Bluebottle Green
Time it was
And what a time it was
It was …….
A time of innocence,
A time of confidences.
Long ago ... it must be …
I have a photograph.
Preserve your memories,
They’re all that’s left you.
Bookends – Simon and Garfunkel (1968)
In 1968 I was sixteen – and so was my friend Peter. Whilst our hormones raged to the sounds of Albatross (Fleetwood Mac), Magical Mystery Tour (The Beatles), Daydream Believer (The Monkees) … Joe Cocker, Mary Hopkin, Amen Corner, Nina Simone etc etc etc, Peter was sometimes to be found sat in his bedroom with his guitar and an exercise book writing songs. Over fifty years later Peter went up to his loft and retrieved the assorted pieces of paper on which he’d composed. Can you imagine his feelings as he flicked through the pages and found himself engaging with his teenage past? Here were his own thoughts, feelings, dreams and emotions from all those years ago. He read the lyrics and soon had picked up his guitar and was trying out the songs – his voice resonating down the years. It felt special.
Since retirement Peter has been able to spend more time playing music and is in a band, The Orion Trio who specialise in playing classic 60’s hits. He played them acoustic versions of his songs and asked them for their thoughts. Their suggestion was that the band should record them and this month their work has been released on BandCamp – it is called Bluebottle Green. Already the album has received a rave review in The Crack magazine and lots of very positive feedback at live performances – but even as Peter wrestles with digital technology in his attempt to give the songs a wider audience, you can see in his eyes that the main job has been done. He’s turned back the clock and ‘preserved (his) memories’, enjoyed the process and spread a lot of pleasure while doing so.
It’s a great story but it’s also a great collection of songs that crackle with authenticity and echo with the hope of the 1960s. Bluebottle Green is also now available on all good streaming services.
Jamie Thompson