Wednesday, 18 January 2012

Stephen Davies - 1982 recordings


A well known character in the Bangor underground for more than four decades, Stephen Davies is a true renaissance man. A respected actor and film director, appearing in or directing films like "A Pinch of Snuff", "Wil", "For Freedom We Strive", "Mega-Alien", "Tim the Dinosaur", "The Gun Remains the Same", "V.A.F." and "The Quest", he was an equally talented writer, photographer, fine artist and musician.

His musical career started at the Bangor Jazz Club in 1976, where he improvised his uniquely surrealist lyrics over the cocktail jazz of the resident combo, which featured noted jazz guitarists Ken Thompson and Trefor Owen. By 1982 however, he had moved on to develop his own innovative style as these two sessions, from the 21st of January and the 5th of May, both in collaboration with Maeyc Hewitt,
bear witness. They feature several of Stephen and Maeyc's co-compositions, along with a sixteen and a half minute cover of Fay Ray's then-contemporary single "Heatwave".

Stephen later went on to play keyboards with the likes of Glaring Green, Raising Cain and Pearl Necklace, as well as recording his own electro-based compositions like "ADSR" and "Wendell Goes to Market" in the early 90s, when he was also briefly a member of Cut Tunes. Stephen Davies is truly a man so far ahead of his time, it is only now that his true influence is being acknowledged by a new generation of underground musicians and film makers.

Stephen Davies - 1982 sessions

Stephen Davies - vocals/electronics/percussion
Maeyc Hewitt - instruments

1 Getting Up (Davies/Hewitt)
2
Disco Dancing (Parts 1 & 2)
(Davies/Hewitt)
3 You Are Mine (Davies/Hewitt)
4 Toxic Fumes (Davies/Hewitt)
5 Forest of Colour (Davies/Hewitt)
6 I Pick Flowers for Her Hair (Davies/Hewitt)
7 Heatwave (Lovering)

1-4 recorded 5th May 1982
5-7 recorded 21st January 1982

get it here

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