Recorded: Manorside, Abbey Wood

24 June / 21, 22, 29 July / 8 August / 5 October 27, 28 1999 23 March / 16, 31 May / 1, 8, 13 June / 2 August / 2 October 2000

Mark Tingley:

Lead vocals, Harmony vocals, Lead guitars (2), Bass, Keyboards (3), maracas, Handclaps (4), "Drums"

Mark Purkiss: Rhythm guitars


Originally written on guitar, I began playing a lot more keyboards around the summer '99 sessions. But my new instrument didn't go down too well with Nathalie, the punk loving bassist. She'd just rejoined the group after her studies in France and wanted to hear electric guitars. This sowed the seeds for her departure on grounds of musical differences!

But Wilberforce was always going to have the emphasis on diversity. Drawing on earlier influences, I went for a "Scary monsters" sound for the drums and lead guitar. The 1980 Bowie album had always been an all time favourite I was keen to emulate.

Utilising another old friend's services, Mark Purkiss kindly popped in with his expensive Telecaster to add rhythm guitar. Mark hadn't played much over recent years but still managed to put me to shame by nailing his take in one! Around this stage, I began to feel like a producer, now working a 7-8 hour day, learning new stuff all the time, with growing confidence and feeling some justification in what I was doing. The album had already taken 3 years up to this point, but a momentum was building. Could I wrap up "Fruitbowl" in time for the Millennium celebrations?

The answer was no. Countless deadlines would come and go before I even got near to finishing the album...