The painting on the front is one started by Simon Mark Smith in 1985 and completed in 1990. It’s called Garden Stories and it’s partly autobiographical, its’ dimensions are 6×6 feet. The back cover shows a photograph of Simon with a beard, the three pictures other photos of him in the album booklet all look quite different from one another,
the point being that you can’t be definite about what you pick up from an image of someone. Image is one of the main themes running through the album..
The Inner Booklet details
ENTITLED
Simon Smith And The Useless Eaters
“In nature there’s no blemish but the mind
None can be called deformed but the unkind.”
From William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”
Act 3 Scene 4 Antonio.
1 Overture 1.03 2 Soci-At-Ease 5.45 3 Little By Little 4.20 4 Cog 3.25 5 This Is Me † 7.57 6 I Don't Think That I Should Be... 1.53 7 Grateful 4.04 8 To Forget You †† 5.57 9 Happy All The Time 5.01 10 Overture ( Reprise) 1.03 11 Soci-At-Ease ( Version 2 ) 5.21 12 Little by Little ( Drum version ) †† 5.56 13 Happy All The Time ( Karaoke version ) 4.59
All tracks produced by Simon Smith and Vincent Parrett.
Except † produced by Simon Smith and Nic Fuller.
And ††produced by Simon Smith, Vincent Parrett and Nic Fuller.
Executive producers Simon Smith and Ian Owles.
Recorded at home by S. Smith and V. Parrett.
Mixed at home by V. Parrett; N. Falter and S. Smith.
Digital editing at R.M.S.: Andy Le Vein.
Digital editing and mastering at C.T.S.: Martin Giles.
Desk Top Publishing at Mac Kit: S. Smith and Georgina Tolmay.
Desk Top Publishing at Henry Compton School: Manoj Bhari
Front and back cover paintings “Garden Stories” and ” L. H. & K. ” S. Smith
Photography: S. Smith: Chris Robinson: Greg Gregory and J. Robertson.
Photographic printing: Dave Williams.
Design: S. Smith and J. Robertson.
In memory of Vernon Mallinson.
Dedicated To
Julia Robertson, Ian Owles, Mum, John and Stephen,
Mrs. Henry.
Also to the rest of my family and friends.
Especially Ann, Paul and Aden Ellis.Thank YouMark Atkins, Steve Bailey, Pam Barclay, Lee Batty, Alan Branch, Fran Brizi, Sue Culver,
Mario Crispino, Colin Edwards, Jane Edwards, Pat Edwards, Rodney Faizi, Paula Fanutza,
Ian Fletcher, Wendy Fritchley and Ashley Webb, Dean and Anne Geoghegan,
Claire Clansman and Didi Brizi at Winvisible, Stephanie Hall, Pat Hambrook at Babels,
Stephen Hill, I.K.O., Cathy Jones, Dave Lovatt, Kirsteen Knight. Ian Lamb. Roland Lin,
Earl Jordan, Paul Matthews, Bemadette McCarthy, Colin McKeen, Lorraine Mullins,
The Nagen family, Michael Neilson, Sharon O’leary, Peter O’Neil, Brian Pemberton,
Veronica Pakenham, The Robertson Clan, Phil Reed, Jason Russel,
Cathy Sadler, Yuko Sato, Mirek and Noreen Siba, Jo Silvers, Derek Simnet,
Chris Soczywko, Jill Stanyon and Julian Lovatt, K.S., Pete Spence and Karen Mercer,
Gwynne Thomas, J.U., Ruth Vidal, Martin Warnes, Lally Watkins,
D.W., and Yoko Watanabe.Apologies to anyone not credited here who has contributed to the making of this album.
Equipment used during recording and mixingRecording devices: Fostex R8; Steinberg Cubase on an Atari STE; Panasonic SV3700 DAT;
Microphones: A.K.G. ClOOOS; Shure SM57. Mixer:Allen & Heath GS3.
Fx units and sound processors: Zoom 9030; Art SGE: Art Alpha 2; Art Multiverb 2;
Art LT; Aleisis Quadraverb ( GT and Plus);
Aleisis 3060; Boss CL5O; Drawmer LX2O; BBE 322 Sonic Maximiser.
Sound Modules: Korg T3; Roland Sound Canvas; Dl 10; DlO; D5 and S-50 sampler.
Drum modules: EMU Procussion and Roland TR-626.
Soci-At-Ease
Lead and backing vocals S. Smith.
Rap: Floyd Jackson
Keyboards and bass programming: S. Smith.
Drum programming J. J.; S. Smith and V. Parrett.
Acoustic rhythm guitar: Dave Lawson.
Electric rhythm guitar: J M.
Clean electric guitars: Dave Lawson, Ian Owles.
Distorted guitars: Dave Lawson and J. M.
Violins: Judy Casseldon and Tim Page.
Piano programming: Philippe Wittwer.
Mixed by V. Parrett.
Little By Little 4.20
Vocals: S. Smith.
Guitars: Pino Di Ceglie; Dave Lawson; Ian Owles.
