Well as you can all see I'm terrible at blogging! I guess I don't think my life is interesting enough!

I can't say that my album exactly set the charts on fire but Ive been very happy with the  reviews in record collector and MOjo ...4 stars!! Plus it was nice to get a mention in the Daily Mail the other week.Big thank you to Chris Groom

I went to Germany in May to do a couple of gigs and met a very strange person  called Joerg Hesebeck who  led me a merry dance while |I was there but I also met some lovely people too so my trip was very worthwhile.

I'm looking forward to the autumn when I will be treading the boards as support to Curved Air. We're hoping to do a dvd of one of the gigs so come along to yell and scream all you like!

I can see that this blog is totally useless...no info at all! but I'm busy living it  and right now I have to get something done and posted off...a recollection of anecdotes about my time with Rick Grech and Square Dancing Machine....now when was that exactly? oh only 33 years ago...sigh! Ha ha

See you sometime. xxxxxxxxxxx

Ps I'm putting that my mood is aggravated cos my computer is full of viruses thanks to someone downloading UNSuitable material !!!!

Happy new year everyone! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and that you're raring to go on this new year.
I'm so happy with my new compilation and relieved it's finally out after so many years of hiccoughs (funny spelling eh?) I'm booking gigs around the country so I hope to catch up with you on the road somewhere.I'll also be going to Norway to sing for Steiner Lindblad and his friends and I'm looking forward to that too.

Here at home I'm getting ready to wave off my daughter Su as she goes off to study in Estonia for 3 months.She's on a European Theatre course at Rose Bruford drama school. We've been buying thermals and moon boots cos it's very cold out there. Tara my eldest has gone back to Dublin to Trinity college where she's in her final year,hope she got that essay finished! That just leaves Issy at home with me and Finnalie the dog.

We had fun after Christmas when my friends and I crashed Issy's party! She threw a party for her new boyfriend Dean Heslop(talented musician) to introduce him to her friends(Dean's from Teesside, like me) Of course I was banished to the pub for the evening but the Divil got me at closing time when I invited a few friends back to terrorise the teenagers! As any parent knows, this is just about the most fun you can have with your clothes on.Issy was NOt amused at first but the kids got into the swing of things and instantly gave everyone nick names(Brucie Boner,Harry Potter's dad ,Sexy Sarah and Rod Stewart to name a few!!...never found out what mine was thank goodness )
Christmas went off without a tantrum (we'd already had them by the time Xmas day arrived!) and new year's eve was wonderful, spent with lovely people and sealed with a kiss.... so that leaves today.Today is full of hope and life and goodness.So I better stop writing and get about my business.Love to you all xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Claire

Yey I did it! I finally managed to get my compilation album finished and I'll be launching it on the high seas of popular opinion on November the 19th with a party at the Brass Monkey here in sunny Hastings.You're all welcome to come .

I'll be performing some of the songs culled from my songbook and no doubt looking back a little, with so much fondness, to everything that has brought me to this point in my life.I feel that the world is opening up again for me and I'm about to walk through another door.

I never thought that this was how my story would have gone.If you'd asked me when I first signed my deal in 1971 what I though I'd be doing now,well at 17 I don't think I had any concept but I thought I'd be rich and famous by the time I was 24!! Ha Ha very funny!!
I must admit, I wouldn't change a thing, well maybe just one,I think I would have left out the perms!
love to you all as ever, sorry I don't keep blogging but there's soooo much to do! I'll write again before christmas
love and kisses
Claire

MY NEWS
we'll folks it's official! I have just signed a record contract with Esoteric Records.I'm really excited about this new development in my life.As many of you will know ,I have been working for my own label in the past few years and loving having control over my music.There comes a time however,when you just have to move on.That time is NOW!
My new partners at Esoteric are Mark and Vicky Powell.They'll be very important people in my life as they'll help me to reach more of you.
Our first release will be my compilation album,you know,the one I've been working on for the last 5 years! It will be out in November...just in time for you to order for Christmas.
Thanks to you all for your continued interest in me,your lovely messages have encouraged me to keep going when the going got tough!!
Big Kiss
Claire

I bet you all thought it was just a figment of my imagination but no,here I am in my Vivienne Westwood skirt jivin' around with the boys.You can see how annoying I was ,trying to get all the attention !! No wonder it didn't last!!.It's fantastic to see this footage again even if my shoes are weird!

The tracks I put up last week show you where I was coming from as you can hear I was getting quite"rocky" by this time,late 70's early eighties. Wishbone was a natural progression...oh great band,still are!.... happy memories....

