PANORAMA

(2000)

Raft 002

Album 2. Panorama, was a more focussed album. Again, it was recorded at C # Sharp studios but this time it was recorded in one go, over three months of mostly studio downtime and mostly at night (and early hours of the morning). Like on Deliverance, the songs were mostly culled from over 200 songs I'd written over the previous 12 years. Some songs, like "Revolution (In The Summertime?)", "Have You Heard The News Today?" and "Value Of Life", were 12 years old and had been left over from my time with The Thieves, while songs like "The Loser", "You've Got Me", "To Be Someone"and "The Pain Inside", were brand new songs I'd just witten.
This album is significant because at the end of the sessions, I invited Stephen Fleming (who had played guitar on a few songs on Deliverance) to be a part of Cosmic Rough Riders. I didn't have any money to pay him for his work on the record, so I made him co-member of the band and gave him equal share of my songwriting on the album (although he only actually co-wrote one song). Giving away half of the songwriting credit to Mr. Fleming, is something I've regretted ever since and rates as one of the worst mistakes I've ever made.
This album led to CRR being signed to Poptones by Alan McGee and Joe Foster.
Panorama (and Deliverance) sleeve designer, David Wells, had been in a band with McGee and had gone to the same school. He sent a copy of the album to McGee. At around the same time, we were offered a management deal. Our new manager also knew McGee and in a chance meeting with him, we were mentioned. Alan hadn't listened to the album yet but on his return to London, he listened to it. He declared an interest in signing CRR and asked to see us live. But unknown to him, CRR wasn't a band. It was my solo project that had just recently turned into a duo.
A band was put together quickly, using Stephen's friends, just because they were free at the time and we didn't have time to audition people. Alan turned up to see us at a private gig in Glasgow's Nice N Sleazy and offered to sign us on the spot. The problem for me was that he wanted to sign the whole band (that wasn't actually a band).
At the age of 40, and after waiting on such an opportunity for many years, I had a decision to make. Either refuse the deal or sign as a band with a bunch of people who didn't play on my records and whom I didn't know. It was too good an opportunity to pass up, so CRR signed as a band to Poptones.
The following people appear on at least one song on this album; Daniel Wylie, Stephen Tyler, Stephen Fleming, George Dunnachie, Andrew Phillips, Jimmy Stirling and Harriet Glover.
PANORAMA
01. Revolution (In The Summertime?).
02. Have You Heard The News Today?
03. Brothers Gather Round.
04. The Gun Isn't Loaded.
05. Value Of Life.
06. You've Got Me.
07. Afterglow.
08. The Pain Inside.
09. The Charm.
10. I Call Her Name.
11. The Loser.
12. Can't Get Any Closer.
13. To Be Someone.
14. Back Home Again.
All songs written by Daniel Wylie except;
Brothers Gather Round; Words by Daniel Wylie. Music by Daniel Wylie and Gary Cuthbert.
I Call Her Name; Words and Music by Daniel Wylie and Stephen Fleming.
Recorded at C# Sharp Studios, Glasgow.
Engineered and mixed by Stephen Fleming and Daniel Wylie.
Produced by Daniel Wylie.