Tiggy All Over

Unreliable Recollections from Jimmy McKenna (subject to amendment as better facts come to light)

Over the years I’ve recorded a lot of songs using various four track Portastudios. Many of these did not subsequently get the big studio treatment, and sometimes even for those that did there is always seem to be something that gets lost when a song is revisited.

White Boys – inspired in part by my admiration for local group The White Negroes, which led me to muse on all the early British groups who absorbed and reconstructed black music (Rolling Stones, Yardbirds etc). Charles Dickens manages to make a contribution as well. Recorded on 4 Track Portastudio at Durham Street Studios with super drum machine manipulation by Andy Power.

Injuns – I was listening to two backing tracks by Teesside group Ambient Corporation and found myself coming up with melody lines and themes to go on top of them. This song is actually me singing to their original backing track. I do not know if they did complete their own song to it. I must have been watching some old cowies and indians films at the time.

No Longer Blue – a song about taking action and getting on with it. Recorded on 4 Track Portastudio at Durham Street Studios.

Nice to See You – This was the final song I was able to record during the weekend in 1981 when I borrowed a 4 Track Portastudio. I changed the key so I could whisper the vocals as it was very late at night and I did not want to annoy the neighbours. It came out rather well and it is a song I am proud of.

Life is Hard – I started off by doing a little impersonation of the great singer Paul Robeson (one has to sing from your boots). Come the recording the guitar gives it a Dr Feelgood vibe. Recorded on 4 Track Portastudio at Durham Street Studios.

Alone With You – The second backing track by Teesside group Ambient Corporation. Again this is me singing to their original backing track. I later did a band version with Gavin Bell on bass and Jason Bell on drums which is on The Pleasure album.

Pretty Vacant – I love the original so no slight is intended. Recorded on 4 Track Portastudio at Durham Street Studios.

Rate Yourself – Recorded on 4 Track Portastudio at Durham Street Studios.

Dark is the Night – Recorded on 4 Track Portastudio at Durham Street Studios.

That Was Then (and This is Now) – An un performed DisGuise song from 1978 finally recorded on 4 Track Portastudio at Durham Street Studios.

I Want to Rock With You – a bit of, well rock n roll man! guitar solo by Andy Power and recorded on 4 Track Portastudio at Durham Street Studios.

Join the Party – A Peter Scott song which he came up with in 1990 when the Social Democratic Party was formed. His original is actually Join the Party, but as usual I misheard. Recorded on 4 Track Portastudio at Durham Street Studios.

True Confessions – This is a 1975 song and I did record this with Peter Scott during the Two Tape Sessions in 1981. This is a sleeker version which was recorded and mostly performed by Ian Iredale. Recorded on 4 Track Portastudio at Durham Street Studios.

Josephine – A Peter Scott song with a mystery Saxophone player who just happened to be recording next door and was borrowed to play two notes.

Recorded on 4 Track Portastudio at Durham Street Studios.

Timecheck – I have very happy memories of New Years Eve as a child but as a crazy mixed up teenager I began to become very morose at this annual milestone (I’m over it now!). This song describes the mood. Recorded on my own 4 track with Peter Scott’s drum box and his lovely Korg mono synthesizer.