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Born in Salford but raised in Clitheroe, Lancashire, the first significant musical influence that I had in my life as a youngster of 9 or 10 was that of my somewhat older brother playing his acoustic guitar and singing those beguiling songs of the singer-songwriter period of the 60’s and early 70’s. Even as a child there was definitely something of a halcyon feel to that period and it was this that was transmitted to me by this man, this ‘Keats with a guitar’.

The streets of Paris and other exotic Gallic destinations were part of his training ground as a travelling troubadour. When he would come back home on his brief visits, often with a mysteriously tongued French woman at his side, the new songs would be aired along with the tales of his European travels.

The earliest records I remember really connecting with were from my brother’s collection. Roy Harper’s Sophisticated Beggar, Fairport Convention’s Liege and Lief and Simon and Garfunkel’s stupefying first records. The music that makes the initial impact upon a child’s heart is probably the music that will continue to stir them for the rest of their life.

In my young mind there was nothing for me to do but to emulate my older sibling to some extent. The only way I could do this as a by now 13-year-old kid, was get my mum to buy an acoustic guitar from the catalogue. Thus the journey began.

By the time I had started to learn how to play the guitar the Punk and New Wave era was firmly entrenched in my blossoming mind. For me this period continues to be the richest, most energetic and refreshing period that I have ever experienced in music. Yes some crazy things went on but many of the artists that came out of this era were quite brilliant songwriters, not least the man who for me is the greatest songwriter of the modern era, Elvis Costello. I must admit though, I never really appreciated Mr Costello’s abilities properly until quite a few years later.

A brief dalliance with Heavy Rock and then thankfully, I grew up.

The 1980’s and most of the 90’s were, in my opinion, not a very productive decade in the mainstream but it was during the 80’s and 90’s that I rediscovered Richard Thompson and newly discovered Nick Drake, so it wasn’t all that bad. Richard Thompson was the first artist to really get me fired-up on what great songwriting was all about. Stories, lyrical wordplay, song construction, stunning melody and great guitar playing were all part of the package that Thompson was and still continues to present. So the bar was set and I intended to reach at least as high.

In 1996 I met him and played the same stage as part of a Songwriting Workshop in Burnley, Lancashire organised by Folkworks. The workshop had taken shape over several weeks chaired by the inimitable Pete Coe, the culmination of which was an evening concert supported by Steve Tilston and of course, Mr Thompson. The song that I composed during the workshop and performed the said evening is entitled Emiline and features as the first track on the CD. The song was written within the Folk idiom of storytelling but with a different slant. It was my intention to create an upbeat and happy song and get people moving in their seats, which isn’t something one hears often in the lyrics of Folk music.

At a similar time I became singularly impressed with Nick Drake, who of course is all the rage now and eminently ‘cool’. He was still relatively unknown when I started emulating his guitar style. I was never too enamoured with Drake’s lyrics but his guitar playing was bewitching, his right hand technique being wonderfully complex. I spent hour after hour perched on the chair arm flicking the records back and forth to perfect the guitar lines. Drake’s influence can be heard on my debut album in the song Canteen Green where I use the same tuning that he used on his song Northern Sky.

So why did I take so long to produce a CD? It’s quite simple really. Money, time and family. Only recently has family not been as dependent and maybe I just needed someone to kick me up the rump and shift me in the direction of a studio.

The resultant work is hard to define even by my standards, moving through a variety of musical influences and styles. It is probably the type of record that will be appreciated most by ‘muso’s’ and those that know their music. Suffice to say that I certainly think if I can get it into the right hands that it will be recognised and applauded and certain hats will be doffed. I believe in this album and I feel that there are songs contained on this debut that fit into the category of very noteworthy work.

“His songs are stories, filled with vivid characters, barbed comments, strong thoughts and heart- on- the-sleeve emotions which many listeners will identify with”.

“A breath of fresh air in the all too polluted world of commercial pop”.

“Quirky, catchy and full of life”.

“Gary Binks is impossible to define. He is his own man”.

“Impossible to pigeon hole”.

“Distinctive work”.

Soon to be available from iTunes, Napster, Emusic etc, Mail Order and selected outlets.