Guitars – George Blamey-Steeden

THE VIEW FROM ABOVE

‘The Way Back Home’

Just across from me is a place called the Western Heights. It’s now just a local nature reserve, but once during the Napoleonic Wars in the 1860’s, its vast defences were designed to protect Dover from French invasion.

It’s been said that the Western Heights of Dover were one of the most impressive fortifications in Britain.

They comprised of a series of forts, strong points and ditches, designed to protect the country and was reputed to be the ‘strongest and most elaborate’ fortification in the whole nation.

These days it’s a place to walk, to think and to check out the panorama…maybe dream.

Some music. K2 is high up like Western Heights only massively higher. Here’s my number ‘K2 Night’. I hope you enjoy.

If you’re interested in my inexpensive PROMO VIDEOS FOR AUTHORS hit the link here or aim at the one at the top of this blog.

As ever, if any poets out there are interested in having their poems turned into songs then click here to check it out: POETRY TO SONG

If you are looking for all my other music then you’ll find it to download on BANDCAMP or you can stream and/or make a playlist of it on SPOTIFY

If you’re thinking about new t-shirts and similar for the summer, you might be interested in ZOOLON’S MERCHANDISE

FIVE OF EACH

Lockdown but not totally locked in. I thought outside might be good for creativity. A decent hot day and a garden to check out even if it meant a dose of hay fever – and it did. Five shots of the garden accompanied with five songs, one song for each pic. I hope you enjoy.

‘Pride & Time’

‘Punchdrunk’

‘Sunlight & The Dust’

‘Francesca’

‘Goodnight Cleopatra’

As ever, if any poets out there are interested in having your poems turned into songs then click here to check it out: POETRY TO SONG

If you are looking for all my other music then you’ll find it to download on BANDCAMP or you can stream and/or make a playlist of it on SPOTIFY

If you’re thinking about new t-shirts and similar for the summer, you might be interested in ZOOLON’S MERCHANDISE

SEMI-FINAL TIME & LIVING IN HOPE

A few months ago ReverbNation gave me the opportunity to submit a song to the people organising the annual ‘International Song Contest’ in Nashville. I forgot all about it until the news that my number, ‘Devil’s Kiss’ – a ballad featuring the unique Fifi Rong sharing the vocals with me – had been accepted.

Yesterday, I got advised;

Hi George,

Congratulations!

A song that you entered has been selected as a semi-finalist in the 2019 International Songwriting Competition (ISC). We received more than 18,000 entries, so this is a remarkable achievement!

I’ve been told it will be another two weeks or so before I know if I’ve made the finals – that’s left me in ‘I live in hope’ mode. There’s a lot of awards and rewards to be had for those who reach the top of the pile. Also, there’s a whole mass of judges including my favourite band of all time, Coldplay. Time will tell!

Some of you may have heard the song before, some not. Here it is along with the lyrics if you want to sing along. I hope you enjoy;

Devil’s Kiss
You ask the questions I hide from
I write the songs you won’t hear
Leave now in the company of egos
Stay safe where dreamers get to dream

Daylight, midnight, twilight’s just the Devil’s Kiss
Moonlight, sunlight, twilight’s just the Devil’s Kiss
Don’t let the panic start to build
Start to build

You’ve been up on that mountain
Seething – no one left breathing
Don’t let me fade into despair

Daylight, midnight, twilight’s just the Devil’s Kiss
Moonlight, sunlight, twilight’s just the Devil’s Kiss
Moonlight, sunlight, twilight’s just the Devil’s Kiss

I hate photos of me. At times like this the obligatory mug shots shared across this and other platforms I’m told are advisable – accepting that that might not work in my favour! ‘Gulp’ mode!

As ever, if any poets out there are interested in having your poems turned into songs then click here to check it out: POETRY TO SONG

If you are looking for all my other music then you’ll find it to download on BANDCAMP or you can stream and/or make a playlist of it on SPOTIFY

‘DON’T LOOK BACK IN ANGER’

mushrooms ‘Six Wives of Henry’

All I asked for was a plain omelette. I was in France at the time so what I said must have got lost in translation. What I got served up was a mushroom omelette. I hated mushrooms. Always had. However, one bite later I discovered I loved mushrooms. That was about a year ago and I’ve been addicted ever since. I eat them most every day, apart from the days I forget to eat. I can’t get enough of them. Even on those days I forget to eat, I think about mushrooms all the time. I even include them in my favourite of all favourite meals, homemade Macaroni Cheese.

