Notes from Oceans and Seas (New Album)

A note from Nick Holmes

Hello, I'm the man in the check shirt on the cover. I and my best friend, Iain Elliot, (he's the one in the yellow "Mambo" T-shirt,) and I went into a studio to record these songs in January and February 2001. Why? Well we couldn't get any more copies printed of our previous album, "Black Mercedes," as the printer had gone bust. This turned out to be a blessing.

Originally, the idea was just to make something that we could use to get more gigs. We started on 11 January 2001 and we recorded everything in five days but we took a further five days to mess around and mix them. We both have day jobs so we didn't finish the master copy of this CD until 23 March 2001.

For the very first time we recorded in a proper studio. This is a completely different approach to what we were used to "my mate has a studio…" I wish we had done this before. We recorded Oceans and Seas in the Old Smithy studio in Kempsey, near Worcester. Black Sabbath, Roy Wood, Robert Plant and Edwin Starr have all recorded there. It's not just part of rock history it's part of rock archaeology.

We met a tremendous man, a tremendous engineer and a musician's musician called Roland Jones who works there. He is responsible for much of the overall sound of this album. The lush Hammond organ: Roland Jones. Piano? Roland Jones. Outrageous fingers-like-hummingbird-wings lead guitar on "Oceans and Seas" and "Looking for Something New"? - Roland Jones.

He made it possible for us to think about and choose what our album should really sound like. Until now it used to be just Iain and me and the process has been fairly simple: I played the guitar and sang and Iain played the bass. What we've always wanted to do though, is an album with a band.

Well, Roland Jones helped us to do that. Everything that he suggested was so tasteful that I would bellow: "MORE! BIGGER!" In the end he resorted to raising two thumbs before every take and shouting "TWO THUMBS!!" And off we'd go with a grin. I think Roland is a star. If I can ever find some way of persuading him to join the band on a permanent basis, I will.

He demonstrated some keyboard drums for us to hear and the attitude of the songs changed completely. Two radio DJs, John Taylor and Mark Mason, heard the new sound and started to play it on their radio programs Mark Mason had it as his CD of the week before all the songs were even finished. We realised we really had an album.

We asked Roland if it was possible for a drummer to put some drums on after you had put the main tracks down. Roland reckoned a very good drummer could put down two or three songs in a day but it would be a nightmare for the drummer. Jon Whitbread turned up and did nine tracks in one day. It was a dream. He's a Hero.

In the end, Jon drummed on all the tracks except "Brand New World" and he single-handedly rescued "Bringing Them Back" from the rubbish bin. He also resigned from his old band to join us. Oh God, we were in a rock band! The band had the sound I had heard in my head when I was a teenager.

When we finished recording and the songs were all put together I realised that together, they told a story. It wasn't my intention to do this when we started it, it just happened.

Twenty-five years ago this summer, I left South Wales to visit my dad and his second wife in Malta. I was meant to visit for a fortnight but I managed to live there for almost three years. Malta and the great people I met there, in particular one woman, changed my life, my view of the world, my life chances and my expectations completely.

As a young boy I fell in love with a Maltese girl. When we met again many years later, with families of our own, we could still look at each other and smile. And occasionally, we still smile.

Here's to smiles… ;-)

Nick Holmes 25th March 2001

A note from Iain Elliot

We had sold all the copies of our last album, "Black Mercedes". People liked it and we got gigs on the back of it. We thought we had the sound.

When we decided to do this CD the point was to show that we had progressed from the laid back sounds of "Black Mercedes." to something more driving and powerful even though we were still a duo.

Recording being a bloody process we wanted to make it as easy as possible. We finally chose the Old Smithy near Worcester because the place has a great atmosphere and history and (as we found out) Roland Jones.

We started recording on 11 January 2001 and it was very soon clear that the sound we had spent a long time getting right was not enough any more. Roland persuaded us that we needed some drum patterns; he then persuaded us that we needed some keyboard lines and by the end we were begging him to put some lead guitar on as well.

We knew Jon Whitbread from a while back and asked him if he would like to play drums on a couple of tracks. He did. It transformed the sound and he put 9 drum parts down in one day. He then came a few days later and put another 3 down. A fantastic effort. We finished recording and mixing on 23 March.

What happened? We were a band, we had "Oceans and Seas" and we finally had the sound. The songs on here are some of Nick's best and I think we have all done them justice.

As for me, I loved it. It took 10 days and it seemed like 10 seconds (unless I was listening to my playbacks...). I think this album is great. Hope you do too unless you're listening to an illegal copy a mate gave you in which case you just ripped us off. We know where you live and we're coming round…

Iain Elliot

Other Notes

The Nick Holmes band:
Iain Elliot: Yamaha fretted Bass Guitar, Yamaha 5 String Fretless Bass Guitar
Jon Whitbread: Drums
Roland Jones: Assorted keyboards (piano, organ, Korg Trinity) and Lead Guitar
Nick Holmes: Vocals, Taylor 414CE Acoustic Guitar, Yamaha SG700S Electric Guitar

Information This page was last updated 2/04/02 8:58 GMT.		The Nick Holmes Band [ www.nickholmes.net ]
		nickholmes.net : : the music

