacket, Antony and The Johnsons, and Evan Dando, among others. Violet's skill as a self-produced artist. Despite this collection of instruments, its tone is both personal and tasteful - no small feat. The album contains vast instrumentation - strings, synthesizers, organs, harpsichord, sitar, melatron, and electric guitars. Violet's plaintive vocals rise above her ambient guitar work, creating a contrast that manages to convey longing. Lose Strife is an ambitious and earnest album, evidenced by its opening track, "Bruise." It is a love song of sorts in which Ms. Nina Violet's Lose Strife is the first release from Grandma's Basement, the new music label of Island-born singer/songwriter Willy Mason.