SUMMERTYME HAS COME:
MUSINGS WITH EDGAR JONES AKA. SUMMERTYME.
"Well...I've grown up since then though!"
Or so I'm told as we chuckle away, enjoying the rare City sunshine and whatever the world and the day has to offer us.
I'm standing at the bar with the coolest man in town, a man of many talents and just as many bands, and a good friend; Edgar Jones - aka Edgar Summertyme.
We're discussing his semi acoustic Gibson guitar. "I *inherited* it in '92...mine (the bass guitar) got smashed so I got this..." the guitar once belonged to former Stairs man, Ged Lynn, who had recently played a one off gig with his old band, cult Liverpool favourites The Living Brain.
It was announced that Edgar would be playing a warm-up show ahead of his recently announced slot at FestEvol all day event on August 4th, alongside a handful of my favourite Merseyside acts, psychedelic pop band The Wicked Whispers and 60's styled femme fatale Eva Petersen.
I headed down to the city's hotspot, Heebie Jeebies, despite the rain, being hungover, tired and feeling as rough as sandpaper - but it was Edgar and as Digsy said to me before I met him, "catching him is like catching water...". I headed into one of Bold Street's hotspots, a few streets over from Heebies to pick up a copy of Bido Lito, which featured Edgar on the cover and a great page interview.
I arrived before Edgar, but there was no denying when he came in, cool as ever, with what looked like a guitar hard case that had been through a number of wars with a tie for a handle and a small Vox amp in a Bag For Life! He drops his gear off stage side and looks lost until I give him a welcome nod. He grins and makes his way over. Luckily, I don't have to jog his memory.
We chat health, music and plans, and the future and such. His new upcoming album "Sense Of Harmony", to be released back under the pyseudonm of Edgar Summertyme, months earlier he had handed me 8 demo's intended for the album, it was great to see the progression of the tracks.
The album is released on August 16th, via The Viper Label, ran by ex-La's members Mike Badger and Paul Hemmings, who have handled a number of Edgar's previous releases with The Joneses and demos' and unreleased tracks from Edgar's first band, cult garage band, The Stairs.
Edgar went on to form The Isrites, before a spell alongside Lee Mavers in The La's, St. Etienne and filling in the bass role with Paul Weller as well as forming The Big Kids with Bandwagonites Howie and Sean Payne and Russell Pritchard, before releasing solo records with The Joneses and most recently The Edgar Jones Free Peace Thing, who supported Oasis on their last tour.
We discuss some new sounds and influences and discuss the Bido Lito interview, in which he notes "punk was more a case of letting the morons have a go..." and says he's one of the few with the unfavourable dislike for The Ramones - but is a fan of 13th Floor Elevators.
It's great to see him again and in such good health. He tells me he's on a new Organic diet, giving the body what it wants and that after my health troubles last year he said to let him know any time if I want to get in on it. Great fella. His eyes light up and he darts to his guitar case and produces his new album, artwork and all, ready to go and hands me it. Speechless.
The man strives on other people enjoying his music. We talk playing bass and how "hearing some albums make you realise you're not that good.." to which I noted I felt the same when I first heard 'Flying Machine' ...and the fact he was singing at the same time as well.
He also notes this is his first time back in Heebie Jeebies in around four years, as he was the resident basement DJ for a time, where he claims he was free to play what he pleased.
He's looking to stick together a backing band together before touring, sticking to support slots around the city for the time being, Edgar has already performed solo on a few occasions this year at both The Zanzibar and The Kazimier, supporting St. Etienne.
Edgar's slot comes around, just as the sun begins to crack through the clouds into the beer garden. A half drunken man smashes his pint glass to the floor to cheers and laughs, "sounds like someone's having a...smashing time already" Edgar quickly quips in a Roger Moore-esque Bond like delivery.
Edgar runs through a four song set, including new songs not on his new record, but intended for his next release. Edgar rounded the set with favourite 'More Than You've Ever Had' from the Mercury award nominated 'Soothing Music For Stray Cats', which was championed by Noel Gallagher.
The garden is full of punters, usual gig goers, some there for the music, others the drink and sun - who give Edgar a warm reception, but don't take too much notice - until Edgar's signature and ever brilliant voice breaks through the silence and in doing so, silencing all conversation and averting eyes to the stage.
Edgar leaves the stage to massive applause, and handshakes and a flurry of compliments. We chat some more before calling it a day and decide to meet up at his performance at Evol the following weekend.
Great to see him again, true gent. Then it was off home to listen to the album...
The album is book ended by title tracks "Sense Of Harmony Part One" and "Sense Of Harmony Part Two", with "On and On" a groove vibe rocker, with opening lyrics such as "as we sit and contemplate the charred remains..." gives you the sense of what's to come.
