The Alun Rhys Jones Task Force

Alun Rhys Jones' love of nature eventually led to abandoning music in favour of a career in conservation

After several well received gigs as a four piece, Alun Rhys Jones and musical director Wil Jones felt it was time to expand the sonic palette of the Alun Rhys Jones Band. Having been impressed by a recent performance by The Kaseo Kid  (a.k.a. Dewi Evans), they invited Dewi to join the line-up, an invitation he was happy to accept. In addition, it was felt that a horn section might add a little fashionable 1982 colour to the arrangements and so Ann Matthews and Phil Leyton were drafted in from local post-punk funksters Kärnarvøn Kästle. An expanded line-up called for an expanded name, and so The Alun Rhys Jones Band became The Alun Rhys Jones Task Force in a satirical nod to the then recent South Atlantic conflict.

The first appearance by the new line-up took place again at the Glanrafon Pub in Bangor, on 13th August 1982 and once again was recorded. Here it appears, as on the second volume of 20th anniversary CD reissues, augmented by Alun's 1979 Christmas album Christmas with Alun Rhys Jones.

The group was not to last long however, and disbanded shortly afterwards. Wil Jones went on to play with the popular Felinheli combo Y Cynghorwyr in addition to becoming a highly acclaimed artist, while Alun Rhys Jones himself retired from the musical world in favour of a successful career in conservation. The rest of the Task Force went on to play in various incarnations of the mighty Cut Tunes, and indeed many subsequent interesting groups.

Cover of the 20th anniversary CD reissue

The Alun Rhys Jones Task Force
Live at the Glanrafon Pub, 13th August 1982

1 intro / Hawaii Five-0  2:44
2 Worms  3:43
3 Till There Was You  2:02
4 I Could Be a Knight in Shining Armour 3:00
5 One Girl at a Time  3:24
6 Pot of Gold  2:50
7 Woman in White  3:52
8 Eskimo Nell  2:15
9 Wombat  5:48
10 My Only Gal's my Bicy-gal  2:25
11 Cat Song  2:34
12 Chasing Rainbows  3:40
13 Champion the Wonder Horse  3:03

Alun Rhys Jones - vocals
Wil Jones - guitar
Gary Stubbs - bass
Maeyc Hewitt - drums
Dewi Evans - keyboards
Ann Matthews - saxophone, clarinet
Phil Leyton - saxophone

bonus tracks:
Christmas with Alun Rhys Jones (1979)

14 I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock 'n' Roll)  2:38
15 Silent Night  3:21
16 Johnny B Goode  2:18
17 Eskimo Nell  2:11
18 White Christmas  2:00
19 O Come All Ye Faithful  3:12
20 I could be a Knight in Shining Armour  2:13
21 Ding Dong Merrily On High  1:52
22 Auld Lang Syne  1:45

Alun Rhys Jones - vocals
Wil Jones - guitar
Celyn Davies - bass
Maeyc Hewitt - drums
Alan Holmes - trumpet


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