Chapter 16

The four girls had the same room as before, so settled down easily. For Willow, it was like having a slumber party without late night movies, her second in a week. In the morning, they had breakfast in the dining room and then went to get ready. Back in the reception, the band looked as if they were about to perform. The outfits were great, fitted well, and made them stand out from the crowd. Jim Jamieson was non-plussed. He hadn’t been to their shows and had never seen Summer Rose play except for the school concerts.

The instruments had all stayed in the coach overnight, so they all boarded for the trip to Abbey Road. Jill had stayed at the hotel overnight and went with them. On the way, she got the microphone from Sebastian and stood up at the front.

“Today, we have been told that the big studio is available, due to a cancellation, so we’ll be using that. We’ve put six amps in place, so each electric instrument gets one each, which makes it easier in post-production. All of you get microphones and headphones during the sessions. During the day, there will be a backdrop set up, so that we can get photos of you, both individually and as a group. Before you leave, I’ll be handing out the running sheet for the tour. All outdoor venues are at football clubs, and the tour will be part of the Coventry City fundraising, with a portion of every profit going to charity. All three bands will be paid twenty-five thousand at each show, with you missing out the one in Coventry. We have contracted a video company to record every show, with the best bits used in the final product.”

That started some discussion which lasted until they arrived at the gate. Sebastian pulled into the carpark and stopped. Jill led the way out. They waited with their guitar cases while the coach was backed out and the gates shut.

“All right. Selfie time for those who haven’t been here before, and then all phones turned off, please. There’s a lot of electrical equipment in here that doesn’t like radio waves. The main studio is a dead zone anyway. Follow me.”

They followed her through the maze of offices and studios, until they arrived at the main studio. Mister Jamieson had been told about it, during the week, but the sheer size of the space was impossible to describe accurately. The band went to where the amps were set up, with the bags and cases left on seats. Willow and Gina went to the pair of Nord Stage Three’s. Jill followed them.

“As requested, these have been paid for from this month’s income, so have the amps. We can use them for the shows and the deliver them to a designated place after the tour. The amps are all two hundred watt but will have mics at the shows and routed through the PA as well, so they’ll be plenty loud enough. We’ve had forms at all the shops where you’re playing, with space for people to put in contact details to get reserved tickets. The interest is enough for two nights in most venues. We’ll give you some time to warm up and get ready, and then we’ll record the Kansas set first.”

Mister Jamieson and the other three boys were taken up to the main mixing room, where Xavier was greeted warmly by the technicians and the others left to gape at the complexity of the set-up. The band were all given headphones and could hear themselves as they tuned up. Willow looked across to the others and realised that they looked like professional band. Before, they had been good players, now they looked like good players as well. One by one, they were called on for a sound check of instruments and microphones.

When that was finished, Willow said to play ‘Veteran Cosmic Rocker’ which used everyone. The voice said that they were clear to go, and they played the song, feeling the air pressure from the amps behind them. When they finished, the voice told them to wait a while as they consolidated the settings, then told them that they were to play the Kansas set right through, leaving a five second spacing, or more, between tracks. When they were finished, there would be a break before they record the second album. When they were cleared to play, they were back in Kansas, and Willow could hear, through the headphones, that it was considerably better than their original recording. Up in the control room, Mister Jamieson looked down at a group of his students, who had been in class playing Gamelan less than twenty-four hours before, ripping through an album that had been in his own collection when it was released, and sounding twice as good as the original. He now knew why the other music teachers had been so enamoured with these young people with so much talent.

When the last notes faded, nearly an hour later, they waited until the voice told them to take off the headphones and take a break. The band relaxed and Jacob gave Willow a hug, while Brent gave Gina a hug. Willow looked around and Herb was hugging Nancy while Roy was hugging Vivienne. Victor, Bryan, and Edward were having man-hugs. They were all smiling, with all of them certain that they had done better than ever before with that material.

The guitarists left the guitars in stands and they all went to Jill, who had a big tray of drinks. The others came down from the control room. If Frank had been like a puppy when he saw the empty space in Leicester, he was trembling now.

“Willow, up there, Xavier told me was heaven on earth, and now I believe him. Do you plan something like that?”

“I don’t know, Frank.”

