2011

Nov

02

I've been thinking of changing this page recently!   I've decided to open a New Page for a monthly BLOG.   My question is simply - do I need a 'NEWS' page and a 'BLOG'?   Perhaps that's a little ott.   However, what if this NEWS page merely records what I've actually achieved, and the BLOG page keeps strictly to my monthly random thoughts and ideas?   I'll let you know soon where I'm at on this one!

2011

Oct

30

Yep, the 'Entente Cordiale' SONGBOOK is now available for download - FREE of charge.   However, take care - the 13MB pdf file may test your broadband speed to the limit!   Enjoy.

2011

Sep

04

I've been putting this off for a while, but now I'm close to completing the 'Complete Official SONGBOOK, for the 'Entente Cordiale' Album.   I hadn't realised how long the tiny finishing detail would take - but the wait is over.   Must admit, I know many people 'scoff' at Steinberg's Cubase software to handle such a 'Pro. Sheet Music' Project, but the proof will soon be up on the site for all to see.

2011

Aug

19

And yet another new purchase!   This time it's of a more 'classic' nature.   I decided to invest in a new P.A. for my live gigs - the Bose L1 Model II.   Very, very expensive, but can honestly say I've never heard anything so clear before.   You really do feel that the audience are hearing every microscopic detail of sound.   Ever had the feeling - "If only the audience could hear exactly what I'm hearing without all of that feedback?" etc ...   Well, not anymore.

2011

Jul

12

Having fun with a new 'toy'.   I recently purchased the TC Helicon VoiceLive 2 system.   This is quite some technical achievement - multi harmonies at the touch of a footswitch etc.   However, the fun part is adapting to playing it 'live' for gig purposes.   I realise it's just a matter of practice, but oh boy, that's a lot of buttons and switches to remember!

2011

Jun

27

Wow - decided to put the New Page (Handheld) on hold for the moment.   It's proving to be tougher than I thought in writing for Handheld iPhones and Tablets etc.   However, I promise I will return to fix this 'gap' on the site.   I just need more time to beef up my HTML and CSS knowledge.

2011

May

24

Hope you enjoy the new look and feel of the site.   I've updated to permit a better browsing experience for those using 'Chrome' and 'Safari'.   I must admit to being a little slow in verifying my changes across all the modern browsers; up until now.   You may also notice a new MENU item appear - namely 'Handheld'.   There is still work to do here, but the intention is to make the site completely accessible to users of mobiles and smaller hand held devices, as well as embracing the tablet users out there.   Welcome to the ever changing world of web communications.

2011

May

08

Phew!  All done.  Still have plenty of 'Lyrics' to add to the SONG pages, but at least you can listen at your convenience ... and hopefully, your pleasure.  Thanks again for your patience.  Enjoy.

2011

May

01

Happy to say the album is ready. It currently sits at the CD Baby offices, at San Francisco, awaiting a few 'administration' touches, like confirming a Bar Code etc. Work now started on updating the "Songs/Album" Menu page here, in order to put some 'taster' MP3s up there for you to preview.

2011

Mar

29

Ten tracks completed and mixed down - one to go! Yes, we've missed our planned Mid March release, but quality comes first - a few of the tracks needed some extra tweeks!  Almost there.

2011

Jan

24

Great progress made on the Album. Six tracks completed and mixed down - five to go! Pete has come up with the album title  ENTENTE CORDIALE  Fingers remain crossed for us meeting our own planned Release Date ... mid-MARCH 2011 ...

2010

Dec

03

Pete May is now back in the UK, continuing with work in his own Recording Studio. Meanwhile, I continue to sift through the remaining 'song task list' for the imminent NEW Album.

2010

Nov

08

Time to give the BIOGRAPHY a pause, and move onwards to future music plans. My long-time pal, Pete May, is planning to visit and spend time in my Studio, here in Dol de Bretagne. Pete and I have been planning an album release of 're-workings' of many of our favourite songs that we'd co-written during the mid-Seventies. We had actually started this project back in late 2009, but for whatever reason, the Project seemed to stall. This time we are both very committed to delivering a finished product. Here's hoping!

2010

Oct

23

Chapters 6 & 7 of my MUSICAL BIOGRAPHY have now been added. Chapter 7 has me leaving College and entering the world of 'real' teaching. Of course, I also found plenty of time to continue my Musical Adventures. This Chapter has me back recording, but with a new set of musician friends. It also has me back in the Recording Studio ... Professional Studios, both in Luton & London.

2010

Aug

30

Chapter 5 of my MUSICAL BIOGRAPHY is now complete. Have fun reading about my Teacher Training College days.

