Moody - Song Notes
All songs written and produced by Mills & Cockburn unless otherwise stated
Our most productive era, moving away from the the funk rock sound created for the band, as we branched out to more studio based music focused on sequenced samples, fused with live guitars and vocals with liberal use of acoustic guitar, and found our stride with the new equipment in Sungod II.
All songs recorded and or remixed at Sungod II
Escape
Main Vocal; Anthony Mills
Backing Vocals: Bella Bloxham
Guitars: Andrew Cockburn, Anthony Mills
Sequencing & Mixing : Mills & Cockburn
From an original idea by Ant, Andrew added nylon strung acoustic guitar pieces, and Ant added distorted guitar in the choruses. A song that describes the impossibility of escape form an obsessive relationship.
Destiny
Main Vocal; Anthony Mills
Backing Vocals: Bella Bloxham
Guitars: Andrew Cockburn
Sequencing & Mixing : Mills & Cockburn
A group effort, this song originated in a guitar riff created by Andrew to which Bella added a tune, and Anthony wrote the words. The song was written in it's entirety in an hour or so, then later recorded.
A song about the vagaries of growing old, Destiny is a showcase for the developing partnership between Bella and Andrew in the backing vocals department, with Bella and Andrew Singing and Arranging respectively.
Don't You Know
Main Vocal; Anthony Mills
Backing Vocals: Anthony Mills
Guitars: Andrew Cockburn, Anthony Mills
Sequencing & Mixing : Mills & Cockburn
A reprise of the wah guitar used in previous songs, this song was a joint creation between Anthony & Andrew. A bitter song about betrayal in love.
Queenie
Main Vocal; Anthony Mills
Backing Vocals: Bella Bloxham
Guitars: Andrew Cockburn, Anthony Mills
Sequencing & Mixing : Mills & Cockburn
Although not particularly Anti-Monarchist we found it to be a good theme for a song. The original song and arrangement by Ant was enhanced by rhythm and lead guitar work from Andrew, and a strong vocal performance by Bella.
(Andrew: Although I came up with the original lead lines at the end, Anthony had the forsight to make me re-arrange what I was playing to make the solo flow a lot better than the original version)
Bewitched
Main Vocal; Anthony Mills
Backing Vocals: Bella Bloxham
Guitars: Andrew Cockburn, Anthony Mills
Sequencing & Mixing: Mills & Cockburn
Very tongue in cheek with an offbeat rhythm and melody, written by Anthony. One again Bella adds a sterling performance in the backing vocals as arranged by Andrew. We always said that if we ever made a video for this song, it would feature Bruce Forsyth and Ernie Wise in top hat and tails, with canes dancing to it!
French Letter
Main Vocal; Anthony Mills
Backing Vocals: Bella Bloxham
Guitars: Andrew Cockburn
Sequencing & Mixing: Mills & Cockburn
Written in a time when AIDS was still a death sentence this is a cautionary tale of unwise love.
Thinking About You
Main Vocal; Anthony Mills
Backing Vocals: Anthony Mills (Andrew Cockburn, Late version)
Guitars: Andrew Cockburn
Sequencing & Mixing: Mills & Cockburn
A fairly early song that we recorded around this time. The early version may have been recorded in SunGod I, or this may have been from a cassette copy made from the digital master, and suffers form a number of technical problems. We re-recorded the vocal in an early Sungod Connecticut session and subsequently produced the late version around 2009. In keeping with the later M&C style we added acoustic guitar and took it upbeat with a supporting vocal arrangement. Of note is the fact that Andrew puts in his only Mills & Cockburn vocal performance to date in the Late version, buried deep in the mix towards the end of the song!
A poignant love song, the late version is close to being complete but lacks a little in the sounds of the string department towards the end. Technically this highlights the strides made by the partnership in recording quality spanning the era from Sungod to SunGod Connecticut.
(Andrew: Anthony always regretted being a little flat in the early version in one particular note at the end, however he totally nailed it in the late version!)
Interrogation
Main Vocal; Anthony Mills
Backing Vocals: Anthony Mills
Guitars: Andrew Cockburn
Sequencing & Mixing: Mills & Cockburn
Another example of an Original Anthony arrangement to which Andrew added guitar. A powerful song highlighting the pain of distrust in a relationship.
Moody
Main Vocal; Anthony Mills
Guitars: Andrew Cockburn
Keyboards: Andrew Cockburn
Bass: Andrew Cockburn
Sequencing & Mixing: Mills & Cockburn
An original idea from Anthony took flight with the addition of the plucked guitar accompaniment added by Andrew. At the end the song opens up with the addition of a synthesized double bass performed by Andrew. Another example of everything coming together - we are proud of this song and how it turned out n production terms.
(Andrew: I remember I was laying down the piano for this and came up with the simple tune between verses and we both immediately knew it was a keeper - not too flashy, and in fact quite moody - perfect for the song)
Memory
Main Vocal; Anthony Mills
Backing Vocals: Anthony Mills
Sequencing & Mixing: Mills & Cockburn
Notable as being the first and only Mills & Cockburn song in 5/4, the song was penned by Anthony and Andrew worked on the vocal arrangements which were some of the most ambitious to this point.
