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Wilbervision is the new Wilberforce channel on youtube.
Wilberforce have finally hit youtube!!!
Which means you can finally get to see Wilberforce videos, gigs, recording sessions, etc!
Just as the video to "College" kickstarted Wilberforce into life, so it seems apt the 1996 debut track should open up proceedings on youtube.
Originally conceived as part of a media project, "College" features Jack as a hapless student who fails prey to drink and women, ending in a grisly finale. Watch it by clicking the icon on the left!
Expect to see a host of visuals over the coming months as wilbervision allows you to see what we've been doing all these years with a video camera!!
And if you want to post comments or appear on wilbervision, just let us know and we'll sort it out...
Jules becomes the 19th person
to add vocals to "Big Pressure."
Jules from the band Infighting, became the latest artist to add her voice to the song "Big Pressure."
The sprawling track that will appear on the forthcoming album is almost finished and now boasts 19 different backing singers as well as numerous overdubs of guitars, bass guitars, drums and various instrumentation! Let us know if you'd like to appear too!!
Wilberforce have also been recording songs old and new in sessions that are expected to last through into next April, taking in the new album and assorted tracks!
Check back soon!
UPDATED BY MARK TINGLEY: 14th AUGUST 2007
WILBERFORCE EXPAND A MEMBER!
Our new bass player!
Wilberforce just got bigger!
Romuald Wadych (left) is apparently joining Wilberforce on bass. And if that wasn't mad enough, he's hoping to play other instruments too! Which obviously means there's more chance of gigs in the not-too-distant future...
Up to now I've been recording on bass for the album, and Helen has used her left hand live on keyboards for gigs!
Meantime I've been involved in some "pre-album" sessions, to remind myself how to turn the equipment on and to have a bit of fun! There are some catchy new songs in the pipeline too. But we mustn't get too ahead of ourselves, there's still an album to record!!
Nigel Marvin's new album
is a sonic buster!
Oh, and one more thing, Nigel Marvin's got a new CD out and it's called "That Strange Arena." He taught me everything I know you know! The album really is "Marvellous!!" If you don't believe me, check out his myspace webpage and listen!
My personal fav is "Vintage Sounds". The whole album is funny, clever, catchy, experimental and playful, and definitely worth checking out!
Have a great rest of the summer! See you on a beach somewhere...
15th JULY 2007 WILBERFORCE RETURN-ITH!
George Melly
with Mark in 2001.
After an extended hiatus of 6 months, Wilberforce are returning to the studio to contemplate the next album.
A series of setbacks in 2006, including almost the whole album being "wiped", drummers disappearing, and other equipment failures, caused sessions to be put on hold in November. Recording was meant to be wrapped up in time for Christmas and the album originally scheduled for a September release.
However I had already planned to go travelling in Australia and New Zealand. As a result, everything ground to a halt, including updating wilberweb.
But it's business as usual as we hope to resume recording very soon!!
Wilberforce were very sad to hear the death of Jazzman George Melly. When we saw his show at Ronnie Scott's, the jokes, anecdotes and songs made for one of the most entertaining shows I'd been to in years!!
Check back soon for more updates!
13th SEPTEMBER 2006
THE "LOST" ALBUM!
An early rough mix
surfaced in February.
Wilberforce were thrown into crisis this week with the news that the new album may have been "wiped"...
The drama unfolded two weeks ago while Wilberforce were backing up all their work onto another external hard drive.
All seemed fine until Wilberforce noticed the music files hadn't copied over properly. Naturally everyone was concerned, so we took the original hard drive over to a friend who ran tests. It didn't look good.
So then we took it to a data retrieval centre who warned us they might not be able to retrieve the music at all, and if they could, it might cost anything up to 1600 pounds (over $3,000)!!!
Just as the Wilberforce machine was finally gathering momentum, the album has ground to a standstill, with the loss of 18 months of our best work. Casualties include the 18 backing vocalists on "Big Pressure", guest stars the Frinton Bassett Blues, and Ian Escario's drum tracks (see below)!
Obviously it's a low point, made worse by the fact no one has heard it!!
Though the status of the new album is now very unclear, a few songs intended for other projects have survived. So Wilberforce will concentrate on those for now, and hope to get them out to you very soon.
The show must go on...!!!
AND THE LESSON IS...
...If you have important stuff, BACK IT UP NOW! DON'T PUT IT OFF LIKE WE DID!!! There's always something more important and inspiring to do, but just BACK IT UP! We're suffering as a result and it's a harsh lesson to learn!
We'll let you know of any further developments.
1st AUGUST 2006
THE GOOD NEWS AND THE BAD NEWS"!!
First the good news...
All drums and pianos have been recorded for the new album!
After the drummer crisis that threatened to engulf the band once and for all (see below), Wilberforce decided to press into action Ian Escario, session drummer extraordinaire! As a result, 18 drum tracks were recorded between April and June, and Wilberforce are "very pleased" with the results!!
And at the end of July, using a 100 year old piano, Helen finished her piano overdubs too, meaning all location recording has now been finished. Tracks recorded included "Ghost train", "Trunk", and ""Big Pressure".
The bad news....?
The new album has been delayed until April 2007. After mistakes were made at the launch of "Madame Fruitbowl" in 2002, there will be a more efficient and well-managed build up this time, meaning a gap between the end of recording and release. Meantime a series of non-album tracks will be made available, along with a handful of live dates, to plug the long wait.
With Newlove Manorside Studios now completely ungraded, all is set for final sessions that are now expected to run after the summer break, from September until the end of the year.
