Music - Part 20 - Swans Way

I first heard this album on its release, ahem, 28 years ago.  I don’t think I’ve heard it since, and, that’s a huge shame.

Swans Way appeared in an alleged new wave of jazz artists spear-headed by Sade and lesser successfully by the wonderful Carmel and Blue Rondo.  Trying to fit them into the ‘jazz’ category was always wrong, they had many influences but they sounded like, well, Swans Way.

The follow-up to their debut single, Theme From The Balcony (represented in its 12” version on this album), came in the shape of Soul Train which has always been one of my favourite all time tracks.  It’s a masterpiece in songwriting, slow, quick, slow, angst, passion and relief it sounds as fresh as it did in 1984, and, there lays the secret of this album – Swans Way were clearly very ahead of their time.  The Fugitive Time was a critical success but a huge disappointment commercially.

For the young and/or uninitiated, Swan Way were a trio – Robert Shaw (vocals), Rick Jones (double bass), and, Maggie De Monde (percussion and vocals).  The blokes were slick in their freshly made and pressed suits, and, their quiffs were something to behold.  Maggie had an air of mystery and added a slightly Parisian feel to the sound of the group.

Hailing from Birmingham, they released one single on Exit International before being snapped up by Phonogram who either saw their vision or wanted to recoup some of their investment by releasing five singles from the album.  That said, they are all worthy of such release.

Keeping It Strong could even have been single number 6.  Powerful trumpet and saxophone over a strong chorus – it moments it could almost have appeared from ABCs repertoire circa The Lexicon Of Love (and look at how successful that was!).  Backed by violin, viola and cello, as is much of the album, this was a huge hit screaming to get out.  Possibly.

Not only does Club Secrets boast the line ‘the fugitive kind’, but it also claims “I’ve got you” – quite ironic as the song grips you and won’t let go.  The album has clearly been remastered and sounds superb for it.  Maggie’s dreamlike vocals are the start to In Trance, and, Robert’s sultry tones soon follow.  He had quite a vocal range – you can feel the power and commitment in every breath, living and breathing every note of the song.  Painting a picture in your mind.  Stunning.

You know when you wake up in a morning with a song in your head?  For the past week it’s been Je Jouie.  It won’t go away.  I’m becoming obsessed.  The strings remind me of a train gathering pace slowly, the production on this track isn’t the best, but, that’s overshadowed by the performance of the song.  Sounding as though it could appear in a film soundtrack which is rather fitting as, if Swans Way were ever to write a Bond theme, it would have been The Blade.  There’s a full brass section on here, something that they took with them for live appearances, and, I’m sure John Barry would have been proud of this track.  With a 60s styled vocal backing I can see Daniel Craig jumping across buildings and along scaffold with this playing in the background.

                    

The first of two more of the albums singles is The Anchor.  Really, why weren’t these songs hits?  A very commercial singalong chorus.  “I shouldn’t cry for him, but it’s not easy to stop the tears”.  A Martin Fry esque vocal at times.  It’s interesting to see that the album also has three producers – John L Walters, Mark Freegard and Mike Thorne, which gives a varied appeal to the album.  I’m pretty sure that Mike worked with Marc Almond, and, his treatment of When We The Wild calls makes it an anthemic song.  You could quite easily imagine a crowd singing along to this pacey number at a packed arena or festival. 

Stay brings the speed right back down.  No additional musicians on this track – just double bass and percussion.  It’s a plea, and you can feel the pain and emotional in every sinew of Shaw’s body.  His voice was very powerful – a really emotive singer who moves you with every sound.

The final track (of the original album) is Illuminations.  Again a slower number, but, one that keeps going around in your head.  Maggie’s angelesque vocals are here again.  It’s a sexy song.  “Feeling total pleasure”.  Quite.

There are also a few additional tracks on the album in extended and 12” versions which really do add to the album.  Soul Train in particular is like a completely different track for the first three and a half minutes.  If I was to be super critical, I’d have loved to have seen their cover of Gloomy Sunday on here – the b-side of Soul Train was marvellous.   I was also slightly disappointed that the promise of a live version of Gershwin’s Summertime also seems to have been lost.

All in all?  A classic.   If only it had been released three decades later, it may have received far more commercial success.  I’d like to think that this re-release would do that, but, we live in a harsh world.

Buy this album, and, savour something you may well have missed out on.


Published on Louder Than War 26/10/12 - http://louderthanwar.com/swans-way/