Hey folks if you'd like a free copy of " Love you so" my version of that great "FREE" song and a copy of "Ultra Violet Light" with Gary Numan ,Alan White and Laurie Wisefield you can download both these songs for one week only..then I'm having them back..Well,a girls gotta make a living somehow!! xxx

Hello my dear friends,thanks for dropping by,I hope you're all well.
I thought I'd put up some new songs(at last !) and let you hear a couple of tracks from the 70s and 80s.

The first is by one of my favourite bands,"Free".I don't know how I came to record this track but I love it. You can hear how influenced I had become by all the rock bands I was listening to and touring with. I love Phil Palmer's guitar and the backing vocals of Vicky Brown(Sam brown's mum) and Doreen Chanter.I think they sound great and I'm proud of the vocal arrangement I wrote for them.
Track two is by Jon Anderson. Jon had this song idea kicking around and asked me if I would like to finish it.I added a couple of lyrics and took it to the studio.Unfortunately my voice wasn't at it's best.All that weed I was smoking was taking it's toll (bad girl!) I still like the song though!

I've had a couple of e-mails from Gary Numan fans and I'm very happy to include "Ultra Violet Light" in this song selection.I was married to Beggars Banquet boss Nick Austin so of course I knew Gary. He kindly agreed to play on this track for me along with Alan White and Laurie Wisefield who were curious to meet him as he was storming the charts at the time.

Anyone who has seen me live knows that "trees" is my favourite track.It reminds me of my days in the countryside of East Sussex playing with my little daughters in the garden.This song is about solitude.It was a busy time for me so I guess I was dreaming of some time out!

My tour will end tomorrow night in Brentwood.It has been fantastic to get out and about and meet new friends and I will be spending some of my time this summer trying to book another tour in the autumn. I will also be working on a new writing project. Please let me know if you would like me to come and sing at a town or village near you.
Have a great summer
lots of love
Claire xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

My tour has been wonderful though I didn't get to grips with the marketing as I'm still waiting for my album to be finished,never mind.I've met some wonderful people who have given me so much in the way of support for my music and that's been great.
Something unexpected happened. When I stayed with my friend Sarah in Leicester(I was playing "The Musician" and "hello" to everyone there),she asked me if I'd like her little dachsund! She's selling her farm and needed a home for Finnalie.Of course I said yes!! what a suprise!
I can't wait to do more live work in the autumn.I promise to make the effort to come round the country to as many far flung places as possible...still haven't made it up to Dundee to see Mo Bann when I've been promising him I'd come up.I promise to play St Alban's some time this year,I've got to sing for Kevin and Trevor.
So on with things.Just Worksop, Barton on Humber and Brentwood to go....see you!
love
claire
ps my little dog Finnalie is settling in nicely

Hello my darling happy new year! thanks for coming to my blog to read my news.It has started well for me.I have met the lovely "Blackhearts" through Myspace and they have agreed to support me on tour dates we'll be booking throughout the year to celebrate the release of my compilation album and 35 years of music.So look for us in the gigs section.
My brother Damian was just here visiting me and he has helped me to re-arrange my studio.You may know that I split with my long-term partner Andrew Warren.Sadly when Andrew left, so did the studio! I have now fixed myself up with a software program to get me started recording again and I'm going to be putting in some work to get my head round it all...arrgh technology! Actually,if the truth be known I'm really looking forward to making this year my most creative yet.I have Jupiter in my 5th house so that augurs well(for all you astro freaks like me!)Most of all i really look forward to meeting more of you as I travel further afield....HAPPY NEW YEAR ...kisses
claire xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hello my myspace friend.I just thought I'd let you know about the new songs I've put up for you.Gosh the old tracks sound so "toppy" and my little voice on.."the man who cannot see tomorrow's sunshine" ...eee i sound sooo young!I love John Martyn's guitar on that track and  big thank you to Mike Coles for writing the great lyrics.Can you hear Ray Davies on backing vocals on ..."something to believe in.".? I can hear the raspiness in my voice due to all the drink and drugs i was consuming in those days(don't tell the kids).The lead vocal on "oregon inlet" is a first take demo vocal that we ended up keeping because we liked it and what better reason to have! Lots of love and thanks for dropping by.

Just want to say thank you to everyone who helped and came to support the Guatamalan charity evening..we raised £361, a fantastic result.I have had a grateful message of thanks from Maria de los Angeles Hernandez.We did a lot of good that night ..bless you

big kissX

claire