Tell The Truth
1991
Taxim Records
Currently only available as private issue.
Track listing:
1. Swear to Tell the Truth (Earl Hooker)
2. Murderers' Home (Mick Clarke)
3. Cheap (Mick Clarke)
4. Gypsy Woman (Willie Dixon)
5. Rockin' the Blues (Mick Clarke)
6. Walking in the Dark (Mick Clarke)
7. Bear with Me (Mick Clarke)
8. She Moves Me(McKinley Morganfield)
9. The Killingest Place (Mick Clarke)
10. Crazy 'bout a Woman (Mick Clarke)
11. Second Hand Dream(Mick Clarke)
12. New Star over Texas(Mick Clarke)
Mick Clarke - Guitar / Vocals
Mike Hirsh - Drums
Lou Martin - Keyboards
Mick Phillips - Bass
Dave Newman - Harp
Recorded at Elephant Recording Studio, London, January 1991
Engineer - Nick Robbins
Produced by Mick Clarke and Nick Robbins
Executive Producer - Hans Pohle
Mick writes..
1991 was the tail-end of probably the busiest period for the Mick Clarke Band. (So far at least). Since the mid eighties we'd been touring more and more in Europe as well as regular trips to the U.S.A. and the band was a full time touring line-up.
However, Kerry Canfield, who had played keyboards on the previous album had gone back home to the States and for the new album I called in my old friend Lou Martin to handle the keys, which he did with his usual flair. Dave Newman had now joined the band full time and was playing great harp, alongside our regular drummer and bass player, Mike Hirsh and Mick Phillips.
So it was back to our favourite studio, Elephant in Wapping, London, with a bunch of new songs to put down. Noteable were "Cheap".. a ZZish riff based shuffle which still gets played occasionally on gigs.. (well it's easy to remember!) and "She Moves Me".. a boogied up version of Muddy's classic which became a stage favourite for several years. I think Muddy's probably waiting for me in blues heaven with a big stick saying what the hell have you been doing with my songs...anyway....We also did a fairly straight version of Muddy's "Gypsy Woman" and a rocking cover of Earl Hooker's "Swear to Tell the Truth". Myself and Lou had often jammed the question and answer guitar / piano riff on it.
"Crazy 'bout a Woman" has to be a song for Linda.."walks in to a club, don't have to pay, walks up to the band and tells them how to play" Well it's exaggerated of course, but it's good to have confidence. Also for Linda is "Second Hand Dream" as we'd just spent a relaxing holiday cruising around the Italian lakes in my second hand Cortina Mk.III 2000E.. it had an air of faded oppulence, worn leather and sun faded wood panelling.. I eventually gave it to a collector and hopefully it's now restored and appearing in classic car shows..
"Rockin' the Blues".. (thanks to Dave Newman for the riff..) has been in the set ever since and is also featured on the Virgin Belgium compilation "Bompa Boogie" along with tracks by Stevie Ray Vaughan and others..(I'm honoured!). And "New Star over Texas" is actually a tribute to Stevie Ray who had died just previously. A tremendous shock to anyone who loved his music, as I did. It's inspired by his track "Riviera Paradise" and was played entirely live in the studio.. we just kept running over and over it 'til we got the perfect feel.
"Murderers' Home" is some rambling nonsense about living on the road..usual stuff, but it's a nice track set to a powerful riff. After giving myself serious brain damage laying down the lead guitar Nick the engineer asked me: "doesn't Albert King mind everybody ripping off his riffs?". Well, perhaps he did, but then he shouldn't have invented such good ones..
Not much more to tell.. the record came out and and we toured and sold copies. It's still certain peoples' favourite MC album.. I think it's the mix of easy shuffles and warm sounding instrumentals. It's bluesier than some other records that I've made. Time Out magazine in London called it "Raw Roadhouse blues and boogie".. that'll do.
The album was released on Taxim Records in Europe and Burnside in the USA. Both issues are currently out of print.