Working with producers Chris Thomas and Joshua J. Macrae during 97-98, Perkins recorded approximately 20 songs, sometimes in a "live band" format and others based around a Casio-portable keyboard.
The latter, more experimental songs allowed Perkins to draw from his many diverse influences; Spike Jones, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, Avro Part, Mantavani's strings, Screaming J. Hawkins, Karen Finlay and James Blish amongst others.
Being stripped of more conventional bass and drum rhythms, the songs take on a more cinematic audio-visual picture almost cabaretesque "Jesus meets John Wayne."
DRAINING VENUS
The Plot:
It is a pocket opera charting the tragic/comedic rise and a fall and rise of one Miss World in a world of others.
Featuring; two seekers, sickness, innocence, sacrifice, sobriety, relapse, resentment, anger, fear, suicide, self-help, self-mutilation, self-realisation, serenity, shopping, shooters and shit ! ...fuelled by a delicate cocktail of modern technology and archaic magic.
A spaghetti Western for rural-England.
Perkins appropriates from the world of popular culture and personal experience which defines his work as part of the post modernist sensibility, turning away from the modernist notion of the individual maker of a precious original work of art. Perkins is an experience, a culmination of consciousness.
Perkins like Orpheus, has passed through the mirror and now seems to live "as if on the other side of things".
Full Review by Jonathan Meades (June 2001):
"This is wonderful... Draining Venus I mean. I’d heard the tape but just excerpts certainly none of the bluesy stuff (the slide guitar is worthy of the beautiful young man whose photo looks down on me and who died 32 years ago come the 3rd of July)"
"Anyway since it arrived at lunchtime I’ve just sat here drinking Marcillac and smoking tobacco no additives, sort of drenched in it. It is amazing stuff. There’s so much going on: vaudeville, shanty, parody, hurt, dirt, wit - "rebirth certificate" is ace, I’m just listening to Childhood Sweetheart (for the fifth time) "my future ex-wife", "an old cold sore that’s weeping again", "bloodshot sunsets" you must know that this song is a marvel."
"It’s as exciting as listening to Lou and Love all those years ago with Steve Walton out of our heads on a furnished flats floor - when tobacco always had additives and we drank Brandy to come down from the stromonium."
"It is fantastic to feel engaged by something I thank you for that. And for the fact this has taken three hours to compose."
The Musicians:
Matt Exelby, Keith Prior, Chris Sheehan, Kevin Jefferies, Roger Taylor, Melvin Duffin, James Brackley, Cannon Billy Rumfit, Jimmy Taylor, Martin Chambers, Chris Thomas, Phil Spalding, Nick Pyall, Jonathan Perkins.
Brass Arrangements for 'Anything Goes' and 'Childhood Sweetheart'
by Peter V. Perkins.
Producers: Joshua J.Macrae, Chris Thomas, Jonathan Perkins
Engineers: Joshua J.Macrae, Dean S. Crathern, Nick Pyall, David "Chipper" Nicholas.
"Immaculate Miss Conception"
~ Caroline Perkins
Art and Design: Jonathan Perkins Jeremy Stonehouse, Simon Pool.
Very Special Thanks to:
Sally Gallagher, Martin Groves, Hilary and Robin Parsons, Pauline Lo, Joe Griffiths, Charles Garside, Stuart Hornall, Caroline, Unity, Christian, Buster, Patricia Perkins, Judith Jackson [1940-98].
What Actually Happened (track by track):
1/ 'Couture'
Wiltshire and District Catholic Orthopaedic Shoemakers Society Brass Band,
written and arranged by P.V. Perkins, Vocals Jonathan Perkins.
2/ 'Anything Goes' (Cole Porter)
Produced by Chris Thomas.
Engineer: Nick Pyall / Pete Morris.
Nick Pyall ~ Guitar.
Phil Spalding ~ Bass.
Chris Thomas ~ Keyboards.
Mrs Parsons ~ Catering
Perkins - Vocals ~ Keyboards,
Recorded at Rondor Studios London '93? or '94?
I think we did it all in one evening, it was a bit of a rush.
3/ 'Highway 45'
Recorded by Joshua J.Macrae
Engineer ~ Dean Crathern.
Matt Exelby - Guitars, Backing Vocals, Hamonica.
Roger Taylor- Chainsaw.
Perkins - Keyboards, Vocals.
Recorded at Cosford Mill Studio Surrey 97
Recorded and mixed at Full Speed in a day.
4/ 'She's Rich'
Recorded by Joshua J.Macrae
Engineer: Dean Crathern.