Edgar's favourite track, "What's A Boy To Do?" which arguably features his most heartfelt vocal and lyrics, questioning an unknown female figurehead of the song. You can hear and feel this song pour out of him. Listen here > Edgar Summertyme "What's a Boy to do"
The next track "Bye and By" features what makes Edgar great, the voice, the sound, the groove and all that goes with it.
"Sunday Afternoon" is more abrupt and sudden, with a walking, thumping bass line. With the chorus of "oh tell me what to do with Sunday Afternoon?" as well as some great bass playing, typical of Edgar.
"It Can Only Be You" and "I Would Do Anything" has Edgar at his most confessional and sincere.
"What Are We Gonna Do?" builds up into a brilliant and beautiful groove and the repeated track title softly and then strongly sang over the top. Edgar recently performed the song in session for Bido Lito, available here > What Are We Gonna Do / Edgar Summertyme / The Bido Lito! Podcast
After a number of more contemplative and deeper songs, "Beep Beep" as the title suggests, bridges the gap and gives a much needed breather. The beautiful Spanish guitar solo in the middle is brilliantly captured as it played. The track features a duet with Nina Jones.
"Wishing Well" continues the same Flamenco acoustic guitar sound as previous, with a great breakdown to showcase the guitar and voices, again - a duet with Nina Jones.
"Look No Words" does exactly that - and clocks in at two minutes long, featuring some heavy bass by Edgar and former Stands stickman and current Paul Weller drummer, Steve Pilgrim - who together form a great groove, in again another track that doesn't feel as heavy after listening.
"Standing On The Verge of Getting By" has Edgar's voice at it's best and most reminiscent of previous work, and comes to an abrupt end a minute and a half in, once again lyrics representing a situation and his battles with that.
"Empty Promises" with lyrics that, at first glance, you wouldn't suppose would end up on an Edgar Jones release. In keeping with the album's feel, tone and themes, the song speaks of an unknown figure and the joy's and woes in which that brings. The track is very laid back with that Edgar signature groove and beat running through it.
"Sense of Harmony Part 2" brings the album to a close, in the same way it started, after another lyrical message, before hidden track "My Kinda Woman" kicks in thirty seconds later, in a more surprising manner in comparison to the rest of this album, but more typical of past releases and wouldn't be out of place on mid-noughties Joneses albums.
Before we parted, Edgar notes that the album was written and recorded through his stomach complaint which led him to losing two stone and spending time in the hospital, and considering Edgar's first release was called "Weed Bus" when he was barely in his twenties, this album is definitely his 'maturing record' which has a lot of sorrow, pain and very sincere which features more heartfelt vocals and lyrics compared to some of Edgar's previous releases, which is welcoming and surprising, yet still retains that voice, groove and beat reminiscent of Edgar's usual output. Perhaps he has grown up.
As with Edgar - a musical chameleon - the album sounds different to his previous releases, but still retains that recognisable voice, we all love, and as Edgar told me with a laugh "I've grown up - I've had to!" and that next year will be the one as we both look forward to the future, with an even newer album already in it's working stages as there was a number of tracks left over from 'Sense Of Harmony'.
The album clocks in at 42:17, which seems to race by (depending on your mood), leaving you to simply press repeat and take it all in again...
Full tracklisting:
1. Sense of Harmony Part 1
2. On and On
3. What’s a Boy to do?
4. Bye & By
5. Sunday Afternoon
6. It Can Only be You
7. I Would Do Anything
8. What are We Gonna Do?
9. Beep Beep
10. Wishing Well
11. Look no Words
12. Standing on the Verge of Getting By
13. Empty Promises
14. Sense of Harmony Part 2 / My Kinda Woman (Hidden track)
Album highlights: "What Are We Gonna Do?" & "What's A Boy To Do?"
All tracks feature Edgar on all instruments - except where noted - the album features former Stands and current Paul Weller drummer Steve Pilgrim guesting on "Look No Words", Colin Lamont on drums on "What's A Boy To Do?" and the brilliant Spanish guitar solo on "Beep Beep" performed by Jose Ybara. Nina Jones duets on "Beep Beep" & "Wishing Well".
Edgar tells me there will be extra tracks available for download and available on the Japanese release of the album, including "Oh No! I Did It Again!" which I discussed with a past Edgar collaborater, Big House singer/guitarist Paul Molloy (who along with Candie Payne are featured in the 'thank you' section) on top of a double decker bus, but that's another story.
Other notable thanks go to Badger, Hemmings, Pilgrim and The Royal Liverpool Hospital.
Edgar's Bido Lito interview is available online at:
http://www.bidolito.co.uk/issues/issue-25
Album for sale here:
http://www.the-viper-label.co.uk/releases/087/087-T.html
A number of tracks from the album can be heard here:
http://soundcloud.com/search?q%5Bfulltext%5D=edgar+summertyme
review and words by Christopher Parkes.
Twitter: @rocknrollparksy