Bass programming: N. Fuller.
Drum programming: J.J.; N. Fuller; V. Parrett; S. Smith
Keyboards: S. Smith; V. Parrett; P. Wittwer.
Mined by S. Smith; V. Parrett.
This Is Me 7 07
Lead vocals: S. Smith.
Backing vocals: L E Wilson.
Keyboards drums and percussion: S. Smith.
Bass guitar: Floyd Jackson.
Acoustic guitar on intro: Ian Owles.
All other guitars: Dave Lawson.
Piano programming: Phlippe Wittwer; S. Smith.
Mixed by N Fuller; S Smith; V. Parrett.
Cog. 3.25
Vocals: S. Smith
Drum programming: V. Parrett; S. Smith.
Bass programming V Parrett.
Harmonica and keyboards S. Smith.
Piano: Philippe Wittwer
Electric rhythm guitar: Greg Gregory.
Lead electric guitar Dave Lawson.
Distorted guitars: Greg Gregory; Pino Di Ceglie.
Mixed by V Parrett
I Don’t Think That I Should be…. 1. 53
Vocals and harmonica: S. Smith
Keyboards: S. Smith; Philippe Wittwer.
Guitars: J.M.
Mixed by V. Parrett
Grateful 4.04
Distorted backing: S. Smith.
Female backing Jackie Shields.
Drum programming: S. Smith; V. Parrett
Bass programming: V. Parrett.
Rosewood percussion programming: S. Smith.
Rhythm acoustic guitar: Dave Lawson.
Distorted guitars: Pino Di Ceglie.
Lead guitar at beginning: J.M.
Keyboards: S Smith; V. Parrett; Philippe Wittwer.
Mixed by V Parrett.
To Forget You 5:07
Vocals and keyboards: S. Smith.
Acoustic guitars: Dave Lawson.
Saxophone: Alex Bland.
Violin: Tim Page.
Bass programming: N. Fuller
Mixed by V. Parrett.
Happy All The Time 5:01
Lead vocals, keyboards and percussion: S. Smith.
Backing vocals: Jackie Shields.
Bass programming N. Fuller.
Saxophone: Alex Bland.
Organ: Philippe Wittwer.
Acoustic rhythm guitar left: Pino Di Ceglie.
Acoustic rhythm guitar right: J.M.
Slide guitar during guitar break: Greg Gregory.
All other guitars: Pino Di Ceglie.
SOCI-AT-EASE
(You Don’t Need Hands)
7 March ‘91
You say you’d rather die
Than end up looking like me
You say you think I’m brave
Because you think life’s worse for me
But let me tell you
That you don’t need hands
To live on your own
Or be a beautiful man
You don’t need fingers
And you don’t need feet
To feel a lover’s passion
Or a sexual heat
Now I don’t need your patronising money
I don’t think your jokes are funny
I don’t care if you once knew a man
Whose mother’s brother didn’t have hands.
I don’t care for the way
Soci-At-Ease is so unfair
Now I don’t care if you can’t see my worth
As Iong as you’re absent from my birth
I don’t care if you don’t understand
Until I come to you for your daughter’s hand
Disability it’s a part of life
You can’t cut it out with a surgeon’s knife
You can’t keep paying to hide it away
Vive la difference, we like it that way
You don’t need your limbs to break the law
Even if it ain’t worth fighting for
You don’t need me
To sing you the score
There’s more to a man
Than a handful of lines
That’ll give away the plan
These are the words of the oppressed
Victims of stigma and prejudice
So “vive la difference”
Don’t ignore your ignorance
Oppression it’s alive and well
The black man’s still in chains
While the cripple’s ring their bells
The women work so hard
For half the pay [Should it say no pay?]
While the TV tells us all it should be this way
Oppression it’s alive and well
With bread and circuses
Our souls we sell
Oppression it’s the law of this land
Written by and for the average man
You don’t need a bunch of Nazis
When you’ve got misinformed
Political parties.
Accessibility, we need legislation
To see our brother’s and sister’s
On the streets of this nation.
Legislation means accessibility
Which in turn means social activity.
Integration is the best education
Which in turn means a better
Social situation.
Life is not fair goes hand in hand with
I don’t care
People don’t go to the circus any more
Because they feel so sorry
When the lions roar
But the freaks and the geeks
That brought the house down
Are escaping from their cages
To roam the streets of this town.
| Little By Little 14 November ’90 Little by little I will go away Little by little you will learn the lines That you’ve got say, you’ve got to say Little by little I will fall from view Little by little I will lose you Learn about a life without you | |
| A place in my mind that I will go A place in my life that you got to know A scar in my heart that I’m proud to show You said not to stay so we went with the flow I’ve been taught about passion many a time I’ve been taught about love and given the signs I’ve been taught about the way we’re meant to be I followed the river and you flowed through me There’s a peace in my heart when you are near It’s something I love, something that’s dear It’s something to lose and its loss I fear The river is pure and the river is clear |
Cog 24 Nov 1990
Do you ever wake from dreams
Where you fall in love
Do you ever go to sleep
And not want to wake up?
