Album: No Bed of Roses
Artist: If Only
2019 Rock Candy Records (original album 1992)
CD: CANDY427
Tina Egan: lead & backing vocals (1-12, 17)
Greg Hart: electric & acoustic 6 & 12-string guitars,
mandolin, keys (not 12)
Nobby Styles: lead & rhythm guitars, backing vocals
Judit Armstrong: keys (not 12), backing vocals
Ian Edwards: bass, keys (not 12), backing vocals
Andy Elphick: drums, percussion
Jackie Bodimead: lead vocals (13-16), backing vocals
with guest musicians
Geoff Downes: backing vocals, piano,
Hammond, keys (not 12)
Mike Moran: keys (12), string arrangements (12)
additional musicians
Toby Sadler: backing vocals, keys (not 12)
Martin Chaisson: lead guitars, voicebox
Produced by Geoff Downes/Ian Caple
Mix engineer: Peter Craigie
Tape OPs: Mike Jefferies/Steve Rush
Recorded 1989-1992 at Advision Studios, Brighton, Stoneroom Studios,
London (1-11) and at Ripe Studios, Hertfordshire (12); at BBC Maida
Vale Studios, 1990 (13-16); and live in 1991 (17)
Mixed at Advision Studios (1-12)
Remastered in 2019 by Andy Pearce
Sleeve artwork and booklet design by Cürt Evans
Creative director: Julia Melanie Goode
Tracks:
1. "Loaded Gun" [Hart/Egan] (5:29)
2. "Tumblin' Dice" [Bob Mitchell/Hart] (4:51)
3. "If Love Could Last Forever" [Bob Marlette/Hart] (4:38)
4. "I'm No Angel" [Brian Marshall/John Willoughby] (5:47)
5. "No Bed of Roses" [Edwards/Hart/Chaisson/Bodimead] (4:45)
6. "Easy Lay" [Marshall/Willoughby] (3:58)
7. "Rock and a Hard Place" [Hart/Bodimead] (4:51)
8. "Red Hot Heaven" [Chaisson/Bodimead] (4:51)
9. "Ghost of You" [Hart/Mitchell] (4:02)
10. "Forever My Love" [Marlette] (4:36)
11. "Long Way from Home" [Hart/Styles/Egan] (6:26)
12. "Man Against the World"
[Hart/Elphick/Edwards/Bodimead/Chaisson/Sadler] (2:58)
2019 bonus tracks:
13. "All Over" [Hart/Bodimead/Chaisson] (3:56)
14. "Stand Like a Stone" [Tony Cox/Arnie Roman] (4:00)
15. "Don't Let Go" [Hart/Bodimead] (4:00)
16. "Shotdown" [Hart/Bodimead/Chaisson/Marlette] (4:50)
17. "Tight Jeans" (live) [Marshall/Willoughby] (4:16)
Notes: I presume the guest musician and production credits only
apply to tracks (1-12). Judging by the history given in the liner
notes, Styles and Armstrong play on at least (1, 4, 6, 11, 17), but
(3, 5, 7, 8, 12) and maybe more were recorded before they joined and
presumably have Chiasson as the second guitarist and Sadler and/or
Downes on keys (plus who knows what overdubs). I presume it is
Chiasson and Sadler on (13-16); it's presumably not Styles,
Armstrong or Downes. There's a 2010 version of this album on Harmony
Factory with tracks (1-12) and (17), plus a live version of "Candy
Man" (not included here).
Hart was in a band called Moritz (who released one EP in 1987) when
he was contacted by manager Harry Cowell, who came to their showcase
performance in London in late 1988, but Moritz were already falling
apart. Cowell was working with singer Lorraine Bennington, but had
sacked her backing band. He then approached Hart to be in a new band
and involved in writing and production. Bennington's boyfriend, Pete
(surname not recorded), was also in the band and wanting to be in
charge, creating tension. This new band, now called If Only, played
a single London show in early 1989, which led to an invitation to
support Mammoth on tour, but Bennington and Pete wanted to turn it
down because they had a club gig already booked that clashed. Cowell
made an ultimatum: do the Mammoth tour or leave. They left.
If Only now had a tour booked but no lead singer. Bodimead (formerly
of Canis Major, Rock Goddess and Girlschool) joined at short notice
and the tour went ahead. This produced a line-up of Bodimead, Hart,
Edwards, Andy Stewart (keys), Elphick and Chaisson (died 2016).
Hart, Edwards, Stewart and Elphick had been in Moritz, while
Chaisson worked with Steve Hackett, Brian May and Cozy Powell, among
others. Stewart was soon replaced by Sadler.
The band started work on demos at Stoneroom Studios with Caple
producing. One song, "Hearts on the Line", got Hart a publishing
deal. Downes heard the demo by accident and liked it. He was sent
some more and was "extremely impressed with the quality of the
songs, principally those attributed to their guitarist, Greg Hart"
(as he says in the liner notes). Although If Only were without a
record deal, Downes offered to produce the album, and they started
recording at Advision in Brighton, studios owned by Downes and his
business partner Doug Hopkins. US songwriter Bob Marlette was
brought in to write with the band. (Marlette and Mitchell would both
go on to work on John Wetton's Battle Lines album.) Hart and
Marlette's first co-write was (3). The band also worked with Mike
Moran, of Queen fame, recording (12) at Moran's studio.
However, just as the album was finished, Bodimead quit, leaving
music forever. The band saw a magazine feature on Egan (died 1999)
and contacted her. She agreed to join. They set about re-recording
the vocals on the album. Sadler had also left, with Downes having
taken over playing keys on the studio recordings. Egan suggested
Armstrong for a new full-time keyboardist. Styles had also replaced
Chiasson and the plan was also to have him re-record Chiasson's
guitar parts, before they decided to keep Chiasson's work. Instead,
the band recorded some new material, developed and (some) written
with Egan. News songs included (4), (6), (17) and a song called
"Candy Man", although the latter two didn't make the album. Various
other parts of the album were re-recorded. The sessions dragged on.
While this was happening, Downes got Hart involved writing for
Asia's Aqua. Hart is credited as
co-writer on "Lay Down Your Arms" and "A Far Cry". Hart and other If
Only members also recorded backing vocals for Downes' Vox Humana solo album.
The album was finished, but the rise of grunge saw interest in the
project fade. The band listened disconsolately to "Smells Like Teen
Spirit" on heavy rotation on MTV. In 1990, they released a 7"
single, limited to 250 copies, of a version of (3) with Bodimead's
vocals and "Stand Like a Stone" on the b-side. With no record deal
secured and in debt to Advision, they signed the album to Downes and
Hopkins' small Czar Records label and the album was released in
Japan in 1992. A European release followed in 1994. The band only
played around half a dozen shows before they split up. In 2004, the
Bodimead recordings were released, including the BBC session
included here.
Downes again: "My only regret was the original vocals by Jackie were
much more suited to the songs, and her replacement did not seem to
carry the same emotion as her voice was moreover a gravelly texture.
That said, I think the album turned out pretty well in the end."
Hart would go on to reform Moritz in 2008 and later formed Cats in
Space in 2015 with Paul Manzi, who has worked with Oliver Wakeman,
among others.
This is a hard rocking album. Of a style, but executed well. You're
either going to be on board with lyrics like, "I'm no angel, but
tonight I will take you to heaven", or not! (HP, 10 Jul 23)
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