		Liner Notes
		Notes from Oceans and Seas (New Album) A note from Nick Holmes Hello, I'm the man in the check shirt on the cover. I and my best friend, Iain Elliot, (he's the one in the yellow "Mambo" T-shirt,) and I went into a studio to record these songs in January and February 2001. Why? Well we couldn't get any more copies printed of our previous album, "Black Mercedes," as the printer had gone bust. This turned out to be a blessing. Originally, the idea was just to make something that we could use to get more gigs. We started on 11 January 2001 and we recorded everything in five days but we took a further five days to mess around and mix them. We both have day jobs so we didn't finish the master copy of this CD until 23 March 2001. For the very first time we recorded in a proper studio. This is a completely different approach to what we were used to "my mate has a studio…" I wish we had done this before. We recorded Oceans and Seas in the Old Smithy studio in Kempsey, near Worcester. Black Sabbath, Roy Wood, Robert Plant and Edwin Starr have all recorded there. It's not just part of rock history it's part of rock archaeology. We met a tremendous man, a tremendous engineer and a musician's musician called Roland Jones who works there. He is responsible for much of the overall sound of this album. The lush Hammond organ: Roland Jones. Piano? Roland Jones. Outrageous fingers-like-hummingbird-wings lead guitar on "Oceans and Seas" and "Looking for Something New"? - Roland Jones. He made it possible for us to think about and choose what our album should really sound like. Until now it used to be just Iain and me and the process has been fairly simple: I played the guitar and sang and Iain played the bass. What we've always wanted to do though, is an album with a band. Well, Roland Jones helped us to do that. Everything that he suggested was so tasteful that I would bellow: "MORE! BIGGER!" In the end he resorted to raising two thumbs before every take and shouting "TWO THUMBS!!" And off we'd go with a grin. I think Roland is a star. If I can ever find some way of persuading him to join the band on a permanent basis, I will. He demonstrated some keyboard drums for us to hear and the attitude of the songs changed completely. Two radio DJs, John Taylor and Mark Mason, heard the new sound and started to play it on their radio programs Mark Mason had it as his CD of the week before all the songs were even finished. We realised we really had an album. We asked Roland if it was possible for a drummer to put some drums on after you had put the main tracks down. Roland reckoned a very good drummer could put down two or three songs in a day but it would be a nightmare for the drummer. Jon Whitbread turned up and did nine tracks in one day. It was a dream. He's a Hero. In the end, Jon drummed on all the tracks except "Brand New World" and he single-handedly rescued "Bringing Them Back" from the rubbish bin. He also resigned from his old band to join us. Oh God, we were in a rock band! The band had the sound I had heard in my head when I was a teenager. When we finished recording and the songs were all put together I realised that together, they told a story. It wasn't my intention to do this when we started it, it just happened. Twenty-five years ago this summer, I left South Wales to visit my dad and his second wife in Malta. I was meant to visit for a fortnight but I managed to live there for almost three years. Malta and the great people I met there, in particular one woman, changed my life, my view of the world, my life chances and my expectations completely. As a young boy I fell in love with a Maltese girl. When we met again many years later, with families of our own, we could still look at each other and smile. And occasionally, we still smile. Here's to smiles… ;-) Nick Holmes 25th March 2001 A note from Iain Elliot We had sold all the copies of our last album, "Black Mercedes". People liked it and we got gigs on the back of it. We thought we had the sound. When we decided to do this CD the point was to show that we had progressed from the laid back sounds of "Black Mercedes." to something more driving and powerful even though we were still a duo. Recording being a bloody process we wanted to make it as easy as possible. We finally chose the Old Smithy near Worcester because the place has a great atmosphere and history and (as we found out) Roland Jones. We started recording on 11 January 2001 and it was very soon clear that the sound we had spent a long time getting right was not enough any more. Roland persuaded us that we needed some drum patterns; he then persuaded us that we needed some keyboard lines and by the end we were begging him to put some lead guitar on as well. We knew Jon Whitbread from a while back and asked him if he would like to play drums on a couple of tracks. He did. It transformed the sound and he put 9 drum parts down in one day. He then came a few days later and put another 3 down. A fantastic effort. We finished recording and mixing on 23 March. What happened? We were a band, we had "Oceans and Seas" and we finally had the sound. The songs on here are some of Nick's best and I think we have all done them justice. As for me, I loved it. It took 10 days and it seemed like 10 seconds (unless I was listening to my playbacks...). I think this album is great. Hope you do too unless you're listening to an illegal copy a mate gave you in which case you just ripped us off. We know where you live and we're coming round… Iain Elliot Other Notes The Nick Holmes band: Iain Elliot: Yamaha fretted Bass Guitar, Yamaha 5 String Fretless Bass Guitar Jon Whitbread: Drums Roland Jones: Assorted keyboards (piano, organ, Korg Trinity) and Lead Guitar Nick Holmes: Vocals, Taylor 414CE Acoustic Guitar, Yamaha SG700S Electric Guitar All songs written by Nick Holmes. Music and Lyrics Copyright © 2001 Nick Holmes All rights reserved.