Warwick Hadfield
The extended EP from Pete Thomas, Ross Teders, Mike Wilcox and Warwick Hadfield … with piccies!
IT’S BEEN 38 years in the making but from a personal perspective at least, it has been worth the wait! That’s Warwick Hadfield’s summation of Dancing With Socrates, the extended EP of original songs he has produced with Hobart-based mates and musos Mike Wilcox, Ross Teders and Pete Thomas.
The name of the EP is derived from the legend that Socrates, the father of philosophy, took up music and dancing late in his life because he feared that if he didn’t he might have missed out on something special. For Hadfield, it was a bit the same, if he didn’t finally get around to recording these original songs, he might have missed out on something important in life.
“It’s a long story that starts when I wagged school in 1969, yeah the summer of, took $30 out of my school bank account and, much to my father’s disappointment, bought this old second-hand guitar, my first real six-string,” said Hadfield. “It smelt of wine and cigarettes, a heady mix for a young bloke back then.
“The plan was pretty simple – to become an overnight star, but a few things got in the way. All these years on and thanks to Mike, Ross and Pete, there is something to show for that an investment and I might be able to put the $30 back.”
In fact sales, after some early airplay around Australia, have already exceeded $30.
“We won’t be retiring to the Bahamas but the response from around Australia has been very pleasant indeed, both in terms of praise, and also in orders,” said Hadfield, who was also keen to heap praise on his fellow musicians involved in the project.
“They say if a man can’t be happy walking his dogs, he might never be happy. I think you can add making music with your mates to that list. This was a real team effort and it was really great fun.
“It was scary at first, sitting in a hotel room with my acoustic guitar and auditioning the songs in front of Mike, Ross and Pete but happily they heard something in them and agreed to come on board. And it was yet another excuse for me to come back to Hobart, a place I love with a passion.
“When I lived in Tasmania in the 1990’s, I played a lot of music with Ross and Michael, but this was the first time I had worked with Pete. He is, if you will excuse the pun, an unsung talent, as both a singer and a guitar player.
“He got into the lyrics, something that comes through in the tasteful way he performs the songs, and really produced some great guitar playing.
“We spent about 10 days recording the songs and then Mike Wilcox worked hard on the mixing and mastering before the finished product emerged. As any who knows Mike will tell you, he’s a perfectionist and the songs went through a lot of fine tuning before he was finally happy with it.”
Dancing With Socrates is an extended EP. As well as the obligatory four songs, it has three bonus tunes – one created by Hadfield and two by bass player Ross Teders.
The EP is released as a limited edition. “I was wary of creating the most expensive coasters on the planet,” said Hadfield wrily. “So we’re starting with a small print run, and then seeing what happens.”
The CD can be purchased by sending an e-mail to: [email protected] and costs $10.00. ($2.00 postage)
DANCING WITH SOCRATES
THE PLAYERS
Pete Thomas – guitar vocals and kazoo
Ross Teders – bass, vocals and lyrics**
Mike Wilcox – drums and vocals
Warwick Hadfield – guitar, vocals and lyrics*
THE SONGS
Crazy Café*
The Girl Who Looks Like You*
Saturn’s Rings*
I Can See Paradise From Here*
THE BONUS TUNES
Mango Bango*
Feeing Strong**
Tell Me Who You Are (The Campfire Song)**
PRODUCED BY THE BAND
ENGINEERED, MIXED AND MASTERED BY MIKE WILCOX
© 2007 Pete Thomas, Ross Teders, Mike Wilcox, Warwick Hadfield
