Album Notes

Bio for “Wild Spirit” by Johnny Langford and The Undefeated

The original tracks on this album were "born out of the spirit and actions of protest". These songs drew their inspiration from direct experiences and actions of the author - Johnny Langford, who is passionate about our precious environment along with a love for Australia’s beautiful indigenous people and their turbulent history. The 1st track Aborigine (& track 14, full version) portrays Johnny & the band's feelings for the aborigines’ plight;
Track 3 Option Green is a song for saving our forests;
Track 11 The Mobile Phone Song is a reflection on telecommunication companies’ arrogance in just blazing ahead with greed, and ignorance of the possible dangers of adding to the world's radioactively saturated environment;
while Track 9 is a lament for the late Princess of Wales, a beautiful lady who achieved amongst other things the abolition of land mines with the Geneva convention.

This CD "Wild Spirit" by Johnny Langford and the Undefeated, which is also “The Undefeated’s” 1st album, is a mix of 50% original and 50% Celtic material. All of the traditional tracks and Celtic ballads have a cool mix of a contemporary feel which enhances this album beautifully due to the unique drumming of guest artist Tunji Bier and the passionate gypsy style violin and mandolin artistry by guest musician, Shenton Gregory (Shenzo).

The style of the original songs is unique: a blend between world folk and folk rock. The Celtic songs and tunes have an Australian contemporary feel. The musicians energies straight away captured the feeling of the author / arranger’s work. As an album, the recording engineer Lenny Slaughter of Laughter Audio helped to create the original atmosphere while mixer Stephen Hamacek of frontEar Sound, helped to merge both studios mastery of recording techniques and both have created an overall feeling that is entransive.

The range of instruments is impressive and performed by the following artists:

John Langford: acoustic guitar and lead vocal
Paul Clement: acoustic and electric guitar
Shenton Gregory: violin and mandolin
Tunji Bier: djembe, Persian talking drums
Brett Newman: drummer
Lenny Slaughter: bass guitar
Stephen Hamacek: keyboards, synthesiser, flute, accordian, backing harmony
Kit Cotter: keyboards, guitar, backing harmony
Elizabeth Dawson: flute, recorder, bodhran
David Russell: Celtic flute and tin whistle
Natalie Richy: djembe
Mal Settree: djembe, clap sticks, didgeridoo.
Backing vocals: Anne Gilpin and Terry Fitzgerald