About me ...
Singer - Songwriter - Suffolk dweller
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Paul qualified as a doctor from the Middlesex Hospital Medical School, sadly now a block of flats, in 1973. As a medical student he ran the medical school folk club and played in a 4 piece band - Barleycorn - singing a combination of Irish folks songs and traditional, often a cappella, songs. When training to be a GP in Colchester he played and sang with Flash Company. Their music was largely traditional but later the group began to perform contemporary covers as well as some self-penned songs. In the 1980’s, Flash Company wrote a song cycle to raise funds for repairs to Colchester Castle. This was a history of the castle in words and music with all the songs being written by the band members. Live shows were performed at the Colchester Arts Centre and a record (yes - vinyl!) was recorded - Castle Keep.
Flash Company were residents at the Colchester Folk Club, as was Paul's next group, RMC. This venture began as three friends playing together for fun but, as time went by, they tried out more and more of their own songs. In 2003 they recorded Take Me Away, an album of original material. Paul left general practice in 2003. He had long had an interest in Sports Medicine and, after a sabbatical to study the potential for a Musculoskeletal and Sports Medicine Service in Colchester, he resigned from his practice (not an easy decision) to set up and develop this NHS service and subsequently ran it for 13 years. He was heavily involved with The British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine both regionally and nationally and in 2018 was hugely honoured to be awarded the Sir Roger Bannister Medal for a life-time achievement in sports medicine. Paul moved to Suffolk after retiring from medicine and began writing more songs. It was a trip to Derbyshire for a week with Murray Websters Songwriting Retreat in April 2018 that kick-started the writing and was followed later that year by recording some of the songs at Bedfield, The Recording Booth, under the guidance and expertise of David Booth. Thus, On The Edge was born. |
... watching our grey skies turn blue ...” 
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News
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Come You Here!
My second solo album has now been released! It features 9 original songs with many wonderfully talented guest musicians. I hope you like the album cover as much as I do: the photo was taken my my brother-in-law, Andy Leonard and is of the sea off the east coast of Scotland. So … why ‘Come You Here’ as the album name and the title track? I wrote the song back in 2020/21 after my wife Caroline was diagnosed with cancer. I’m sure we have all, at some time, been given ‘bad news’ by someone very close to us. In that moment, when you are trying to take it in, sometimes words are not enough or maybe the right words just won’t arise. All you can do is hold out your arms saying ‘come here’ or as the Suffolk phrase goes - ‘come you here’, and enfold that person in love and protection. Thus the song ‘Come You Here’. I had also better point out that the first song on the album, ‘She’s Gone’ is not about Caroline but was partly written by my old (late) friend Frank Rollo, in the mid-1970’s. I found the words he had given me a few years ago. He had asked me to find a tune for the song and to finish it. It only took about 45 years! Sorry Frank! Do drop into my Bandcamp link and have a listen - or better still download it or buy the CD! xxx A new album - ‘Come You Here’ - has been recorded and mastered and will be released in the coming weeks! It features nine original tracks, all recorded at therecordingbooth with David Booth who also features on the album playing drums and some bass. Paul sings all the lead vocals and harmonies and plays acoustic and electric guitars. There are several guest musicians too playing keyboards, electric guitars, bass, violin, viola and cello. All the details will be included on the album so watch this space for a release date! |
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