Morning peeps!

Well, the demos are done and the musicians are learning. The first rehearsal didn't take place, largely because of prohibitive hangovers, but we'll be getting together before the end of this week to bang the world to rights. All I can say is that those who've heard the demo album are really pleased. Gonna be the sound of the summer and no mistake!!

Currently have Sakura from Roi Schaider working on a Japanese lyric on the theme of bringing down Paul McCartney. Hope you'll all enjoy it. The man has to be stopped, don't you think?

Anyway, ciao for now.

Jon

So The Loving Oven keeps on growing. The 11 or so songs are pretty much finished, but I'm not gonna be able to sing them all. Dai Evans (from Nanbanjin) and Warren Fryar (from Cut Flowers) may come in to do a song each, and Richie Lines (from England) will be recording a vocal (in England) and performing via DVD at each gig! Technical!!

Finished a song called "Appetite" today, which is about SEX!! Hurrah! Always happy when sex gets in the way of things.

Anyway, more soon. Recording should get underway purdy soon...

The Loving Oven is gonna be based around my songs (I'm Jon, by the way), rearranged and performed by a bunch of pretty hip musicians who are based in Fukuoka, Japan. I know it sounds like any other old band, but I have a feeling this might be a bit special. Fate is on our side!

For example, I've been emailing Aki all week persuading her to come and do some singing with us. She's an enthusiastic jazz vocalist who I've performed with a couple of times before, and a real live wire. She finally agreed to have a listen to some demos, so I set about writing up lyrics for her to get her laughing gear around (hey hey!)

Plonked myself down in a random Fukuoka cafe this afternoon with pen and paper and very little inspiration, when who should serve me but none other than Aki! Didn't know she did waitressing part time, but there you go. I think she's a bit of a hippy, 'cause she started going on about stars and destiny - whatever - but it seemed to encourage her and she agreed to come to a rehearsal on Saturday evening.

The other members are Dee Simmons - formerly the drummer with none other than Curtis Mayfield (Dee's a bit older than the rest of us), Dave Borgeson - my sometime co-member of Cut Flowers, and Masaya. Yes, that's his real name. Yes, he lives up to it. He's saved the human race before, and he'll do it again.

Anyway, nothing's formal yet. First rehearsal on Saturday - more of a jam really - but I've got a sneaky feeling this might be something to look forward to. Anyway, Dee's gonna help produce the album I've almost finished writing, and we'll be recording soon. Hope to get the CD out in May, but that might be wishful thinking. Probably do a couple of dates in May - Oita and Fukuoka look likely - so watch this space.