Roger Taylor - Drums
Matt Exelby - Guitars, Backing Vocals,
Perkins - Vocals.
Recorded at Cosford Mill Studio, Surrey, '97.
Recorded and mixed in a day.
5/ 'Cream in Quarantine'
Recorded by Josh Macrae
Jimmy Taylor - Guitars
Perkins - piano, Vocals.
Cosford Mill. '97
6/ 'Mermaid Brides'
Recorded by Joshua J.Macrae
Melvin Duffin - pedal steel.
Matt Exelby - Guitars, Keyboards.
Mr Nice and Mr Poodle - Ambience and Sea sickness.
Perkins - Keyboards and Vocals.
Recorded Cosford Mill, Surrey '97.
Port out, starboard home.
7/ 'Childhood Sweetheart'
Recorded by Joshua J.Macrae
Engineer: Dean Crathern.
Keith Prior - Drums / Percussion.
Kevin Jefferies - Bass.
Jimmy Taylor - Guitar,
Matt Exelby - Guitar
James Brackley Cannon - Saxes, Trumpet.
Billy Rumfit - Trombone.
Perkins - Keyboards, Lead Vocals.
Insects* appear courtesy of Millhanger Gardens.
Recorded at Cosford Mill Studio, Surrey '98.
( * no insects were intentionally harmed during the making of this record,
although they did start eating each other before we realised what
was happening, it was awful.... bloody awful)
8/ 'Labbadabbadeeda'
Recorded by Joshua J.Macrae
Engineer Dean Crathern.
Perkins - Keyboards, Vocals.
Norman Wisdom Backing Vocals, Ventriloquism.
Recorded Cosford Mill Studio, Surrey '97.
9/ 'This Way Up'
Recorded by Joshua J.Macrae
Engineer ~ Dean Crathern.
Roger Taylor - Backing Vocals.
Martin Chambers - Backing Vocals.
Kevin Jefferies - Bass.
Keith Prior - Drums / Percussion, Backing Vocals.
Melvin Duffin - Pedal Steel.
Matt Exelby - Guitars, Backing Vocals.
Perkins - Keyboards, Vocals.
Recorded Cosford Mill Studio, Surrey '97.
10/ 'Dress Rehearsal'
Recorded by Joshua J.Macrae
Engineer: Dean Crathern.
Chris Sheehan - Guitar.
Keith Prior - Drums / Percussion.
Perkins - Keyboards, Vocals.
Recorded Cosford Mill Studio, Surrey '98
"True Confessions Session"
11/ 'The Importance of Being Realistic'
Recorded by Joshua J.Macrae
Engineer: Dean Crathern.
Chris Sheehan - Guitar.
Keith Prior - Drums / Percussion.
Perkins - Keyboards, Vocals.
Recorded Cosford Mill, Surrey 97
Special thanks to Karen Finlay, The Kavach of the Devi and Spike Jones & his City Slickers.
"It started as a hoot but it went too far"
12/ 'Christmas Day 31-10-97'
Recorded and Engineered by Dean Crathern.
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi - Ambience.
Perkins - Keyboards, Vocals.
Recorded Cosford Mill Studio. Surrey. 31.10.97.
13/ 'The Call'
Recorded by Joshua J.Macrae
Engineer: Dean Crathern.
Matt Exelby - Guitar.
Perkins - Keyboards, Vocals.
Recorded Cosford Mill Studios Surrey '97.
14/ 'Why Don't Stars Fall Anymore'
Recorded by Joshua J.Macrae
Engineer: Dean Crathern.
Chris Sheehan - Guitar.
Melvin Duffin - Pedal Steel.
Keith Prior - Drums / Percussion.
Kevin Jefferies - Bass.
Matt Exelby - Guitar, Harmonica.
Deborah's - galloping Horse
Roger Taylor - backing Vocals
Perkins - Keyboards, Vocals.
Recorded Cosford Mill Surrey '97.
Finally I would like to thank Mr Roger Taylor, for being the "Perfect Host"
and Mr Chris Thomas for his unconditional support, encouragement and charity work.
I dedicate this adaptation of the "Lords Prayer" to him:
'The Producers Prayer'
Our Father who art in Ealing
Hallowed be thy Hearing,
Thy Group come, Thy Production be done
On the Radio as it is in the Studio
Give us this day our daily demo
And Forgive us our Overdubs
As we Forgive those who Overdub against us
And lead us not into Remixing
And Deliver us from the A+R Man
For Thine is the EQ, the Power and the Dolby
Forever, But Never Again.
MISS WORLD '93
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