Armed & Dangerous by Dark Company. Album: Signmaker Download: https://wudrecords.bandcamp.com/track/armed-dangerous Lyrics by P. Greatorex. Music by G. Davies/P. Greatorex/S. Lock/J. Willmot. Recorded, mixed and produced by George Davies at Silent Running Studios Exeter, Autumn 1991. Remastered at Wud Records Studios 2010. Copyright © 2010 Wud Records. Copyright ℗ 1990 D & G Music/Explicit Music. Performers: Peter Greatorex – vocals George Davies – electric and acoustic guitars, bass, Boss DR55A drum machine Sammi Lock – flute Jeff Willmot – soprano sax Rowena Parsons – tenor sax ARMED & DANGEROUS In the circus there’s a uniform for fun The love they got is fired from clownish guns But it’s so dangerous Armed laughter changing us Warmed up with a yellow paper sun Each act in line comes right in on cue Bringing our emotions into view And it’s so dangerous Armed laughter changing us Next time bring your mind along with you There’s a pistol in my smile It shoots grins for miles and miles But look into my eyes The reflection’s saying goodbye Outside the ring we sit and blankly stare Nobody but our own selves in the chair But it’s so dangerous Armed laughter changing us Close your eyes and no-one knows you’re there With animals such tricks are neatly made They nod and wink in terminal parade It’s oh so dangerous Armed laughter changing us Into their souls we think we can invade There’s a pistol in my smile It shoots grins for miles and miles But look into my eyes The reflection’s saying goodbye Fun Facts: This song is very closely related to The Joker as they both share the same tune in the verses. George considered this tune-sharing conundrum a challenge and set about making this song and The Joker appear to not be all that similar after all. The original guitar parts came from a groove that George wrote whilst living in Plymouth. The tempo is 150BPM. When Sammi first heard this song, she sat and thought for a moment, then suddenly said: “I think here it should go like this,” and played the instrumental flute parts. During this recording we discovered that giggling and playing the flute are reasonably incompatible activities due to one’s inability to form the correct shape with one’s lips to blow anything resembling music from the silvery pipe. It took three or four weeks of visits and prolonged outbreaks of the giggles all round before Sammi finally nailed the parts. This was the most joyously memorable aspect of the entire recording of the Signmaker album. The 12-string was made by Melody. George acquired it by swapping a pair of jeans with ripped knees for it, a deal with which he was most chuffed. Some years later the guitar was destroyed by the boot of a drunken Satan’s Slave at an Ug Brothers after-show party (harumph). Jeff borrowed the soprano sax from Chrissie and recorded his parts before becoming a more permanent Dark Company member. The bass for Armed & Dangerous had already been recorded when he arrived. Guitars were plugged straight into the desk. George used the lyrics for this song in a fiendishly difficult English lesson when working as a TEFL teacher. When he ran seminars for other TEFL teachers on The Use of Music in the Classroom he would set the lesson’s tasks to groups of teachers, and even they would struggle with it. Pete wrote this song about the circus and enforced jolliness. George felt that it was about the unwanted and resented child whose role in life was to be its parent’s performing monkey, e.g. “aren’t I clever because isn’t my little Johnny clever”. To correctly spell the title of this song, an ampersand must be used. George and Jeff each produced a dub remix of this song, available as bonus tracks. Thus it came about that the ampersand would be used for & co, the remixing arm of the Dark Company project. See also: http://www.wudrecords.co.uk/artists/dark-company http://www.wudrecords.co.uk/artists/dark-company/signmaker/ http://www.explicitmusic.co.uk/lyrics-information/dark-company/signmaker/armed-dangerous https://twitter.com/Dark_Company https://www.facebook.com/Dark-Company-154909774522910/ https://twitter.com/WudRecords

