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Post by londonsoulie on Oct 6, 2006 4:20:49 GMT -5
Hi there I'm looking to get hold of Tel Sutton from an old Doncaster band called The Way. Tel.... I had a cassette of your band many years ago but have lost it over time. If possible I'd like to get hold of the tracks again (Back To The Homelands etc...)! Bazza told me that you come on this forum quite a bit, so I thought I'd give it a try. Cheers Tel Jon Clay ex-Ferrymen www.myspace.com/londonsoulie
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Post by telboyd on Oct 6, 2006 7:29:18 GMT -5
Hi there...
The good news is that i had The Way recordings remastered in Hull last year (the master tapes had to be slow-baked for two weeks alone). The bad news is that two of the tracks have 'problems', namely, 'Homelands' and 'Religion' (our personal favourite as i suppose the lyrics still ring true twenty years on plus it has Groove Armada's Jon White slapping his bass like Bootsy Collins on PCP - which Bootsy was on most of the time). The problem was that the Fairview (Hull) sessions were mastered on the first digital equipment, in our case Sony Betamax and just tracking a machine down was a difficult thing. I do have copies of the songs on cassette tape but it's no substitute for a master tape. The other tracks came out great and there are seventeen songs in total. There is also a live track, 'Inspiration' from Yorkshire Television's 'Calendar' (featuring The Jam's 'Tracie Young' on co-lead vocals).
I have a lot of stories from the many gigs we played. After the Redskins split we tended to be the first port of call for anyone organising a trade union or benefit gig. Our best three gigs being supporting Strummer on the 'Rock Against The Rich' tour (and partying with him for the whole weekend), headling the 1987 National Anti-Apartheid Conference at Sheffield Octagon and playing an open air gig for 3000 P+O stikers and their families in Dover (and getting paid mostly in hamburgers which i believe is now a form of currency in Dover!). Actually, my fave gig with the band was at Attercliffe Take Two when there were only two blokes (immaculately dressed 'rude boys') at the gig (seriously) but they danced all the way through our set from start to finish and we played better than ever. You know what they say - if you only get through to one person it's all been worthwhile... we never made a bean but that wasn't the point of being in The Way - we learnt that from The Redskins. I just wish that Jon had written the basslines to 'Superstylin' and 'I See You Baby' whilst he'd been in The Way then we might have had a little more power and influence lol.
I could rip the tracks to MP3 at a decent quality and send the lot to Bazza and if he wants to share them with y'all that's fine by me (just leave a tip in the dalmation lol). I also have artwork/pics so if you want them n'all just let me know and i'll scan em in to t'PC.
It's nice that you remember us.
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Post by Bazza on Jan 6, 2007 6:05:50 GMT -5
Hi Tel,
Have you sorted out the mp3 tracks of The Way yet? As I'd love to hear them.
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Post by telboyd on Jul 9, 2009 10:59:53 GMT -5
Right... I found a good copy of the tracks Jon mentioned so I'm going to take them to my studio where I'll make them sound better than ever. It's a shame the master tape was no good but what can you do, eh.? I know of album's by The Fall that were mastered from a cassette. Got a nice studio now so should be able to clean 'em up lovely/bang it through the valve compressor etc. Just in case anyone's interested in what I'm up to nowadays, this is my new band... www.myspace.com/thespecialgueststars ...still very political but much subtler, with a deeper questioning and., dare I say it, much more insightful. When I've done 'The Way's demos I'll post them here. Been meaning to do it for the last three years but I just got on with not looking back and making new music. That's almost over as we wrap up recording the album (after three years hard work making the 24 song, 76 minute epic) One more thang... our early years/first incarnation (before I decided to politicise the band) are mulled over extensively in this new book... www.sheffieldvision.com/shop_ourgeneration.html ...which I had no hand in whatsoever, but it's a good read and there are some great rare pics of Strummer/Jam/Pistols and many many more.
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