Recording debut of ‘Seagulls’ acoustic guitar instrumental

I really like what ‘Swindon Tv has done with the filming of ‘Seagulls’; this is the recording debut for this quintessential British acoustic guitar instrumental; which was filmed live at my ‘Beehive Pub music event on Sunday, March 17th 2013. Credit for the great filming goes to Doug Kirby, Creative Director/ Producer Partner at Swindon Tv.

It was another fun gig at The Beehive, with a great audience, Landlord Andy Marcer and bar Team as always!!

‘Seagulls’ was written and performed on a George Lowden O10 Guitar. The inspiration for ‘Seagulls’ comes from living on The Isle of Purbeck, Dorset.
 
 

 
 
One audience member said “…listening to ‘Seagulls’ is like hearing a one-man Pink Floyd doing ‘Wish You Were Here’…”, others liken it to an early Peter Green from Fleetwood Mac.
‘Seagulls’ is an original Pete Christie instrumental which is performed as an extended outro to a contemporised version of ‘Oh Well’; which seems to captivate the audience. By the time ‘Seagulls’ starts the room has usually gone quiet and the audience is observed to sit mesmerised. A clear favourite with the audience and a great experience for any musician.

Ballad of an Ordinary Man is my protest song.

A song which protests about the erosion of the principles of life that were once described as ‘rights’, only to be conveniently re-defined as merely temporary privileges by the changing of political horizons.

Photo at Dancing Ledge, Isle of Purbeck, Dorset UK

You can listen to’Ballad Of An Ordinary Man’ on ‘Pete Christie’s SoundCloud profile page

British singer songwriter | English songs | Acoustic Fingerstyle Technique

 
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Ballad of an Ordinary Man

It’s a ballad of an ordinary man, trying to do the best that he can
Taught to know the value of his word, he got tossed into the theatre of the absurd
So down the road of life he makes his way, trying to do an honest job, make some honest pay
He takes his disappointments in his stride, and he smiles though he’s beaten up inside.
Sometimes he feels that he’s winning – most times he knows he’s not
Sometimes his head won’t stop spinning, most times he makes the most of what he’s got
Discontented with his lot

It’s a ballad of an ordinary man, caught up in someone else’s master plan
Tries to keep his head above the flood, feels his feet are sinking in the mud
Knows that something somewhere is bound to break, had about as much as he can take
The voice of doubt keeps whispering in his ear, but still, he will endeavour to persevere
Stumbling blindly through the fog of confusion, fighting battles he’s already lost
Treads the line between faith and delusion, another burning bridge he’s still to cross
Nothing ventured, nothing lost

Thumbing slowly through old photographs, taken when he was in his teens
He stares at faces of friends who’ve passed, and he wonders what it means…

Inst.

In the line marked “Situations Vacant”, he finds himself at the back of the queue
Down the stairs and into the basement, in the dark, without a clue,
Of what an ordinary man’s supposed to do

It’s a ballad of an ordinary man, bound to do the best that he can
Rising as the new day has begun, he will go to bed relieved that it is done.
His minutes turn to hours, months to years, he remains the product of his fears
A shadow of the man he planned to be, caught between the devil and the deep blue sea
Wonders how he’s supposed to make a difference, when every day he’s under attack
And every way is filled with frustration, one step forward two steps back
Stuck on the wrong side of the tracks

It’s a ballad of an ordinary man

 
 
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‘Ballad Of An Ordinary Man’ is also available to watch on the ‘Pete Christie YouTube Channel

A heartfelt song by Pete Christie – ‘Just A Song’ from the album ‘Frank‘

One of my favourite songs on the album.

British singer songwriter | English songs

by Pete Christie

Thank you to all the enthusiastic audiences and live music venues for a great musical year.

It has been a great year for song writing and getting to know my live and online audience better, how my original English lyrics can touch so many people and that they are willing to come on a musical journey with me.

‘Ballad Of An Ordinary Man‘ was my political song of the year; it talks to most people about the changing political horizons and is quite thought provoking I’m informed. There is another album being worked on; the hard part is knowing which new songs to put on it, which ones to leave out and how to keep it simple.

A big thanks goes out to all the loyal live music venues and festival organisers throughout the UK that keep inviting me back to perform my Anglicana finger-style guitar technique, also to the music reviewers and Radio stations that share my music with a wider listening audience.

It is heartening to hear that being a British musician can still make a difference to how people feel.

Thank you email sent out with a new music upload to share.

Some great local music

This week’s show including a session archive track from Pete Christie.
 
Recorded in 2007 by Tony Warren (devoted to the local music) on Wired – ForestFM 92.3 – 8pm Friday 19th October 2012 via Mixcloud

Waiting In The Wings (Wired Session – 2007)
By Pete Christie Track 9

You can read the story behind this English song.

