greg champion          shady tree           all songs written by champs

                                                                          track by track

If you put all the song titles on Greg Champion's new album together, it's apparent that Greg is about to leave the shady tree and rise up, go further up the mountain where he's never been, hear a singing bird and hear Jesus knocking, then he'll take the rough with the smooth and keep love in the heart while his body wears out, he dies slow and mournful, kicks the bucket, sleeps on the stony ground and walks across that line.

shady tree   It was Troy Cassar-Daley, whom I  overheard at Tamworth say, "think I'll go find a shady tree". I noted it down.  Six months later it started to become a song.  I thought of a chorus while on a plane - then I put it away and read a Dalai Lama book my Mum had given me.  In it he said something about the value of trees.  His three comments gave me the three different verses.  Later on, Troy told me his Grandfather used to use that expression.  Harmonies by Jane Saunders and Rod McCormack.

I've never been   - a cosmic ramble.  Loosely about a journey to somewhere special.  Jane Saunders and Rod again, on harmonies.  Rod's guitar solo is a lulu.  Possibly my favourite track.

further up the mountain   - again, a vaguely ambiguously spiritual journey.  Jane Saunders blesses us with a lead vocal.  Rod's autoharp sound on guitar is a highlight.

might be jesus knockin'  partially triggered by hearing Paul Kelly's 'I'm so shy before you Lord'.  Jodi Martin & James Gillard sang harmonies.  Every time you see a hitch-hiker you tend to ask yourself, should I stop?  If every hitch-hiker was Jesus, well then I guess you'd feel like stopping every time¼..

rise up   do you ever catch yourself talking to yourself and telling yourself little answers to your problems in the form of folk wisdom?   When I do, I often write down these little reassurances, and one was: you have to go down to rise up. Tune-wise, I heard a blues classic that made me want to dabble in this style.  Sisters Jodi & Robyn Martin, plus James and Rod sang harmonies.

the singing bird   I first heard the quote 'keep a green bough in your heart and the singing bird will come' in the 80s.  I've since seen it attributed as either Sufi or Chinese, or both.  I eventually paired it with a bunch of words I had in a kind of 'Kumbaya' style.   Robyn and Rod on harmonies

this body's gonna wear out    - think I said it to myself in the shower.  Andrew Clermont shows his virtuosity on mandolin.

rough with the smooth   I was thinking of an early, slow, minor key bluesy song I liked. Rod's dobro solo is delicious. The words are a mixed bag.  Allusions to events of our time.  Rod and James on harmonies.

gonna die slow & mournful  after 'kick the bucket' bobbed up, I remembered a black-humour lament I'd made up 15 years ago, 'gonna die slow & painful', which happened to fit into the general theme of this record.  I changed some words and made it less black.  When recording it, it started to sound like a 'hymn for dead cowboys'.  It's the only song here not written in the last three or four years.  Rod's Beach Boys bit in the middle showed his genius.  Dan Thompson's bass vocal was positively bovine.  He hit notes so low I still laugh when I hear it.

sleep on the stony ground    Has the grouse voice of Beccy Cole on lead vocal and harmonies - plus James & Rod.  Triggered by a Jimmy Rogers-style song I heard on the Hillbilly Show on 3CR in the 80s.   Had about five attempts to write this song over recent years.   Ambiguous in its ideas¼.

love in the heart    what a joy to share a song with Gina Jeffreys.  It's an honour to duet with her.  Rod's is the third voice.  Mick Albeck's fiddle is so tasty.  The idea for the song came during the relaxation part of yoga class(!).  Again, allusions to events of our time¼.

walk across that line    - it turned out very 'Seekers' in it's sound.  The earliest of the current bunch ('98).  Started out to be about our risky move to the North Coast, from the South.  Again, ambiguous in its drift.  Robyn & Rod on vocals.

when I kick the bucket    I was in my Mum's loungeroom when she said: "Gregory, when I kick the bucket, you'll find in this drawer a folder for each of you boys¼.".   I said:  "mum - what a top line for a song".  We knocked up the bones of it in half an hour with Mum's help 'cos she's good with words.  It turned out in the Western Swing style, which I adore.  Rod, James, Robyn & Jodi are on vocals.  I've never cracked myself up writing a song before, but the bit about ' you'll never know if you never go' did it.  

P.S.    The one constant throughout is Rod McCormack's awesome production and musicianship.  I could never thank you enough, Rod. 

My mother's involvement in Theosophy has rubbed off on me.  All the songs were triggered in some sense from a spiritual angle.