If you listen to ‘Guy Garvey’s Finest Hour’ on Sunday evening you’ll know that he’s recently been staying at Real World Studios - holed up in the Prod Cottage working on ideas for the next Elbow record. Turn on the radio, watch the TV, or go to make a cup of tea -Guy Garvey is omnipresent and riding high, with many people returning from the festival via the studios holding up the Glastonbury Elbow set as the highlight of the weekend.
With all these Elbow and Guy Garvey cues I was drawn back to the film I made last year as part of Peter Gabriel’s ‘Scratch My Back’ project. Peter sang Elbow’s ‘Mirrorball’ and they reciprocated with a version of ‘Mercy Street’. In the Peter, Guy, arranger John Metcalfe and producer Bob Ezrin talk about the project. We didn’t have very long with Guy on the day of the filming, but he was a dream subject, talking with real passion and depth about the track - it was like getting blood from an artery.
“We chose to cover Mercy Street because it’s such an amazing song, It’s my favorite from SO. Also because there’s a real tenderness and understanding in the lyrics. Before I knew anything about Anne Sexton or her poetry - the song is about and dedicated to her- I just knew that there was a real comfort to the song” Guy Garvey
“you never know quite what people are going to do with your tracks. With this one they’ve been fantastic people to work with, very easy, open and straight forward, and the music is stunning.” Peter Gabriel
The EP of the two tracks is available exclusively via ITunes.
Loney dear
The Appearance of Colour
The Radiophonic Workshop
Roddy Woomble at Kings Place
A Guy Called Gerald on Loudness
The Power of Distortion
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