WILLIAM HAYTER AND THE SMALL WORLD COLLECTIVE
SINGING A SONG IN THE MORNING
An Affectionate Tribute to the Music of Kevin Ayers
13 songs.
A remarkable cast of musicians. Nearly seven years in the making.
Singing a Song in the Morning is William Hayter's deeply personal and affectionate celebration of the music of Kevin Ayers — bringing together musicians from the Canterbury scene, the Hertfordshire music community and Hayter's previous recording projects to revisit thirteen songs from one of British music's great eccentrics.
Featuring contributions from Richard Sinclair, Theo Travis, Fred Thelonious Baker, Billie Bottle, Nick Haeffner, Jon Owen and a large supporting cast, the album moves through Ayers' strange, melodic, whimsical and occasionally experimental musical world without losing the warmth and humanity at its centre. What began as the idea of recording two Kevin Ayers songs became an unprecedented seven-year journey.
SINGING A SONG IN THE MORNING
An Affectionate Tribute to the Music of Kevin Ayers
13 songs.
A remarkable cast of musicians. Nearly seven years in the making.
Singing a Song in the Morning is William Hayter's deeply personal and affectionate celebration of the music of Kevin Ayers — bringing together musicians from the Canterbury scene, the Hertfordshire music community and Hayter's previous recording projects to revisit thirteen songs from one of British music's great eccentrics.
Featuring contributions from Richard Sinclair, Theo Travis, Fred Thelonious Baker, Billie Bottle, Nick Haeffner, Jon Owen and a large supporting cast, the album moves through Ayers' strange, melodic, whimsical and occasionally experimental musical world without losing the warmth and humanity at its centre. What began as the idea of recording two Kevin Ayers songs became an unprecedented seven-year journey.
THE STORY
William Hayter's relationship with the music of Kevin Ayers stretches back to his teenage years.
Music discoveries were exchanged between school friends during playground breaks, while an unusually enthusiastic history teacher supplied an ever-growing list of bands and albums that demanded investigation.
Kevin Ayers became one of the artists who stayed.
Hayter subsequently saw Ayers perform several times, including his appearance at the Barbican in London in 2007 as part of a concert celebrating the music and memory of Syd Barrett.
The origins of Singing a Song in the Morning can be traced to 2019.
After listening again to former Tea Set guitarist Nick Haeffner's album The Great Indoors, Hayter suggested that the pair record a couple of Kevin Ayers songs.
Recording began.
Then Covid arrived.
The recordings were put aside while Hayter became involved with another project, Miniatures 2020, inspired by Morgan Fisher's celebrated 1980 album of one-minute pieces.
When attention eventually returned to the abandoned Ayers recordings, Hayter realised that the community of musicians surrounding Miniatures 2020 offered an opportunity to expand the idea.
Two songs became several.
Several became an album.
Musicians from the Hertfordshire scene joined the recordings. Some knew Ayers' work intimately; others encountered the songs for the first time.
As news of the project spread, another circle began to form.
Jon Owen joined the sessions, followed by Fred Thelonious Baker, Theo Travis, Richard Sinclair and Billie Bottle, alongside musicians who had already become part of Hayter's increasingly interconnected musical world.
Eventually thirteen Kevin Ayers songs had been recorded by a constantly changing cast of performers.
The Small World Collective had found its name almost by accident.
A CELEBRATION
Kevin Ayers occupied a peculiar corner of British music.
Pop songwriter.
Experimentalist.
Romantic.
Absurdist.
Founder member of Soft Machine.
Crooner, guitarist, reluctant rock star and enduring outsider.
His songs could be playful, melancholic, surreal, melodic or unexpectedly avant-garde — sometimes during the course of the same piece.
Singing a Song in the Morning approaches that catalogue in much the same spirit.
Different combinations of musicians appear from track to track, producing an album that feels less like the work of a fixed band and more like a gathering of friends around a collection of extraordinary songs.
It is precisely what the subtitle says:
An affectionate tribute to the music of Kevin Ayers.
Kevin Ayers occupied a peculiar corner of British music.
Pop songwriter.
Experimentalist.
Romantic.
Absurdist.
Founder member of Soft Machine.
Crooner, guitarist, reluctant rock star and enduring outsider.
His songs could be playful, melancholic, surreal, melodic or unexpectedly avant-garde — sometimes during the course of the same piece.
Singing a Song in the Morning approaches that catalogue in much the same spirit.
Different combinations of musicians appear from track to track, producing an album that feels less like the work of a fixed band and more like a gathering of friends around a collection of extraordinary songs.
