* links to music now removed... please go to http://www.slowreality.com/ if you'd like to purchase Lewis' music!

I'm going against my own rules to do this, but I really want to share some music by Lewis Taylor with you. only for a day or two though, because I don't actually have permission to do this. consequently, this will not be the regular music feature because I don't want to be quite that blatant about it. I *will* share some of Lewis' (approved and) publicly downloadable sounds with you one day, but for now we'll leave it at the two tracks I'm presenting now.

these tracks I'm linking to are two different versions of the same song, called 'lovelight'. the first track is from the album Stoned | Part I, released in 2002 by Slow Reality - Lewis' own record label. after some rather useless/disastrous dealings with the now-gobbled-up (by Universal) Island Records UK, Lewis decided that the best way for him to go was independent. he got in touch with us fans hanging about on the internet talking about him, started his record label and released this first album! lovelight is the tenth track on this album, and as I mentioned in my last entry, made me start moving & bouncing & all that weird-looking body stuff as soon as I heard it. one of my most favourite tracks from SP I!

the second version of lovelight was released just this past April on Lewis' Limited Edition 2004 album. this album was put together out of 'odds'n'ends'; these are tracks that Lewis was having fun with, different versions of tracks already released and so on - the ones they felt didn't fit on any 'official' release. initially sold only at gigs at London's Jazz Cafe in April, the album is now available - as are both Stoned releases - on Lewis' Slow Reality site. Stoned | Part II was released in March 2004 by Slow Reality, by the way.

I'll get to the song links in a moment - first I just want to say that I've been part of the hard-core Lewis 'cult' (yes, we're actually called a cult! woohoo!) since the year 2000 and I will be for the rest of my life.  the man is a genius, and I really want to support him as much as I possibly can. publishing two of his tracks here is not the way I would normally do it (since I don't actually have his permission), but I really feel compelled to share these just as an example of what Lewis can do with his music. two completely different versions of the same song, and they're both wonderful! (but as I said, I'm only leaving the songs online for a day or two, so don't drag your feet about listening to them) 

if you do listen to & like this music, I urge you to visit Slow Reality and purchase at least one album - hell, get all three! - and then join the rest of us sadly obsessed fanatics at lewistaylormusic.com, a most excellent place to spend time at online. I don't think I've met a nicer bunch of people online - and they're just as nice in person! - ever. you won't be sorry if you do, though you might occasionally consider cursing me for the new monkey on your back ;).

there are also albums called Lewis Taylor (1996) and Lewis II (2000) by the way, but you'll have to check Amazon and HMV (etc) for these albums because they were published by Island Records UK, not Slow Reality. also, if you visit the fan site you'll be able to hear tons of LT odds'n'sods (all approved downloads) - including some very odd & entertaining stuff by 'Sheriff Jack', an '80s incarnation of Lewis Taylor's.

next up from Slow Reality is the so-called Lost Album. you do not want to miss this one if you're a Lewis Taylor fan... there have been rumbles & rumours about it since 1997 or so, and we're finally informed that it does indeed exist and we're gonna get it! slated for a September, 2004 release. be there!

oh, and one last thing: if you do happen to find yourself getting obsessive about Lewis' music, have a look at the Positively Beautiful newsletter archives & feel free to send me an email to subscribe to it. I don't publish on any regular basis recently, but I do like to get at least a few out every year, hehe.

so, go ahead & have a listen to these & let me know what you think... I sincerely hope they float your boat like all of Lewis' music floats mine. I'd suggest listening in the order they're presented, just to get an idea of the 'public' evolution of this track. I'm not sure what the private evolution was, but here's how we got it....

* links now removed *

1) lovelight (Stoned | Part I version - 2002) : 4.47 mb

2) lovelight (west coast version - 2004) : 5.31 mb

enjoy!

ps: Lewis - if you happen to discover this by some weird chance, please forgive me... just this once, for a day or two :). and lozza luv, dear person. xx