Repost – Flashman, Flashman, 1977

“I am gone from this world, but you will find me in my songs.”
– Gerald Masters (1955 – 2007)

 Tracks

Godmakers

A Summer Day

Love Me A Little

Jack Of All Trades

Dawn*

A Paupers Tale*

Tears

The Darby And Joan Suite

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A bit of an odd one here, I have had this album for about a year and I love it, but I think the sleeve is at odds with the music, it´s not glam as the sleeve surgests, it´s more a singer song writer affair-I´m sure the sleeve would have put off the general public in purchacing the album-If you like Jobriath you may also like this album as it´s very piano oriantated and Geralds voice resemblances  Jobriath´s.. The album was released in 1977 but to me has a feel of the early to mid seventies. They released just one single from the album Tears/Jack Of All Trades.

The album has six tracks on side one and just two on the flipside.Side two begins with Tears which has lovely lyrics “Theres a hole in my mind and in my memory” this is followed by a thirteen minute extravaganda called The Darby and Joan Suite. This comes as no surprise considering Gerald composed a fully fledeged Symphony before he was fourteen-** See below-

My favoutrite tracks on the first side are Dawn which is a simple pretty little tune, Paupers Tale and A Summers Day.

Here are some words from the album sleeve which says more about the band;

**Gerald Watkiss started life as a prodigy.  He composed a full fledged symphony before he was fourteen.  When he was sixteen he formed his first band, Elegy, a group that inluded Nick Walpole as a founder member.  Contact with other young musicians was invaluable to Gerald, since his early inclination and training had been almost exclusively classical.  As a result, he had experienced very few pop influences.  New friendships re-established his association with contemporary sound.

Nick Walpole plays timpani and percussion.  He is also a self taught drummer.  He worked a number of bands, and met Gerald Watkiss at school.  “It was an unusual friendship,” confessed Nick, “because he introduced me to a great deal of classical music.  In turn, I brought him into contact with a lot of pop stuff.”  They began to write a rock opera, but not long afterward Gerald entered a college of music and drama.  Nick also got into the same college as a part-time student.

Chris Hudman, as a kid studied violin and cello, but now his taste runs much more to acoustic and bass guitar.  He toured the club circuit as part of a folk duo called Middlearth, but in 1974 he attended a rehearsal at which Gerald and Nick were present.  As a result he was recruited to the line-up as a bass guitarist.”