We proudly present an exclusive interview with the band on the work behind "Mr Ginger".

The Boson's Birthday

Mr Tooting: "The song captures the excitement of a crew during birthday preparations for their Boson."

Pervis: "The Boson, the crewman's enemy for 364 days of the year - the man who hands out the orders, and if necessary, the lashings. However, birthdays are special, and well... even for a tyrannical Boson, the crew are prepared to forget their hate for one day and come together in celebration, with a cake made from biscuits. You can taste the salty air, the seaweed and sample the hectic atmosphere on board a small clipper. It opens the first movement of the album on a high with Mr Tooting demonstrating his considerable ability on the Mandolin."

Len: "Aye"

She Was a Man

Mr Tooting: "Though set in the eighteen hundreds, this track was inspired by modern day events. Pervis was enjoying a week in Tuscany on a singles folk holiday. It was late, and the rest of the group were feverishly engaged in performance poetry and high speed basket weaving activities in competition with a local craft troop. Pervis had decided to wonder off on his own for walk on the beach, and after a while got talking to a 'lady' also out for a stroll. Now Pervo suffers from heat exhaustion, and he claims this may have impaired his judgement on that summers evening, but the fact remains that he unwittingly ended up taking another man back to his tent that night. Pervis and myself penned the lyrics on Skye during our 1999 stay after consuming a number of ales with the Tanner on a breezy autumn evening."

Peter and Rene

Pervis: "Peter and Rene are two of the most dedicated fishermen we have ever met. There's not a fact on fish they do not know. They are simple folk that have opted to live out their years onboard a fishing boat called 'The Mountjoy'."

Len: "Aye, we gur back a long way an' a good time is 'ad when thar six o' us get tergether."

Mr Tooting: "The song captures life on board their working vessel."

Pipe People

Pervis: "This is our tribute to the wonderful mountain people of Malumpah that we met during our time in the Southernmost tip of the Andes. We spent a number of weeks in their village trading grain, stories of travel, assorted wicker work and general paraphernalia. On our departure we presented them with this song as a gift to their chief Vikartaa."

The Tuesday Group

Pervis: "During one his extended leaves of absence from bus driving Len decided to form a self help group that would meet every Tuesday. The group encouraged mechanically minded men from all disciplines to come forward and openly express their mutual love. The natural progression from this was to form a working class performance/advice troupe and go on the road (in 'The Tuesday Bus')."

Mr Tooting: "Although they toured as far as Piel Island in the West and Sedbergh in the South they never forgot their Kendal roots. Unfortunately they disbanded due to tobacco differences but besides Len had to start back at the depot for the tourist season!"

Len: "Aye"

Stickleback Frogs

Pervis: "Mr Tooting has spent many-an-hour researching music from the renaissance period and this track reflects the significance of that influence. It tells the soothing tale of life down at the river and describes the everyday activities that our aquatic friends get up to. The gradual fadeout marks the close of the first movement of the album."

Discovering Skye

Mr Tooting: "The title says it all. It's about our early days up on Skye. The feeling of waking up on the misty Isle at the start of the holiday. Pervis wrote the lyrics during a self-imposed exile in a lavatory. The chorus involves all the lads – even Shamus who normally never utters a word can just be deciphered. The middle interlude was inspired by, of course, the Tanner."

Mr Ginger

Pervis: "It all started with Mr Ginger!"

Mr Tooting: "It's so simple and was the first song we ever wrote. Much of this song was recorded in one take which is unusual for us."

Pervis: "That's right! It is more usual for us to painstakingly construct our sonic landscape with an real ear for detail." [Shamus blushes, and briefly leaves the room.]

Mr Tooting: "This is one of Pervis's most commanding performances, while the percussion break showcases Lens' playful sense of comic timing."

Pervis: "Ah yes, you can almost hear Shamus gasp at what Len is allowed to get away with!"

People

Pervis: "I'm afraid, this is my one indulgence on the album. It is the first song that I have ever taken the lead vocal. It's about people from all walks of life and how they come together when joined in dance, music, and song.". This is actually just part one of a 7 part epic. I'm hopeful that parts 2 and 6 will feature on the next album.

The Boy David

Len: "This 'uns about a young lad David who works thar Piel Island ferry at Rampside (mi favourite places apart from the depot)."

Pervis: "We were impressed by this determined young chap. Mr Tooting takes a well-earned rest on vocals and Len comes to the forth with a strong lead vocal."

Shamus: [whispers] "Its a real spiritual song as well, acting as a metaphor for the watershed between adolescence and manhood, the struggle between the freedom of youth and the first dawning of responsibility and family duty."

Len: "Aye, an its got ferries in it an all"

Oh the Man he Came

Pervis: "It's quite a riot this one. We really ruffle some feathers! Very popular with the youngsters".

Mr Tooting: "It tells the tale of how life in an isolated village was changed forever by the arrival of a mysterious stranger, called Ian."

Pervis: "Len works a tribal drumbeat which layers beautifully with the blacksmith working his anvil and the metal worker working his lathe.

Mr Tooting: "The song has an earthy, almost woody feel. A classic!"

The Mists O' Time

Pervis: "This performance poetry with musical accompaniment marks the closing of the second movement of the album. It is dark and broody with many twists and turns."

Shamus: [whispers] "The writer despairs of his self imposed solitude at the lighthouse where he is desperately trying to construe his doomed novel". The pigeon sits outside looking in, the weevils sit inside looking out. It is the end.

Kitten Fever

Mr Tooting: "This is originally a Craftsmen song".

Pervis: "We were delighted that our good friend Tommy Lymouth (ex-Craftsmen) of Coniston was able to join us for this particular session. I recall that he had a particularly stressful day working at the newsagents, but when he sat astride his mini-keyboard his performance was that of a gambling lamb. Pure genius"

Mr Tooting: "That's right, his Dad brought him round to the studio. Tommy makes that track [Pervis nods vigorously].

Shamus: [whispers] "Sure did, he just came in, set up this crazy little keyboard (I mean, it was like a child's keyboard) and then just blew us away. He didn't just make that track, he made it his track. As he started playing, you could actually hear him say under his breath "I'm the Daddy Now...""

Mr Tooting: "His pedigree is second to none – his solo projects are varied and many and include 'Ebony', 'Time for Tommy's Friend', 'Project Lymouth' and the classic "Sideboard Warlord".

Footnote: Kitten Fever was also published on "H.M.S Lymouth", by Project Lymouth, Uniqueness Records.

The Visitor

Mr Tooting: "It captures the excitement of a visit to a place you have not been before."

Len: "Yeah, not even never"

The Music Shoe

Len: "It's a shoe but it's also a music box – what will thur think of next?"

Mr Tooting: "Yes, Pervis brought one back from Japan, its quite amazing."

Bless You fair Shrew

Mr Tooting: "This is about a man struggling to come to terms with time wasted pondering his opinion on polygamy.

Pervis: "Yes, we feel it will appeal to the common man"

The Parson, My Love

Pervis: "This passionate musical sonata describes the unrequited love between a Parson and a member of his flock. It is a sad fact that all to many members of the senior clergy use their positions of trust and power to gain advantage over the weaker man."

Seasons Beauty

Mr Tooting: "This song captures the changing seasons. The slow gradual change from silent winter – to the delights of spring, and then summer. This song was shortened from the full 20 minute orchestral piece due to lack of interest from the rest of the band."

Len: "Aye it wur a long 'un tha' wern"

Pervis: "Yes, my fingers always got rather tired, and I would always forget the order of things."