Back in The XCerts days, ‘She Said’ was a melody that our band were quite taken with. I wrote the song alongside the other two XCerts guys. My brother Kev (Zero Summers) and the guitarist Dave Pepper. We were about 2/3rds of the way through the XCerts musical story. We were writing for fun. Out of the dozens of our self written songs, I absolutely loved this one. Yet I only have a rough as rough as rough cassette copy of She said. Listen below.

My guitarist brother, Steve, at that time, loved ‘She Said’ after he heard it too. So much so that he played it live at gigs with his own band called Alibi. His band were total heavy rock, so I was surprised he wanted to play the song in his set. Unfortunately, I never heard his live gig version of it though. We were both so busy gigging in our own bands heavy schedules that we never got to each others’ gigs.

Here’s the thing! I am now in the process of getting ideas together to record both new and a few favourite old songs, at home. As touched upon in recent blogs themes. I have been chewing over thoughts of which musical considerations to include recently. It would be good now to immediately focus on getting four to five songs worked on. To be completed over the next few months. My brother Steve has been back, alongside myself, and we are playing music together again. We started our first band back in the mid 1970s and played pubs and clubs together. We did part ways in 1977. I wanted to get into playing earthy punk. He wanted to continue playing heavier rock. I don’t think he had a love for those basic punk thrash vibes. Or the safety pins! Ironically……..We never did safety pins.

A few years later in 1981, my own direction changed from Punk/New Wave songwriting love to a Soul based influenced songwriting vibe. Tamla, Stax, Atlantic and Northern Soul sounds provided the influence to write songs to. I revisited those beautiful songs from my early listenings in the mid 1960s. I played alongside John Hewitt (drummer) in a band called Team 23, back in the early 1980s. We toured with The Specials, played with Dexys Midnight Runners and Madness. After we split the band, John and our guitarist Jim went on to play in the band ‘King’. They were pretty successful to say the least. I became a potter. As you do. Then eventually, after many experiences, a staff nurse. Now! Full circle to okay music again.

Team 23. Whatever Moves You.

Out of all the dozens of songs written over the years by myself alone or with others alongside, (Dave, Kev, and Jerome), I have about five firm favourites. One of these is, as said up top, ‘She Said’.

After the initial 40 seconds mess about with seeking how to use the ‘Mac Home Studio’ set up, I would love to focus on a couple of songs and do them properly. A new one, to be decided from a few I am getting to grips with. And a revisited much loved treasure. I passionately want to do ‘She Said’.

A GENTLE AND TENTATIVE PLAY BELOW ON MY BASS, WITH EXPLORING NERVY VOCAL, CHECKING HOW IT MAY SOUND FOR A CONSIDERED UPDATED REVISIT.

A few months back I revisited the bass line briefly and sang a little recall vocal to the tune. See above. Again, this is me once again warbling whimsy. I never sang the original main vocal. Only harmony in the chorus. Dave took the verse reigns. I would love to give it a new total new sound vibe. Now? I want Steve to revisit the song on lead guitar and John to hit the drum skins to it. Get a female vocal inclusion alongside too. It is called She Said after all. Myself to play bass and sing the verses. Kev, my brother, played drums on the original. As a few of you know, he died at 21 years old. It would be perfect to record this again in his memory.

This is one that will be a really nice blog theme project over the coming weeks. Maybe month or two. How ‘She Said’ the song once was back then and how it can be developed from the late 1970s to arrive in the new modern day here and now nearly 45 years later.