The Forger by Dark Company Album: Rage in Heaven Download: https://wudrecords.bandcamp.com/track/the-forger Lyrics by P. Greatorex. Music by G. Davies/P. Greatorex/J. Willmot. Recorded, engineered and mixed at Silent Running Studios Exeter 1992. Remastered at Wud Records Studio One. Copyright © 1992 Wud Records. Copyright ℗ 1991 D & G Music/Explicit Music. Performers: Peter Greatorex – vocals George Davies – guitars, sequencing Jeff Willmot – sequencing THE FORGER Never missed a chance to make A lighter look, a happy fake So the masterpiece it was forged A different name can’t make it more So it’s short in antique years Do you like what you see and hear Or are you some scientific son? If it don’t measure up do you come undone? Are you some scientific son? If it don’t measure up do you come undone? Never walked a crooked mile That stayed so straight all the while So the picture didn’t fit the view Though the TV man said: “Yes, it do!” It’s more paste than precious gem Good enough for a close-up friend Or are you some scientific son? If it don’t measure up do you come undone? Are you some scientific son? If it don’t measure up do you come undone? Never missed a time to lie Just to see a gem-bright eye So the real emotion it was false But you can’t be nobody else So reality it isn’t real Then what you see is what you steal Or are you some scientific son? If it don’t measure up do you come undone? Are you some scientific son? If it don’t measure up do you come undone? Or are you some scientific son? If it don’t measure up do you come undone? Are you some scientific son? If it don’t measure up do you come undone? Fun Facts: This song is in the key of F#m. George plays the guitar parts on the Ice Maiden straight into the S900, although there are some sweet guitar passages in the live version. The bassline for this song has killed speakers! When the song was written, Jeff played the chords on keys whilst Pete was singing, then rather like Geddy Lee from Rush, changed to play bass in between the vocals. See also: http://www.wudrecords.co.uk/artists/dark-company http://www.wudrecords.co.uk/artists/dark-company/rage-in-heaven http://www.explicitmusic.co.uk/lyrics-information/dark-company/rage-in-heaven/the-forger https://twitter.com/Dark_Company https://www.facebook.com/Dark-Company-154909774522910/ https://twitter.com/WudRecords

Sacrifice by Dark Company Album: Rage In Heaven Download: https://wudrecords.bandcamp.com/track/sacrifice Lyrics by P. Greatorex. Music by G. Davies/P. Greatorex/J. Willmot. Recorded, engineered and mixed at Silent Running Studios Exeter 1992. Remastered at Wud Records Studio One. Copyright © 1992 Wud Records. Copyright ℗ 1992 D & G Music/Explicit Music. Performers: Peter Greatorex – vocals George Davies – guitars, sequencing Jeff Willmot – sequencing SACRIFICE Sand blown up from the desert makes faces on the wall Endless beach of sunset holds me in its thrall And I can’t seem to sleep or wake from this dream And I can’t seem to find what anything means I just watch the world throw away what I keep I just watch the world throw away what I keep I just watch the world throw away what I keep I just watch the world throw away what I keep Crowds that have but one head stumble around the town Opinions of the Doctor say that Heaven’s lost its crown And I can’t seem to walk, or talk of what I wish And I can’t seem to see the reason for a kiss I just watch the world throw away what I keep I just watch the world throw away what I keep I just watch the world throw away what I keep I just watch the world throw away what I keep Fumes snake across my ceiling, the writing is so plain Surely someone tomorrow will see I’m not to blame I can’t seem to move or undo this knot And I can’t seem to use what it is that I’ve got I just watch the world throw away what I keep I just watch the world throw away what I keep I just watch the world throw away what I keep I just watch the world throw away what I keep I just watch the world throw away what I keep I just watch the world throw away what I keep I just watch the world throw away what I keep I just watch the world throw away what I keep Fun facts: This song is in the key of Cm. This song was one of the last things Rowena ever jammed along to, hence the saxophone riff. George plays the sampled guitar parts on Nicodemus and the recorded guitar parts on the Ice Maiden. See also: http://www.wudrecords.co.uk/artists/dark-company http://www.wudrecords.co.uk/artists/dark-company/rage-in-heaven http://www.explicitmusic.co.uk/lyrics-information/dark-company/rage-in-heaven/sacrifice https://twitter.com/Dark_Company https://www.facebook.com/Dark-Company-154909774522910/ https://twitter.com/WudRecords

