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Revolutions go in Circles

by Mark Mulholland

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1.
Moving On 03:56
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I met a little man who was walking to Africa I'll be able to see it in a couple of days and I caught a glimpse of Arthur Rimbaud's shadow I met Jack Kerouac on the way ch/ I'm moving on, I'm moving on, I'm moving on so won't you listen to my song, won't you listen to my song I'm moving on I met Paul Verlaine on the banks of the Seine and I listened to his melancholy saga I saw Federico Lorca on his little black horse on the way to Granada ch/ I'm moving on, I'm moving on, I'm moving on so won't you listen to my song, won't you listen to my song I'm moving on I met John Steinbeck east of Eden and I saw Bob Dylan at the gates and as I passed by Inisfree I called in on W.B.Yeats ch/ I'm moving on, I'm moving on, I'm moving on so won't you listen to my song, won't you listen to my song I'm moving on I travelled a while with Don Quixote Sancho and Rocinante and I played my guitar in a dusty bar somewhere near Alicante ch/ I'm moving on, I'm moving on, I'm moving on so won't you listen to my song, won't you listen to my song, won't you listen to my song I'm moving on, I'm moving on
2.
Filling up the Silence 04:28
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Conversations flicker round me in the gloomy candlelight in the corner of a cafe on a cold November night I'm just sitting saying nothing because I've got nothing much to say just by filling up the silence doesn't make it go away Drunken face across the table keeps on asking me to sing says if I can entertain him he'll buy me another drink but I haven't got it in me and I don't want to anyway because I've done it all to often and I've got nothing else to play So if you see me here this evening please just leave me with my thoughts because right at the moment they're just about all I've got I'm just sitting saying nothing because I've got nothing much to say just by filling up the silence doesn't make it go away
3.
River Walk 02:58
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Walking by the water in the early morning sun searching for the answers you once had but now are gone Another day is passing and you wonder what it's for the truths you took for granted then are certainties no more and now they are falling with the leaves You started on a journey on the day you left the womb and you don't know if it is ending with the darkness of the tomb The fear of the uncertain is filling you with dread there's weight upon your shoulders and troubles in your head and now you don't know which way to turn You can only live the questions and learn to love the fears accept the things that can't be known and value all the tears The birds will keep on singing even if the sky is grey the river keeps on flowing, let it wash your cares away let them float downstream into the sea
4.
Getting There 03:36
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Lazy days in the sunshine singing a song or lost in a smile that makes you feel you belong just letting the breeze carry you along without a care Go and see what you find at the end of the street and what's on the minds of the people you meet let it all slip behind and follow the beat that drives you through the night in a crazy haze of neon lights you know you're going nowhere fast and having such fun getting there Then one day you wake up wondering why you've got the feeling the world is passing you by all the years disappear in the blink of an eye into thin air Times have changed and there's nothing that you can do to bring them back and we all know that to be true but you have to make the space for whatever new is coming down the line because we keep on changing all the time I'll never figure out what it's all about but it feels like I'm getting there And you know that it all seems to hang on a thread and I'm thinking about things that I wish I had said to the ones I can see so well in my head the way they were One day the journey's going to come to an end you come from nothing and vanish again so forget your troubles and remember the friends who are scattered everywhere the conversations, times you shared the destination's not in doubt what matters is the getting there
5.
Walk a While 04:18
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Looking out the window on a rainy afternoon Letting my mind wander and my fingers find a tune Thinking back on all the friends that I met along the way The ones I might see down the road and the ones who slipped away But we walked a while together with a story or a song and the magic of whatever came along I've travelled all around the world and a thing I've always found is that a door will open easier to a smile than to a frown and a burden shared is lighter than when you're struggling on your own and voices raised in laughter can chase a chill out of your bones so let's walk a while together with a story or a song and the magic of whatever comes along Whichever God you pray to, or if you pray to none it's the same place that we're headed for, when all is said and done there's nothing you take with you, just what you leave behind in the hearts of those who care for you when you come into their minds so let's walk a while together with a story or a song and the magic of whatever comes along
6.
Live Anywhere 03:13
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The old line from the film turned out to be true I could live anywhere, could leave anywhere too But that don't mean you don't miss all that you leave behind when you're searching for something that's so hard to find My mind's filled with faces and places I've seen and I still hear the voices of people I've been that tell of the times that I might have been wrong to slip out the door like an unfinished song I'm feeling as lost as a leaf on the wind starting again, don't know where to begin The seasons keep changing and the rain's falling down and I'm finding my way round another new town The old line from the film turned out to be true I could live anywhere, could leave anywhere too But that don't mean you don't miss all that you leave behind when you're searching for something that's so hard to find
