SONGS
The release of these songs out into the world represents my separation from 32 years of playing the great music of ELO.
I have released solo material before – 5 CDs – but I have become so heavily identified with ELO that is is time, at last, to re-establish the solo me, after 55 years as a professional musician.
Songs are my first love, and will be my last 😄🙏☯️❤️
Wouldn’t it be nice
The first song I ever wrote at age 17. I was working in Birmingham city centre at dear old Ringway Music, and looking out at Moor Street station and Queensway.
I had just been to Cornwall as an adult for the first time, and was blown away. All I wanted to do was move there, immediately.
But this is city centre daydreaming about another life, that I still haven’t achieved 55 years later 😂
Original song was a bit more basic than this version. I have added a few more chords than I knew then, and the vocal harmonies were an afterthought whilst recording in lockdown.
There are faults, but I thought I would just put it out there🙏😄❤️☯️
I had just been to Cornwall as an adult for the first time, and was blown away. All I wanted to do was move there, immediately.
But this is city centre daydreaming about another life, that I still haven’t achieved 55 years later 😂
Original song was a bit more basic than this version. I have added a few more chords than I knew then, and the vocal harmonies were an afterthought whilst recording in lockdown.
There are faults, but I thought I would just put it out there🙏😄❤️☯️
Music and lyrics – Phil Bates
All instruments and vocals – Phil Bates
All instruments and vocals – Phil Bates
Fear of a lonely heart
Another co-write with Martyn Baylay. One of my favourite songs we wrote together. The song was basically Mart’s, but I added fancy chords and harmonies, and a few lyrics, and the arrangement.
Music and lyrics – Martyn Baylay and Phil Bates
All vocals, instruments, programming – Phil Bates
All vocals, instruments, programming – Phil Bates
Writing on the wall
Another song originally on ‘Naked’, but re-recorded on better technology.
Loosely about my escape from Dosthill/Tamworth back in 1970.
Everyone I had gone to school with, played in bands with, or had just known, seemed to be happy to stay put in that ‘one horse town’😂
Not me. I could see what the writing on the wall would be for me if I stayed, so I made my escape☯️❤️🙏😄
Loosely about my escape from Dosthill/Tamworth back in 1970.
Everyone I had gone to school with, played in bands with, or had just known, seemed to be happy to stay put in that ‘one horse town’😂
Not me. I could see what the writing on the wall would be for me if I stayed, so I made my escape☯️❤️🙏😄
Music and lyrics – Phil Bates
All vocals, instruments, programming – Phil Bates
Put yourself in my place
Written with my friend, Martyn Baylay.
Mart had just scored some success with his Eurovision 2003 song, and had a lot of interest from publishers etc.
He had learned that Hall & Oates were looking for songs, and came up with the chorus hook line, which he thought could be developed into a Hall & Oatesy song.
So, we worked on it, and then I finished it off.
This one of my favourite songs that I have been involved in writing. It just gets to me, even now. I love it, even though my attempts to be Darryl Hall fall short of the mark 😂😂
Sorry about the visuals ….. couldn’t resist the pun, i.e. ‘Put yourself in my plaice’ 😂😂 Sorry
Mart had just scored some success with his Eurovision 2003 song, and had a lot of interest from publishers etc.
He had learned that Hall & Oates were looking for songs, and came up with the chorus hook line, which he thought could be developed into a Hall & Oatesy song.
So, we worked on it, and then I finished it off.
This one of my favourite songs that I have been involved in writing. It just gets to me, even now. I love it, even though my attempts to be Darryl Hall fall short of the mark 😂😂
Sorry about the visuals ….. couldn’t resist the pun, i.e. ‘Put yourself in my plaice’ 😂😂 Sorry
Words and Music – Martin Baylay & Phil Bates
All instruments, voices and programming- Phil Bates
All instruments, voices and programming- Phil Bates
What don’t kill you makes you stronger
Another song that NEEDS to be played and recorded with a band, and real drummer.
