Artists

Discoveries

“I received a black leather CD case from Peter Sarstedt’s widow in the post. It contained a bunch of discs, many of which had never been heard before. Some of the tracks were first thoughts put down by Peter with just his guitar. I selected 15 songs and added instrumentation where I thought it helped.”

The project was begun by Ray in London at the beginning of the Covid pandemic and completed the day a vaccine was announced. ‘Discoveries’, is now online. Two videos have been released from the album on YouTube: Norma & History Repeats Itself.

Restless Heart

Restless Heart contains never before released tracks from one of the most original singer/songwriters. ‘Restless Heart’ is a collection of very personal songs, mostly about love… lost and found. Available direct from Amazon, i-tunes and Spotify from Singer records direct from Amazon and I-Tunes.

Director Wes Anderson featuring Peter’s music in two of his films ‘The Darjeeling Limited’ and ‘Hotel Chevalier’

Please click here for more on Peter Sarstedt.

The Lost Album

For many years tapes of an album made by singer/songwriter Peter Sarstedt had been thought lost forever. Recorded in the seventies with musicians from his home in Copenhagen, the album of original compositions was never released. Over the years the tapes were destroyed and it was only by chance that the album’s producer came across some safety master copies during a clean out of his loft. He immediately had the delicate tapes digitally mastered, so now we can hear these lovely songs as the composer originally intended.

As a bonus track, an unreleased version of Peter’s number one hit song, Where Do You Go To (My Lovely), has been included on the album to coincide with the release of the Wes Anderson movie The Darjeeling Company, which features the song.

Please click here for more on Peter Sarstedt.

How to Dress Sensibly

Brought together by leading fashion designer and artist Helen David, who wanted to record an album of lounge music that would be quintessentially English, How To Dress Sensibly has been recorded by an oddball collection of individuals who include Asher Senator, Toyah Willcox, Suggs and James Carter of Snakehips.

The album is a mixture of words from great English eccentrics past and present and original lounge music. Helen was inspired by the doyen of the avant-garde, Dame Edith Sitwell. The Sitwells were from the infamous Bloomsbury set of the Twenties. Included in Edith’s many diverse and often bizarre activities was a selection of poems called Façade and a book entitled English Eccentrics. All the members of English Eccentrics were born in Great Britain but come from completely different backgrounds.

Please click here for more on English Eccentrics

In Line with Mr Jimmy

With the Rolling Stones soon celebrating their 60th Anniversary, the unsung architect behind some of their greatest hits is being remembered by British producer/musician Uncle Ray. “In Line With Mr Jimmy ” is dedicated to U.S. record producer Jimmy Miller (1944-1994) the man responsible for the seminal albums: ‘Beggars Banquet’,’ Let It Bleed’, ‘Exile On Main Street’, ‘Goat’s Head Soup’ and ‘Sticky Fingers’. Uncle Ray, who worked with Miller, has re-styled versions of some of the Stones classics.

Please click here for more on Uncle Ray.

Miss You

‘Uncle Ray does the almost impossible and reinvents two classic Stones cuts and into the bargain not only breathing new life into them but developing them from an opposing perspective.

Should see the coolest club floors falling over themselves in deep adoration’. – Losing Today Magazine

English Eccentrics

Brought together by leading fashion designer and artist Helen David and James Carter of Snakehips who wanted to record an album of lounge music that would be quintessentially English, How To Dress Sensibly featuring ‘Thingabout London’ has been recorded by an oddball collection of individuals who include Toyah Willcox, Suggs and Asher Senator . The album is a mixture of words from great English eccentrics past and present and original lounge music. Helen was inspired by the doyen of the avant-garde, Dame Edith Sitwell. The Sitwells were from the infamous Bloomsbury set of the Twenties. Included in Edith's many diverse and often bizarre activities was a selection of poems called Façade and a book entitled English Eccentrics. All the members of English Eccentrics were born in Great Britain but come from completely different backgrounds...

Download from Spotify - Click here

Suggs born in Camden Town, is a member of Madness. His songs reflect his unconventional outlook on life, which he lives to the full. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Suggs took on the difficult task of recording the track Valse/Ladies How Vain. In the past this tongue-twisting poem by Dame Edith Sitwell has always been recited by artistes from the upper classes. Suggs reinvents it with his inimitable Camden Town accent.

Toyah Willcox since launching herself on an unsuspecting British public during the punk rock era, with unforgettable appearances in the Who’s Quadrophenia ’s ground-breaking movie Jubilee has always been an anti-establishment and provocative individual. At a meeting with producer Ray Singer she mentioned her fondness for layering many tracks of voices together to make a special effect. For the track One Cup of Tea, Toyah uses this technique to sound like an Indian siren, then using the word “chai”, a typical Birmingham expression for tea, she goes back to her roots.

James Carter James Carter was seventeen when he joined the English Eccentrics team. He has since gone on to become one part of the electronic duo Snakehips

Michael Storey was born in the West Country and is an actor, composer, musician and general man about town. He has composed music for films such as Another Country and Just Like A Woman and wrote the incidental music to John Le Carre’s A Perfect Spy. As an ex-student of the Central School of Drama in London, Michael uses his acting skills for the track Must You Go. Taking the part of a typical stiff upper lip Englishman from the 1940’s, he helps tell this tale of unrequited love which begins and ends in a railway station typical of the era.

Asher Senator was born in London’s Brixton and writes and performs his poetry to audiences up and down the country as well as working with youth groups in his area. At Helen David’s request he wrote the words to a song about a subject he knew well… London. Arriving at the recording studios with an entourage of back-up singers ranging in age from ten to sixty, Asha proceeded to rap his insightful lyrics into the microphone and the results can be heard on the track: Thingabout London.

Ray Singer was born in Kent and is a composer, actor, record producer and occasional stand-up comic. Ray has produced film music, commercials and worked with such diverse artists as Japan, Peter Sarstedt and Joan Armatrading. His taste for the out of the ordinary, finds him producing strange sounds from his recording studio in London’s Kentish Town. For the album track George, Ray takes on the persona of an old age pensioner looking back on the days of his youth, on Excuses, Excuses he recites a monologue by the late, great English Eccentric, Peter Cook and on the track One Cup of Tea he becomes a crazed Master of Ceremonies. Ray co-wrote and produced the English Eccentrics album.

Colin David was born in North London. He is a designer and print-maker and along with his wife Helen David, is a director of the fashion house English Eccentrics. In his spare time he plays guitar, is an accomplished chef, and designs his own fireworks. For the track Somerset House, which he wrote especially for the album, Colin tracked his guitar many times to try and create the special atmosphere of the forecourt of one of the famous landmarks of London, transformed each winter into an ice rink for the public.

Phish was born in New England and so could be said to be a New English Eccentric. He started playing the guitar when only eight, because it was: “the only instrument I could think of that wasn’t a piano.” He spent his early teenage years drinking cheap cider and going to sweaty rock concerts. Now in his late teens, Phish drinks reasonably priced beer, thinks about going back to doing martial arts sometime and tries to stay as dry as possible. His first shared project with James Carter was skateboarding which was soon replaced by music. Phish's cool guitar playing can be heard on the track How To Dress Sensibly.

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