7.
Your Race is Almost Run 03:03
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You couldn't see the stars because you were waiting for the sun while the things you were going to do became the things you could have done now everybody's up ahead, you missed the starting gun you're still trying to tie your laces but your race is almost run Now you're lost for what to say because it wasn't meant to be this way You've got your back up against the wall and it wasn't meant to be this way at all All those great expectations that are fading oh so fast as you watch your brilliant future disappear into the past It may be way too late, but you start to see at last that the time is running out before the final die is cast Now you're lost for what to say because it wasn't meant to be this way You've got your back up against the wall and it wasn't meant to be this way at all You might start to make a sprint just before the whistle blows and it all seems so unjust, but that's just the way it goes and the way it's always been and how it will always be as you scream at the spectators and try to punch the referee Now you're lost for what to say because it wasn't meant to be this way You've got your back up against the wall and it wasn't meant to be this way at all
8.
Carousel 03:26
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A soft rain is falling, smoke drifts across the field you're woken from a dream and then you realise it's all too real singing and dancing and spinning round you're reeling and your rocking, then you hit the ground now you're sitting in the shadows and waiting for your wounds to heal Chasing after something that always seems to be so near but when you try to catch it, somehow it always disappears You think you're going somewhere but you just can't tell that you're going round in circles on the carousel Now it's just another morning and you're waiting for the mist to clear You get the feeling that everything is slipping away like water through your fingers and memories are all that stay Revolutions go in circles, always back to the start, and leave you wondering why you tore it apart but I still can't help believing in the promise of a brand new day
9.
Head Against the Wall 03:52
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Weary, wasted, once again getting back up off the floor some folks just don't seem to learn keep on coming back for more feels like I'm in a darkened room and I can't find the door so I keep banging my head against the wall but it don't show no signs it's going to fall The future seems so long ago it just drifted out of sight but I'm not prepared to let it go without putting up a fight groping in the darkness trying to find some kind of light I keep banging my head against the wall but it don't show no signs it's going to fall Then I start to see some shadows moving somewhere in the gloom and hear whispered voices coming from the corners of the room And I'm still banging my head against the wall but now I find that it don't hurt at all
10.
Silence Falling Slow 03:51
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Sunday evening silence falling slow just a distant diesel motor rumbling low the days and nights keep tumbling by so fast let's savour every moment while it lasts Let's take a little step out of the race as I watch the lamp light up your face your eyes say everything there is to tell and words would only break the spell And now you're drifting off to sleep into midnight shadows dark and deep dipping into silver pools of dreams until you let go and slip into the stream Another Monday morning comes too soon to strip away the warmth of our cocoon but the embers of the night all fade away with the magic of a smile to light the day
11.
On my Way 03:28
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So much has happened since this time last year there's no more time to sit and wonder what I am doing here well I've done that so many times now I know how it feels I've proved whatever I was trying to and this time it's for real And I don't know what will happen I don't know what the future will bring you know the only thing that I know that I know is that I don't know anything and I don't know where I'm going but if you meet me on the way don't you worry about tomorrow don't hang on to yesterday And if you're going the same direction if you want to, come along we'll maybe have a drink or two and maybe sing a song and then when the time has come we'll go our separate ways and maybe we will meet again somewhere along the way So I'll sit and watch the morning rise on this brand new day and I'll let the four walls hear my song and I'll be on my way I'll be on my way So I'll sit and watch the morning rise on this brand new day and I'll let the four walls hear my song and I'll be on my way I'll be on my way
12.
900 Miles 03:57
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I'm walking down the track, I've got tears in my eyes I'm trying to read a letter from my home If that train does me right I'll be home tomorrow night 'cos I'm 900 miles from my home I will pawn you my watch, I will pawn you my chain I will pawn you my gold diamond ring If that train does me right I'll see my woman tomorrow night 'cos I'm 900 miles from my home The train that I'm on is 100 coaches long you can hear the whistle blowing a million miles If that train does me right I'll see my woman tomorrow night 'cos I'm 900 miles from my home I'm walking down the track, I've got tears in my eyes I'm trying to read a letter from my home If that train does me right I'll be home tomorrow night 'cos I'm 900 miles from my home