My attempt at a ‘rock’ song, but I do like it. Aren’t I the narcissist?😂😂
But then if I didn’t like it, why should I expect anyone else to😂😂
As someone afraid of heights, I include the picture of the vertiginous cable car in Funchal, Madeira as an example of something not killing me, but making me stronger 😂😂
My attempt at a ‘rock’ song, but I do like it. Aren’t I the narcissist?😂😂
But then if I didn’t like it, why should I expect anyone else to😂😂
As someone afraid of heights, I include the picture of the vertiginous cable car in Funchal, Madeira as an example of something not killing me, but making me stronger 😂😂
Music and lyrics – Phil Bates
All instruments, vocals and programming – Phil Bates
All instruments, vocals and programming – Phil Bates
Another day in the life of a fool
Sometimes songs just appear from the ether, and you finish them as a songwriter, meaning that there is no direct emotional contact with the lyrics.
Much of the time I write from an emotional place, but occasionally I will just be a songwriter.
This is one of those. I had wanted to write a song with this feel for a while, and after a few failed attempts, I landed on this one.
Much of the time I write from an emotional place, but occasionally I will just be a songwriter.
This is one of those. I had wanted to write a song with this feel for a while, and after a few failed attempts, I landed on this one.
Music and lyrics – Phil Bates
All instruments, vocals, programming – Phil Bates
All instruments, vocals, programming – Phil Bates
Walking on the water
A song I wrote after I was visited in a dream by my ex-wife, Karen, who died in 1995.
Much of the imagery in the lyrics comes directly from the dream, and it was pretty vivid. Karen was a beautiful soul, who I had known since we were both around 11/12 years old. It brought me great sadness when our marriage did not survive. This is my tribute to her ❤️🙏☯️
Much of the imagery in the lyrics comes directly from the dream, and it was pretty vivid. Karen was a beautiful soul, who I had known since we were both around 11/12 years old. It brought me great sadness when our marriage did not survive. This is my tribute to her ❤️🙏☯️
Words and Music – Phil Bates
All instruments, vocals, programming – Phil Bates
All instruments, vocals, programming – Phil Bates
Brand New DAy
Potentially contentious song, this one. I wrote it as an affectionate homage to a certain Jeff Lynne/ELO song, but I am not sure it will be taken that way.
Nevertheless, I had great fun recording it. My friend and former co-writer, Martyn Baylay, contributed a great idea for the bridge between verse and chorus. Much better than my original bridge.
Again, this track is a demo intended to be expanded upon later, especially with drums. Needs a real drummer.
But please take this in the spirit it was intended, with love and affection 😄🙏❤️☯️
Nevertheless, I had great fun recording it. My friend and former co-writer, Martyn Baylay, contributed a great idea for the bridge between verse and chorus. Much better than my original bridge.
Again, this track is a demo intended to be expanded upon later, especially with drums. Needs a real drummer.
But please take this in the spirit it was intended, with love and affection 😄🙏❤️☯️
Music and lyrics – Phil Bates
Music and lyrics – Martyn Baylay
All instruments, programming and vocals – Phil Bates
Music and lyrics – Martyn Baylay
All instruments, programming and vocals – Phil Bates
Breathe
Never done anything like this before or since, but it just appeared when I was messing with software instruments.
The subject matter is close to me heart because I am prone to not breathing properly, or at all sometimes, especially on stage, which can cause real problems.
But I do like the way it turned out, even though I know it will not be to some people’s tastes😂
The subject matter is close to me heart because I am prone to not breathing properly, or at all sometimes, especially on stage, which can cause real problems.
But I do like the way it turned out, even though I know it will not be to some people’s tastes😂
Everything by Phil Bates
(False) Witness
Another ELO Pt2 demo done by me at home.
Bev provided me with a couple of pages of lyrics, and I put the song together from those, apart from the middle eight which were mine.
Those that know the ‘Witness’ that ended up on ‘One Night’ will note the stylistic leap. A completely different song😂😂
Again, it was me trying to push things in a more rocky direction.
I had visions of a rock track with Lou Clarke’s strings on the top, plus Kelly and Eric’s vocals, but we never achieved my vision, unfortunately.
Another curio for those who might be interested ❤️☯️😄🙏
Bev provided me with a couple of pages of lyrics, and I put the song together from those, apart from the middle eight which were mine.
Those that know the ‘Witness’ that ended up on ‘One Night’ will note the stylistic leap. A completely different song😂😂
Again, it was me trying to push things in a more rocky direction.
