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Zero Tolerance - the new album

Killing Floor - Zero Tolerance


Over one hour of powerful blues rock featuring twelve brand new band compositions and two blues standards - Slim Harpo's Strange Love and the classic Bring it on Home. Bill Thorndycraft's deep gut vocals and swamp harp blend with Mick Clarke's powerful and eloquent guitar and slide. Acoustic guitars add extra texture, complemented by Lou Martin's world class piano. The unique bass guitar style of Mac McDonald drives the band along with Chris Sharley or Bazz Smith providing the percussive power. A unique and unforgettable slab of pure British Blues Rock Class.

"Simply Phenomenal" - Bobtjeblues, Belgium

"If Clapton still managed to sound this vital, I would stop planning to strap a pipebomb to his groin." - Matthew Kirshner, SMN News

Read Zero Tolerance Reviews

The line-up is:
Bill Thorndycraft (original Killing Floor singer) - Vocals, harp, and acoustic guitar.
Mick Clarke (original Killing Floor guitarist) - Vocals, electric and acoustic guitars
Stuart (Mac) McDonald (original Killing Floor bassist, also ex Paul Rodger's Peace, Jellybread, Salt) - Bass
Lou Martin (original Killing Floor pianist, also ex Rory Gallagher Band, Blues'n'Trouble and others) - Keyboards
Chris Sharley (Mick Clarke Band, ex Sassafrass) - Drums
Bazz Smith (original Killing Floor drummer) - Drums (tracks 3 & 12)


Appaloosa Records AP144

Track listing:

1. Burnout (Thorndycraft / Clarke)
2. Prozac Blues (Thorndycraft / Clarke)
3. Calm Down (Smith / Martin / McDonald / Thorndycraft / Clarke)
4. Sperm Bandit (Thorndycraft / Clarke)
5. The Big Issue (Thorndycraft/Clarke)
6. Strange Love (Slim Harpo)
7. Zero Tolerance (Thorndycraft / Clarke)
8. Run On(Thorndycraft / Clarke)
9. Iron Ewe (McDonald / Davies)
10. What is it about you? (Thorndycraft / Clarke)
11. Road of Diamonds (Thorndycraft/Clarke)
12. The Radnor Rumble (McDonald / Davies)
13. Fred McDowell (Thorndycraft / Clarke)
14. Bring it on Home (Sonny Boy Williamson)



Produced by Mick Clarke
Executive Producer: Franco Ratti
Recorded at The Moat Studio, London. www.themoat.demon.co.uk
Engineered by Lee Bowman
Many thanks to Toby Hrycek-Robinson
Additional recording by Mick Clarke at various locations in South and West London
Mixed by Mick Clarke and Killing Floor
Mastered by Lee Bowman at The Moat Studio





Released in the UK 24 January 2005 via Cadiz Music
Cadiz Music Ltd, 2 Greenwich Quay, Clarence Rd. London SE83EY
Contact Laurie Staff laurie@cadizmusic.co.uk telephone 020 8692 3555 mobile 07984 013 697 fax 020 8469 3300

Distributed through Pinnacle Entertainment





Listen to a complete track from the album...

Bill Thorndycraft rips into the vocal on "Sperm Bandit" with Lou on piano, Mick on slide guitar and Bill himself on the harp.

SPERM BANDIT..

     REAL AUDIO 
     MP3 NORMAL MODEM
     MP3 BROADBAND




"The Blues is something that touches everyone during their lifetime. For some it starts as early as childhood through parental or guardian neglect or abuse (emotional, physical, sexual) or bullying from peers or siblings using their power to inflict pain for whatever perverse reasons.

For others the Blues may occur during adolescence through rejection (loving someone who doesn't love you) or maybe feeling you are a failure or just not good enough.

In adulthood the Blues is felt when the loss of a valued relationship happens (death, bereavement) or through the loss of a job/unemployment/Rascism/sexism/Homophobia/disability/
homelessness/poverty/aging and isolation, all of which may contribute to the Blues.

The Blues is indiscrimatory. It is endemic. It affects the young and old, rich and poor, black and white, women and men.

The Blues is a state of mental health. Depression is the Blues.

The songs on this album are about many of the above mentioned states which all of us in the band have at some time experienced, or still contend with to varying degrees.

In the UK during the year 2002, more people were prescribed anti-depressants for daily use than the total number of people who voted for Tony Blair's government!! That's a lot of people with the blues..."

Bill Thorndycraft




Bill's thoughts about the Album:



Burnout
Mick had the structure for this song with one of his many magical Riffs which he seems to produce like Armani produce quality suits. I wanted to write a song about "Burnout" a syndrome/phenomena never mentioned much before the mid 1990s but ubiquitous in the late 90s following the increase in expectations and workloads of professionals, especially in people professions such as the Police, Social work, and frontline medical workers and then extending to many other professions. This resulted in the remarkable increase in stress related problems such as Depression, Migraine, Asthma, IBS,Back pain etc and increased alcohol and Drug dependency. This leads on to the second song on the album...

