'A Twist Of Time' was completed in 2012 from a series of sessions at an underground Gloucestershire studio.
Some songs were complete and ready to record as the first sessions began, others were built in the studio. Barafundle, Red House, The Bridge, New York Broads were constructed around acapella tracks then layered up with cello and harmonica and other instrumentation, and in the case of Barafundle, the extraordinary talents of Coco The Wonder Dog. Some recordings took hours of meticulous layering, while others were less complex. Skunk! was in fact the only run through of the song...
Sessioneers included Rufus Fry on harmonica, Stephan Marlot on cello, Mark Goudswaard on lead guitar, Shane Boothby, bass, Callum Partridge on drums, Patsy Gamble on sax, Josh Richards on ukulele, Laura Manley on acoustic on 'Time' and featuring songwriter David Ireland on backing vocals and guitar.
Something about the songs...
'I Can't Cry'. Sometimes it's hard to mourn. The older I get, the less I am able to pretend, to hide my true feelings. Why would I do that? How much time is there left?
This song was written to express that feeling. Someone passed. I felt nothing. I could not mourn. I could not cry. Nothing has changed.
'Money Matters'. Make me rich, free me from the fear of manilla envelopes upon my doormat. That's what this song is about. We could all use a little more. eBay, Amazon, wonder where the money's gone...
'Sure Feels Like The Blues' does what it says on the guitar case. I may be doing all right, but it sure feels like the blues to me.
'A Shropshire Lad'. I lost a cousin when the first UK ship was hit at the beginning of the Falklands conflict. He was a chef, down in the galley, just seventeen. His brother, serving on the same ship was up on deck. War is futile.
My brother-in-law served in many a conflict, we saw the footage, we heard the stories, but he came back, many didn't come back. War is futile. This song still brings a tear to my eye when I sing it, leaves a quiet noise behind at the gig. It touches the listener.
'Firenze'. We stayed for three glorious weeks near Florence in the early 90s. It was almost impossible to leave this magic city behind. Here I am accompanied by Rufus Fry on Italian Melodian. It evokes for me the wonder of this Tuscan city.
'Curious Cafe' We sat and watched the lovers sipping their Americanos is a town we had spent our student days and nights in and realised suddenly that we were looking back at our younger selves. The boy and the girl at The Curious Cafe. Here I play and sing all of the parts in an homage to the summer of love...
'Time After Time After Time' is purely autobiographical. A personal song thus and unashamedly so. Patsy Gamble plays a wonderful Getzian sax here.
'Baraundle' is my homage to the most beautiful of bays on the Pembrokeshire coast. The wild Atlantic Ocean beats thunderously on the smooth sands, drawing us toward the edge, haunting us, beseeching us to return again and again.
'Red House'. When I was young, I wanted to be a minister, but I was too wicked to be a minister. And I lost my faith. During my art college years (where I studied fashion and textiles) a religious cult infiltrated the college taking the souls of many of our good friends and spitting them out as empty husks of humanity. We escaped. My next book is called Red House.
'The Bridge'. There is a thin line between life and death. I like to think of it as The Bridge.
'Skunk!' Addiction is a hard place to live. This song deals with the ugly side the addict masks. Skunks stink!
There was one take only of this song. One run through to work out the riffs. This recording is the only time we played the track in the studio.
'New York Broads'. During a stint as a social photographer, I attended the wedding of an American couple mere days after 911. Many in attendance has lost loved ones in the twin towers. Grief hung heavy over that summer day. This recording is just me, acapella, for better or for worse.
'Wishes'. How much do we know of each other. How well do we know ourselves? A personal, cryptic song. Very pretty.
'Keeping The Wolf From The Door' - short and sweet. Another real world money song. Do my job, cause times are tight. Just Rufus and I with a bit of doubling up. Wee-ooh!
For up-to-date information on Cas visit www.casimirgreenfield.com
Cas began performing in the late 60s, with a career based in Europe where he supported artists such as Yes, Sparks, BB King. During that time he toured constantly, working both solo and with his band.
A well-known figure on the European music scene in the 70s and 80s, Cas collaberated with artists as diverse as, Sonja Kristina, Kayak, Leonie Janssen, Frans Ehlhart, Herman Van Veen, Boudewijn de Groot and many others.
The new album 'Boy In The Attic' is due for a 2015 release.
With a new found vigour, Cas is writing new material, relevant in today's diverse music scene. The current live experience began with a showcase at WOMAD followed by a handful of select gigs across the West Country. The new album will be supported by a 2015 tour.