I don't know how we all fit in there. Pathway Studios wasn't much bigger than a large bathroom. And I don't remember how I persuaded all those great musicians to come along and play: Accordion - Geraint Watkins, Bass - Rob Burns, Drums - Richard Marcangelo, Guitar - Les Davidson, Blues Harp - Stevie Smith, Organ - Keith Miller(RIP), Piano - Terry Disley, Tenor Sax - Dick Heckstall-Smith, Baritone Sax - Simon Clarke, Trumpet - Roddy Lorrimer. Artwork by Adam Hayes.
On this album there is one song I want to talk about. It is the story of a great miscarriage of justice. I read a short article in a newspaper about the execution of a young man called Edward Earl Johnson. In the article it said that everyone involved (including his executioner) was absolutely convinced of his innocence. Fifteen minutes later the song had written itself. If you are interested in finding out more about Edward Earl Johnson - just google his name. At the time of writing the song, the story only got a couple of short paragraphs in a newspaper (in England), but now, many years later, the story of Edward Earl Johnson is very widely known and is studied by law students in the USA. A couple of years after recording the song a strange thing happened. My wife (Lynda Hayes) was doing a voice over for a documentary about the criminal justice system in Texas. It turned out that the maker of the documentary, Stephen Trobley had made a previous documentary, The Execution Protocol and was very familar with the Edward Earl Johnson story. Stephen Trombley actually knew the man who had executed him. I gave Trombley a copy of the song and he met up with Edward Earl Johnson's executioner and played it to him.
Mike Finesilver, the owner of Pathway Studios (when it still existed) produced the album. Mike was (and probably still is) the patron saint of wounded musicians, and I know I was one. Mike also introduced me to my present wife, singer and voice over artist Lynda Hayes.
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