The earliest sessions for the album were at Livingston Studios, in North London - Just Bob Henrit and Me laying down tracks for my new Solo album as yet untitled. I wanted to start by recording some of my favourite songs at that time. We laid tracks for 'Stay with Me', 'You Keep Me Hanging On' and 'Hold Your Head Up' - just drums and guitar, with me in the control room playing guitar and working the desk, and also yelling a guide vocal with Bob out in the studio playing drums! Dave Wintour came in later to add bass and then I put on proper guitar and vocal tracks... Finally I asked Rod Argent to add some keyboards - in the background - this was going to be a GUITAR album!
These were the tracks that were heard by prospective record labels, plus my rough home demos of my own songs, 'Rescue Me' It,s 'Comin, Right' and 'Are You Ready' There was a lot of record company interest, but the one guy who really stood out as believing in my return to the frontline was Matt Haywood at PRT Records in the UK. I signed with PRT, and went into their own studio in London to lay down basic tracks for another bunch of songs, including 'Rescue Me' 'It's Comin Right' 'Are You Ready?' and 'You're the Loser'. Overdubs for these tracks were done at my own studio 'Somewhere in Yorkshire' and the band was Terry Uttley on bass, Steve Rodford and Bob Henrit on drums. Terry and I did the background vocals.
Around this time, a good friend of mine, Don Alexander, had brought me a bunch of songs he'd heard - 'Chippin, Away at the Stone', and 'Blinded by Love' were among them, and I went back into Livingston to lay these tracks and also Russ Ballards, 'Just Another Day,... Sadly Don is no longer with us, but I think of him when I play these songs still, and it helps put a little more heart and soul there... Band lineup was Bob Henrit, Dave Wintour and me as before, with keyboards by Rod Argent and Russ Ballard.. Background vocals and overdubs were done 'Somewhere in Yorkshire'... I was putting the finishing touches to the album - now entitled 'Interrupted Journey' - when I had a surprise call from Mike Rutherford.... Mike wanted to work with me, and had some songs he wanted us to try. Bob Henrit and I went down to Genesis' studio 'Fisher Lane Farm' where we recorded 3 titles with Mike, and engineer Jeff Callingham. We only finished 'In the Arms of Someone Else' in time for this album - overdubs and mixing were done 'Somewhere in Yorkshire'... Finally, 'Fallin' was completed using the original 24 track tapes recorded at 'Trident' studios a couple of years earlier.. This one started out as a Phoenix track which was never finished - Bob Henrit (drums) Jim Rodford (bass), and Rod Argent (piano) laid the basic track, and I added vocals and 12 string guitar. Background vocals by me, Rod and Russ. There was no chorus written for the song when we recorded it at Trident, so the first job at these completion sessions was to write and record the choruses! Then I recorded a new lead vocal, added the guitar fills and mixed the track. The new work was done 'Somewhere in Yorkshire'...
Well, I hope all this is of interest to you. Thanks for the support - come see us if we play live in your area. There,s been a JV Band for over 30 years now, and we,re still going strong!!
Cheers, JV 2001.
(You can now buy Interrupted Journey online www.johnverity.com)