Musicians featured on "On a Shingle Near Yapton":
David Francis - vocals, guitars, bass, synthesizer, piano, mandolin,
harmonica, recorder, ocarina, toy harp, percussion
John Mono - bongos, didgeridoo, flint, trains
on "Anthem for Green England":
David Francis - vocal, acoustic guitar
Joe Pop - piano, synthesizer
Jeff Sawatzky - bass, slide guitar
Mark Gowan - electric guitar, percussion
Ell Gowan - drums, percussion
Moll & John Mono, Albert Aldridge, Mark Gowan - backing vocals
All proceeds from "Anthem" will be donated to Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Who are these people
That are leveling the wheat fields
Are they friends of the earth
They seem so underhanded
They leave us empty-handed
Like enemies of the planet
How sweet they make things look
Like a con man or a crook
Trying to pull the wool over our eyes
But it’s our values they despise
Wolves in sheep’s clothing their disguise
And it’s all happening again
Like you did across the ocean to the Red Man
And it fills me with dread and deep emotion
Our world is getting too built-up
Like a glass that’s getting too filled up
Soon it will be just a spilled cup
And we have no other
We have no other world
Maybe you think that you don’t have to care
Just maybe there’s another green England out there
But I don’t think there is a spare
Anywhere around
Oh my unborn baby do not frown
Say no to Eco-town
What has happened to this land
It’s all been built-up, spoiled and planned
Some deal’s been done under the table
They did it ‘cause they’re rich and able
But without consulting the people who must live there
They don’t have a share in the democracy
Eco-town is not for them, you see
And you don’t have a right to disagree
We’ve been done for
Like a thief in the night
They call it “eco”—sheer hypocrisy
Oh my little baby do not frown
Say no to Eco-town
"Anthem for Green England" © 2008 David Francis
“Anthem for Green England” has been played on Radio Wildfire at http://www.radiowildfire.com/listen/
and is on Homegrown Podcast Programme 173 at http://homegrownpodcast.co.uk/
Radio Wildfire station manager and DJ Dave Reeves says (March 2012):
The quality of David's writing on this album is heartfelt, subtle and engaging - and the arrangements constantly catch one unawares,
not with a shock that disconcerts and breaks your concentration, but with a surprise that actually enhances the listening experience
keeping tracks fresh, listening after listening.
"On A Shingle Near Yapton" has also been featured on BBC-Radio, Splash-FM, and Spirit FM.
Review by Jonathan Leonard in Leonard's Lair (April 2012):
If ever the term late bloomer applies it is to New York’s singer/songwriter/poet David Francis who has enraptured audiences, in Britain in particular, with his 1960′s-styled compositions. Further emphasising his love of England, he has seen fit to entitle his latest album "On A Shingle Near Yapton."
There’s a satisfying earthiness to this recording from first song to last. You can certainly picture Francis at work in his friend’s shed accompanied by the minimum of equipment. ‘You’ve Come To See Me’ is full of the passion of Francis’ vocal and off-kilter musical flourishes. Those deviations occasionally derail the melodic flow of the record; the stop-start rhythms of ‘Execution Of A Spy’ being a prime example. However, ‘Dream London’ is imbued with hazy nostalgia whereas the excellent ‘The Girl Got On’ evokes a sense of intrigue and romance .
Yet it is at the end of the record when the most powerful moment of the album occurs. Backed by musician friends from Cornwall, Vancouver and Detroit, the group effort drives this song into a convincing song of defiance which actually caused the Government to back down on plans to convert green fields into housing developments.
Equal parts troubled folk singer, virtuoso guitarist, Green campaigner and published poet, "On A Shingle Near Yapton" reflects the diverse talents of Francis but this approach also leads to a rather awkward album which isn’t as seamless as it could have been. That’s probably kind of the point though, since Francis is a true free spirit; taking on the influences from both musical and environmental sources and distilling them into his unique, if occasionally unfocused vision.
Review by Anna Maria Stjärnell in Collected Sounds (March 2012):
I’ve reviewed David Francis in the past, and his new album is a strong effort. He has a singular style and a way with words.
Dream London is a fittingly dreamy effort, Francis’ vocal supported by guitar and strings. Song of the Earth is a sensitive,
eco-friendly song that Francis and his collaborator John Mono handle well. Shores of Inhumanity has surreal yet believable
lyrics about man’s inhumanity and a tune that’s memorable. Anthem for Green England closes the album on a good note,
Francis painting a picture of a world desired. It’s a good record and then some.
DAVID FRANCIS' albums "David Francis," "Fake Valentine" and "Poems" are also available on CDBaby.
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