Brian Bedford

Brian Bedford, singer, song-writer, recording engineer
and for 20 years member of vocal trio, Artisan.

Brian writes songs. He doesn't just write songs he writes great songs! He started writing little songs for the kids he taught, hymns and Christmas songs, harvest songs and show songs for musical plays, and then in 1985 wrote his first song for Artisan, "Going Nowhere." It was the runner up in that year's South Yorkshire song competition!

Since then Brian has written over a hundred songs, including a 25 minute choral piece commissioned by Broadstrairs Folk Week in 2001 performed by a festival choir that year and again in 2003, He's also written settings for a cycle of Yorkshire poems by Dorothy Una Ratcliffe which were recorded on Artisan's "Searching for Yorladale CD."

Brian's own songs are noted for the depth and insight of their lyrics. Often deceptively simple songs can be peeled away in layers to expose a core which grabs inner emotions. Such a lot of people have commented on the relevance of Brian's songs that we draw the conclusion that Brian is one of those rare people who writes "us" songs rather than "me" songs.

BRIAN BEDFORD BIOGRAPHY

Brian grew up in Barnsley in the 1950s. He went to Huddersfield School of Music to study music in general and 'cello and singing in particular. Then he did a post-grad (teacher training) year at Bretton Hall College and from there went on to teach kids from the ages of five to eleven at Crofton (near Wakefield) for 16 years, eventually getting discouraged by the system when National Curriculum was introduced because 'child centered learning' seemed to be changing into 'accountant centered learning.' He left his deputy headship in 1989 for the life of a singer with the successful international vocal trio, Artisan, touring the world with his songs right up until November 2005 when Artisan disbanded. In 2006 he sang, wrote songs and played electric 5 string 'cello with The Brian Bedford Band.

With two children 'grown and flown' he lives with his wife, Jacey, in a little village near Huddersfield, on the edge of Yorkshire's Pennine Hills where he runs his own small recording studio and continues to write songs.

BRIAN BEDFORD'S SONGS

Brian is always delighted when other people take up his songs and sing them in concerts and record them. Many of his songs have been recorded and performed by soloists, duos, bands and choirs in many different forms and with many different arrangements. Brian is of the opinion that people are welcome to arrange the song to suit themselves, but please don't change the words or the tune - after all both words and tune were written for a reason. Change the instrumentation, change the chord structure beneath the tune, change the harmonies, change the timing - it's all a matter of personal taste, but please don't mess with the song itself. If there's anything you must change, please seek permission first.

Anyone recording Brian's songs should get in touch with us about royalty payments. If you are in the UK and you are applying for an MCPS licence please quote the author as Brian Bedford and the publisher as Bedspring Music and MCPS will send you a small invoice for songwriter's royalties. (Call us if you need contact details for MCPS.) It's not a lot but it all helps to keep the boat afloat! If you are outside the UK, please contact us to pay royalties direct at standard MCPS rates. (We can arrange for this to be done simply by Visa, Mastercard or Paypal) Contact: brian@brian-bedford.com or telephone from within the UK 01484 606230 (from outside the UK +44 1484 606230).

Many of Brian's songs have been recorded on Artisan's albums. There are five on "Driving Home", seven on "Rocking at the End of Time", a massive twenty tracks on the classic "Breathing Space" album. "Our Back Yard" has fourteen excellent Brian songs and "Dancing With Words" has another 14 and his Christmas songs - some off the wall, some poignant and serious - are on "Paper Angels" and "Silver and Gold". There are more songs - some from the early years that never got recorded for lack of space on albums, plus some new ones as sung by The Brian Bedford Band and some still unrecorded. You can buy all the Artisan CDs from the Artisan album page.

Others have also recorded Brian's songs, "What's the Use of Wings" has been sung and recorded by a number of people including Vin Garbutt, John Wright, Marie Little, Gilly Darbey, Shep Woolley, UnityVoices, Worrall Male Voice Choir and the Philadelphia Gay Men's Choir. "Breathing Space" has been recorded by Black Voices (though unfortunately their record company incorrectly attributed the song to "Brian Powell of Artisan," - Big OOPS! - they assure us they will correct this but... when?), Mal Waite recorded Going Nowhere many years ago. More recently Tania Opland has recorded "Roads". William Pint and Felicia Dale have recorded a version of "White Horses." And... some we don't ever get to hear about. Please tell us if there are any more sightings by e-mailing jacey(at)artisan-harmony dot com. Thanks.

