Our Friends
Julian Lennon
The two Alan's met Jules when they first arrived in France. Julian immediately took a shine to their exuberance and attitude and would often join them onstage in the early hours during their third set at the Rascasse, to jam an old standard. Friendship followed, and if not for some commitments taking him out of the country, they would have recorded together with Jules at the helm as producer. It wasn’t to be, but Julian gladly gave a song for the album to Alan and helped in the recording of it too. Julian is writing and recording now and hopes to set the wheels in motion for a release later this year.
“Jules
and I are the same age, and come from very
similar family backgrounds (although my old man was
never famous) so I suppose that’s why we get on so
well,” says Alan. “It’s unimaginable for us to have
lived his life, but people forget what he has achieved
in his career in his own right, and that success isn’t
down to his name; it’s down to his talent as a songwriter
and musician. I’ve been lucky to hear Julian in his
studio playing keyboards, and he’s had me racked in
goose-pimples!”
You can catch up with all things Lennon at:
www.julianlennon.com
La Gaffe, Antibes
Blah Blah have been playing at the Gaffe for 8 years and it is in this corner of a foreign field that they have built their awesome live reputation. Playing every Wednesday has helped the band become local heroes, and it is still guaranteed that you will find the place fit to burst every time they hit the stage. Formerly run by the Gaffer himself, Pete Williams (he has gone on to successes far beyond his dreams with the ship-chandler’s company Freedom Maritime), and now owned and run by the man Pete called “The best barman ever!!” Rich ‘The Cat’ Fingers, the Gaffe is the first port of call for new arrivals in Antibes, and they just keep coming back.
Sean Harris
Sean and Alan have been close friends for many years. Alan worked as a roadie for Sean’s band Diamond Head, and they have written and recorded together many times since. Alan considers Sean to be one of the most talented singers and songwriters of all time.
“Sean is a man of incredible strength. He has never compromised his ideals in all of his life, and that makes him someone special. He has been both my musical and spiritual mentor since the day we met, and I love him like a brother One of my last ambitions in life is to see, one day, Sean be recognised for what he is; a great singer of great songs. Until then the world of music is depriving itself of a master.”
Sean is currently writing with an old friend, Josh Phillips-Gorse, and Alan hopes that he can be involved in the making of Blah Blah’s second album.
Mark Dezzani
Mark has been the only Radio DJ to champion the cause of Blah Blah and their album. Since meeting the band at a gig where he was DJ between sets, he has regularly featured Blah Blah in his shows on both Radio Caroline and Riviera Radio. Mark also invited the band to play at the annual beer festival in the tiny principality of Seborga in Italy and showed them around the studio he uses to broadcast.
Mark is currently working with Europa productions; Europe’s freshest media content provider, who specialise in arts, culture and society. See their work at www.europaproductions.com. Not ‘arf mate!
TKO Records
TKO is a new Japanese record company which was formed by the owner, Glenn Williams, in the summer of 2005. As with any new company the first few years are usually difficult and in the cut-throat music business even more so but TKO is founded on sound principles… good music, real musicians and an honest approach to bringing it to the public at large and that is what makes it stand out from the rest.
A long-time personal friend of Alan Roberts (Glenn and Alan grew up in the same area of Leicester and went to the same school. They also both worked for rock band Rock Goddess as roadies, shared a few squalid flats in London and discussed and solved the world problems before going on to bigger and better things) Glenn went to live in Australia in the 1990’s and eventually found himself working for a record company in Japan.
His record company was born as a vehicle for American band
Powder’s debut album, and he has since released The Naked
Apes and ex-Madam X guitarist Maxine, before releasing
Blah Blah’s Tellitlikeitis. He is currently in negotiation
with Pro Pain and Ministry for their new albums, and is
also working with American legend Stan Vincent on various
projects.
In a cynical business it is rare indeed to meet someone with the enthusiasm and honesty that Glenn possesses, and the band look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with TKO.
TKO's website is coming soon - quite rightly they're concentrating on the music. So if you want to contact them, or get hold of a Japanese copy of Tellitlikeitis, email Glenn Williams direct at: glennwilliams@aurora.ocn.ne.jp
Sebastien Gastaldi
Seb is the owner of Panoramix studio just outside of Antibes in the South of France. The band got to know him while playing at a campsite just next-door, and when a location for recording was needed they called on him first. A brilliant guitarist in his own right, as well as an accomplished song-writer, Seb was the perfect engineer for the album. What he also gave was an objective but sympathetic ear to the songs, becoming almost another member of the band, and pushing Alan’s voice to its furthest reaches!!
Seb inspires confidence in the bands he records, and his knowledge of sound is impeccable, leading to an honest and faithful recording for all. Since the album Seb has worked again with the two Alan's on the track here.
Originally sung in French by Seb himself, the song took on a new slant when he asked Alan to write an English lyric and perform on it. ‘I Gotta Move’ became ‘You Move Me’ and the result is nothing but moving. Contact Seb by e-mail at sebastien.g@mageos.com.
Seb and Joe King during the making of Tellitlikeitis
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Tellitlikeitis Album Music © TKO Records, Japan | DVD exerpts & Live Music Recordings © Alan Roberts
Photographs & Images © Various, used by permission | Text © Alan Roberts
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