Prozac Blues
which I had structured before the coming together of the band and is rather personal to me as it documents many events in my life especially the premature death of my sister who had taken on the task of caring for my disabled elderly mother who was very demanding not just because of her physical disability but more significantly, because of her enduring mental health problems. my sister was prescribed a cocktail of Prozac and Valium to help her cope with this complex and untenable situation.There are several million Full time carers in Britain today whose lives are devoted to and overwhelmed by the demands of the caring role and who save the government and Tax payer millions of pounds by their unpaid labour.

Calm Down
Bazz Smith flew in from his home in Switzerland to play on a couple of songs. This was jammed from nothing in one take thanks to our excellent engineer Lee Bowman having the sense to run the tapes, otherwise I am not confident we could have reproduced the feel on another take.I love Lou's piano break in the middle!!

Sperm Bandit
was influenced by Dotun Adebayo's book and documentary "Sperm Bandit" about the modern day phenomena of some women acquiring the sperm of a male partner unbeknown to the man for the purpose of pregnancy with no intention of any further requirements of the man, which I thought was an interesting theme for what was originally Mick's song.

Big Issue
aka Bush'n'Blair..This was a song I had written before the band came together again ,written around 2000, and when we recorded it in 2003, we thought it best to retitle it as we we not confident that Mr Bush and Mr Blair would be in power for much longer at that time. So the Big Issue seemed an appropriate alternative title as the song is about so many "Big Issues." You can take your choice!!

Strange Love
I have always loved Slim Harpo's sound and consider him a greatly underrated blues man. This is one of my favourite Sim Harpo songs which Mick does great credit to on vocals and guitar

Zero Tolerance
A term and political slogan used frequently by the media and politicians.I will say no more!!!

Run On
Running has been a significant part of my life in the past and to a lesser extent now, it was only logical for me to write about the joy and therapeutic value gained from running. Another wonderful riff and rocker from Mr Clarke..

Iron Ewe
Mac's idea ably co written by his partner Jan and given the Mick Clarke arrangement

What is it about you?
I had written this song many moons ago and it might ring a bell for those men who struggle to understand women. Lou's piano solo in the middle highlights one of his influences, the great Fats Domino.a very fine piano Solo Mr Martin!!! Thank You Lou.

Road of Diamonds
Essentially Micks song and one of my favourites on the album. I love Micks "Twangy guitar" in the middle. Very remininicent of the late great Duane Eddy.

Radnor Rumble
Mac and Jan's song with a great arrangement from Mick and driven by the formidable Bazz Smith on Drums. Enjoy Mac's superb Bass!!

Fred McDowell
A song about a Blues hero of ours featuring another great Mick Clarke Riff and fine Bass playing from Mac.

Bring it on home
Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller) has been a major influence on me ever since I had the privilege to witness him live at the Black cat club, Woolwich back in the sixties. I was delighted when the band agreed to do this on the album and hope you enjoy our version for which much credit must go to Mick for his arrangement..

Throughout the album we were fortunate to have Chris Sharley drum for us in the absence of Bazz. Chris in my opinion, is one of the finest Rock Blues drummers around and his solid drumming combines perfectly with Mac's imaginative Bass. Hopefully you will agree. Let us know if you enjoy the album.Let us know if you don't!!!

Best wishes..

Bill Thorndycraft December 2004




Mick writes..

This is the first new Killing Floor recording project for 32 years! The idea of Franco Ratti at Appaloosa Records in Milan, Italy, the album was written and recorded throughout 2002 into 2003 and includes the entire original line-up of the band from 1968. As I've written on the album notes..

When Franco first suggested the idea I was sceptical, but after contacting the guys involved I knew that there was a real energy and enthusiasm for the project. I then spent a holiday in Brittany mumbling ideas into a dictaphone to the accompaniment of a field full of hens and cockerels, and once I finally got together with Bill we quickly wrote a total of nine original songs. Bill had already written lyrics such as "Prozac Blues" and "The Big Issue", and "Calm Down" was to come together live in the studio. With two contributions from Mac and a couple of blues standards we were ready to rock!

One big problem was that we couldn't find Bazz.. no-one had heard from him since the seventies. Eventually we decided to go ahead with Chris Sharley on drums, a man who had already been working with me in my band for the last ten years. Subsequently Bazz made contact..alive and well and living in Neuchatel, Switzerland. He was able to fly in and play on two tracks of the album. We had a great time making the album, and in the pub afterwards. I hope you enjoy the 21st century Killing Floor. And do me a favour..just keep rockin'...





Please note: Please direct any comments or issues regarding lyrics direct to Bill Thorndycraft.

The album was released January 2004 on Appaloosa Records, catalogue AP144. Distributed in Italy by IRD S.p.A. with distribution throughout Europe - also available by mailorder through killingfloor.com. Orders are being accepted now.

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