Kevin Ayers Turn The Lights Down CD

Recorded live at Waterman's Arts Centre, West London, England on March 10 1995. Includes liner notes by Martin Wakeling.

Pleased with the success of a previous casual collaboration, when his opening act The Wizards of Twiddly had joined him onstage for a couple of numbers, Kevin Ayers started touring with the band intermittently for a year. TURN THE LIGHTS DOWN! captures one of these dates, at the Waterman's Arts Centre in London, for posterity.

Guitarist Carl Bowry and his colleagues lend an added dimension to such Ayers favorites as "Didn't Feel Lonely 'Till I Thought of You," "Lady Rachel," and "Why Are We Sleeping?" The two-piece brass section gives "Am I Really Marcel?" and "May I?" a decidedly woozy Salvation Army feel. Crank up the volume, and LIGHTS serves as a creative highlight of Ayers' low-profile '90s career.

This important Market Square release documents a complete live set from March 10, 1995 when Kevin toured with Liverpool's Wizards of Twiddly. It marked the return of Ayers to a band format after a period of semi-acoustic solo and duo work. The Wizards, with their hybrid of rock and brass instruments, offered the rich canvas against which Kevin Ayers could stretch out. The gig captured here fills in a missing piece of the Kevin Ayers jigsaw. It was the final night of the first UK tour with the Wizards and it is imbued with a rare ambience and energy. 2000.

Kevin Ayers (vocals, guitar).

The Wizards of Twiddly: Carl Bowry (guitar, background vocals); Simon James (flute, tenor saxophone, keyboards, background vocals); Martin Smith (trumpet, horn, background vocals); Andy Frizell (bass, background vocals); Andy Delamere (drums, background vocals).

Personnel: Kevin Ayers (vocals, guitar); Kevin Ayers; Andrew Frizell (vocals, bass guitar); Andy Delamere (vocals, drums); Carl Bowry (vocals, guitar); Simon James (vocals, flute, tenor saxophone, keyboards); Martin Smith (vocals, trumpet, horns); Wizards Of Twiddly.

Audio Remasterer: Martin Mitchell.

Liner Note Author: Martin Wakeling.

Recording information: Waterman's Arts Centre, West London (03/10/1995).