I spent 3 years studying for a degree in Art & Design at Stoke On Trent College of Art from 1966 - 1968 and, on graduating with a BA, instantly became a professional musician. Like most things in my life, music was part of a random trajectory that led me on a convoluted route through sound to moving pictures, to technology, to screenwriting and, as of Friday 13th July 2018, back to my old college to receive an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Arts. I'm beyond thrilled.
MUSCLE MEMORY, my 1st solo album released in 2020, is still making its own strange waves and can be ordered here: https://kevingodley.greedbag.com/ or on Amazon. MUSCLE MEMORY was a long time coming, but I had such an extraordinary time getting it here!
I’ve also had some amazing album reviews over the last few weeks and here are a few of them.
On August 15th 2020 I was invited onto the TOM ROBINSON SHOW on BBC 6, for an extended career overview chat about everything from10cc to music video, to screenplays to my forthcoming movie to technology to MUSCLE MEMORY and beyond. Tom’s very good at this and the show features a lot of music, including 3 tracks from MUSCLE MEMORY so check it out it:
ALBUM NEWS
LEGENDARY SONGWRITER / SINGER / DRUMMER AND MUSIC VIDEO PIONEER RELEASES CROWDSOURCED ALBUM.
KEVIN GODLEY ‘MUSCLE MEMORY’
ALBUM RELEASED - 17.12.2020 SINGLES RELEASED - 16.07.2020 - 03.12.2020
In July 2017 Kevin Godley - formerly of 10cc and Godley & Creme - posted an invitation on the site PledgeMusic: ‘Write and record with me.’
PledgeMusic was a platform for musicians to connect directly with fans who could pay for music in advance to support the creation of albums. Kevin’s project took the potential of this remote, socially distanced collaboration further. He explained:
“Recently something happened that eclipsed any songwriting techniques I’d learned in 10cc or Godley & Creme. Out of the blue, I was sent 2 recorded instrumental tracks with requests to write melodies and lyrics and turn them into songs. Both tracks came from people I’d never met and still haven’t. Experiencing this kind of remote collaboration and its results has been transformative for me, as I believe I’ve recorded 2 of my best ever songs and MUSCLE MEMORY, as I’m calling the album, will be about opening this collaborative door a lot wider.”
Kevin received 286 instrumentals, choosing to conceal the names of submitters so as not to focus on high profile artists. Of these 11 were chosen for the final tracklisting. The instrumentals vary wildly, from jarring electronic beats to Gotye’s dreamlike balladic contribution, Song of Hate.
In May 2019, before any money pledged had arrived to support the album, PledgeMusic declared bankruptcy. With the lists of pledgers gone and the project stalled, The state51 Conspiracy contacted Kevin and funded the project so that those who had paid would still be able to listen to the record they were helping to make.
The album marks Kevin’s first time fronting a project. His lyricism is cutting, political and provides a mood similar to film dialogue over classic pop lyricism. Gun control, societal unrest, racism and questions regarding political correctness make for some of the most striking lyrical content likely heard on an alternative pop record. This is a dark record from someone not known for dark themes.
Kevin’s career features numerous exceptional albums and sees him as one of the most important pioneers of the pop music video. Muscle Memory is a fitting addition to this body of work, offering a provoking, daring new insight into Godley’s creative practice. Tracks from the album will be released in order every two weeks until the album’s release on the 17th of December 2020.
Album tracklisting / release timeline:
1) Expecting a Message: 16/07/2020
2) The Ghosts of the Living: 30/07/2020
3) Hit the Street: 13/08/2020
4) The Bang Bang Theory: 27/08/2020
5) 5 Minutes Alone: 10/09/2020
6) Cut to the Cat: 24/09/2020
7) One Day: 08/10/2020
8) All Bones are White: 22/10/2020
9) Periscope: 5/11/2020
10) Song of Hate: 19/11/2020
11) Bulletholes in the Sky: 03/12/2020
12) Muscle Memory - Vinyl, CD and Digital: 17/12/2020
https://www.instagram.com/p/BvcGX_ZgN22/ For more information please contact The state51 Conspiracy - support@strate51.com
June 5th 2020, was World Environment Day, and the launch of a new website celebrating and rekindling the spirit of ONE WORLD ONE VOICE, a global adventure in music and film that I conceived and directed for the BBC in 1990. It featured over 250 artists, recorded and produced by the wonderful Rupert Hine. Originally created to climax a seres of environmentally themed programmes, OWOV now seems to represent much more. 2024 is a fragile world, scarred by war, battered by Covid, open to bigotry and in dire need of a language we can all speak. In 1990 we spoke that language. A global language, the language of the soul and we captured it being spoken everywhere we went.
https://oneworldonevoice.co.uk/
Thank you. KG