Last Train to Heaven by Dark Company. Album: Rage in Heaven Download: https://wudrecords.bandcamp.com/track/last-train-to-heaven Lyrics by P. Greatorex. Music by G. Davies/P. Greatorex/J. Willmot. Recorded, engineered and mixed at Silent Running Studios Exeter 1992. Remastered at Wud Records Studio One. Copyright © 1992 Wud Records. Copyright ℗ 1992 D & G Music/Explicit Music. Performers: Peter Greatorex – vocals, full-scale harp George Davies – guitars, sequencing Jeff Willmot – piano, sequencing LAST TRAIN TO HEAVEN It’s the last train to Heaven And this is Midnite calling Sleep slipped out the window To where the stars are falling And the Sandman points a finger And the shadows begin their crawling This is the last train to Heaven And this is Midnite calling How many miles to Babalon? Three score mile and ten… Will I get there by candlelight? Yes, and back again… And the Joker shuts his eyes And the dream begins to end This is the last train to Heaven And it won’t call again Well, it’s the last train to Heaven And this is Midnite calling Moonlight minds the night time Rides while day is walking Lights the way to Paradise And dawn lets in the morning It’s the last train to Heaven And this is Midnite calling How many miles to Babalon? Three score mile and ten… Will I get there by candlelight? Yes, and back again… And the Joker shuts his eyes And the dream begins to end This is the last train to Heaven And it won’t call again Fun Facts: This song is in the key of G. Pete plays the harmonica parts on a full-scale harp which simply would not do concert pitch no matter how many hammers we bashed it with. It was a popular acoustic number when performed by Dr Watson and in George’s TEFL classes. Most of the sequencing is played on the Yamaha TG33. The clicky guitar that we wish was considerably quieter is a sample. See also: http://www.wudrecords.co.uk/artists/dark-company http://www.wudrecords.co.uk/artists/dark-company/rage-in-heaven http://www.explicitmusic.co.uk/lyrics-information/dark-company/rage-in-heaven/last-train-to-heaven https://twitter.com/Dark_Company https://www.facebook.com/Dark-Company-154909774522910/ https://twitter.com/WudRecords

Terminal Road by Dark Company Album: Rage in Heaven Download: https://wudrecords.bandcamp.com/track/terminal-road Lyrics by P. Greatorex. Music by G. Davies/P. Greatorex/J. Willmot. Recorded, engineered and mixed at Silent Running Studios Exeter 1992. Remastered at Wud Records Studio One. Copyright © 1992 Wud Records. Copyright ℗ 1992 D & G Music/Explicit Music. Performers: Peter Greatorex – vocals George Davies – guitars, sequencing Jeff Willmot – bass, sequencing TERMINAL ROAD Flares burning, night stars turning The jugglers and the clowns of the circus are returning And the ghost of the hunter doesn’t stay any longer He’s killed all the old things to make himself younger Smoke rolling, red fires melting The kings and the clerks of the money streets are running And the sign of the soldier has been eaten by a creature The world doesn’t need violence for a teacher Here on Terminal Road We’re on Terminal Road Here on Terminal Road We’re on Terminal Road Lamps bleeding, rain clouds twisting The mechanics and the mayors of the small towns are missing And the mark of the beast is getting much clearer It’s right up close and getting weirder and weirder Flags flowing, colour fields glowing The jokers and the knights of the past are cloning And the shadows of the moon paint darkened faces With a mere mirrored light that midnight chases Here on Terminal Road We’re on Terminal Road Here on Terminal Road We’re on Terminal Road Fun Facts: This song is in the key of Dm. George plays the guitar parts on Nicodemus. Jeff played his bassline into the S900 and parts of it were used throughout the song. When the band were to play live, the plan was to perform this song as the very last one so that they could leave the stage with just the machines working away. Dark Company also played a version of this as an acoustic reggae number with a shuffly 6/8 feel. See also: http://www.wudrecords.co.uk/artists/dark-company http://www.wudrecords.co.uk/artists/dark-company/rage-in-heaven http://www.explicitmusic.co.uk/lyrics-information/dark-company/rage-in-heaven/terminal-road https://twitter.com/Dark_Company https://www.facebook.com/Dark-Company-154909774522910/ https://twitter.com/WudRecords

