Nearly four years after ‘Getting There’ these recordings are the Whinchat story updated to 2011 – with mostly-newly-written material, but also some recently discovered (and now re-mastered) recordings from the early ‘70s.
All songs performed by Chris and Mary Kemp, Fairlie Ryan and Bernie Catterall - Whinchat.
To listen to the songs, just press the play button (there might be a slight delay before each one starts - so bear with it. To download the tracks, right click the 'download' button, select 'save link as.......' and save to wherever you want (it defaults to your 'downloads' folder). Note that if you're listening on an iPod or iPad this is a Flash-driven music player so you won't see the 'Play' buttons. But if you press the download button you'll then see a player and you can listen from there - it won't download but you can do that once you're back at you main Mac, then do the usual things via iTunes.
Additional vocals on tracks 11-15 from John Carey and Jackie Hindson (John also plays guitar on tracks 11 & 12). Additional guitar by Dave Phillips, and drums from Steve White (details below).
- Download the entire Changes album on the link below in one click. That way you get the songs in the order we intended them to be listened to
- It's a big file - nearly 70Mb - so be patient.
Download Name Play Size Length 
Changes
Whinchat
66.9 MB 48:42 min Joomla! web design...
Part 1 - New Material - 08-11
- It's Alright (Catterall) - Click here for lyrics
The nearest we’ve come to a rock track from Bernie's pen. Loved doing it!
- it’s clearly about ‘being alright’ after all these years.
Download Name Play Size Length
It's Alright
5.3 MB 3:50 min Joomla! web design... 
It's Alright by Whinchat Ltd is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License - There’s No Denying (Kemp) - Click here for lyrics
A heavy ‘jazz feel’ to a song with an organ backing that isn’t at all like our other stuff. But it flies along and is just great fun, though tricky to sing.
Download Name Play Size Length
There's No Denying
3.6 MB 2:36 min Joomla! web design...
There's No Denying by Whinchat Ltd is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License - Changes (Catterall) - Click here for lyrics
Changes lead to more changes - all of which are good, but only if they’re managed right. ‘Bringing the best within range’, as the song says.
Download Name Play Size Length
Changes
6.9 MB 5:00 min Joomla! web design...
Changes by Whinchat Ltd is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License - Holding the Baby (Kemp) - Click here for lyrics
Going to a club and getting left out after a lot of hard work. It’s as simple as that. The title could easily have been 'Left in the lurch!!'
Download Name Play Size Length
Holding the Baby
5.1 MB 3:43 min Joomla! web design...
Holding the Baby by Whinchat Ltd is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License - Time Is Not Our Own (Catterall) - Click here for lyrics - lyrics by Martyn Sutton
Everybody will know somebody who’s been involved in an affair that got complicated. This song is about that tough time before decisions get made.
Download Name Play Size Length
Time Is Not Our Own
7.6 MB 5:30 min Joomla! web design...
Time is Not Our Own by Whinchat Ltd is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License - A Roundabout Way (Kemp) - Click here for lyrics
Everybody knows what they want, don’t they? Not. This is a typical ‘Chris being upbeat’ about life song, with that little touch of ironic humour. Do we really know who we are?
Download Name Play Size Length
A Roundabout Way
3.8 MB 2:47 min Joomla! web design...
A Roundabout Way by Whinchat Ltd is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License - I Don’t Wanna Know (Catterall/Kemp) - Click here for lyrics
This one isn’t strictly brand new but is a completely re-vamped version of a much slower ‘73 song that we’ve taken apart and put back together. New lyrics and completely new ‘feel’. Ever been in the situation where you just ‘don’t wanna know’? Sometimes it's better not to know.
Download Name Play Size Length
I Don't Wanna Know
5.7 MB 4:07 min Joomla! web design...
I Don't Wanna Know by Whinchat Ltd is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License - Chasing My Devils Away (Catterall/Kemp) - Click here for lyrics
Fairlie, here, is the lost soul singing away to herself in the back of some godforsaken club at 3 or 4 in the morning. She's not a boozer in real life though – well not much.
Download Name Play Size Length
Chasing My Devils Away
5.8 MB 4:15 min Joomla! web design...
Chasing My Devils Away by Whinchat Ltd is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License - All Our Love - a song for Madeleine (Catterall) - Click here for lyrics
This is unashamedly a song about loss and hope. It’s a song, primarily, for Madeleine McCann - see album dedication below.
