Band’s tribute is out of this world
The now-famous 100-yearold charity walker Captain Tom Moore was set to get a birthday present yesterday from a Perth band who thought his efforts to net £29 million for NHS charities was beyond amazing.
The lads from Americana/ country band Longstay have been unable to complete recording new work together in the Velvet Lounge studio in Perth due to the lockdown restrictions.
But instead of whinging about being bedroom musicians for the time being, band members recorded a song dedicated to the national treasure from Bedford, Captain Tom and sent him a CD of them playing their parts from their separate homes in Perthshire.
Vocalist and rhythm guitarist Callum Campbell got the birthday parcel containing the band’s reworking of the David Bowie classic tune ‘Space Oddity’ off to reach Captain Tom yesterday, April 30, when the WWII veteran turned 100.
Callum told the PA about the frantic activity the Longstay musicians had got involved in, which led to a digitally mastered sound track and a video uniting three of the five band members in a slickly edited montage.
He said: “A few days ago, we were asked to record a song written in dedication to Captain Tom Moore.
“Malcolm Swan, who sings vocals and plays lead guitar, friend Stuart Deed wrote the lyrics and asked if we could bring it to life – and most importantly, get the finished thing to Captain Tom for him to actually hear as a birthday present.
“We said Longstay would be up for the challenge, but it would need to be a bedroom job.
“I was able to do the master audio, laying down each of the band playing their part on separate tracks that got mashed together in the edit. They recorded their bit at home and sent me it.
“Then bass player Cameron McCafferty did the video, sewing together phone recordings of Malcolm, himself and me as a split screen montage.
“The whole thing was done in three or four days – lockdown has its advantages. Putting the song together kept us all really busy, made life seem almost normal.
“You see three of the five who are in Longstay. Keys player George Staniforth was unable to do it and Ben Carswell the drummer doesn’t appear because he had to work at his job in the Scone Co-op.
“We really enjoyed putting together a song for such an amazing man, and really hope he can get to see it.”
A special postal address was set up to cope with the avalanche of birthday cards from across the nation that were sent to Captain Tom Moore. The Longstay package winged its way there, hoping the great man would hear their song.
Longstay formed in 2013 and released a single, titled ‘Memphis’ at the end of March but because of coronavirus social distancing, it will be a while before they get together to record further material.
But they vow there is plenty more to come.
Longstay’s ‘NHS To Captain Tom’ track is on YouTube: https:// youtu.be/A14RXxoG1rE
There are plans to get it out soon on iTunes.
Donate at: https://bit. ly/2xdCdHD
Captain Tom celebrating his birthday yesterday