Dear everyone,

Yes, we're still here! I thought I would just do a very short free newsletter to keep you all posted as to what is happening. Most things are very vague at present, so I'm not going to start the Info. Service up again properly till later this year, but I reckoned you might like a sort of synopsis of things that have happened, and may or may not happen in the future. Judging from your letters, there are a lot of rumours circulating so here's the official word.

Before I get on to that, just so you know, I'm only in the office three days a week now. When it was very, very quiet at the end of last year, I opted to go part time, and I now do a different job on Mondays and Fridays (at a music/entertainment business PR company, which is very chaotic and busy!). On the three days I'm here, I'm doing all of Ed's PA/secretarial stuff, so I'm afraid it has been impossible to answer all your letters individually. I'm not quite sure what I'll do if and when it gets very busy here, but I'll keep you posted...

OK, now the news. Fans in the UK should look out for a programme to be shown on Channel 4 in June (we haven't been given a confirmed transmission date yet) about the Swan Hunter shipyard. Mark composed the incidental music for the programme, and also wrote the theme song "My Claim To Fame", which I'll mention again later in this newsletter!

This next point is also primarily for UK fans: The Notting Hillbillies are re-forming for a one-off charity concert on Sunday 3rd July at London's Grosvenor House Hotel. The proceeds are going to the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust, and the Sue Harris Bone Marrow Campaign, which operate a register to link up donors with people requiring bone-marrow transplants. This event is NOT being organised by us, so PLEASE don't write to us for ticket information - we are nothing to do with it, we have just provided the band for the evening (which will be Mark, Brendan Croker, Steve Phillips, Marcus Cliffe, either Alan or Guy, and good ol' Ed Bicknell). Tickets are extortionately expensive (£125.00 and £75.00) because it's one of those events where the ticket price includes formal dinner, and obviously the charity want to make as much money as possible. As far as I know, the organisers are trying to sell complete tables of 10 rather than individual tickets, but if you do want information, the number you should call is 071 829 8455.

Not to be outdone, John Illsley and Phil Palmer are also appearing at a rather swanky charity event this one on Saturday 4th June at Groombridge Place - a stately home in Kent, which was the setting for the film "The Draughtsman's Contract". This one is for The Terrence Higgins Trust, and is part of a whole evening of entertainment - champagne and caviar reception, 17th Century feast, fireworks, casino, etc. Tickets are (gasp!) £100.00. Again, this is not being organised by us, so please don't call us about it - if you are interested in going, you should call Rock Around The Moat on 071 602 4545.

I'm sure the main item of interest to all of you will be the fact that Mark is mid-way through recording a solo album. This will be his first "proper"' solo album (as opposed to film soundtracks), and he has been recording it "in bits and pieces"' over the past few months in Nashville, London and Dublin. He's actually in Nashville as I write, doing a couple more tracks, and we have already booked mixing time in the studios in London for later this year. The plan is for the album to be released in the spring of next year as yet, I can't tell you very much about it as I've only heard one track, but once we start the Info Service up properly again, I will have more details. The track I've heard is "My Claim To Fame" (which will be heard publicly for the first time anywhere in the world as part of the Channel 4 programme mentioned above).

As far as I can tell, the album is not going to be like any Dire Straits album, nor like the Notting Hillbillies, nor like Mark's film soundtrack albums. Despite the fact that a lot of it is being recorded in Nashville using Nashville musicians, it is not going to be an out-and-out "country" album either, so quite what it WILL be like is anyone's guess! You'll just have to wait till I can give you more details later this year, but at least you know something's happening and we haven't all retired!

We are currently looking into the possibilities of filming a TV Special to accompany the release of the album. and into Mark and a band doing a few dates during the summer of 1995, but this is ALL VERY TENTATIVE. There's no point in you phoning us - we will let you know as soon as anything is organised, and please treat this as confidential info at the moment.

