One of the finest singer/songwriter albums of the 21st Century so far, unabridged, from 2005. Quite simply stunning, the quality of songwriting and orchestration is matched only by Hawley's exceptional baritone vocal delivery. The original pressing LP has become one of the rarest in the Hawley catalogue and is highly prized by record collectors.
Recorded at Yellow Arch Studios - Sheffield
Mastered by Duncan Cowell at Sound Mastering
Tracklisting
0:00 1. Coles Corner
4:48 2. Just Like the Rain
8:05 3. Hotel Room
11:48 4. Darlin' Wait For Me (Hawley/Sheridan
15:42 5. The Ocean
21:17 6. Born Under A Bad Sign
25:00 7. I Sleep Alone
28:45 8. Tonight
33:17 9. (Wading Through) The Waters Of My Time
37:06 10. Who's Gonna Shoe Those Pretty Little Feet (trad. arr. Hawley)
41:14 11. Last Orders
Players
Richard Hawley - guitars/baby glock/enchanted lyre/omnichord/vibraphone/piano/steel drum/hammered dulcimer
Shez Sheridan - guitars and backing vocals
John Trier - piano/fender rhodes/baby glock/vibraphone
Colin Elliot - bass guitars/percussion/backing vocals
Andy Cook - drums
Johnny Wood - upright slap bass (track 7)
Strings - Arranged by Colin Elliot
Gaynor Sutcliffe, Lizz Lipscombe, Suzannah Simmons, Lizzie Ball - Violins
Naomi Koop, Simon Graham - Violas
Liz Hanks - Cell
All tracks written by Hawley unless otherwise stated.
Copyright - Mute Records
Coles Corner was and still is a popular meeting place in Sheffield city centre.
Liner notes and quotes that explain Coles Corner.
"In every city and every town there's a place, a special place where people meet. Not a mythical place but somewhere real, a place that exists, not in the past, but now.
In my city there's a place just like that. You won't see a street sign for it and you can't find it on a map, but it's there, waiting in the warm morning sunshine or stamping bored and impatient in the freezing winter night annoyed at someone who's late or will never come. Yeah, it's there alright, I know, I've stood there. This place in my town is called Coles Corner, in Sheffield, right in front of where the old Cole Brothers' department store used to be...a long time ago. It got knocked down in the 60's to make way for the bright new vision of the future somebody planned. The new building's too old now...but not as old as Coles corner.
For years lovers, friends and families have met here on this spot. There must be so many people that are here in Sheffield and in this world who are alive because a love bloomed after meeting here...on Coles Corner, in Sheffield, where I live." - Richard Hawley.
Album Liner note quotes from Sheffield folk.
"The thing about meeting new boyfriends at Coles Corner, was they had two entrances, so if you went in the entrance in Fargate, you could get a look at them before you came face to face, if they were any good you could just come out and walk to the corner, if not you'd walk away. I suppose we were rather shallow, but you didn't want to be stuck with any pot herb did you?"
"I never met a new boy on Coles Corner, just groups of friends and it was the tram we used to catch from there. The tram stopped on Coles Corner. We used to go on from there to the pictures or dancing"
"I met a lass on Coles Corner in 1952. I still meet her there to this day, but now she's my wife!"
"I used to have to go with my sister to point out her date as her eyesight was so bad and she wouldn't wear her glasses."
"Coles was the place, you just had to remember who you had arranged to meet there after having a few drinks the night before."
"One of the great records of recent years" - The Guardian
"One of this year's finest albums of this year" - The Times
"Impossibly lovely" - WORD 10 Best Albums of 2005
"Genius" - Mojo Best Albums of the Year
"A Considerable Talent" - Q Greatest Albums of 2005