about

The 3rd album by Scottish singer-songwriter Mark Mulholland, "Revolutions go in Circles" encompasses a variety of styles ranging from breezy pop-rock, Celtic folk and jazz to reggae and psychedelic afro-beat, while always retaining the distinctive style that makes Mulholland's songwriting unique.
Recorded in Bamako, Paris, Berlin and New York, it features collaborations with many of the musicians he has worked with in recent years, including the late Tony Allen, Toumani Diabate, Yacouba SIssoko, Vincent Bucher, Sean Condron, Pamela Badjogo & Baba MD.
portsofcallmusic.com/mark-mulholland/

credits

released May 30, 2022

The songs on this album were recorded at different points over the last few years, in Bamako, Berlin, New York and France, withsome of the musicians that I have been lucky enough to meet in the various places I have lived and travelled. There are new songs as well as older ones revisited or reworked. The collection took shape during the lockdowns of the past couple of years, when I completed unfinished recordings, both at home and with the aid of friends who sent contributions from afar since we couldn’t meet up and play together.

1. Moving On (3’56)
Mark Mulholland – acoustic & electric guitar, organ, bass, vocals
Sean Condron – electric guitar, backing vocals
Bill Hangley Jr – bass, electric guitar, backing vocals
Aaron Latis – drums

An older song, about a trip hitch-hiking down through Spain, which had somehow never made it onto an album. With all the literary references, it is perhaps not surprising that I ended up running a bookshop in Berlin for a number of years, for which we borrowed the name from Steinbeck – East of Eden. Recorded in New York in Jan 2020, when on tour with Sean for a showcase at Folk Alliance in New Orleans. My old friend Bill came up from
Philadelphia to join us, and Sean’s friend Aaron played drums.

2. Filling up the Silence (4’36)
Mark Mulholland – acoustic & electric guitar, organ, vocals
Sean Condron – banjo, bass, backing vocals
Stéphane Doucerain – drums, percussion
Matt de Harp - harmonica
Joe Armstrong – backing vocals
Orit Shimoni – backing vocals

A song written during a long Berlin winter some years back, when I was playing in a band with Sean and Joe, and we were staying in a dingy squat, busking and playing in bars. Sean came to Mali to play with Alba Griot Ensemble at the Festival Acoustik Bamako, and we recorded the song. Stéphane added drums during the recording session for Tony Rose’s album “Medicine Tunes”, and Matt recorded the harp in France later on. Joe and
Orit added long distance backing vocals during lockdown.

3. River Walk (2’58)
Mark Mulholland – electric guitar, vocals
Tony Allen – drums
Jean-Philippe Dary – bass
Olaf Hund – electric slide guitar
Yacouba Sissoko – n’goni, taman, karanya
Pamela Badjogo – backing vocals

I first met Tony when he came to Port-au-Prince for the project that became The Afro-Haitian Experimental Orchestra. During the week of rehearsals I had a solo gig at the Oloffson Hotel, supporting the legendary Haitian band RAM. I asked Tony if he’d like to join in, and he, Jean-Phi and Olaf came along and we jammed a set together. When we next met in Paris, Tony suggested that we record some stuff in the studio, so we arranged a session with him, Jean-Phi and Olaf, recording all the basic tracks live. This one I wrote around one of Tony’s drum patterns, and Yacouba and Pamela added overdubs when I got back to Bamako.

4. Getting There (3’36)
Mark Mulholland – acoustic & electric guitar, organ, vocals
Christophe Borca – bass
Stéphane Doucerain – drums, percussion
Matt de Harp – harmonica

I wrote and recorded this one in Paris after moving back from Mali. I met Christophe when we both played at Damon Albarn’s Africa Express in London, and we started working together back in France. Stéphane added drums during a quick session between gigs in Berlin, and Matt, my old bandmate from Two Dollar Bash, put harp on this and various other songs at our place in central
France.

5. Walk a While (4’18)
Mark Mulholland – acoustic guitar, bouzouki, vocals
Toumani Diabate – kora
Yacouba Sissoko – calabash, shaker
Stéphane Doucerain – drums
Vincent Bucher – harmonica
Chris Lastelle – rhodes piano
Orit Shimoni – backing vocals
Pamela Badjogo – backing vocals
Joe Armstrong – backing vocals

Written in Mali after an evening talking long into the night with Toumani Diabate. It became a favourite of Toumani’s, and every time we met, he’d say “play my song”, and we recorded this version together. Vincent Bucher was staying with us while playing at a festival in Bamako, and kindly agreed to add harmonica, and Pamela, who I worked with a lot in Bamako, sang backing vocals. Stéphane put down drums when I was back in France, and Chris,
Orit and Joe sent contributions during lockdown.