Finally after a series of delays, technical failures, disappointments and lineup changes, the Wilberforce machine is finally beginning to gather momentum. From now on, expect more activity and updates.
THE SPOOK ORCHESTRA!
Mark and Helen are now playing in a new 5-piece band called the Spook Orchestra.
Combining members of Wilberforce, the Spook Brothers, and folk singer Mary McSpook, the Spook Orchestra are best described as "a psychedelic folk acoustic blues pop experience!"
The new act came about after an impromptu get together at an East London vegan cafe in June (view the video here). The band have already played 4 gigs with more on the way, playing a mixture of Wilberforce, Steve Lake, and Melody Spires songs, with the odd cover.
It's a laid back jamboree of frivolous singalongs and loose playing, with an emphasis on fun and the unpredictable, accompanied by anything from mandolins to electric guitars, depending on what takes the Spook's fancy!! Check out their profile and future live dates on the Spook Orchestra My Space page.
OTHER NEWS
* The next song to appear on Wilberweb will be "Here's One I Made Earlier". Watch this space!
* A new as-yet-unamed bassist has been drafted in for the forseeable future for live dates. However Mark is playing bass on the entire album.
9th APRIL 2006
DRUMMER CRISIS!!.
Phil the drummer is out of Wilberforce.
Having only made one recording session this year, Phil's absence has meant the album has been delayed by months, missing the original mid-March deadline.
Fortunately Wilberforce have managed to recruit a new mystery drummer to finish up the remaining tracks at a London Bridge recording studio where Kylie Minogue once recorded. Whether this will be a permanent replacement or not, only time will tell.
Phil was recruited to the lineup in March 2005 when his drumming helped enhance the live sound. He had been recording since September and some of his work will still feature on future releases. We wish him well for the future.
The delay has meant the album isn't expected to be released before August. The band continue to work on 23 songs, while the rhythm tracks of bass and drums are expected to be finished before May.
FRINTON BASSETT NEWS!.
Members of 60s group the Frinton Bassett Blues have recorded vocals to the song of the same name.
Written as a tribute to late former bandmate Dave Goodman, former Frintons Steve Crawford and Alan Cooke made a 3 hour round trip to Abbey Wood and sang backup vocals on the song, which recalls the band from schoolboy beginnings to local success.
Wilberforce have recorded 2 versions of the song, one with Phil and another with the unnamed mystery drummer, the latter already chosen for the finished CD.
OTHER NEWS
* More vocals have been added to "Big Pressure", with 18 vocalists now singing a total of 36 parts, including the Frintons!!
* A new song is being added to the running order of the album to replace another that failed audience testing. It's reminiscent of Kate Bush's "Coffee Homeground".
* Watch this space for the announcement of another new band member, in readiness for Wilberforce' return to the stage.
* Rumours abound of an imminent online EP release to make up for the album's delay, though nothing has been confirmed just yet, so don't hold your breath!!
17th FEBRUARY 2006
EARLY VERSION OF ALBUM SURFACES.
Details of the still-unnamed new album are beginning to surface! It will now appear with 13 tracks, clocking in at an estimated 53 minutes, and is still expected to be released in early spring. An additional 8 tracks, intended for future online EP releases, are also being recorded alongside the album.
The first draft of the new album has finally been assembled. Existing as a rough mix with various guide vocals, completed performances and unused takes, the CDR will now be scrutinised by Wilberforce and "audience tested" by friends and fans! According to those that have heard it, reaction has been very positive and it's widely acknowledged to be more accessible and heavier than it's predessor.
Meanwhile the most ambitious track "Big Pressure" is nearly finished, currently featuring 11 backing vocalists singing 22 vocal parts! Pictured right are aspiring singer, writer and artist Emily French and former Elastic Band bassist and Caretakers guitarist, "Ace Bass" Richard Morley.
The song also features a bewildering array of guitar, bass and drum overdubs, boasting an overwhelming 116 tracks which has since been reduced to 99!! The rest of the album is apparently a more simple affair!!
OTHER NEWS
* "The websites very informative, all you ever wanted to know about Wilberforce! Are there any gigs lined up?" asks Mary from London, UK. Well it's hoped there will be some London shows in the Spring and maybe a warmup gig beforehand, so keep posted!! Sign up to our mailing list above and we will let you know ASAP!
11th JANUARY 2006
BUSY YEAR AHEAD!
Studio bound in Abbey Wood,
January 2006.
2006 is shaping up to be a very busy year for Wilberforce, with the release of the second album, a tour, videos and plenty of surprises.
Though the band failed to match their ambitious target of a September release last year, they're cautiously optimistic the new abum will appear in late April-early May.
The band held continuous sessions between 14th September to 2nd December with a host of guest stars, to record a brace of odds and ends including the album and various other tracks intended for use on a future EP. Recording was halted for a month as a result of studio renovations, since completed, and Xmas!
As well as extensive recording, 2005 also saw Wilberforce recruit Phil the drummer, win a couple of awards, play 2 gigs, receive more praise for the first album "Madame Fruitbowl", and realise the end-of year release of "Theme for a Holiday", as well as quietly celebrating their 10th anniversary!
However Wednesday 11th January marks the return of Mark, Helen and Phil for final sessions that expect to conclude around mid March. Check out the site (or use the form above to register) for regular updates and sound and video clips.
OTHER NEWS
* Mark has also been active producing a live show for American radio of Steve Lake's outfit "the Spook Brothers". It's hoped to be made available sometime this year.
* Helen has been collaborating with former Wilberforce bassist Nat, otherwise known as RACHELAPP whose new album was released recently.