Download Name Play Size Length
All Our Love - a song for Madeleine
4.4 MB 3:14 min Joomla! web design...
All Our Love - A Song for Madeleine by Whinchat Ltd is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License - Secrets (Kemp) - Click here for lyrics
One of Chris’s signature orchestra/voices arrangements. imagine listening to it in an empty church or theatre and you’ll get the idea. We all have secrets – this is Whinchat's choral explanation.
Download Name Play Size Length
Secrets
5 MB 3:36 min Joomla! web design...
Secrets by Whinchat Ltd is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
Part 2 - Re-mastered Material - ’74 and ’09/10
We re-discovered all 5 remaining songs on a reel to reel tape that re-appeared after more than 30 years lost on a shelf somewhere. Chris, Mary and Bernie had recorded these in a set of recordings at a time when Fairlie had disappeared into another life. We worked with John Carey and Jackie Hindson on a set of recordings that were all done in single takes, just for fun. These versions range from ones that we’ve added new instruments and vocal tracks to (Fairlie came in 35 years later!) - to ones that we’ve just digitally remastered to correct minor errors. - The Gamrie Blues (Kemp) - Click here for lyrics
A standard in Whinchat live performances. Apparently, Chris maintains this isn’t a true story, but the opportunity to do really ‘smooth’ backing vocals and a real stirring chorus means it was all worthwhile.
Download Name Play Size Length
The Gamrie Blues
3.9 MB 2:52 min Joomla! web design...
The Gamrie Blues by Whinchat Ltd is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License - America (Paul Simon) - Click here for lyrics
Stands on its own as one of the best songs ever written. We’ve just tried to add the vocals that seemed to be missing if it’d been a Whinchat song. There;s some really complex harmonies in there if you listen carefully.
Download Name Play Size Length
America
4.9 MB 3:35 min Joomla! web design... - Buy Broom Besoms (Traditional) - Click here for lyrics
40-odd seconds of unaccompanied north-east traditional folk fun. That’s it. We never could sing this without laughing at the end just for having got through it successfully Very complex harmonies and timing in a short 'sales' song. A 19th century advert! Terrific to sing. (Besom = sweeping brush).
Download Name Play Size Length
Buy Broom Besoms
1.1 MB 0:49 min Joomla! web design... - Fair Phyllis (John Farmer) - Click here for lyrics
A 16th Century unaccompanied madrigal. On ‘Unfinished Business’ we had ‘Weep O Mine Eyes’ . This was always the partner to that. The two together were our homage to great writing from the middle ages that still strikes a chord today. Not least the seemingly racy lyrics on this one.
Download Name Play Size Length
Fair Phyllis
1.8 MB 1:17 min Joomla! web design... - The Tailor and the Mouse (Traditional) - Click here for lyrics
Another north-east folk song having fun with timing and choral interactions. This was always a joy to sing - and even better to get to the end of without too many mistakes!
Download Name Play Size Length
The Tailor & The Mouse
2.2 MB 1:36 min Joomla! web design...
Additional vocals on tracks 11 - 15 were from Jackie Hindson and John Carey (who also played guitar on tracks 11 & 12). Jackie continues to play and has recently started recording again. We'll put links to her material on the site when we can. We've only recently (April 11) got back in contact with John - he hasn't played for a while but hopefully that might change now.
Additional lead/rhythm guitar on tracks 1,3,5,6,7 from Dave Phillips.
Drums on tracks 1,3,4,5,6 & 7 from Steve White.
Both Dave and Steve, many years ago, had a guy called Chris Kemp as their music teacher. Now, of course, both are very accomplished musicians in their own right. Great that they want to play with us.
Many, many thanks to all.
This album is dedicated to Kate and Gerry McCann and their twins - always working for Madeleine's return.
'All Our Love - A Song for Madeleine' was written after Bernie saw Madeleine's younger sister, apparently alone, in a Tesco store in Loughborough one day in 2009 (the McCann's live in nearby Rothley). Except that, for a heart-stopping moment, until Mum Kate came into view with a twin brother, it seemed like the little girl had to be Madeleine herself. Of course, it couldn't be, but the moment was genuinely unsettling for Bernie and all the people around at the time - and the song was the result. Please donate to the official Find Madeleine Campaign so that, one day, this can be over for them all. Do what you can to help? Don't be one of the cynics - you're way better than that.
Thanks – enjoy it.
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All songs, except tracks 12-15 © Whinchat Ltd
