Shadows was a Thames TV supernatural/mystery series that ran for 3 series from 1975 to 1978. All the stories were supernatural/Ghost/Fantasy/Mystery based. Shadows featured a superb array of actors including John Nettleton, Jenny Agutter, Jacqueline Pearce, Gareth Thomas, Brian Glover, June Brown, Russell Hunter (as Mr Stabs this character was also in Ace of Wands) George A Cooper (Caretaker Grange Hill) Brian Wilde (Mr Barraclough, Porridge) Norman Rossington, Gwyneth Strong and Joan Greenwood.
Writers for the series included Fay Weldon, J.B.Priestley, Susan Cooper, Joan Aiken.
What is also rather wonderful about Shadows was the exceptionally good intros to the series. A total of 3 different intros were used across all three series. My Personal favorite was the intro to the 2nd series with the animated bird flying, high contrast tower blocks and the creepy girl standing still whilst her shadow skips on a pale blue landscape.
Some of the stories are perhaps a bit obvious/cliched and samey (After School & Waiting Room) some are fun (Dutch Schlitz's Shoes, The Man Who Hated Children) The Inheritance is a personal Favorite and definitely has a Folk Horror edge to it. A very fine and often over looked series.  If you do get the chance check out all three intros here.

The Horn Dance from The Inheritance

 

Test Transmission Archive Reel 56

 

About 12 months ago I decided I needed a break from the Test Transmission Archive reel mixes. Was not sure at the time if or when I would do another..but here we are nearly 12 months later and it is time for Test Transmission Archive Reel 56. A  Psych, Electronic, Acid Folk (and all other goodies) mix.  To keep you all entertained this mix is 2 hours long and contains all sorts of ear worms, Focus Group, Funkadelic, Sweetwater, Joe Meek, Levitation, Dudley Moore, Fairport Convention, Genesis, Amon Duul ll, Forest, Fair Mothers and much more. I should say this is not the start of reguler Test Transmission mixes, but maybe the start of some random every now and then mixes.
So until next time strap yourself in for a right old audio head massage.

Tracklist
Focus Group - Bachoo
Bonzo Dog - We are Normal
Amon Duul ll - Pale Gallery
Ivor Cutler - I Got No Common Sense
Pink Floyd - Heart Beat Pig Meat
Funkadelic - What is Soul
Julian Cope - Transporting
Schifrin/Holmes - The Pidgeon Toad Orange Peel
Sweetwater - In a Rainbow
Fifty Foot Hose - Cauldron
Large Plants - Every Single Day
Psylons - Midnight Sun
Broadcast - The Be Colony
Fairport Convention - If I had a Ribbon Bow
Joe Meek - Entry of the Globbots
Joe Harriott John Mayer Double Quintet - Acka Raga
Spectrum -  You Satisfy Me
Genesis - The Conqueror
Delia Derbyshire - Ziwzih Ziwzih
Lother and the Hand People - L O V E
United States of America - Coming Down
Forest - Graveyard
Levitation - Pieces of Mary
Bruce Haack - Incantation
Silver Apples - A Pox On You
Elephants Memory - Old Man Willow
Gershon Kingsley - Pop Corn
White Noise - Here Come The Fleas
Belbury Poly - Chapel Perilous
Fair Mothers - Birds Bees and Tiny Fleas
Dudley Moore - Bedazzled
The 101 Strings - Flameout
Tangerine Dream - Ultima Thule Part 1
Red Crayola - Hurricane Fighter Plane
Free Design - Make the Madness Stop

Berial at Bevill's Leam 12inch Available Again

 

Originally released in Jan 2023 on Castles in Space. Burial at Bevill's Leam sold out very quickly.
The plan was not to repress and leave it as a limited release that was now no longer available on vinyl. However after a recent tidy up and change of distributor at Castles in Space, a few of these red 12inch singles appeared. A few are now on sale again on the Castles in Space Bandcamp page and myself and Mr Powell have a few to make available soon.

When recording the album “Sad Old Tatty Bunting”, I decided it needed a spoken word track. I wanted to mix this in the style of The Velvet Underground track, 'The Gift', with the vocals hard panned to the left and music to the right. I approached singer/songwriter Douglas E Powell and asked him if he would be interested in writing a short story for this purpose. Doug came back to me sometime later with a 13/14 minute tale about ancient giant crabs and a burial at a place called 'Bevill’s Leam'.

I loved the story, however it was too long, way too long. There was only about 7 minutes spare for the last track on the album. So Doug went back to work on it and presented me with a shortened version. The voice was recorded and mixed, hard panning left and right.

“Sad Old Tatty Bunting” was released on Castles in Space in Feb 2022.

In the Spring of 2022 I started thinking about the full version of 'Bevill’s Leam', and started to think that we should revisit the track in order to record and release the long version using Doug’s full text as originally planned.

I told my label, Castles in Space that I wanted to do the 12” in the style of a DIY white label. We agreed on no cover artwork and only a white sleeve with an A5 paper insert. Taking inspiration from Public Image’s “Metal Box” a red typewriter font was chosen for all the text. Colin Morrison at CiS proposed a red vinyl pressing because he’s like that.

So, with all the label details worked out, the last remaining problem we had was that Doug no longer had the original full story! So in double quick time he set to work and re-wrote and re-recorded the whole thing. It turned out Longer, darker and better.

Myself and long time friend and producer Jack Packer set to work remixing the new version of 'Bevill’s Leam'. Some new tracks were laid down with additional sounds and effects and then Doug’s new extended vocal (sounding amazing) was sewn into the mix.

This new version of the track is very different from the album version, having a fuller sound and sharper clarity. Doug’s vocal was perfect, and the new musical additions created a more balanced and atmospheric feel. The B side instrumental version was slightly extended, and again some new sounds and effects added.

So there you have it…the full story of Burial at Bevill’s Leam in glorious hand numbered,
red 12" 45rpm format.  

Clip Clop Non Stop (Belbury Poly Mix) by Keith Seatman and Belbury Poly

 

Exclusive to the Castles in Space Subscription Library Singles Club.

 https://castlesinspace.bandcamp.com/community

 Clip Clop Non Stop (Belbury Poly Mix) by Keith Seatman and Belbury Poly 

 is our opening salvo. 

  

There will be a vinyl compilation of some of these singles coming towards the back end of the year, but meanwhile prepare yourself for a series of exclusive virtual 7" and 12" singles as we move through 2025. These tracks will not be appearing anywhere else other than within the Subscription Library community. credits released February 22, 2025 

 

 Written by Keith Seatman and Jim Jupp Production and remix by Jim Jupp Artwork by Nick Taylor © Castles in Space ℗ Signal to Noise ℗ Belbury Music CiS196 

 The original version of this track will appear on the forthcoming Keith Seatman album, "Counting To Ten Then Back Again"