I had visions of a rock track with Lou Clarke’s strings on the top, plus Kelly and Eric’s vocals, but we never achieved my vision, unfortunately.
Another curio for those who might be interested ❤️☯️😄🙏
Music and lyrics – Phil Bates
Lyrics – Bev Bevan
Lyrics – Bev Bevan
Ain’t Necessarily So - demo
My original demo, done at home, of a song that Bev Bevan later added more lyrics to.
So, this version has incomplete lyrics, hence the low price😂
Again, I thought people might be interested in the bare bones of a song that went on to be a feature of the ELO Pt2 ‘live’ album, ‘One Night’.
For a track recorded in what was basically a bedroom, it kicks a little ass, I think😂
In fact, my vision for the song was that it should be a lot more rocky than it turned out to be with ELO Pt2.
Anyway, another interesting curio maybe ❤️🙏☯️😄
So, this version has incomplete lyrics, hence the low price😂
Again, I thought people might be interested in the bare bones of a song that went on to be a feature of the ELO Pt2 ‘live’ album, ‘One Night’.
For a track recorded in what was basically a bedroom, it kicks a little ass, I think😂
In fact, my vision for the song was that it should be a lot more rocky than it turned out to be with ELO Pt2.
Anyway, another interesting curio maybe ❤️🙏☯️😄
Music and half lyrics – Phil Bates
All the racket played and sung by Phil Bates
All the racket played and sung by Phil Bates
TONIGHT
This is a song I wrote at the tail end of Trickster in the late 1970s. It has been rejected by every band I put it forward to😂
But this version is my proper demo of the song, recorded at Chipping Norton Studios (now sadly no longer with us) in between sessions I was helping to engineer with another band.
Colin Thurston was producing and engineering, I was assisting him, so we decided to have a little fun in the down time and record this song.
I played all the instruments, including drums, the only recorded evidence of my drumming.
Drums were my first love, so I wish I had kept at it.
Anyway, I thought I should let people hear it, and here it is 😄❤️🙏☯️
But this version is my proper demo of the song, recorded at Chipping Norton Studios (now sadly no longer with us) in between sessions I was helping to engineer with another band.
Colin Thurston was producing and engineering, I was assisting him, so we decided to have a little fun in the down time and record this song.
I played all the instruments, including drums, the only recorded evidence of my drumming.
Drums were my first love, so I wish I had kept at it.
Anyway, I thought I should let people hear it, and here it is 😄❤️🙏☯️
Music and lyrics by Phil Bates.
All instruments and vocals by Phil Bates
All instruments and vocals by Phil Bates
I Believe
A love song to the place of my heart and soul, the Bryngwyn Hills, above where we lived for 20 years, on the Welsh Border.
After being away on tour, or later, after studying for my degree, I would walk on the hills and feel small.
Feeling so small in such a big landscape made my problems smaller as well. I owe a large part of my sanity to those hills.
So this is my love song to my favourite place in the world 😄❤️🙏☯️
But it is also about the Malvern Hills, where we live now.
After being away on tour, or later, after studying for my degree, I would walk on the hills and feel small.
Feeling so small in such a big landscape made my problems smaller as well. I owe a large part of my sanity to those hills.
So this is my love song to my favourite place in the world 😄❤️🙏☯️
But it is also about the Malvern Hills, where we live now.
Written by Phil Bates.
All instruments and voices – Phil Bates
All instruments and voices – Phil Bates
Lonley all the time
A song I wrote in 1982. The first version of this song mirrored the difficulties of my relationship with Jo, but I have changed it a little to make it less specific.
But the mood of the song reflects the hellish years after losing my brother, David. I also lost my record contract, and my marriage.
It was a sombre time, but after it all I met Jo, and we had our family. So, silver lining, AND silver cloud 😄🙏☯️❤️
But I like the melody of this song. Inspired by misery, you could say.
But the mood of the song reflects the hellish years after losing my brother, David. I also lost my record contract, and my marriage.
It was a sombre time, but after it all I met Jo, and we had our family. So, silver lining, AND silver cloud 😄🙏☯️❤️
But I like the melody of this song. Inspired by misery, you could say.
