'Market Forces Blues' is all very spontaneous and improvised -as a Blues must be. The lyrics and arrangement were purposefully left unwritten so that it would all come out as spontaneously and as improvised as possible. It's also the only song on the album where I start and end with piano (no guitar), but I added bass guitar later. Marcus Cormack did a great job of following the vibe with the drums and managing to capture the spontaneous vocal and piano performance with his inventive recording techniques. He also mixed it nicely with some deep, moody (dark Blue?) echoes and reverbs that sometimes make think of Reggae Dub as much as Blues recordings. The icing on the cake for this track is the guest appearance of Richard Dyer ('The Critical Harp') on harmonica. Richard blew in and out of the studio and left behind an, again, inspired, spontaneous and appropriately eerie wail of a tune, empathetically drawing out the pervasive sense of fear and intimidation discussed in the jammed lyrics, and further underlining feelings well known to anyone who has spent time at or near the bottom of the socio-economic ladder in modern capitalism.
lyrics
Market Forces Blues
Market forces
Are coming after me
Market forces
Got me running
Like a refugee
The rent won't wait
The tax won't wait
The debts won't wait
Wait for me
Market forces
Are coming after me
Market forces
Got me running
Like a refugee
The cops won't wait
The costs won't wait
The fines won't wait
Wait for me
Market forces
Are coming after me
Market forces
Got me running
Like a refugee
from When The Stars Were Kind,
track released June 20, 2020
Produced by Marcus Cormack & Paul O’Kane
Recorded & Mixed by Marcus Cormack at Tyro Studios, London
This track and this album burst with gratitude for all who generously & conscientiously contributed their skill, time, energy, spirit & inspiration to their making.
Paul O’Kane - vocals, harmony vocals, bass, piano
Marcus Cormack - drums
Richard Dyer ('The Critical Harp') - harmonica
Design & typography - Barnaby Lambert
Image ‘Window Light Gold’ (2017) by Eric Michel
Seasoned singer-songwriter with a history of working in in pop, indie, soul, hip-hop and alternative
musics
Four albums and three singles available as CDs and/or via steams.
Previous albums:
Our Story-Songs by Paul O’Kane (2007) www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kg02VGD7ag5UehkJPRNHD85EeHFK366-8
New Emotions (2010),
Come What May (2013), When The Stars Were Kind (2020)...more
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