'What's the Use of Wings'

Brian Bedford © Bedspring Music

I could have been a giant' said the bonsai tree / But someone bound my roots and held me down / I could have reached for heaven said the snowy owl / But they clipped my wings and kept me on the ground / I think I heard them tell me that they love me / they would care for me forever so it seems / But what's the use of voices with no freedom / And what's the use of living others' dreams.
Why do people cage the things they love the most / Is it simply that they fear to be alone / If you give your love its freedom it may stay a while / If it leaves you it was never yours to own.

Some of Brian's songs are silly, some are serious, some are both if you listen closely. An essentially daft lyric forming the candy coat around an extremely hard nut!

Extract from 'This is the Way the World Ends'

Brian Bedford © Bedspring Music

This is the way the world ends / Not with a bang but a bonfire / After tea we'll murder a tree / Then take a dip in a warmer sea / I'd like to live in a greenhouse / I know it could be fun / This is the way the world ends / Basking in the sun.

Extract from 'You Are There'

Brian Bedford © Bedspring Music

Far away and close beside me / You are there, you are there / When the darkness tries to hide me / You are there / In my breaking and my making/ You are there, you are there /When I'm true and when I'm faking / You are there / You are the rock in shifting sands / In raging seas you are the land / You are the shelter from the gale / You are the knot that will not fail / No matter who I try to be / You see me through, ty see through me / And when I dare / Then you are there.

Note: some people have taken this to be a spiritual song, others a love song. Each person takes what they want from a song and brings their own meaning by the context in which it is sung. Brian didn't write it as a spiritual song, but if that's what you wish to sing it as, then please do so...

Extract from 'Too Old to Care'

Brian Bedford © Bedspring Music

I'm too slow to be chasing but I'm too fast to be chaste / I'm much too much to handle and I've no time to waste / 'Cos I am too old to be hot and I'm too young to be square / I'm old enough to know better but I'm too old to care! / Folks say I should grow up and maybe act my age / But I'm still sixteen, and I'm still green, and age is just a mind cage / I'll wear a frown if I slow down, that's really not my way / Well I've had enough, I'm breaking free / You youngsters better watch out for me.

Composer in Education --- "Thinking Out Loud"

In 1992 Rotherham Arts, in conjunction with PRS (Performing Right Society) and Yorkshire Arts put in a bid to fund a Composer in Education, a professional song-writer who could work with young people in schools. Originally John Tams helped to shape the scheme, but Brian was asked to step into John's shoes when John was offered the "Sharpe's Rifles" TV role.

Brian worked with the young people on what he loves doing best, contemporary, socially and personally relevant song-writing. Over the course of two terms, from 1992-3, he worked with groups of kids aged 12 to 14 in three different schools. The teachers had envisaged that the kids would write modern folk songs, i.e. songs in the traditional idiom, but Brian gave them free rein to write their own music in their own style. These became true folk songs. Only time will tell if they pass into the traditional repertoire.

That year there were nine such schemes operating under the guidance of PRS and at the end of the year Brian's scheme was heaped with praise, receiving two pages in the glossy PRS yearbook. He puts his success down to being a teacher as well as a song-writer. The combination of talents was undoubtedly successful.

The project led on to an album, "Thinking Out Loud" and the formation of Brian's own publishing company and recording label, "Bedspring Music."

Recording with Brian at Park Head Studio

Brian loves the technology of music, the nuts and bolts of compressors, mixing desks and microphones. He's produced all Artisan's albums since "Our Back Yard" in 1996 and since January 2000 he's been recording for other people too, from the debut album for up and coming young singer Bill (Belinda) Jones, which earned lots of airplay and led to her winning the Horizon Award for Best Newcomer to tracks for the new James Keelaghan CD released in Canada and in the UK on the Fellside label. He's recorded everything from brass and voices to Bollywood pop (yes, reverb does go up to eleven...) He's recorded for Harvey Andrews, Roy Wilcock & Bridget Guest, Roam, HYT (Youth Theatre), Ben Walker, UnityVoices, Brian Peters, Gunnar Wiegand (Germany), Pint & Dale (USA), Cockersdale and location recordings for (amongst others) Bolsterstone Male Voice Choir, Bradford Cathedral Choir & Organ, Three's Company and UnityVoices.Check out the studio page.

Brian also has a full set of location recording gear for multi-track recording of live events.

In addition to recording, we can offer a full package from studio to finished album, from standing in front of the mics to a barcode. Please contact us if you want details. Phone UK 01484 606230.

Go to Artisan's CD sales page to buy Artisan versions of Brian's songs

This page was created April 19th 1998 (c) by Jacey Bedford and last updated on June 8th 2007