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By early summer DEAD EASY was fending off requests from would-be promoters to tour in Europe, Japan, even Dubai!!!  Radio stations were calling.  Managers were calling. Independent Metal labels far and wide were calling.  On a recon trip we visited some Indi Metal labels in Germany, France and the UK.  Also were invited to pitch our wares to Peer Southern music publishers in London.  Out of this onslaught of potential next steps, we actually stopped and took note when a call came in from Paul Loasby**.  Paul was a fledgling metal band's dream.  An ex-promoter and the creator of Donnington's Monsters-of-Rock Festival, he knew everything and everyone and was touring much of the time with Nuclear Assault and a string of up and coming thrash bands.  We met him at The Ship in Soho (la de da de da - sounds like a song) and the partnership was solid - til it hit rock bottom.. but that's another story!

Ian and me, as the core song-writing unit of DEAD EASY, had already received attention and an offer of recording time from the owners of a multi-plex recording/rehearsal studio in Birmingham.  They had up-to-the-minute-bleeding-edge/state-of-the-art recording equipment and world class rehearsal facilities to prepare mega-bands for that 18 month hike 'round the globe.  Their main studio was unbooked from before Christmas to after New Year and they could give us a block booking of 4 weeks in which to record and mix an album.  The newer of the many new Black Sabbath line-ups (Tony Iommi, Cozy Powell, Neil Murray and the vocalist, Tony Martin???**) were rehearsing on the main stage downstairs daily for their world tour and the facilities boasted a restaurant and cafeteria in the reception area where we could get FREE FOOD (tacked onto our 'slate') and watch MTV in between takes.  That was the clincher.   Paul was put into contact with them and immediately rebuffed the idea as there was no money up front for us, or him.  But with a little persuading Paul worked through a deal trading Ian and my publishing rights for time in the studio which would be linked to a potential licensing deal with one of the mid-level record companies who had initially approached us; Paul's favourite and METALLICA's first label - Music For Nations - being top of that list.

For the first month, we lived in the studio.  I often slept on the relatively comfortable sofa behind the desk and Ian kipped on another sofa in reception.  I have fond memories of Ian in his checked house slippers and bathrobe strolling through reception gripping his tooth brush and first afternoon cup of coffee.  The members of the new Black Sabbath were always in and out of their rehearsal room.  Cozy Powell would stare at me in 'that way' which in 'Rock Star' it means 'come here woman and suck my d*ck'.  I would cast him a withering glance, filled with utter been-there-do-NOT-wanna-DO-THAT! ennui.  He was thus forced to adapt a simple code of etiquette (maybe he'd read Emily Post): one morning he sent his chauffeur up to ask Ian my status: connubially blissful, single and/or just plain dick-lickin' available. Ian warned him I was joined at the married hip to a fierce Scotsman with a 'checkered past' who would eat him for breakfast.  Cozy was polite but distant after that rebuttal.  We all got on best with Tony.

As the first month of our round the clock recording sessions bore no completed fruit: only 2 and a half album tracks to mix, the owners let us go on for another month, and then another and another...

That deal fell through after 6 months spent in the studio.  Access to so much technology and no practical application of ideas - in other words: expensive.  We invited members of Faith No More, Metallica and Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath to guest on that project. We hired all kinds of fancy equipment and technicians to help us operate it.  We came out of there with exactly five unmixed tracks and a mountain of debt.  Our fancy manager could do nothing to save or sell us.  

We spent a year and a half searching for a new investor, new producer, new publisher, new record company, new anything that would pick up the project.  We sought the help of anyone who would listen to the tracks we had and in the process courted some very unsavoury characters.  Joe Br*wn at TASCO being one of the worst. (If you go down to the woods today... don't go to TASCO, if the place still exists - hopefully it burned to the ground in a tragic misapplication of lighter fluid - preferably while trying to smoke a dooby with his asssssssss-hole).    (But.... you might ask.. what has happened to DEAD EASY SINCE THEN?????????!!

Come on Baby.. Now where you been?  You been outside honey.. when you should be in.. You've been dancing.. I hear your song..  Don't need no tender touch.. I need it hard and long......

DIRTY FUN

Lyrics: Electra

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"Someone's calling, calling me back home.... someone's screaming.. please don't let us go...."

Someone's Calling

Lyrics: Ian Jones

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"Out on the road,.. it's a poison life... everything's in overload.. on the edge of a knife... people they come and go.. faces they change.. for each one you think you know.. the story's the same..."

Out On The Road

Lyrics: Electra

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"Down falls the rain on a cold grey street... Could it be that it's just heaven crying.. for the souls that it's yet to meet."

Voices

Lyrics: Ian Jones

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"The evening is a' falling.. on the horizon line.. and the mountains are a' calling.. reflecting what's on my mind...."

Look Behind You