Linda Lewis, Bird and a Bee, Carroll Thompson, Janet Kay, Kurt Weill, Tito Puente, Byron Lee's Allstars, Rotary Connection, Northern Soul, Carmel, Billy Childish, Francoise Hardy, K T Tunstall, Hazey Jane, Tom Hatred, Emmy the Great, Jamie McDermot, Gina Birch. The Slits, punk, John Donne, Wanda Jackson, Robert Wyatt, Billy Stewart,Velvet Underground, Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, Razorlight, Destiny's Child, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Neil Hannon, Syd Barrett, Maddox Brothers and Rose, the Chiffons. Phoenix, Young Marble Giants, T Rex, Johnny Cash, Bjork, Roots fm, Resonance fm, Serge Gainsbourg, Jacques Brel, Mad Professor, Lover's Rock, Duane Eddy, Gene Vincent, Scotty Moore, Elvis Sun Sessions, early James Taylor, Melanie, David Bowie's London Boys CD but not really anything else by him, Patsy Kline, Lily Allen, Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, Grayson Perry (oh! my hero!), The Mighty Boosh (I want to play your game too, boys!). Not forgetting Martin Stephenson and the fantastic Daintees!
If you like my music I suggest you buy my SUBURBAN PASTORAL cd. It has 14 tracks featuring guest appearances from BJ Cole, Lester Square, the Horns, and more!
Order from Rough Trade Mail order, www.roughtrade.com for £10.99
Or buy for £10.00 inc p & p to anywhere in the world, right here and right now:
The next one, 'Poetry and Rhyme' will be out in September and features contributions from Martin Stephenson, Paul Davey, Gina Birch, Count Dubulah, Elle Osborn and Allan Bradbury.
Who am I? I was bass player for Joby and the Hooligans, the worst punk band in Brighton (but we had the best songs), then in short-lived band The Smartees, before forming The Chefs with Carl Evans and Rod Bloor. We did loads of gigs, James McCallum joined on second guitar, and we did a few Peel sessions (none of us can remember how many). Soon, we are going to bring out a compilation of Chefs songs. The I started Helen and the Horns, playing guitar, after a brief musical interlude with Lester Square, and we did even more Peel sessions and played a lot in Scotland, where we had really great audiences. Disastrously, we signed to RCA, who shelved us until I put on my scary glasses, marched down there and got us released from the deal. The kindly Horns used their savings to record an album (Rough Trade have some of the original vinyl albums too) and we spilt up.
I fell asleep for twenty years, and woke up with a head full of songs and a heart full of energy to sing them with.
I like playing unusual venues and sometimes promote gigs too mostly because of drawing the flyers (!) and I am a compulsive doodler. I used to publish my own comics and still contribute to comics when people ask me to.
Previous bands were The Chefs (see www.myspace.com/thechefs) and Helen and the Horns (see www.myspace.com/helenandthehorns)
'The Lost Women of Rock' is a book I wrote two years ago about female instrumentalists in punk bands in the late 1970s/early 1980s, featuring interviews with the Slits, Gina Birch, the Mo-Dettes, Enid Williams (Girlschool), the Dollymixture, Gaye Black (Adverts), Vi Subversa (Poison Girls), Rhoda Dakar, Lucy O'Brien, Attila the Stockbroker, Caroline Coon, Geoff Travis and the late John Peel amongst others. It is published by Ashgate Press, an academic publisher, and is very expensive but you can get your library to buy a copy for you!!! It is written under the name of Helen Reddington, which is an identity I passed through earlier in my life.
For more about the early bands I played in see www.punkbrighton.com
For up to date gig info and my regularly-updated Blog, see www.mccookerybook.com or this site!
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Hi Helen Hope you are well just stopping by to say hello. and introduce you to the new Afcollectve Acoustic Network site Martin is our official patron as of today :) www. afcollective. com look forward to seeing at Sage and Debee's peace Rick
I'm sure you deserve a romantic/alcoholic/spiritual/sporty/musical/shopping.......... weekend.....choose your options and let us know how you get on! Peace! Vincent and Paul!
Hi there Helen We've just returned from a fab tour of the North West UK...and we feel fine.. If anyone should wear our "half blues", it had to be you, Helen! Makes penguins proud...and Peter's wife too. She's made this little artwork. Hope you have a pleasant evening, and please come back and tell us how you were received. ...and good to see you're out on the road...remember penguins find you! Best regards
Helu. I’ve just decided to give my song ‘Sunday’ away for free. Just click ‘download’, and it’s yours. Please pass it on to your brothers & sisters, anyone you love!
Hello Helen and thank you for the addy waddy. I love your surname. Is it Scottish? Is it the cookerybook that McDonalds use for their McCookery? I shouldn't think so. Far too melodic and sophisticated for their shoddy nosh. My wife's mate Nicky loves McDonalds though. I saw her only last week sitting at the window table firmly clutching a McNugget McBun McThingy in both hands. It was that difficult first bite when all the McSalad falls out. She coped well though, and happily swung her right leg as she chewed. Dread to think what music was playing. I bet it wasn't one of yours Helen! More's the bloody pity I say.
Hi there Helen. Many thanks for the friendship. I think your music on here is fantastic. Please take a look at my page and have a listen to the demos I have on there. I always apreciate any comments. I'll have some new demos on in a week or so.
HELEN - Love your page... your style in music... your attitude about life... the smile you wear on your face!!! you don't have to go far... just to be who you are... missing you in glen ellen,ca
Domo arigato for your sweet comment, Helen!!!! How is your weekend coming along? We hope all is well. THE CLARENCES (Robert, Amanda, James, Molly & Gary)
