We are delighted to announce the forthcoming release of our latest album… which is actually our first one! And not only that… it also includes the very first recordings we ever made!

The story starts way back in March 1979 while we were still a 3-piece and did our first-ever recordings, which subsequently became known as the ‘legendary’ SKAN Demos… later that year (with keyboard-player Rick now on board) we recorded a live concert and went into a recording studio for the first time. The resulting 4-track album, imaginatively entitled The First Tape Album… was released to co-incide with our first proper tour in January 1980. The 3-track demo version (which didn’t include Sequences) got a great review in national music mag ‘Musicians Only’, being voted their ‘Demo of the Week!’

“The SKAN Demos”… the first time we recorded ourselves playing, when there were only three in the band: Andy (Rev), Clive and Brian! The five tracks include a version of Fur Helene I that is longer than Sequences! Some tracks have different parts as they then went through various changes… e.g. Sequences, which also features an over-dubbed guitar solo… oh! the wonders of technology..!

“The First Tape Album”… comprised two tracks recorded in a local studio (Freddie Hepburn and Sequences) and two tracks from a Reading University gig in November 1979 (Fur Helene 1 and Encore). While both studio tracks are included here, for reasons of space, the live tracks are represented on this CD by their earlier ‘keyboard-free’ SKAN versions.

“So if you want to hear how it all started for Twelfth Night," says Brian, "this is Act One: Scene One!”

The full track-listing is as follows: -

SKAN

• Scales / Fur Helene I (14:02)
• Encore Une Fois (5:57)
• Fur Helene II (11:49)
• Sequences (short version) (9:51)
• Four And Three (5:32)

First Tape

• (Hats Off To) Freddie Hepburn (8:27)
• Sequences (17:44)

This CDR release has new, specially-designed artwork (as The First Tape Album was orignally issued without any!) for which we are grateful to our friend David Read. Photos are from Mark Hughes’ extensive TN archive, and there are brand new track-by-track ‘listening notes’ written by Brian Devoil. The official release date will be 19th June, to commemorate our 1979 ‘Midsummer Rock’ gig at Reading University that featured a guest vocalist… Geoff Mann.

The SKAN Demos/First Tape Album CDR is now available to pre-order. It is priced at £ 7.00 + p&p. Postage rates are as follows: - £ 1 for the UK, £ 3 for the Rest of the World.

The preferred method of payment is by PayPal sent to briandevoil@twelfthnight.info

Alternatively by bank transfer (details available on request) or by cheque, payable to Brian Devoil, The Brambles, 1c Doggetts Farm Road, Higher Denham, Bucks. UB9 5EH, UK

If you’re not sure about anything e-mail Brian - to confirm the prices and availability.

Since we posted last time we have played 2 gigs – the first at Danfest2 in Leicester and then a special gig in December at the Barbican in London. The contrast between the 2 venues/shows could hardly have been greater – but suffice to say plenty of fun was had at both of them. For those that made it - thank you very much for coming along and supporting us. We were particularly pleased to see Jane Mann at Leicester and delighted that she was able to join Andy, Clive and Brian for a post-gig curry! After the Barbican show even more of you were able to join us for the after-show party (which went on until 2am, and yes there was dancing)… and it was lovely to see so many old and dear friends. Amanda, Kate, and Taff - just to name a few.

‘And so it was with very mixed emotions that we closed another chapter in our long and varied history last week at the Barbican in London. It was a very special night and we would like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who came along and supported us, and to everyone who helped ‘behind the scenes’ to make it happen. For those of you who came along we hope you enjoyed it too. We were also delighted and amazed to discover that over 800 watched the webcast live - including fans as far away as Australia and the United States…’ As Clive has said on Facebook ‘thank you to all of you who have seen or heard us over the last 30 years or so… the Barbican was a fantastic evening and I couldn't have wished for a better way to say goodbye’.

For those of you who haven't yet seen the show, or would like to relive the experience, it's available to stream at

www.new.livestream.com/silkstreetevents/twelfthnightlive

Please continue to send us your photos and any video footage you have, as we would like to include as much as possible in a future DVD release. Here’s a link to a set of photos from Trevor Cotterell, who has been a fan since the Target days!

www.cpp.tclh.co.uk/twelfthnight/12DecLondon/large/scroll.htm

Thanks Trevor!

Looking forward to 2013, Twelfth Night HQ remains busy. We have several CD and DVD projects in the pipeline over the next few months, including some unreleased Twelfth Night music from 1979-80, a definitive "Fact and Fiction" reissue, the DVD release of Live and let Live, Andy Sears' long-awaited solo album, an update to Play On (our official biography) and, we hope, a CD/DVD of last Saturday’s show.

Despite the absence of ‘TN’ shows there are already several musical adventures planned involving different members of the ‘TN’ family. Andy Sears is performing in Clive Nolan’s latest musical ‘Alchemy’ in February, Clive and Mark will be appearing at Celebr8.2 in the Spring, and Mark and Dean will be touring with Galahad, who have a number of international dates in 2013. We will keep you informed via the web-site (which is itself about to undergo an ‘awesome’ revamp – thanks Mark!), Facebook, and Night Moves.