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The Game Begins With The Lights Out

by Iain Hornal

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1.
Tear your hair out But you can't reach it Strain the tightrope Stand high beside and watch it We can try Try We won't be free tonight Sitting, staring at the sky Take your time now Don't drive the nights out Leave the sheets on The game begins with the lights out We can try Try We won't be free tonight Sitting, staring at the sky We can try Try We won't be free tonight Sitting, staring at the sky
2.
Games, we can play games Throwing our money down Rolling our hearts around And hoping that they land together Fine, everything’s fine Keep it up on a shelf I wish you could read yourself Printed up and bound in leather (I can’t stop you) Running away (Nothing changes) Running away from love (You can’t help) Running away (Get, set, go, you’re) Running away from love This is what it is What were you hoping for Your own key to heaven’s door A saviour and a stand-in father Stay just for a change Why don’t you stay awhile Indulge me in my denial And help me make the morning harder (I can’t stop you) Running away (Nothing changes) Running away from love (You can’t help) Running away (Get, set, go, you’re) Running away from love (Bye bye, you’re) Running away (Nothing changes) Running away from love (You can’t help) Running away (Get, set, go, you’re) Running away from love I know you can’t resist the big bad world (Running away from love) All that you might have missed The lustre of the pearl (I can’t stop you) (Nothing changes) (I can’t stop you) Running away (Nothing changes) Running away from love (You can’t help) Running away (Get, set, go, you’re) Running away from love (Bye bye, you’re) Running away (Nothing changes) Running away from love (You can’t help) Running away (Get, set, go, you’re) Running away from love
3.
It’s a long, long walk, but I walked alone Party of the century and no-one’s home As I turned away, thought I heard a song Put it down to madness and soldiered on But there it was, your sad refrain Crying someone else’s name You gave yourself away Jennifer, why did you do that baby? Jennifer, you threw it all away Jennifer, you changed your mind so quickly Jennifer, and now there’s nothing left to say Don’t know where I’ve been, don’t know if she’s gone Not sure where I’m going or what she’s on Just one memory of a dusty road And a weary traveller in hopeful mode The sky cracked open when you came Like you needed me to feel more pain With every drop of rain Jennifer, why did you do that baby? Jennifer, you threw it all away Jennifer, you changed your mind so quickly Jennifer, and now there’s nothing left to say Jennifer, why did you do that baby? Jennifer, you threw it all away Jennifer, you changed your mind so quickly Jennifer, and now there’s nothing left to say Jennifer, why did you do that baby? Jennifer, you threw it all away Jennifer, you changed your mind so quickly Jennifer, and now there’s nothing left to say
4.
Caledone 03:08
Caledone You said he called you on the phone You said his words wrapped around you And kept you warm Evening time He doesn’t dance, just buys you wine Soon he decides your both leaving Still, his words were worth believing Why, oh why Do you spend the night deceiving yourself Why He takes you home Closes the door and disconnects the phone All of the walls pull towards you And you’re so alone Caledone You close your eyes and turn to stone And as the words lose their meaning You tell yourself you’re only dreaming Why, oh why Do you spend the night deceiving yourself Why Why, oh why Do you spend the night deceiving yourself Why
5.
She could be talking to anyone But sir, it seems you’re the lucky one Of all beggars in the Helix tonight She can’t get enough of you She always seemed like a mystery But now she’s spilling her history Your beating heart and churning stomach agree She can’t get enough of you But I can see she’s such a lonely girl Woah And I can she she wants you in her world She says it’s been the same since she was young She says she doesn’t have anyone She says it’s been the same since she was young When all is said and done She doesn’t have anyone The more you’re talking you realise I certain sadness behind her eyes And when she thinks that you could take it away She can’t get enough of you But I can see she’s such a lonely girl Woah And I can she she wants you in her world She says it’s been the same since she was young She says she doesn’t have anyone She says it’s been the same since she was young When all is said and done She doesn’t have anyone Then when you turn around you notice right away That everybody’s gone home You’ve got to find yourself a place to hide away And show her she’s not alone She says it’s been the same since she was young She says she doesn’t have anyone She says it’s been the same since she was young When all is said and done She doesn’t have anyone Woah Woah Woah She doesn’t have anyone
6.
Quit You 03:14
I know how to quit the mountains I know how to quit the sun I know how to quit the need I have To win over everyone I can hold me down in valley I can black out all the light I can tell myself I don’t need to be perfect to be right But I wish I knew how to quit you Oh I wish I knew how to quit you I know how to love another I know how to make her smile I know how to hold her baby as if I recognise the child But my heart is with you lover And her lips are in denial And your empty hands are beckoning for a life so infantile But I wish I knew how to quit you Oh I wish I knew how to quit you I know how to quit the mountains I know how to quit the sun I know how to quit the need I have To win over everyone I can hold me down in valley I can black out all the light I can tell myself I don’t need to be perfect to be right But I wish I knew how to quit you Oh I wish, I wish I knew How to quit, how to quit you Oh I wish I knew how to quit you
