From billyjenkins.com:
Recording Plans Put On Hold!
'Pissed Off Boy!' ©2004 Nick Corker
'Bemused' is the only word Billy can offer at the fascinating response to the Songs of Praise Live! CD.
Despite brilliant coverage sourced by the lovely PR stars Seb & Fiona and critical acclaim, sales have been somewhat torrid, reflecting a global move away from purchased recorded sound to free file sharing, a preference for listening to single tracks rather than whole albums, a general overdose of regurgitation and a devaluation in music - as the leisure market is dictated by computer led fresh initiatives.
Billy has already completed 'I Am A Man From Lewisham', using the 'Songs of Praise' musicians plus special guest singers Carol Grimes, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, trumpeter Jim Howard, organist Dave Ramm and violinist Charlie Hart and a 14 strong Secular Gospel choir.
The Lewisham collection has been stewing for a long time and completes the regional survey of the guitarist's home turf alongside 'Sounds Like Bromley' (1981),
'Greenwich' (1985) and 'Still Sounds Like Bromley' (1997).
'It was very hard to capture Lewisham as my creativity is often anger driven', says Jenkins, 'and the problem is I love Lewisham very much. However, I think I've nailed it.'
But will it ever be released, or sit on the shelf as are several other collections - in particularly 'The Semi-Detached Suburban Home - Music For Low Strung Guitar' completed in 1994?
This frustrating downturn in sales, coupled with a few knock on complexities and issues with the Babel Label and a personal shift to a 'small is beautiful' period has meant that a proposed January recording project of 'intense large band blues' has been put on hold.
Jenkins, however, remains philosophical.
'It's a fascinating time. Banks talk of a major global economy collapse. Musicians are being forced to provide saleable mainstream work and the knock on effects here in England of the recent change in Licencing and Entertainment laws and the smoking ban (which, now the colder weather is here will really effect drinking habits), aligned with increasingly complex bureaucratic obligations plus the aforementioned changes in listening habits leaves me to quote Mose Allison: I'm not downhearted - but I'm getting there.....'