Lion Hearted!
The story behind the Lionhearts recordings
We have released some rare recordings from the DENIGH archive for streaming on YouTube Music, under the heading DENIGH LIONHEARTS.
A little known piece of the band's history is that in 1994, Jon coaxed Steve Maddock (guitarist and also a founder member of the band) to perform a handful of local gigs. The line up consisted of:
Jon (bass/vocal/keyboard)
Steve (lead guitar)
Pete Yarwood (drums/backing vocal)
Jon and Pete are good friends, and by 1994 had already worked together in two other bands:
NO REGRETS with Kev Partridge (lead guitar) and Dave Forward (keyboards)
KINGS OF SIAM, which was Pete and Jon's Prog Rock band with Sean Gaffney (lead guitar), and Paul Barnes (keyboards). * See footnote below
We cannot recall all of the '94 gigs, but they included The Harp Club, Grace Hill in Folkestone. The last gig was at the White Lion in Cheriton, and this is where these recordings were made, hence the title LionHearts.
The recordings were very simply made from a stereo line out from the PA mixing desk, so the levels of the vocals and instruments are 'locked' together - meaning, what we've got is what we've got! However, the tracks stand up in their own right, being powerful performances of the time.
Apart from the bands very first demo tape in 1978, we had no other recordings of Steve playing, until these tapes came to light. His guitar work on Fire From The Sky in particular, is astonishing.
Steve's gear was an Ibanez Jem, playing through a Marshall 100w combo amp.
More info about Steve's 'Jem' is below.
Jon had his blond fretless bass, thundering through a Marshall 300w Jubilee bass stack.
Jon also played a Roland Juno 6 keyboard with floor pedals.
Pete was using his Pearl Export kit with Roto-Toms, Octobans and 'all the bells & whistles'!
And finally, to make these releases possible, all the tracks were prepared by our own Paul Mackenzie-Smith, who many will know was our first sound engineer. Thank you Smiff!
* Of further interest, Ian recorded and produced a seven song demo for 'Kings' back then.
Links to DENIGH LIONHEARTS - Live 1994
Bed Of Nails
Three Sparrows
Three Sparrows
Undoubtably played at every DENIGH performance.
Ian Devlins, Bed Of Nails
Three Sparrows
Three Sparrows
Three Sparrows
This very early song was written by Steve Maddock, Ian and Jon
Losing Control
Three Sparrows
Fire From The Sky
Another early, original rocker written by Ian
Fire From The Sky
Fire From The Sky
Fire From The Sky
A favourite, fast and loud rocker written by Jon and Phil Allchin
Give Me Strength
Fire From The Sky
Give Me Strength
This stylish rocker was written by Martyn 'Arry' Harris, with Phil and Jon
Ironclad
Fire From The Sky
Give Me Strength
Written by Phil and Jon, this rocker delivers
no nonsense and no excuses !
Foxy
Foxy
Foxy
Ian and Jon created Foxy around the winter of 1979 and the song became a favourite at gigs. We remember there was always someone in the crowd shouting 'Foxy'!
Steve's Ibanez Jem - Featured
This guitar was an utterly blinding Super Strat introduced in the late 1980's.
We guess Steve got his around 1990.
The body was finished in lime green paint, the control knobs were brightly coloured and it had a rosewood fretboard that was inlaid with a mother of pearl 'Tree of Life'.
There was also a rather quirky 'Monkey Grip' cut out in the body, above the pick-ups. (see picture). It was an unusual looking guitar to say the least, but the sound was amazing, producing unbelievable clarity in the high register and exquisite pinched harmonics.
Its great to hear Steve playing it again.