As soon as Mark gets back from his present trip to Nashville, he is going to Edinburgh to make a guest appearance with - wait for it - the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards pipes and military band, at The Usher Hall on May 27th. They are including "Going Home" in their set, and Mark will play on that song with the entire ensemble. The evening is being recorded, and depending on how that recording turns out, "Going Home" may be released as a cd single (approx. September). Who knows, this could be the next "Mull Of Kintyre"... but it probably won't!

Lots of you have asked if it's true Mark is featured on the forthcoming "Tribute To George Gershwin" album. Well, the answer is no - he was going to play on one of the tracks - either the Elton John one or the Kate Bush one - and he did attend the sessions at Air Studios, but in the end, decided not to participate. (However, take my advice and get it anyway when it comes out - it's got some great stuff on it, especially the Oleta Adams track).

A few of you have also written in asking about various sessions Mark has done, so here's a short list: He played on a track "You Better Move On" which will appear on the forthcoming Arthur Alexander tribute album, he also played on a track "Lily Of The West" on the forthcoming Chieftains album, and he did some vocal duets and guitar work on a forthcoming album of duets by the major country artist George Jones (which also features Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Vince Gill, Keith Richards etc.).

On a personal note: You may have read in the newspapers a little while ago (if you are in the UK and buy the tabloids, you could hardly have missed it!), that Mark split up with his wife Lourdes, and is now dating actress Kitty Aldridge (one of the stars of the TV series "To Play The King"). Hot on the heels of that story came another, announcing that John Illsley had split up with his girlfriend Tracey (the mother of his second child Jessica) and he is now dating actress Cherie Lunghi. Me, I'm staying single - much simpler.

Brief news of other DS members:
Alan: re-built home studio in a barn in his garden. Has done the music for a TV documentary recently shown on Channel 4 about the World Domino Championships (exciting stuff, I would think...). Has also just made a demo tape of his own songs which is currently doing the rounds of the UK record companies to try and get a recording contract.
Guy: worked with Mark on the music for the Swan Hunter shipyard. May be about to go off on tour with Roger Daltrey, not confirmed yet.
Chris White: unfortunately Chris has had a pretty awful six months. Towards the end of last year, he was involved in a serious road accident whilst on his new motorbike, which was hit by a car, and he was rushed to hospital with a compound fracture of the leg. He is still not fully recovered, and has a metal plate in his leg and has to walk with a stick. He also injured his hand in the accident so obviously couldn't play sax for a long while. I'm pleased to say he finally appears to be on the road to recovery, although I think his biking days are over... the car driver, incidentally, was at fault and may face prosecution.
Paul Franklin: working with Mark.
Danny: appeared at Princess Diana's World Aids Day concert at Wembley Arena at the end of last year. You may have seen this show on TV - the artists were k. d. lang (brilliant - buy anything she's released!), Simply Red, and George Michael. I'm not quite sure what he's up to at the moment.
Phil Palmer: also did the Aids Day show, and has just been producing an Italian band, the name of which escapes me. Earlier this year, he became a dad again - baby's name is Charlie.
Chris Whitten: no idea, haven't heard from him in ages!

Better late than never, here are the winners of the drawing competition we ran in the last newsletter (the winner and runners-up will all get a separate note from me in the next few weeks, and the prizes will follow): Winner (by a mile!): Doug Forrest, London, England. Runners up: Carol Chambers, Caistor, England / Hans van Gheel, Roosdaal, Belgium / Melanie Stafford, Rowlett, USA / Karen Baxter, Philipstown, Scotland / Elaine Bates, St Ives, England / Javier Lavandeira, Barcelona, Spain / L. Sunstrum, Gosport, England / Elaine Pearce, Crewe, England / Davy Mollet, Tilburg, Holland. 99% of the drawings received were of Mark, and everyone who included an s.a.e. will get their pictures back shortly. Doug's winning picture will be featured in our first proper newsletter when we start up again, and the runners-up will also be featured in future issues.

That's about it for now, except for the "ads" section which follows. Hope you all gave a good summer, and we'll be back later in the year. Don't send...

Best wishes,