i've just heard about this-

can someone explain, or um, give me some more info about this?
what is it?
how can i get my hands on it?

It's an album made under a different band name but with the original line-up, before Lido was released. It has two songs that were later re-recorded for Lido ("I Want To Live In A Dream" and "Winterlight") and eight songs that you won't hear anywhere else. And it's great. They occasionally sell it at gigs.

What's the demand like for this record? If anyone here is still after a copy, say so below... I'd be interested to see.

put me down for one

Me too, me too. I thought I had all the early stuff like I'm not gonna want a copy of this. it sounds like one of those special little trinket albums where you play it and think it's especially written for you 'cus noone else has heard it. I think it's every member of this forums divine right to hear this album. Lets say up to the first hundred members (not that I call any shots here) But surely we all know we are the elite of Clearlake fans. I sometimes think I like Clearlake more than they do.
The good thing about lakes is they rarely dry up, however they can go stagnant, let's get this early stuff listened to and soon!

i missed their last tour when they were flogging it and am most interested in purchasing one, as you may well guess...

I'll go for one as long as it's not too steeply-priced.

Mmm, I would also be very interested in acquiring a copy.

Yeah - count me in too - as a convert of only two years standing! :)

And the answer to the question "Will the Not Bit of Wood album be on sale at the Brighton gig" is... a big fat yes. Have some spending money spare!

Musikland ~ Not Bit of Wood

Change In The Weather
Perfect Setting
Ice Cream
Lie In
Let's Get Out Of Here
Bad Hair Day
I Want To Live In A Dream
I'll Kill Myself
The Weekend Is Nigh
Winterlight

Recorded Autumn 1998 in Hove (actually).

Bloody great it is too.

x

So, now that a few more of you presumably have a copy - what do you think?

i love it.
in terms of the band's progression/evolution, it's the logical step backward from Lido. but that doesn't mean it's by any means worse.

the songs are funnier (in the dark, clearlake sense of humor): more happy, upbeat songs about sad things, but this time it's just rediculous. extreme tongue-in-cheek at its best.

if you didn't understand english, you might think the songs are about sunshine, puppies, and love for your fellow countrymen.
instead, the lyrics threaten girlfriends with suicide, complain about the weather, sympathize with disgruntled ice cream truck drivers, make fun of children, and seek to find any excuse to sleep late in the mornings (including renouncing one's faith).

plus, there's more of the signature clearlake 2 part harmony and complex chord progressions that i love.

hmmm, makes me wonder out loud if i still have that Flowers To Burn demo cassette kicking about.... way back in time!

Tell me more... you seem to have a fair bit of insider info, Sir!

Sorry, I guess I should explain my knowledge... David (the bassist) is my cousin (his mother and my mother are sisters). Our mothers are very close so my Mum always gets sent demos of whatever David is up to at the time. Flowers To Burn was a band that David was in years and years ago, not sure if any of the other Clearlake guys were in it too (it could even have been the same line-up, i really have no idea). Anyway, reading about Not Bit Of Wood made me remember this old demo tape we had which I haven't seen since we moved house 4 years ago but may still be kicking around in my parents house somewhere.

I am very interested in this album. Does anyone know A) the possibility of Clearlake coming to London on their amber tour and more importantly B) if they would be selling it at the gig?

I'm hoping there might be another way of getting hold of the record soon... stay tuned.

Ooooh I hang on to every word you say.

I see what you did there...

Um, the only reason I wasn't more specific as yet is that I don't like making promises unless I can keep them!

OK... I can confirm that the Not Bit of Wood album will be available through this site very shortly (and some other 'Lake goodies too)...

Wow cool, thanks.

And... done. Go shopping!

Cool, I think i will wait until a paypal option is available.

Same here.....going home and ferreting through my various bits and pieces for my chequebook would just be too much like hard work :P

PayPal should be available very shortly...

I assume the version of 'I Want To Live In A Dream' is the same? And only 'Winterlight' is an early version.

actuallly they're quite different if you listen closely:
-the vocals on the Lido version are much more confident and precise. jason sounds like he did the NBOW version with a hangover.
-there are 2 hammond organs very high in the mix of the NBOW version.
-guitars and synth/vibes are panned hard left/right on the NBOW version, but centered on the Lido one.
-the drum mix on the Lido version is much cleaner. the difference is so drastic that it's hard to believe that it's the same drum track in both versions, but i'm pretty sure it is.
-basslines are the same in both, but once again have more punch in the Lido mix.


the mix is much much much better overall in the clearlake version. it seems that the NBOW track might just be poorly mastered, and this takes away from the song as a whole. give me some time and i'll toss the remix from the 'wonder if the snow will settle' ep into the comparison pool....... hmmm.....

:)

Thanks for the info.

New shop items coming tonight, by the way...

(...and PayPal shortly)

Chop chop with the Paypal! :P Just viewed the badges and I want one of those too now, they are spiffo! Although my homemade one has served me well....it's the same as my avatar and is pretty :)

Um, sorry. Hopefully PayPal will be in place soon (that's days, not weeks). What I might do in the interim is put up the PayPal details (when I have them) so that anyone can make a payment and say what they want, then get the shop bit added in afterwards. Not because the shop bit should be that tricky, but just to get things up and running quicker.

You're right about the badges, though. May invest in a couple myself...

Please note: if you send any shop enquiries about postage or whatever... I'm away all weekend, back Monday and Tuesday (20-21 June), then away for another week (Glastonbury), so if you don't get a prompt reply in the near future then that'll be why. But anything that I receive by next Tuesday will also get a response by then!

Sorry about the delay with PayPal. This will get sorted, I promise.

Following on from the above, I'm off to Glastonbury tomorrow (as copiously documented elsewhere) so any shop queries that fly my way between now and Sunday will be answered next Monday afternoon.

And PayPal should be sorted soon after I get back...