Spoiler by Dark Company. Album: Rage in Heaven Download: https://wudrecords.bandcamp.com/track/spoiler Lyrics by P. Greatorex. Music by G. Davies/P. Greatorex/J. Willmot. Recorded, engineered and mixed at Silent Running Studios Exeter 1992. Remastered at Wud Records Studio One. Copyright © 1992 Wud Records. Copyright ℗ 1992 D & G Music/Explicit Music. Performers: Peter Greatorex – vocals George Davies – guitars, sequencing Jeff Willmot – bass, sequencing SPOILER We knelt and prayed by the Walls of Wind Sinners that have lost the will to sin An army of the wild-eyed and the lost Itching with the truth and what it cost We looked through all the cracks in Heaven’s walls Mankind in there he looked so very small We stood and walked to the Doors of Light Artists that have left their canvas white A sweet crowd of the haunted and the damned With knowledge of the Sea and of the Land. We looked through all the cracks in Heaven’s walls Mankind in there he looked so very small We sat and talked with the Gods of Sound Fighters that have put their weapons down A regiment that’s fixed and now is free Blinded with the fact that we can see We looked through all the cracks in Heaven’s walls Mankind in there he looked so very small We slept and thought of the Holy Ghost Sailors that dreamt only of the coast A navy of ships that had one name Captained by Fortune’s brother, Fame We looked through all the cracks in Heaven’s walls Mankind in there he looked so very small Fun facts: This song is in the key of Dm. George plays the guitar parts on the Ice Maiden and the solo on Nicodemus. Jeff actually played his bass on this song. The rhythm track on the sequencer was used by Jeff for a great variety of strange remixes and subditties. Appropriately, the filename on the Atari was BEATS4IT.ALL! Spoiler in this sense is about e.g. reading the last page of a novel first, rather than e.g. assisting the aerodynamics of dodgy old hatchback. See also: http://www.wudrecords.co.uk/artists/dark-company http://www.wudrecords.co.uk/artists/dark-company/rage-in-heaven http://www.explicitmusic.co.uk/lyrics-information/dark-company/rage-in-heaven/spoiler https://twitter.com/Dark_Company https://www.facebook.com/Dark-Company-154909774522910/ https://twitter.com/WudRecords

Medicines by Dark Company Album: Rage In Heaven Download: https://wudrecords.bandcamp.com/track/medicines Lyrics by P. Greatorex. Music by G. Davies/P. Greatorex/J. Willmot. Recorded, engineered and mixed at Silent Running Studios Exeter 1992 Remastered at Wud Records Studio One. Copyright © 1992 Wud Records. Copyright ℗ 1992 D & G Music/Explicit Music. Performers: Peter Greatorex – vocals George Davies – guitars, sequencing Jeff Willmot – bass, sequencing MEDICINES I can see that dark-set face Hands crawl by fingering fate Parsely, sage, rosary of time Herbs to heal the modern mind A wounded lover with a clockspring heart Hears not the Heavens only metal stars Drinks the liquor of certain flowers Is released from lust to count the hours There inside a secret garden There inside a secret garden Night’s sweet hush is for us all No creeping thing is too small Wings and webs a mottled map Dawn will take the empties back A solo soldier with a gunmetal head Hears only the music of the marching dead Drinks the liquor of certain flowers Is released from lust to count the hours There inside a secret garden There inside a secret garden Writhing vines climb the hill Where we stand so very still Columbine perfumed dark The whitest flowers an eternal spark A parish priest with a Bibled mouth Speaks unnoticed of God and Doubt Drinks the liquor of certain flowers Is released from lust to count the hours There inside a secret garden There inside a secret garden Fun facts: This song is in the key of A#. George plays the guitar parts on the Ice Maiden. Jeff played his bassline into the S900. When Pete sang the melody to George for the first time it took him ages to decide which of the multitude of different possibilities to go with. There are two simultaneous guitar solos at the start of the song, both of which were recorded on the first take. Pete was initially sceptical about the whispered vocal. Various acoustic versions of this later appeared with the song transposed down to A. It was performed by The Bastard Sons of Dennis and Dr Watson and used as a teaching resource by George in his TEFL classes. Some of the bassdrum and snare parts were recorded by randomly bashing keys and then quantising. It produced some remarkably pleasing results. See also: http://www.wudrecords.co.uk/artists/dark-company http://www.wudrecords.co.uk/artists/dark-company/rage-in-heaven http://www.explicitmusic.co.uk/lyrics-information/dark-company/rage-in-heaven/medicines https://twitter.com/Dark_Company https://www.facebook.com/Dark-Company-154909774522910/ https://twitter.com/WudRecords