(Andrew: When producing this song, it became evident that Anthony's voice had too much character to double for this kind of backing vocal, and in addition he hated recording complex harmonies. It was around this time we recruited Bella and from this point on she would successfully take up backing vocal duties)
All songs written and produced by Mills & Cockburn unless otherwise stated
Our most productive era, moving away from the the funk rock sound created for the band, as we branched out to more studio based music focused on sequenced samples, fused with live guitars and vocals with liberal use of acoustic guitar, and found our stride with the new equipment in Sungod II.
All songs recorded and or remixed at Sungod II
Escape
Main Vocal; Anthony Mills
Backing Vocals: Bella Bloxham
Guitars: Andrew Cockburn, Anthony Mills
Sequencing & Mixing : Mills & Cockburn
From an original idea by Ant, Andrew added nylon strung acoustic guitar pieces, and Ant added distorted guitar in the choruses. A song that describes the impossibility of escape form an obsessive relationship.
Destiny
Main Vocal; Anthony Mills
Backing Vocals: Bella Bloxham
Guitars: Andrew Cockburn
Sequencing & Mixing : Mills & Cockburn
A group effort, this song originated in a guitar riff created by Andrew to which Bella added a tune, and Anthony wrote the words. The song was written in it's entirety in an hour or so, then later recorded.
A song about the vagaries of growing old, Destiny is a showcase for the developing partnership between Bella and Andrew in the backing vocals department, with Bella and Andrew Singing and Arranging respectively.
Don't You Know
Main Vocal; Anthony Mills
Backing Vocals: Anthony Mills
Guitars: Andrew Cockburn, Anthony Mills
Sequencing & Mixing : Mills & Cockburn
A reprise of the wah guitar used in previous songs, this song was a joint creation between Anthony & Andrew. A bitter song about betrayal in love.
Queenie
Main Vocal; Anthony Mills
Backing Vocals: Bella Bloxham
Guitars: Andrew Cockburn, Anthony Mills
Sequencing & Mixing : Mills & Cockburn
Although not particularly Anti-Monarchist we found it to be a good theme for a song. The original song and arrangement by Ant was enhanced by rhythm and lead guitar work from Andrew, and a strong vocal performance by Bella.
(Andrew: Although I came up with the original lead lines at the end, Anthony had the forsight to make me re-arrange what I was playing to make the solo flow a lot better than the original version)
Bewitched
Main Vocal; Anthony Mills
Backing Vocals: Bella Bloxham
Guitars: Andrew Cockburn, Anthony Mills
Sequencing & Mixing: Mills & Cockburn
Very tongue in cheek with an offbeat rhythm and melody, written by Anthony. One again Bella adds a sterling performance in the backing vocals as arranged by Andrew. We always said that if we ever made a video for this song, it would feature Bruce Forsyth and Ernie Wise in top hat and tails, with canes dancing to it!
French Letter
Main Vocal; Anthony Mills
Backing Vocals: Bella Bloxham
Guitars: Andrew Cockburn
Sequencing & Mixing: Mills & Cockburn
Written in a time when AIDS was still a death sentence this is a cautionary tale of unwise love.
Thinking About You
Main Vocal; Anthony Mills
Backing Vocals: Anthony Mills (Andrew Cockburn, Late version)
Guitars: Andrew Cockburn
Sequencing & Mixing: Mills & Cockburn
A fairly early song that we recorded around this time. The early version may have been recorded in SunGod I, or this may have been from a cassette copy made from the digital master, and suffers form a number of technical problems. We re-recorded the vocal in an early Sungod Connecticut session and subsequently produced the late version around 2009. In keeping with the later M&C style we added acoustic guitar and took it upbeat with a supporting vocal arrangement. Of note is the fact that Andrew puts in his only Mills & Cockburn vocal performance to date in the Late version, buried deep in the mix towards the end of the song!
A poignant love song, the late version is close to being complete but lacks a little in the sounds of the string department towards the end. Technically this highlights the strides made by the partnership in recording quality spanning the era from Sungod to SunGod Connecticut.
(Andrew: Anthony always regretted being a little flat in the early version in one particular note at the end, however he totally nailed it in the late version!)
Interrogation
Main Vocal; Anthony Mills
Backing Vocals: Anthony Mills
Guitars: Andrew Cockburn
Sequencing & Mixing: Mills & Cockburn
Another example of an Original Anthony arrangement to which Andrew added guitar. A powerful song highlighting the pain of distrust in a relationship.
Moody
Main Vocal; Anthony Mills
Guitars: Andrew Cockburn
Keyboards: Andrew Cockburn
Bass: Andrew Cockburn
Sequencing & Mixing: Mills & Cockburn
An original idea from Anthony took flight with the addition of the plucked guitar accompaniment added by Andrew. At the end the song opens up with the addition of a synthesized double bass performed by Andrew. Another example of everything coming together - we are proud of this song and how it turned out n production terms.
(Andrew: I remember I was laying down the piano for this and came up with the simple tune between verses and we both immediately knew it was a keeper - not too flashy, and in fact quite moody - perfect for the song)
Memory
Main Vocal; Anthony Mills
Backing Vocals: Anthony Mills
Sequencing & Mixing: Mills & Cockburn
Notable as being the first and only Mills & Cockburn song in 5/4, the song was penned by Anthony and Andrew worked on the vocal arrangements which were some of the most ambitious to this point.
(Andrew: When producing this song, it became evident that Anthony's voice had too much character to double for this kind of backing vocal, and in addition he hated recording complex harmonies. It was around this time we recruited Bella and from this point on she would successfully take up backing vocal duties)