2010

Jul

03

I've recently contacted some good pals from my Wrexham College days. We had fun playing in a Punk Rock Band, called  THE CASTRATORS . 30+ years on, and it seems like we may be ready to reform for a one-off special re-union gig. Early plans are for the gig to take place here in France, during summer 2011. More details to follow.

2010

May

15

Work has started on tracks for a new album. This will be a re-write of some very old material from my days with my pal, Pete May. We last recorded these tracks during the 70s ... it should be fun to revisit them and see if we can come up with some fresh arrangements. Pete and I are planning on the bulk of the work to be undertaken during the September / October 2010 period, with a release date planned for January 2011. Watch this space for further develoopments.

2010

Mar

29

Chapter 4 of my MUSICAL BIOGRAPHY is now available for reading. I'm currently checking for any potential issues concerning copyright before I begin posting the associated mp3 recordings. Check back soon on news.

2010

Feb

14

The new single, with FRENCH lyrics, is now available for listening. I'm currently canvassing opinion on the merits of writing an ENGLISH version to release alongside this track. Watch the site for news on that one. Please note that the links to download the track, along with CD artwork, will be available shortly.

2010

Feb

01

Official Public opening of my Recording Studio. Hope I've enough 'French Language skills' to keep the customers satisfied? Check out the Website for futher information ...  www.glockyerstudios.com ...

2009

Dec

14

The NEW SINGLE ... Qu'est-ce que j'ai fait? ... (What did I do?) It's been a long time since my last recording ... the Chez Moi album took longer than I planned - 9 months in the recording, from Nov 2005 to Aug 2006. There followed a further 6 months promoting it as much as possible. I started on new material during the Spring 2007, and quickly moved up into gear by completing 3 new songs. At the same time, my life here in Northern France, took on a new twist as I married Claudine, inheriting two step-daughters in the process!

For sure, married life brought about inevitable changes to my daily routines, but the biggest change came via a clumsy accident during Aug 2007. I fell awkwardly and badly broke my guitar index finger on my left hand. The break almost led to an amputation - proving more serious than I'd realised, and has taken 2 years to fully heal. In fact, I'm only now feeling confident in the Studio again.

Although that 2 year period put paid to any new releases, I spent the time reflecting on new ideas and new tracks. I also spent much time studying the writing styles of the better French lyricists and composers. This resulted in my returning to one of the tracks I'd had ready for the Studio, way back in Summer 2007, and now deciding to re-write the lyrics ... in French. For anyone who has tried, this is by no means a straightforward translation task - it actually requires a complete re-write - maintaining the sentiment and expression of the original, whilst substituting the imagery for French equivalents.

I'm proud of my first effort in French - and I hope you will be pleased with the result. If it proves to be successful, then I believe more French songs will follow ... hopefully at a faster pace than this first effort! Studio work has started and I hope to release the song by early January 2010.

2009

Dec

10

A new 'page' is added to the site - namely 'NEWS' (this page!) This is the page to visit if you've not been on the site for a while. Here you can catch up on the previous NEWS items via this 'ARCHIVE'. It would be too distracting to have more detail shown, other than the absolute 'Headline' news items, which curently show at the foot of many of the individual pages. Therefore, having this single repository for all news items, including the detail, should hopefully prove popular.

2009

Dec

06

Re-issue of Chez Moi cover design and inside CD disc inlay. All work completed after much Photoshop Editing, but still working from the original images used on the 2006 Chez Moi cover design. The new images are available for Free Download at the SHOP/Artwork page.

2009

Dec

03

Unofficial opening of new professional Recording Studio, "glockyerstudios.com". For more years than I care to remember I've had my own personal Studio, to record my own tracks. I've always felt that I could devote more time and attention to detail without worrying about the 'clock' ticking away and the 'costs' rising out of control. In fact, the last album, Chez Moi, was recorded on my previous equipment - at home! However, having recently moved 'home', I decided to re-equip - and to build a fully functioning PRO Studio, for external paying customers! Of course, the question remains "will the PRO Studio take me away from working on my own songs?" ... I believe not, as the daily demands of the Studio are eased considerably by having others working in the Studio for me. The BENEFITS then arise when I have access to a higher level of Studio quality equipment when I'm ready to 'Record'. Hopefully, the 'customer' will judge this to have been a prudent move.

2009

Nov

12

A new 'page', named BIOGRAPHY, is added to the site. This is to accommodate requests, from various sources, for me to share some of my more personal details, and to document my 'MUSICAL ADVENTURES' before I turned to PRO Song Writing in 2004.

2009

Nov

05

Re-vamp of Website ... new look ... new feel ... hopefully more informative and responsive. Behind the scenes, this involved purchasing more storage capacity and website managing facilities.