Jill was listening and gathered the band to go up and inspect what had affected Frank so hard. When they looked, it was mind-boggling. Willow tried to count the mixer sliders and gave up after forty. The technician asked them which track they wanted to hear, and they agreed on ‘Dust in the Wind’. He located it and played it through big speakers. By the time it finished, Willow was held by Jacob, tears falling on his shoulder. The technician told them that he had recorded many bands, but none had recorded a full album in a single session before.

Willow dried her eyes, and they went back down. There was a photographer with a load of good cameras. The blue screen was erected, and they had pictures taken, with and without instruments, individually and as small groups. Finally, there were pictures taken the full group, and then the other three lads were gathered for pictures. Then there was a voice behind them.

“Hello, you lot. This is getting to be monotonous, thank goodness. The DVD of ‘Journey’ has made it to platinum status. The bosses couldn’t make it today, so you’ll have to make do with me and Harold to make the presentations.”

The presentations were made in front of the blue screen, with each individual getting a Platinum award, including the three technical lads. Then, Clive told them that they would be having lunch in the studio dining room, with extra time for those wanting to visit the shop. He laughed.

“I know that you could have recorded the second album this morning, but we want to leave that record to be broken at a later date.”

They left their awards with their bags, Xavier loathe to leave his, and they followed Jill to the dining room, where they had a good meal. At the shop, Willow bought a set of Pink Floyd mugs and a pair of tee shirts for her parents. They had an album of ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ which she also took.

Back at the studio, she went to Harold Withers.

“Excuse me, sir, but you recorded Pink Floyd here. Do you have ‘Money’ that you can play for us. I would like to run a little experiment this afternoon.”

“I can get the tape out of the vaults, yes. What do you plan to do?”

“That band hasn’t come up in our talk before, but I would like to test this band with you playing it to us a couple of times, and then to see what we can do with it. We have been working on the next album by email, adding our ideas as we go along. We played the entire album for the first time on Thursday evening. I think that we can nail the Floyd sound. If I’m wrong, so sue me!”

He grinned.

“I’ll go and find it while you’re setting up.”

They got themselves back on track and into place. With the headphones back on, they were asked if they wanted to play a warm-up. Willow spoke.

“We’ll play a track called ‘Dummy Spitter’. It has been played at a big event a few weeks ago and the response made us think that it could be a feature single on the website. We’ll play it again within the album, but this will give you something to mess around with.”

“All right. When you’re ready, you’re clear to play.”

They played ‘Dummy Spitter’, the sound being so much better with the big amps and expert mixing. When they finished, they were told that they were clear to play the album. When they finished, they waited a few seconds before relaxing. Before they had a chance to move, Harold came over the headphones.

“I have been asked to conduct a little experiment. How many of you have heard the Pink Floyd song ‘Money’?”

All of the band put a hand up.

“This will be easy for you, then. I’m going to play you the original mix, as recorded here. I’ll play it twice, and then we’ll record you playing it for us. We won’t need the cash register sounds, just the song itself. Are you ready?”

There were laughs and a chorus of yes’s. They heard the original through the headphones. After the first playing, Willow asked Roy if he was happy to be the lead singer, and if Bryan was good with the saxophone part. They both said they were happy, and then Harold played it again. After that, they waited for clearance. When that was given, Victor started with the bass intro, followed by the rest and then Roy singing. The rest of the band sung back-up and Bryan blasted them with the saxophone part. The original was faded on the album, so, when the song neared the end, Willow moved in front of them to signal an abrupt stop.

They all grinned when they removed the headphones and took off the instruments. Harold Withers came down from above and hugged the whole band, one by one, saying that they were freaks.

“When we recorded Pink Floyd, they took two months to record the Dark Side album, less than a dozen songs. They were either high or arguing for a lot of the time. I was just a junior tech at the time, and I was in heaven just to be in the same room. Today, I’m more than proud to be here with you. What you’ve just done was magnificent. Are you sure that it wasn’t a set-up?”

Herb laughed.

“We had no idea that this was going to happen. Did Willow put you up to it?”

“She did, and it has given me some ideas for the future. We’ve recorded some bands here that have never made it to the charts, I’ll find one that you would have never heard before and run this again, the next time you’re here. This does mean that Clive can get songs written for the band that will take only hours to record. Expect to have some good writers busy once you get these albums out.”

“You say ‘next time’ as if it’s expected?”

