This Big Beat reading by PJ Proby from David Britton's notorious Lord Horror novel—recorded at The Cutting Rooms studio, Crumpsall, Manchester, all of four-and-a-half years ago—is finally ready to trouble an unsuspecting world.

This disc sounds like nothing else on this planet or any other. The reading contains musical and atmospheric samples and has a string accompaniment performed by members of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Musical arrangements are by Stephen Boyce-Buckley, mixing and samples by David Britton and John Coulthart, and production by Britton and Michael Butterworth. The disc comes with a 12-page full colour picture booklet with illustrations by Kris Guidio, including quotes from Schopenhauer, Flaubert, Pirandello, Geoffrey Robertson, Kafka... as well as from the book itself. The packaging is a deluxe digipak affair looking like a small, black, evil book, in reflection of the work's literary origins. Official release date is 28th June, 1999, priced at £15.95. Mail order details are available in the Orders section.

PJ photographed during
the recording of Lord Horror

The follow-up 'talking book', a reading from Britton's second novel Motherfuckers, is currently at the planning stage, and features the usual Savoy production team. That book's central chapter, Oi Swiney, will, we hope, be read by the great theatre actress Fenella Fielding. Now there's something for all you Gorehounds to get your jollies out to!

Further Reading: John Coulthart's article, Germany Calling, for an account of the creation of the Lord Horror CD.

April is the cruellest month...

Savoy shows once again its unparalleled eclecticism in the miscegenation of the artistic and the populist as the Bard of the Bank meets the Voice of the Swamp. T S Eliot's work of 1922 is the great monument of poetic Modernism, here given rich and varied life by PJ Proby's vocalisations. As with the Lord Horror reading (the dark mirror of this disc), P J demonstrates that, where an actor might be more 'proper' in his overall presentation, a lifetime spent singing rock'n'roll gives the performance a presence which would otherwise be totally lacking. Here too is the opportunity to witness more of Proby's unique characterisations, especially in the pub conversation at the close of 'A Game of Chess'. Anyone balking at the American accent should remember that Eliot was, like P J, an American by birth, living in England. This recording should not be confused with the version of The Waste Land on the flip of Heroes. This is the complete, and immeasurably superior, work.

Packaged in Mondrian homage graphics by John Coulthart for that extra touch of Modernity.

Official release date is 18th September, 1999, priced at £10.95. Mail order details are available in the Orders section.

'Hurry up please it's time...'

This new Savoy single inspired by the notorious Brighton-based landlord, with vocals by Jessie Matthews, has been recorded and is awaiting final mixing. Release date 200?.

A Savoy 'pop' song—our first—in Spice Girls / Kylie Minogue mode, with a lyric incorporating lines by William Blake. It's a little gem, and we're only waiting for Pete Waterman to phone us to arrange the final mix! You should see this in the Top Ten for late 200?

Left: De Lord by D Britton