7.
Dangerous men tread so carefully They look for company in living room lights Fantasy friends born of images Roam the villages and set the skies alight Stay safe at home tonight Lock lovers out of sight Lock bone and muscle tight Watch out for dangerous men Sleep with an open eye Mourn every broken tie Yearn for the open sky Watch out for dangerous men Dangerous men smile so heavenly They trawl Gethsemane for cousins to kiss Fantasy friends born in factories Lead you to Calvary, too happy to assist Stay safe at home tonight Lock lovers out of sight Lock bone and muscle tight Watch out for dangerous men Sleep with an open eye Mourn every broken tie Yearn for the open sky Watch out for dangerous men Watch out for dangerous men Mmm dangerous men Watch out for dangerous men Woah
8.
It's sink or swim When the ship has sailed Did we win or fail It's change my name Or break in two Did we gain or lose Well the road was straight but we still got lost We could negotiate our way through this but at what cost We're drifting whispers on the grape vine We're two wheels spinning off a straight line We're different places at the same time We're different places at the same time I'll hold you close Take away your fears But I can't cry your tears I'll hold my breath As I wait for you But I can't make your move Well the road was straight but we still got lost We could negotiate our way through this but at what cost We're drifting whispers on the grape vine We're two wheels spinning off a straight line We're different places at the same time I won't break to make you mine No I won't break to make you mine Not this time Well the road was straight but we still got lost We could negotiate our way through this but at what cost We're different whispers on the grape vine We're two wheels spinning off a straight line We're two victim of the same crime And it kills me that you're not mine We're different places at the same time We're different places at the same time
9.
Window watching, streets out of shape And the dust obscures the light Coloured conversations escape Only further feed the lie And it seems like Summer never came and Captured in glass, pictures of past Never true but always bright Come the darkness, come the night Long the grass has grown over time So the shade blacks out the trees Children play at standing in line And the wind ignores the leaves As the sparrow rests on broken wings and Captured in glass, pictures of past Never true but always bright Come the darkness, come the night Rain, wash away Free the fist of oil and canvas Day disappear Cloak the faces with facade of night
10.
There's that broken smile I've seen it before The one that caught me out On the stair by the stage door Creases in your gown I wouldn't want to see Your glory watered down With perfection Watch me take a dive Into your hopes and fears There's always a surprise At the river bed of tears I'll take you as you come Even on your darkest day I wouldn't want it, wouldn't want it Any other way Any other way Wouldn't wanna see You feel the need to be Any other way Hanging from your neck Is a pendant sun It beams at your command Til you deem the day undone Sighs like crunching waves Send me crashing through the bay I wouldn't want it, wouldn't want it Any other way Any other way Wouldn't wanna see You feel the need to be Any other way But when you cry It rains down on me When you cry It rains down on me Underneath your frown sheltered from the rain I can take my rest Darling I can share your pain You can just be you Every minute, every day I wouldn't want it, wouldn't want it Any other way Any other way Wouldn't wanna see You feel the need to be Any other way But when you cry It rains down on me When you cry It rains down on me
11.
Every day’s an opportunity To get it wrong in a fresh new way, girl Really ramping up the lunacy Twisting every single word you say, girl Give it up, give it all away Sell the cats and the television You know it’s never gonna work this way I’ll only ever sabotage the mission Oh if only I could Change my ways then I would Get out of bed on the winning side Trade a problem for the right solution Give the world what it’s been denied Be a man, make a contribution Oh if only I could Change my ways then you would see What I could be Speak the truth Tell me what to do Say the word, say the word Give me a sign Write it in the sky Say the word, say the word Swaying on the precipice of reason The lightest breeze ’n’ I’ll be falling, falling So hold me tight Our arms are all we have tonight Forget today Just let it fade away In the beginning was the wonderland Where man and woman wandered hand in hand And all was good and right Some angels fall and some are called to stand They scatter stars above the sea and sand To light our darker nights The shallow smile of my distraction Loses its crescent curl when you call my name And all the while your every action Speaks to a deeper love that I can’t explain Speak the truth Tell me what to do Say the word, say the word Give me a sign Write it in the sky Say the word, say the word Swaying on the precipice of reason The lightest breeze ’n’ I’ll be falling, falling So hold me tight Our arms are all we have tonight Forget today Just let it fade away And when I’m a fool Excuse my behaviour Sweet lady and saviour Don’t give up on this prize-winning fool Until I’ve truly heard Say the word, say the word Say the word, say the word Say the word, say the word

