The eagerly awaited cover-album! John sings a whole generation of blues classics from Portishead’s Glory Box to Billy Holliday’s Strange Fruit, The Church With One Bell reverberates with John’s vast musical talent. John is accompanied by John Giblin (bass), Spencer Cozens (keyboards) and Arran Ahmun (drums).

The track selection was quite simple, when John and the band laughed, they chose that track – hard to imagine as many of the songs are not happy ! John’s rendition of Glory Box stands out and other songs such as Small Town Talk, Strange Fruit, The Sky Is Crying, God’s Song, Excuse Me Mister… in fact they’re all superb! The procceds from the album enabled John to purchase the Church next door to his cottage.

The album was recorded in one week in Glasgow and was produced by blues producer Norman Dayron. Unlike many artists John doesn’t just cover a song, he re-writes it and makes it all his own.

Excuse Me Mister was released as a CD single with additional live tracks.

1. He’s Got All The Whiskey (B. Charles)
2. God’s Song (R. Newman)
3. How Fortunate The Man With None (Dead Can Dance. lyrics by B. Brecht)
4. Small Town Talk (B. Charles, R. Danko)
5. Excuse Me Mister (B. Harper)
6. Strange Fruit (L. Allen)
7. The Sky Is Crying (E. James, M. Robinson,/ C. Lewis)
8. Glory Box (G. Barrow, B. Gibbons, A. Utley)
9. Feel So Bad (S. Hopkins)
10. Death Don’t Have No Mercy (G. Davis)
11. How Fortunate The Man With None (alternative version)

Note the LP has the first 10 tracks only. Track 11 appears on the CD release.

Catalogue Number: Independiente ISOM 3CD and ISOM 3LP (500 copies)
Matrix / Runout: Side A – LOUD ISOM LP 03 A-1 and Side B – ISOM 3LP B1 JD