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MARTIN STONE - DOWN BUT NOT OUT IN PARIS AND LONDON:
THE MAD DOG CHRONICLES
(MAD DOG BOX 01)
MARTIN STONE - DOWN BUT NOT OUT IN PARIS AND LONDON: THE MAD DOG CHRONICLES
Blimey, it’s been well over two years in the making, but we are truly thrilled to announce the Martin Stone box set has landed!
Celebrating the later legacy of the great Martin Stone

4-CD box set following Martin's musical adventures between 1992 and 2014. Featuring 38 tracks recorded as a solo artist, sideman and band leader and showcasing his work with Almost Presley, Tallahassee Rent Boys, Totally Hank, Matt Deighton, re-formed Mighty Baby (2006), Wolf People, the OTs, and Soucoupes Violentes. The music, much unreleased, is culled from a variety of sources including cassette albums, aborted solo sessions, rehearsals and live recordings. It goes without saying that there are plenty of moments where the Stone guitar magic shines through.
Please note there are no tracks licensed by the two bands Martin is most closely associated with - Mighty Baby and Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers - as these two bands currently have exhaustive sets easily available on Cherry Red/Grapefruit and the Last Music Co respectively. Additionally, the first Savoy Brown album featuring Mart is also still available.
The 4 CDs are contained in a concertina-style digi-file which comes inside a slipcase with a 48pp hardback book.
Check out John Hurford unwrapping his box here for more visuals: 
https://youtu.be/EDDa1tXkB1o


Some wonderful Reviews here !

This tome contains a long introductory essay and wonderful anecdotes about the great man from many of his musical peers including Wreckless Eric, Michael Moorcock, Nick Lowe, Pete Thomas, Russell Hunter, Roger Powell and many others.

The book features rare and unseen photos and the whole set boasts some fabulous original artwork by John Hurford.

This is a High on the Pygtrack, Projectile and Soft Cloud co-production.
Please note we have no plans to put this out as a vinyl edition.

Disc 1:
14 tracks by Almost Presley, the street band led by Rene Miller and Martin. These were originally released on cassette only back in the early 90s. Features 11 studio cuts and three live songs - imagine Chilli Willi meets the Gun Club and you'll get the idea.

Disc 2:
We kick off with three cuts by Martin and Wreckless Eric's rockin' Tallahassee Rent Boys recorded at Eric's home studio and rescued from oblivion by drummer Denis Baudrillart - audio quality is not the finest but Mart's playing particularly on 'Headed for A Fall' is an absolute treat.

Three cuts follow by Totally Hank, the zany outfit in which Martin collaborated with Living in Texas's Stephen Munson - humorous but shot through with that Stone magic. Check out their version of Ray Charles's 'Hallelujah I love her So'. Originally issued on the Totally Hank cassette album.

Finally, four cuts done in the mid-90s for what may have been a session for a Homewreckers album, these tracks show Martin in full singer/songwriter mode but don't be deceived, there is a short but magnificent guitar solo lurking within!!

Disc 3:
Martin collaborated with British band, Mother Earth guitarist Matt Deighton in the early 00s. First off is a lovely studio version of Matt's classic, 'A Blaze of Light' with toothsome Telecaster work from the Stone.

This is followed by a live performance of Matt and Mart at the 12 Bar club, doing a fine version of Mighty Baby's 'A Jug of Love'.

When Mighty Baby reformed in 2006, Matt was a perfect candidate for the vocalist spot. Here in all its glory is a staggering 13-minute version of 'India' performed live at the Borderline in September 2006.

To round things off we have an absolute gem of a track. Some years ago, Martin spent a weekend jamming with the fabulous Wolf People. Sadly, they never managed to get in the studio but whilst they were waiting for drummer Tom to arrive, they recorded 'Star Shell' on an iPhone. It is beautiful and Martin/Joe Hollick's guitar interplay will put you in mind of vintage Garcia/Weir and Thompson/Nicol sparrings.

Disc 4:
This last disc brings us up to the final years of Martin’s life.

There are 3 tracks by the OTs (The Old Tossers) who some of you will know was the blues band Martin played with in the 80s and again 2011 and features Chris Youlden, Paul Riley, Malcolm Mills and Will Stallybrass, reconnecting Mart with former members of two bands he is well known to have been involved in – Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers and Savoy Brown.

Martin was also called up to work with Parisian singer/song writer/ band leader, Stéphane Guichard.

Tracks 4 & 5 are from Stéphane’s solo project, Stéphane Eden. ‘Madame Rêve’ is an ethereal, psychedelic nugget taken from a French radio session. ‘Elle n’aime pas mes chansons’ was recorded live at Le Chinois in Paris.

Tracks 6-7 are by Stéphane’s regular band, Les Soucoupes Violentes and include the classic ‘Johnny Tonnerre’. These two tracks were also recorded live at Le Chinois.

Tracks 8-9 are two studio recordings, originally released on the long-gone bonus CD , which accompanied initial copies of Les Soucoupes’ 2014 album Fort Intérieur.

We round things off with a tribute song written by Clay Harper, ‘Martin’, originally the B-side of a 90s 45 by Clay, who incidentally was the mastermind behind the Les Homewreckers' CD. You’ll have to excuse that Martin is not present on this cut but Clay’s lyrics fittingly capture the very essence of Martin’s personality and his vie parisienne !

Prices: UK £43 plus Shipping UK £6 Europe £12.75 USA £24.50
Rest of world please email: shagratrecordsuk@gmail.com

Total run of just 500 copies.


Price:  £43
+ Shipping: UK:£6, Europe:£12.75, USA:£24.50

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