“I certainly expect to see you back here, Willow. You have just recorded a hit rock album, which I suggest should be the lead one, with the Kansas marketed as a limited edition special. What do you think, Clive?”

“I have to agree. With that ‘Homegrown’ being so good, we could put that out on its own. Nothing wrong with Kansas, but you really aren’t a cover band anymore. Sorry if that upsets anyone.”

Willow looked at Herb.

“This was your baby, Herb. Xavier said that you referred to the original school recording as your lost opportunity. What do you want to do?”

“Look, I’m standing here in Abbey Road, having just recorded an album that a respected producer calls a hit. We did all that we could do with Kansas, and I’m sure that we’ll fit a few songs into future shows. How many would the limited edition be, Clive?”

“If we release ‘Homegrown’ and it takes off like ‘Journey’, we could wait two or three weeks to release the Kansas. Say five hundred and ten thousand copies to give it a chance of going gold. That will give you a window of opportunity to come up with another album for Christmas.”

“All right, the opportunity hasn’t been lost. Is everyone all right with that?”

The rest of the band agreed, and Jill made a note.

“Now, we need you all to stay looking so neat, because we’re taking you out to dinner before we go to the BBC TV studio. Clive and I will stay with you through that. If you’re asked about other projects, you can tell them about the orchestral album that will be released in a little over a week. It does have liner notes that highlight those of you in the orchestra, and more than half of the album has either Willow, Gina, or Jacob as the soloist. We’ll send some to the school to sell and put on their website with a link to our ordering page. A payment will be made to the school with every order that comes through that way.”

They packed up their guitars and other things, and left the studio to go to the coach, which was backed up in the driveway. Everything was packed in the spaces under the coach, and they went on a short sightseeing drive around London, then going up Regent Street to stop outside The Langham, just a walk across the road to Broadcasting House, where the interview was to be recorded.

They all got out, and Sebastian drove off to get his dinner somewhere else. They all went into the Hotel, where they were shown into the dining room. There was a big table set up for eighteen, and the adults had wine while the band all had lemonade or a cola. The meal was good, with the adults all going for an entrée and main course, while the students all went for a main course and dessert. Mindful of the need to eat more meat to lift her iron, Willow had the lamb dish, followed by the speciality Seaside Sundae, which was big enough to share with Jacob.

After the meal, they had a comfort stop and walked over the road. They were directed to the correct studio, where a couple of presenters of a music show were waiting for them. Over the course of an hour, they answered questions about their lives, the school, the way that they became a successful band, and plans for the future. Every member had their say, but Willow and Gina were the main focus. They plugged the new album, the tour, and the fact that all of them would be part of the school orchestra in the last week of the proms.

One of the presenters reached down and lifted up two DVDs.

“One of these has been on the market for a few months. It was filmed in Coventry Cathedral last year and marketed as an interesting classical performance. Since the rise of Summer Rose, it has been rebranded as ‘Coventry Classics volume one’, with new liner notes to reflect the band members that feature in that performance. You were also featured in another performance in the Cathedral recently, and that one will go on the market in a few weeks as ‘Coventry Classics volume two’. How do you feel about the two opposite sides of your music?”

Willow answered that.

“We all go to a school with a strong music stream. We could be in the orchestra, choir, folk group, rock band, or several other pastimes. If we wanted to be actors, we could be on the stage in plays. We played in the Cathedral, but, if we had gone into drama, we could have been on the stage at Stratford. Gina and I have alternated playing organ in the Cathedral for three months. The school is one where talent is nurtured and rewarded with performance opportunities. The technical guys who recorded our DVD are students, and their training is superb.”

At the end, a grand piano was pointed out and the question asked if she could play them out with ‘Her Day’, which had just been voted the most popular wedding song. Willow sat at the piano and gave a heartfelt rendition of the song.

When they were back outside, the coach was waiting for them. The band started to yawn, as it had been a long and exciting day. Clive stood up with the microphone as they were going back to the hotel.

“Thank you, on behalf of the label, with what you’ve all achieved today. Not only did you record your next hit album, but you got through that interview like professionals. With their two DVDs, and our CD, the orchestra will be saturating the market, and the launch of the new album will top that off. One thing that you weren’t told while you were in the studio, is the fact that we have a number of cameras mounted above the control room. Your performance has been recorded, and we’ll show you the product before it’s marketed. Now, get a good sleep and Jill and I will be with you at breakfast to see you off.”