It is precisely what the subtitle says:
An affectionate tribute to the music of Kevin Ayers.
THE SMALL WORLD COLLECTIVE
The album draws together an unusually wide musical cast, including:
Richard Sinclair — bass and vocals
Theo Travis — flute
Fred Thelonious Baker — bass
Billie Bottle — vocals, keyboards and organ
Nick Haeffner — guitars, vocals, dobro, cittern and ukulele
Jon Owen — vocals and guitar
Nuala O'Halpin — vocals and acoustic guitar
Peter Ellison — guitars and melodeon
Richard Whitbourn — piano, electric piano and accordion
Csilla Waterfall — cello
Andy Hills — saxophones
Robert Le Plar — guitar, vocals and keyboards
Jayne Mason — piano and keyboards
Big Al Davies — vocals, bass and guitar
Bill Clarke — vocals
Pierre Lassegues — vocals
Sue Akers — backing vocals
Verna Akers — backing vocals
Mary Currie — backing vocals
Alison Craig — backing vocals
Helen Gaynor — pub bell
At the centre of the project is William Hayter, contributing drums, percussion, sound effects and assorted instruments — including, at various points, household objects, duck call, thumb piano and toy xylophone.
The album draws together an unusually wide musical cast, including:
Richard Sinclair — bass and vocals
Theo Travis — flute
Fred Thelonious Baker — bass
Billie Bottle — vocals, keyboards and organ
Nick Haeffner — guitars, vocals, dobro, cittern and ukulele
Jon Owen — vocals and guitar
Nuala O'Halpin — vocals and acoustic guitar
Peter Ellison — guitars and melodeon
Richard Whitbourn — piano, electric piano and accordion
Csilla Waterfall — cello
Andy Hills — saxophones
Robert Le Plar — guitar, vocals and keyboards
Jayne Mason — piano and keyboards
Big Al Davies — vocals, bass and guitar
Bill Clarke — vocals
Pierre Lassegues — vocals
Sue Akers — backing vocals
Verna Akers — backing vocals
Mary Currie — backing vocals
Alison Craig — backing vocals
Helen Gaynor — pub bell
At the centre of the project is William Hayter, contributing drums, percussion, sound effects and assorted instruments — including, at various points, household objects, duck call, thumb piano and toy xylophone.
TRACK LISTING
- May I? — 3:27
- Oh! Wot A Dream — 2:58
- The Oyster and the Flying Fish — 2:33
- Margaret — 3:20
- Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes — 3:26
- Farewell Again (Another Dawn) — 3:24
- Joy of a Toy — 3:38
- Lady Rachel — 5:22
- Clarence in Wonderland — 2:24
- Girl on a Swing — 3:03
- Stop This Train (Again Doing It) — 5:40
- Puis Je? — 3:31
- Religious Experience (Singing a Song in the Morning) — 6:50
PRODUCTION
All songs written by Kevin Ayers.
Engineered and produced by William Hayter at Stable Sound Studios, Ware, Hertfordshire.
Mastered by Bob Drake at Studio MIDI-Pyrénées, France.
Artwork by Michael Leigh.
Artwork design and layout by Tim Schwartz / Onion Productions.
Photography by Sean Kelly.
Released by The 62nd Gramophone Company.
All songs written by Kevin Ayers.
Engineered and produced by William Hayter at Stable Sound Studios, Ware, Hertfordshire.
Mastered by Bob Drake at Studio MIDI-Pyrénées, France.
Artwork by Michael Leigh.
Artwork design and layout by Tim Schwartz / Onion Productions.
Photography by Sean Kelly.
Released by The 62nd Gramophone Company.
PRESS / RADIO / REVIEW CONTACT
The 62nd Gramophone Company
[email protected]
William Hayter
[email protected]
CD PURCHASE LINKS
Bandcamp
Website (Preorder available)
DOWNLOADS FOR REVIEWERS & MEDIA
Please do not share. This for press / media only.
WAV / MP3
Press photographs / cover artwork / Credits
Release date:
Saturday 19th September
Catalogue number: 62-GC5
The 62nd Gramophone Company
[email protected]
William Hayter
[email protected]
CD PURCHASE LINKS
Bandcamp
Website (Preorder available)
DOWNLOADS FOR REVIEWERS & MEDIA
Please do not share. This for press / media only.
WAV / MP3
Press photographs / cover artwork / Credits
Release date:
Saturday 19th September
Catalogue number: 62-GC5