about

BUY LP: alturl.com/rqey6
BUY SIGNED LP: alturl.com/rnsb8

This album took a whopping eight years to create, on down-time in between gigs and tours. It was recorded in multiple locations and features performances by twenty guest performers, part of a larger network of my musical pals which I would later nickname The Hornal Family. When I started recording the initial sessions with Paul Stewart and Kevin Jeremiah at The Feeling’s rented studio space in North Kensington, I was still in mourning for my band Genius, which I’d halted unceremoniously eighteen months previous. Being in a band had been hard work but we’d made some great music and I was discovering some kind of musical identity through working with my co-conspirators. My intention had been to crack straight on with solo work, but after the last few months of change and uncertainty in the band I was deeply insecure about who I was and what music I should make - as if there could possibly be correct answers to those questions. The game had indeed begun with the lights out.

After a prolonged period of self-doubt and another productive yet ill-fated attempt at being in a band, I began phase two of the album. Working with my friend Lorenzo De Feo, initially with the intention of starting a completely fresh project (for which Running Away and Dangerous Men, both featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor, had originally been conceived) I eventually came back to the idea of completing my solo record. We revisited the North Kensington sessions, and started working on new material. With Lorenzo’s garage in Buntingford as my base, I wandered to and from a whole host of other musical friends’ houses and studios, armed with a microphone, a laptop and a new sense of determination to get this thing done.

Both Lorenzo and I ended up getting so busy with other work that we struggled to find time to get together, so I took all the audio files and set out to finish recording the album on my own. I asked Jo Webb to play some guitar on a new arrangement of Running Away, which had started life in the final Buntingford session. Jo said “can I just try something?” and proceeded to decorate the track with layer upon layer of synthesiser - a direction I hadn’t imagined for my straight ahead, somewhat rootsy singer-songwriter album. I loved what he’d done, even though it wasn’t what I’d envisioned. We both knew we wanted to work on more stuff together, and thus phase three began.

The challenge now was to work through sessions from phase one and two, deciding what worked, replacing what didn’t, and bringing it all together (along with Jo’s Juno-splattered landscapes) to give it a sense of sonic cohesion. As the album seemed bigger in scope and ambition by this point, I decided to include an epic finishing track. Say The Word was the first piece I had written with legendary songwriter Graham Gouldman; a mini-suite with a 70s stomp which we would sing together. Recruiting 10cc co-founder Kevin Godley for a cameo vocal appearance was the cherry on top. I even had the pleasure of performing the song with 10cc on recent tours; it was a great honour to me that GG deemed it worthy of inclusion in a set list full of so many wonderful and classic pieces.

