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The Turner is the Manchester based singer/songwriter Gary
Tomkinson and takes his name from the character in the Nicolas
Roeg film "Performance". Turner is the ex musician who has
lost his "mojo" !
The new album Girls, Wives And Factory Lives was recorded in Manchester at Hope Studios (with Mike Harries) and at Moorfield Zoo (with James Youngjohns from Anna Kashfi who produced and mixed the album).
My remit for this album was for the songs to be more textured
than the sparse production on my debut album Hope Dies Last
(Hence asking James to produce rather than producing myself as I
did on "Hope Dies Last"). Whilst Hope Dies Last featured
a string quartet on some tracks, the strings you can hear on
“Broken Dreams” and “The Swimmers” on the new album is James
Youngjohns playing multilpe parts himself!
There are five co writes on Girls, Wives and Factory Lives
with Sian Webley from Anna Kashfi.
’Never Had It So Good’ comes from my obsession with the 60’s
tempered with the realisation that we have no choice but to
live in the present.
The Executioner’s Song’ came from reading the book of the same
name by Norman Mailer and being moved enough to want to write
about its two main protagonists.
Likewise ‘Kitchen Sink Drama’ was similarly inspired by my
love of the 50’s / 60’s and a re-reading of Cathy Come Home
and other “kitchen sink novels”.
WORD Magazine said........"If we're going to have a New Great Depression we might as well get some decent art out of it. This new album by Mancunian singer-songwriter Gary Tomkinson - AKA The Turner - is suffused with the hard-times vibes of Cathy Come Home and Friday Night, Saturday Morning but marries them to thoughtful country grooves"
Hope Dies Last was described by Penny Black as “an album that in all honesty really doesn’t have any low points….‘Hope Dies Last’ is in the top five albums I have heard this year without a doubt….’ it would be up there just for Tomkinson’s vocals and melodies”.
Americana UK stated it was “sensitive, intelligent and from the heart. A fine debut....feels like a real discovery that deserves attention”.
Various tracks from "Girls, Wives and Factory Lives" have been
played on the excellent radio show "The
Miller Tells Her Tale" (Episodes 382, 383 and 384 I
think!)
The track "Never Had It So Good" is featured on the July
"Friends of Americana UK" CD.
"Kitchen Sink Drama" from the new album will be featured on the
covermount CD on The Word
Magazine (July 14th Issue).
Video on You Tube here
There are a few more songs on You tube as well
Crying In Your Sleep
and The Executioner's Song
"Girls, Wives And Factory Lives" can now be purchased from Piccadilly
records and KingBee records.
Very sad to hear about the death of Gil
Scott Heron. What a great artist. I have fond
recollections of seeing him live at The Jazz Cafe and drunk one
night in Halifax (him not me !!).
Whilst it is both frightening and in some way liberating to
play in front of people completely alone (which I am still
prepared to do). I would like to expand the live line up a
little, hence I am looking for
musicians, specifically a Cello player and Violinist
but not limited to just that, so if anybody is interested in
playing live please get in touch.
Girls, Wives and Factory Lives is out! I will post up
reviews and links as and when they come up.
itunes link here The
Turner
on itunes
or on Amazon here Girls,
Wives and Factory Lives on Amazon MP3
Also available via many other digital providers depending on
where you are in the world. I'm working on physical
distribution !
You can listen to either of my albums for free on Spotify here
Girls,Wives
and Factory Lives on Spotify
After a long gestation period (due to weddings, house moves,
having to work a shit job and a long recording process) the new
album "Girls, Wives & Factory Lives" should be released by
the end of March / beginning of April.
Produced by James Youngjohns from Anna Kashfi and featuring some
co-writes with Sian Webley, also from Anna Kashfi.
Hopefully I will be playing some gigs in support of the new
album. If you would like to host a house gig just get in
touch.
Here is the first track from the album.........
Never Had It So Good by TheTurner
Listen to more here
Advance copies of "Girls,Wives and Factory Lives" are available
for£7+p&p
Copies of "Hope Dies Last" are available for £5+p&p
Or buy both for £10+p&p !!
Email Iamtheturner@hotmail.co.uk for details
Or buy a copy of Girls, Wives & Factory Lives and I will personally deliver it to your house as long as you agree to put on a house gig!
Buy
"Hope Dies Last" at Piccadilly records
The Kinks - Something Else
Charles Bukowski - Hollywood
Lynne Reid Banks - The L-Shaped room
Andy Beckett - When the lights went out
Jesse Malin - The Fine Art Of Self Destruction
Bevis Frond - The Leaving of London
The Replacements - Pleased To Meet Me
Tracey Thorn - Love And It's Opposite
Charles Bukowski - Post Office
The Clash - Sandinista!
Hank Williams - The Essential
Old Northern Soul cassettes !
Later Days - Mother Hips
Collected Memoirs - Julien Maclaren Ross
Joey Kneiser - The All Night Bedroom Revival
The Clergyman's Daughter - George Orwell
Two Gallants - The Throes
Liam Dullaghan - Making History
The Kinks - Arthur or the decline and fall of the British Empire
The Rakes - Klang
Richard Pryor - ...And it's deep too!
Pete Hamill - North River
Life at The Dakota - Stephen Birmingham
Loads of Roy Harper on Vinyl !! (Thanks Steve)
Linda Bruner - Songs For A Friend
Great lake Swimmers - Ongiara
Independence Day - Richard Ford
e-mail The Turner at iamtheturner@hotmail.co.uk