I got a mushroom related Christmas gift. ‘Grow Your Own Mushrooms In Doors’ it said on the box – note the spelling mistake on the packaging. Even dyslexic me eventually picked up on that one although at first it left me confused for a while, thinking how am I going to grow my mushrooms ‘in a door’ when all my doors are solid wood, painted gloss white. True.

I’d never grown any plant type things before. After I’d eventually unwrapped the box, I took a look inside. I presumed the present was a p**s take. It was just a box full of dirt. Nearly a month later and my mushrooms are beginning to happen. I keep the box in the dark in the cupboard under the stairs where all the shoes I’ve forgotten I ever owned and a broken violin live. The pic I took (above) reveals all. As the first six mushrooms appeared I thought I’d give them names. I went for the six wives of Henry XIII. Big mistake that was. Three of his wives were all called Catherine, two Anne and one Jane. I should have thought it through better. The big mushroom, top and left of centre is Anne of Cleeves. Off centre, top right is Anne Boleyn. I can’t remember who’s who after that.

corm3 ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’

I was on my way to the harbour, looking forward to a breakfast of poached eggs (and mushrooms) when I saw a freak of nature. It couldn’t have come at a worse time as I thought my confusion levels had already peaked. A cormorant with its head on back-to-front. Obviously I had to take a pic, otherwise no one would have believed me. I had to give him a name. I chose ‘Ivan Issue’ – it sort of fits. I spent the rest of the day with ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ by Oasis on a loop inside my head. I hope Ivan’s mates don’t give him a bad time. Sometimes I wonder why life is so confusing away from my guitars.

After a lot of thought I’ve let Zoolon loose on Instagram. If any of you on WP are also on Instagram and want a follower who follows back and who also takes time out to view your stuff I’d be only too pleased to oblige. Here’s my first post there, a bit of free form guitar. I hope you like it;

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Zoolon Audio (@zoolon_audio)

Time for some music. Another from the new instrumental album, ‘THE FORGOTTEN DAUGHTER OF ZEUS’. This one is called, ‘Summer Died on a Saturday’. I hope you enjoy;

The 11 track, 45 minute long album itself is available to download at Bandcamp per the below;

WELCOME TO THE ‘HOTEL BARBED WIRE’

ven (2) Source: Chicago Tribune

‘Barbed wire used properly can be a beautiful sight’, so said the man who ought to know better. Really? It might be when used as an art-form but not in the context you used it, mate.

Whatever, those cruel words got me thinking; got me composing a new piece for the new album. It’s an ambient instrumental reflecting the slow, hopeful journey toward what desperate migrants see as a kind of paradise, as well as what will probably be a tragic end to their exodus in the not too distant future. All they’ll find at the end of their rainbow is the disappointment of ‘Hotel Barbed Wire’ (…Such a lovely place, Such a lovely face* – not) and armed soldiers guarding the borderline blocking their way.

In writing this number I’ve purposely not let it reveal any emotion of anger. I’m not making any judgments in composing this piece. I simply want it to map out their progress across foreign lands ending in a refugee ‘crisis moment’ that needn’t happen but likely will. I hope I’m proved wrong. Anyhow, its entitled, ‘Barbed Wire’. Music to lie back and get the vibe? I hope so;

I mentioned in my previous blog post that I’d made it into the Top 20 on ReverbNation’s UK chart. As of now I can report that Zoolon sits at No. 5 in that UK chart, plus making a significant dent in the top 100 Global chart. WP support has played a big part in this. Thank you. I even treated myself to a new guitar, a Fender Vintage Blonde American Special Telecaster to celebrate this and a few other things that have gone my way lately. My Vintage Blonde shared my bed last night. She struck a chord. True‘ ish. I’m thinking it might be time to shift some of my other guitars. Maybe, maybe not.

fender

My current albums available on Bandcamp;