The Alun Rhys Jones Band

The Alun Rhys Jones Band live at Plas Coch, Llanedwen 30th September 1981

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Felinheli based songsmith Alun Rhys Jones was a legendary figure on the north Wales scene during the late seventies and early eighties. Playing his first gig in July 1978 at Bangor's long demolished Castle Hotel as support to Mike Haslam, Alun would regularly spellbind audiences with his smooth croon and eerily realistic animal impersonations over the next four years.

The Alun Rhys Jones Band went through many changes during its lifetime, the one constant being guitarist and musical director Wil Jones. Wil would recruit the finest of the scene's contemporary players to provide the most sympathetic backing for Alun's catchy and idiosyncratic originals and sprinkling of carefully selected covers.

Alun Rhys Jones

By the time the group played at the Glanrafon Pub in Bangor on January 8th 1982, the original rhythm section of Celyn Davies and Neil Coleclough had left the area and was replaced by The Pinecones' rhythm section - Gary Stubbs on bass and Maeyc Hewitt on drums. Unlike concerts by the previous line-up, of which only photographic evidence remains (see above), the Glanrafon performance was captured in hi-fidelity sound for posterity and released as a limited edition cassette entitled, for reasons lost in the depths of time, Whistle Me Bimbo. We were unable to locate a scan of the original sleeve which featured artwork by Wil Jones and so feature instead the 20th anniversary CD reissue, which augmented the live set with some of Alun's earliest demos, including an ultra-rare recording of his very first composition Folk Song.

Cover of the 20th anniversary reissue of Whistle Me Bimbo

Whistle Me Bimbo: 

The Alun Rhys Jones Band live at the Glanrafon Pub Bangor

8th January 1982

1 Pot of Gold  3:32

2 Eskimo Nell  2:22

3 Till There Was You  2:13

4 Hard Headed Woman  2:06

5 I Could Be a Knight in Shining Armour  3:31

6 Wars on 45  5:02

7 Daydreamer  2:06

8 Rock & Roll Music  2:34

9 My Only Gal's My Bicy-gal  1:35

10 Do Ya Wanna Touch Me?  2:38

11 The Woman in White  2:22

12 Champion the Wonder Horse  2:33

13 Till There Was You (encore)  1:53

Alun Rhys Jones - vocals

Wil Jones - guitar / backing vocals

Gary Stubbs - bass / backing vocals

Maeyc Hewitt - drums

bonus tracks:

14 Folk Song  3:29 

15 Johnny B Goode  2:17

16 Get Back  3:01

17 Hearts and Flowers  2:11

recorded Pineapple Cove Studios, Penrhosgarnedd, various times 1977-1981

Alun Rhys Jones - vocals

Wil Jones - guitar / organ

Celyn Davies - bass / organ

(probable line-up)

get it here