When the coach pulled up at the hotel, they all left the instruments in storage and only took personal bags in, heading for their rooms and a deserved sleep. As they got ready for bed, the four girls had a hug session, then were asleep as soon as the last light was turned off.

In the morning, Willow put the dress on that she had brought for last night. She felt particularly feminine and elegant today. It may have been that she had been treated so well on Saturday, with the interview being more about the band than about her history. All the other girls had brought something nice, so they all looked good when they went down for breakfast.

Jill met them.

“My word, you four look good enough to eat! The lads have brushed up well. The outfits you all had on yesterday, were they specially made?”

“They were made by Madame Francesca of Coventry, an old schoolfriend of my mother. She also supplied the outfits we wore at the Belgrade concerts but hadn’t supplied the guy’s outfits until this weekend. We only got them on Thursday. We looked like a proper band, didn’t we?”

“You sure did! The photos are going to be very handy with the advertising. The individual ones will be used to create life-size pictures of you all, to be used in promotions. Is she doing any more for you?”

“We all have another three outfits to come. They will be ready before the tour.”

“I’m glad that you look nice, Willow. One of the managers at the BBC latched on to your comment that the two of you had been playing the organ for services in Coventry, and we have had a request for you to play the organ this morning. It will be a recording of ‘Songs of Praise’ for transmission later. They have offered a fee, but we will donate that to the charity that the tour will support. Can you play?”

“If the others are happy to go to church on a Sunday, and if both Gina and I share the playing, then I can do it.”

They had breakfast, and then went off to freshen up. They checked out of the hotel and loaded the coach with their bags. Sebastian took them to Trafalgar Square and stopped outside the St. Martin-in-the-Fields church, where a normal service had just finished. A jovial man got on the coach and addressed them.

“Thank you all for coming along. The other service has just finished, and we have time to record two programs of ‘Songs of Praise’. The cameras are being set up as we speak, and the crew have done this many times, so won’t be long. If you just follow me, I’ll take you in. The usual choir are here and fully robed. They will lead the singing, but we allow the congregation to join in.”

He led them into the church and showed the others where to sit before taking Willow and Gina to the keyboard.

“If you want to warm up, please do so. We will record two, one-hour, programs in real time, as if it’s a live performance. I’ve been told by the Bishop of Coventry how good you are, so just be yourselves. We don’t do extra make-up as it’s all friendly and homely. The music for both shows are here, decide which ones that you’re doing and wait for my call. The first tune is an intro to the program which will have the credits added later. It isn’t sung.”

The two friends looked through the music. Both had played everything before. They played paper, scissors, rock to determine who went first. Gina won, so Willow went back to the pews to join the others. An hour later, Gina was playing the last hymn and the church had been filled with singing. She stepped down from the keyboard and asked where the toilets were. Willow went up and warmed her fingers with Bach. There was a small plaque that gave the age of the organ as being installed in nineteen-ninety. For a relatively new instrument, she was impressed with its tonal qualities.

When cleared to start, she played the intro and then started on the list in front of her. An hour later, she was playing the last hymn. The choirmaster congratulated both girls and thanked them for coming. They both told him that it was good to play another organ, adding to their tally. As the band were getting back in the coach, Clive and Jill were standing together.

“You know, I went to Coventry and heard those girls in the Cathedral. It’s hard to reconcile such sweet playing with what they produced yesterday.”

“Don’t worry, Clive. I’m still trying to get my head around seeing Willow playing netball in the schools competition, which her team won, I might add.”

“Have you got the venue list with you?”

“I’ll hand it out now, before they leave for home. Are you calling an Uber?”

“Yes. I’ll drop you off at home. You’ve done well this weekend. We have the orchestra CD launch in two weeks. We might be able to get the girls and the conductor in for that. We definitely need as many of the band as we can get for their album launch. I’m thinking that we can get them to play some Kansas at the first show and have it available as being limited to the show crowd. For the ‘Homegrown’ launch, see if you can get us into Rough Trade. We could use the stage there. If you can get a keyboard set up, we might get Willow to play tracks from ‘Journey’ to get the crowd interested.”

“Will do. I’ll just go and give them the venue list before they leave. Be back in a minute.”

Marianne Gregory © 2025