Written by Phil Bates – with one line by Jo Bates
All instruments and voices – Phil Bates
All instruments and voices – Phil Bates
21st Century Blues
We’ve all got the 21st Century Blues in one form or another. My version bemoans getting old and coming closer every day to the end of my musical road.
Written by Phil Bates
Acoustic guitar and vocals – Phil Bates
Acoustic guitar and vocals – Phil Bates
LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE BLUES
Acoustic track with just a smidge of bass.
The title is true. I do have a love affair with the blues, but I love the blues more than the blues loves me 😂
I am too white bread to be a blues man, but damn do I love it.
The title is true. I do have a love affair with the blues, but I love the blues more than the blues loves me 😂
I am too white bread to be a blues man, but damn do I love it.
Written by Phil Bates
Acoustic guitar, bass and vocal – Phil Bates
Acoustic guitar, bass and vocal – Phil Bates
I don’t want to be alone with myself tonight
This song was on an earlier album of mine, but I have updated it slightly and changed the lyrics so it makes a trifle more sense.
I like this song, and wanted to record a better version.
One day I will record it with a string section.
I like this song, and wanted to record a better version.
One day I will record it with a string section.
Written by Phil Bates
All instruments and voices – Phil Bates
All instruments and voices – Phil Bates
Only place I want to be is home
Of course, the lockdown was all my fault😂
In the period before 2020/21, I was REALLY homesick, and wanted to be at home. As much as I love travelling, and love Berlin and Germany, I began to really long for some peace of mind and time at home.
Hence this song. Of course, as soon as I had finished writing it, I was at home for 18 months, with no remission😂
Be careful what you wish for.
In the period before 2020/21, I was REALLY homesick, and wanted to be at home. As much as I love travelling, and love Berlin and Germany, I began to really long for some peace of mind and time at home.
Hence this song. Of course, as soon as I had finished writing it, I was at home for 18 months, with no remission😂
Be careful what you wish for.
Written by Phil Bates
All instruments and vocals – Phil Bates
All instruments and vocals – Phil Bates
You’ll never be alone
A real lockdown song, this one. We were all feeling very insecure and unsafe, and I wanted to do something to reassure Jo, and myself, that we were not alone, and there was hope.
Written by Phil Bates
All instruments, programming and vocals – Phil Bates
All instruments, programming and vocals – Phil Bates
She don’t love you no more
Just a fairly generic blues, really. But I sort of hoped that the drum machine track would invoke JJ Cale – that’s where the similarity ends😂
Don’t exactly know where the song came from. It just tumbled out of me almost fully formed.
Don’t exactly know where the song came from. It just tumbled out of me almost fully formed.
Written by Phil Bates
All instruments, programming and vocals – Phil Bates
All instruments, programming and vocals – Phil Bates
Empty Rooms
I wrote this in the period after my daughters, Rosie and Sarah, had moved away from our home and gone out into the wild blue yonder.
I broke my ankle around this time also, and had to sleep in Sarah’s room so that I would not disturb Jo.
I was lying in bed looking at the posters on the wall, and going into Rosie’s room and seeing the same, and it was a lonely feeling.
I was happy that they were out there doing their own things, but sad because of the void they left. Hence the lyrics.
I broke my ankle around this time also, and had to sleep in Sarah’s room so that I would not disturb Jo.
I was lying in bed looking at the posters on the wall, and going into Rosie’s room and seeing the same, and it was a lonely feeling.
I was happy that they were out there doing their own things, but sad because of the void they left. Hence the lyrics.
Written by Phil Bates
All instruments and vocals – Phil Bates
All instruments and vocals – Phil Bates
Stoney Ground
A song I wrote in the 90s for Jo to sing, but I have reworked it in a lower key. This a song of mine that I actually like.
I have never written a song like it, before or since
I have never written a song like it, before or since
Written by Phil Bates.
All instruments and vocals – Phil Bates
All instruments and vocals – Phil Bates
Under your spell
Written around 2018 while with Quill. Thought it would be a good song for the band.
But finished and recorded with the help of wife, Jo during lockdown.
But finished and recorded with the help of wife, Jo during lockdown.
Written by Phil and Jo Bates.
All instruments, programming and vocals – Phil Bates
All instruments, programming and vocals – Phil Bates