6. Live Anywhere (3’13)
Mark Mulholland – acoustic guitar, vocals
Sean Condron – acoustic guitar, bouzouki
Bill Hangley Jr. - electric guitar, bass
Stéphane Doucerain – drums, percussion
Matt de Harp - harmonica
Dalton Stansbury – fiddle
Orit Shimoni – backing vocals

This was a new song that I wrote just before the trip to the States in January 2020, and Sean and I included it in the set for the festival in New Orleans and recorded it with Bill when we went back up to New York. Stéphane and Matt added parts back in France and Dalton and Orit sent overdubs during the lockdown.

7. Your Race is Almost Run (3’03)
Mark Mulholland – acoustic guitar, slide, organ, vocals
Christophe Borca – bass
Stéphane Doucerain – drums, tambourine

The result of a conversation with an old friend about all the youthful ambitions that we and our friends had a few decades back, and where we all ended up. The fact that it employs a
sporting metaphor makes it somewhat rare in my repertoire. Recorded in France after coming back from Mali.

8. Carousel (3’26)
Mark Mulholland – acoustic & electric guitar, organ, bass, vocals
Stéphane Doucerain – drums
Matt de Harp – harmonica

Another more recent one from France, where Stéphane and Matt came over and added drums and harmonica.

9. Head Against the Wall (3’52)
Mark Mulholland – acoustic & electric guitar, organ, bass, vocals
Stéphane Doucerain – drums, percussion
Matt de Harp – harmonica
Orit Shimoni – backing vocals

A song that I had half-written a while back but never finished, which resurfaced during the first lockdown, and the bizarre situation we found ourselves in gave the inspiration to finish it off.

10. Silence Falling Slow (3’51)
Mark Mulholland – acoustic guitar, mandola, bass, vocals
Yacouba Sissoko – calebash, shaker
Orit Shimoni – backing vocals
Chris Lastelle – piano
Matt de Harp – harmonica

I wrote and recorded this one shortly before leaving Bamako, with Yacouba playing percussion. Matt added harp back in France, and Orit and Chris sent parts via the wonders of modern technology.

11. On my Way (3’28)
Mark Mulholland – electric guitar, vocals
Tony Allen – drums
Jean-Philippe Dary – bass
Olaf Hund – electric piano, synthesiser
Yacouba Sissoko – n’goni
Pamela Badjogo – backing vocals

An old busking song of mine from the days of The Oul’ Bogwarriors from Hell in Prague. Tony had enjoyed playing it when we jammed the gig at the Oloffson in Ha ti, so we recorded it at the session in Paris, and Yacouba added Malian flavours of n’goni and percussion in Bamako, along with Pamela’s backing vocals.

12. 900 Miles (3’57)
Mark Mulholland – acoustic guitar, organ, vocals
Baba MD – kamelengoni, calabash, karanya, vocals

A traditional American folk song which I learned from a version by Bert Jansch. Baba was one of the first musicians I met when I arrived in Bamako, and we recorded this song the first time we
got together to make music.

(Total length 44’06)

Lyrics available at www.markmulholland.net
All songs written by Mark Mulholland, except “River Walk” by Mark Mulholland and Tony Allen, and “900 Miles”, traditional, arranged by Mark Mulholland.

Produced by Mark Mulholland.

Recorded by Mark Mulholland in various locations, with additional recording by David Mestre (basic tracking, tracks 3 + 11, recorded at CBE studio, Paris); Orit Shimoni, (backing vocals, tracks 2, 5, 6, 9, 10); Marcus Fister (backing vocals, tracks 2 + 5); Chris Lastelle (rhodes piano, track 5; piano, track 10).

Mixed and mastered by David Odlum.

Photographs by Robert Betkowski, during the filming of the clip for “Moving On”, directed by Bertrand Fèvre, filmed by Sam Thomas.

Design by Andy Leuenberger.

Thanks to all the musicians: Sean, Bill, Aaron, St phane, Matt, Joe, Orit, Jean-Phy, Olaf, Yacouba, Pamela, Christophe, Toumani, Vincent, Chris, Joe, Dalton, Baba, and of course Tony, who is sadly missed; to Corinne, Davids Odlum & Mestre, Eric, Marcus, Andy, Robert, Bertrand, Sam, Jane, Laurent, PA, Banger, Frank.

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(c) + (p) Ports of Call Music 2022
POCM 2201

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