Do you ever feel like
A cog on a wheel
Moved around by
The force of evil?
Do you ever talk of devils
Then try to hide
The angels and devils
That you keep inside?
Do you ever put up
A vicious fight
When you know all along
That you’re not right?Feels like evil
Yeah that’s evil
Do you ever
Wake from dreams? This Is Me 15 March ’90
Now I don’t know if how I feel
Was born of dreams or to die for real
I’ve got this feeling deep inside
I’m longing for you to hold me tight0h hold me tightLike a poet in the garden
Sleeping by a pool
Of tears he stole
With a joke so cruel0h tell me liesNow I don’t know if I’m strong or weak
To let my heart so openly speakBut this is meOh tell me liesBut this is meBut this is ME!I’d like to tell you the truth
That my heart beats hard for you
I’d like to tell you the truth
That my heart beats fast for you
Now can’t you see that all I have to do
Is open my mouth
And say the wrong thing to you
Now can’t you see that all I have to doIs open my heart
And say the wrong thing to you
And I will never see you again
I will never see you again.Oh call it a dayThis is me this is me
I am more than you see
Don’t Tell Me Lies
0h tell me lies Grateful 28 October ‘90 When I was a child in need of material things
The local politician would his camera man bring
Him and the local charity would help me
Help them get some free publicity
Now I’ve seen some jokers and roller skaters
On charity runs run right past us
I felt so sorry because they didn’t understand
They thought handicapped meant cap in hand
And you thought disabled meant unable
Since Johnny’s tragic accident
When of course it means that we’ve been
He’s been
DIS-ENABLED
And I was told that it was no one’s fault
And I was told to be grateful
For anything they bought
But I’ve never seen the working class
Licking out the rich kid’s ass
Or brushing the dust off the politician’s coat
For getting them their rightful vote
So I don’t think that I should be grateful
For the way you make me feel disabled
No I don’t think that I should be grateful
For the way you add “dis” to able
Plato said he’d rather be dead
Than a man without a hand
But I’d rather be me than him any day
Because he just couldn’t understand *
| I don’t think that you should be allowedTo feel good for what you’ve done Oh what you done, What you done, oh what you done? ‘Cause when it comes to understandingHere’s the point of the story! It takes more than a charity run When it comes to change It takes more Than a program packed with fun When it comes to brotherly love It takes more than a sentimental song 0h sing it to me More than a million pounds That the last event wrung That’s handkerchief’s full of teardrops Not door bells or telephones [telethons] Disabled is a euphemism for Victims of a social apartheid You better believe it baby’*Apologies to Plato who probably didn’t say that he’d rather be dead than not have any hands. Unfortunately Aristotle, who did say near enough the same thing, was a bit of a mouthful, so Plato was the next best philosopher who, in syllabic terms at least, was more appropriate.Simon Smith |
To Forget You 8 January ‘91
Somewhere a long way from your home
I was lying on a bed alone
I was thinking that I should not miss you
I should forget you
But I close my eyes and all I see
Is your face looking at me.
I touch your mouth
And I kiss your eyes
Oh you touch me
And I could happily die
Oh you touch me
And I could happily die.
Is it a lie that I tell
Is it a lie that I hide behind
Is it a dream
That haunts my heart sometimes.
Somewhere in the past
We were driving fast too far
I held you like I loved you
In the back of a speeding car
They say it’s the end of the road
And you’re looking for another man
Is it a case of
My mind
Not my heart
That understands.
| It’s hard to forget you It’s hard to go away It’s hard to forget you It’s hard, so hard, so hard To go away Looking at the sea in darkness We were lovers for the night I could hold this feeling forever But I’m blinded by a lack of light Are you shying from a love that hurts Or have your feelings for me Faded like a dream in the night A dream in the night. You said “don’t love me baby” You said you won’t offer what you’ll take But I want to dream sleeping in your arms But you’d rather I stayed awake Was it what you wanted Or was it a mistake Are you the lover I want Or is it just another mistake? It’s hard to forget you It’s hard to go away It’s hard to forget you It’s hard, so hard, so hard To go away. |
Happy All the Time July ‘90
You cannot judge the man by the funeral
You cannot judge a man at all
You cannot hold a precious thing forever
One day you’ve got to let it fall
I cannot keep you happy all the time
I cannot say “I’m yours and you’re mine”
I cannot say, “I’ll love you forever”
But you know I’ll keep you in my mind.
We cannot understand all our feelings
I cannot say I know how you feel
We cannot empathize in every way
But understanding helps the scars to heal.
Now they can not do what isn’t right for them
They can only help when it suits their needs
They cannot do what they do not want
If they want they’ll laugh while you bleed
She cannot say what’s right for her is right for him
They cannot search for meaning without pain
She suffers his light heart life for too long
Now he laughs at her as she takes him back again
.
You and I cannot deny the judging that we do
When we stand so proud in these justice halls
I used to think these walls could hear
But now I know it’s just these eyes have walls.