Following an intense period of mixing, Jo and I took a trip to Abbey Road Studios where we joined Alex Wharton for a mastering session for the vinyl and CD/digital versions. As we departed those hallowed halls I knew that we had created a record of which I was proud, a colourful and ambitious piece of art-pop with a lot of heart. We just hope you like it too…

Produced and mixed by Jo Webb and Iain Hornal - jowebb.com
Mastered by Alex Wharton at Abbey Road Studios abbeyroad.com/engineer/alex-wharton
Engineered by Jo Webb, Iain Hornal, Lorenzo De Feo, Tristan Longworth, Kevin Jeremiah, Paul Stewart, Dan Gillespie Sells, Richard Lobb, Tom Billington and Ivan Jackman
Artwork by Nick Oliver - designerinacoffeeshop.com

All songs by Iain Hornal except where mentioned.

Staring At The Sky (Iain Hornal/Ben Stone)
Iain Hornal - vocals, acoustic guitar
Jo Webb - synths, piano, electric guitar, bass, vocals
Lesley Hornal-Oldham - vocals

Running Away
Iain Hornal - vocals, electric guitar
Jo Webb - synths, vocoder, electric guitar
Sophie Ellis-Bextor - vocals
Tim Bye - drums, percussion
Kit Mlynar - saxophone

Jennifer
Iain Hornal - vocals, bass, banjolele, tambourine, hand claps
Jo Webb - synths, electric guitar, hand claps
Tom Billington - banjo, vocals
Sinead Quinn - vocals
Ciaran Jeremiah - piano, vocals
Paul Stewart - drums
Rich Milner - organ
Richard Lobb - banjolele
Mike Stevens - alto saxophone
Kit Mlynar - baritone saxophone

Caledone
Iain Hornal - vocals, bass, acoustic guitar, tambourine, shaker
Jo Webb - synths, electric guitar
Ciaran Jeremiah - piano
Paul Stewart - drums
Lorenzo De Feo - slide guitar
Rich Milner - organ

She Doesn’t Have Anyone
Iain Hornal - vocals, bass, tambourine
Jo Webb - synths, electric guitar
Ciaran Jeremiah - piano
Paul Stewart - drums
Rich Milner - organ
Kit Mlynar - saxophone
Sinead Quinn - vocals
Marva Jeremiah - vocals
Lesley Hornal-Oldham - vocals

Quit You
Iain Hornal - vocals, bass, acoustic guitar
Jo Webb - synths, electric guitar
Ciaran Jeremiah - electric piano
Paul Stewart - drums, shaker

Dangerous Men
Iain Hornal - vocals, bass
Jo Webb - synths, electric guitar, percussion
Sophie Ellis-Bextor - vocals
Tim Bye - drums
Tim Jackson - piano
Mike Stevens - saxophone

Different Places (Iain Hornal/Anna Krantz)
Iain Hornal - vocals, bass, acoustic guitar
Jo Webb - synths, electric guitar
Anna Krantz - vocals
Ciaran Jeremiah - piano
Tim Bye - drums

Pictures Of Past
Iain Hornal - vocals, acoustic guitar
Jo Webb - synths
Dan Gillespie Sells - vocals, harmonica
Ciaran Jeremiah - vocals
Rich Milner - organ

Any Other Way
Iain Hornal - vocals
Jo Webb - bass, synths, electric guitar
Ciaran Jeremiah - piano
Paul Stewart - drums

Say The Word (Graham Gouldman/Iain Hornal)
Iain Hornal - vocals, tremolo guitar
Jo Webb - piano, synths, electric guitar, percussion
Graham Gouldman - vocals, bass, acoustic guitar
Kevin Godley - vocals
Tim Bye - drums
Matt Berry - narration

credits

released February 2, 2017

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Iain Hornal St Albans, UK

Songer/singwriter and touring member of 10cc & Jeff Lynne's ELO. Many streams of influence flow through Iain's music - flashes of classic rock that suggest David Bowie, Tom Petty & Elvis Costello blend with the lush harmony and rich textures of The Beach Boys and Crowded House. His music is undeniably pop, but drawn from an era when pop music had a brain, a soul, and a heart. ... more

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