“Wired” is ForestFM’s programme devoted to the local music scene in and around Verwood in Dorset, broadly covering Bournemouth, Poole, Southampton, Salisbury and West Dorset. After an almost 3 year gap Tony Warren returned to present Wired on 5 October 2012.The show features both signed and unsigned artists and studio, session and live recordings. Each week there will be featured artists and archive tracks from Wired sessions and live recordings.More information at www.forestfm.co.uk

Performing ‘Normal Shade Of Blue’ acc. by Bournemouth musician Francesca Milner on keyboard and vocals @ Solid Air

Performed on the handmade Lowden O10; the acoustic guitar ‘Normal Shade Of Blue’ was written on, @ Solid Air run by Conrad Barr at The Cellar Bar, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset, UK

‘Normal Shade Of Blue’ has been with me for a few years now and for a while it was my opening song to give the fingers a good warm up. I’ve recently added a new intro that I’m very happy with.

There are a number of versions of ’Normal Shade Of Blue’ out there;

Audiences often request this song and I recently did a real time transatlantic version of ‘Normal Shade Of Blue‘ at a gig for a lady in Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada, which inspired me to the add the lyics to this website for her.

There is a live event version of ’Normal Shade Of Blue’ performed at Mr Kyps played on my David Oddy sunburst dreadnought in 2006

A 2010 studio version from the album ‘Frank’ on Soundcloud

Somewhere, lurking in a file, is a video of James Harrison playing piano and singing ’Normal Shade Of Blue’ whilst I stood in a Frank Sinatra style pose, accompanied and did harmonies, at a lovely venue called Cafe Fleur in Canford Cliffs, where the pair of us shared a monthly residency.

I rather like the filming that Dan Bridge did at BBC Introducing: The South Live session in Brighton with Phil Jackson a couple of years ago. Dan uploaded the video to Vimeo

On the homepage of this website is a version filmed at conversion live (clive #7) garden party 2011; I’m very happy with the sound quality of that live recording

And of course I play ‘Normal Shade Of Blue’ on Radio shows like Russell Hill’s Country Music Show on 93.7 Express FM

Reviewers often make mention to  ’Normal Shade Of Blue’:

BBC Radio South Live’s Phil Jackson – Pete Christie on BBC Phil Jackson South Live Demo Panel on BBC Introducing reviewed ‘Normal Shade Of Blue’ 11_04_2010 as part of their South: Live showcases unsigned musicians. Quoted about the song and their perception of my approach to music :

- Al Scott, Metway Studio, Brighton I thought he was extremely accomplished. The whole package just sounds like he really knows what he’s doing. It was a nice song, an interesting lyric. He plays very well. He bought an interesting edge to it. The band were understated but right where they wanted to be.Very Good.

- Nick Coquet, The Brighton Source Nice sparse arrangement, a simplicity emphasises the story-telling aspect. There’s a melancholic maturity in what he’s talking about and I think that matches the maturity of the man. Uncluttered – Let’s the flow of his words come out. ”

- Chris Taylor, The Greys, Brighton The one thing I look for in a good songwriter is where a performer paints good pictures and this man does that. If you close your eyes when you listen to his lyrics, you can see those pictures – They’re there. They’re real and that’s the essence of good storytelling with a song. There’s a lot more going on behind the voice than you immediately gather. His south of the river, not Americanised, voice works very well. ”

“FRANK” – Pete Christie – Review
by Beca Fludgate

“Normal Shade of Blue” is a story type song and finds Pete drinking “coffee flavoured water in a service station” – this illustrates the humour that flavours the whole album which although quite intense and dark also lifts the listener with moments of irony and bittersweet analogies.

Tom Semioli in Minor 7th

“…Normal Shade of Blue” is a bona fide tear-jerker…”

The FATEA review of the album Frank plays ‘Normal Shade Of Blue’ on their site.

Karl Hayman review at Mr Kyps supporting Jackie Leven in December 2010

Pete Christie is the archetypal singer songwriter, opening his set with a wistful and dreamy number called ‘Normal Shade of Blue’, an ode to unrequited love. His story of distance and missed opportunity is paired with interesting chord voicing and well used vibrato during instrumental sections. His playing style is further defined with his second song, using a loop pedal to create a rhythm track as a basis for his emotive lead playing.

‘Frank’ – Review by Fiona Heyes – formerly with Live Wire

“…a mini masterpiece, Normal Shade of Blue. The addition of other musicians on this track reduces the impact of the awesome loneliness of Pete’s solo guitar version, a welcome relief for those not readily given to tears…”

“…Performed at The Square and Compass in Worth Matravers on 10th November. Ron Trueman-Border is joined here by another excellent singer songwriter- Pete Christie…”

Great to catch up with Ron Trueman-Border again!! A great British singer songwriter.
Another great night of live music on the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset UK.