Gladiators, Ready?

Available now on SPOTIFYAPPLE MUSICTIDAL

‘More chops than a butcher’s shop’Phil Hilborne, UK guitar legend

‘This kicks ass’ – Jamie Hunt, One Machine, BIMM, Guitar Techniques

That’s right, it’s my new/old single, all proceeds to Spotlight YOPD. Here’s the story:

London, 1995. Pete Langman, then Rock Guitar tutor at MI London and Rock Columnist for Guitar and Bass Magazine, recorded an entire solo album, Dancing with Architects, in a week (there was a good reason, honest). He then distributed a few copies amongst his student cohort (On cassette. Remember them?). He retired from the stage late in 1999. Eight years later he picked up his guitar, dusted it down (changed the strings) and thought about reactivating his career. But something felt wrong. By 2008 he knew why: Parkinson’s. That rather spiked thoughts of a comeback.

London, 2017. A decade later, having come to terms with losing much of his digital dexterity, he celebrated his (ahem) half-century with a small gig, during which several ex-students and colleagues joined him onstage. Following a drunken conversation with one of them, Pete found himself in the midst of a plan to re-record this ancient album, augmenting his original guitar parts with drums, bass and new (ok, extra) solos by a whole cohort of talented musicians from his past.

Everywhere, 2021. Gladiators, Ready? is released in aid of Spotlight YOPD (Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease), a charity devoted to helping the younger Parkies (like Pete) cope with their condition. One of the sillier and shreddier of the album cuts, its international cast – Bryan McLellan (drums), Mel Gabbitas (bass), Steve Forward (guitar), Phil Hilborne (guitar) and Bora Uslusoy (guitar) – set the track on fire with their blistering contributions. Produced and mixed by Bora Uslusoy at bUMA RecordZ. Mastered by Grammy-winner Oscar Zambrano at Zampol Productions.

Art direction by Gooberlicious.

Phil Hilborne solos at 2.37-2.52 and 4.13-4.28, Steve Forward from 4.00-4.13, and Bora Uslusoy from 5.30-5.45.

From Pete Langman’s Dancing with Architects (with Darren Bazzoni, Mark Brenner, Steve Forward, Mel Gabbittas, Martin Goulding, John Grindey, Pat Heath, Phil Hilborne, Darren Hunt, Jamie Hunt, Neil Huxtable, Martin Johnson, Geoff Lea, Bryan McLellan, Terry Lewis, Keith More, Enrico Morena, Si Mulvey, Stefan Redtenbacher, Mike Sturgis, Sanjit Suchek, Shelley Trevelyan, Bora Uslusoy, Paul Waller – credits include Asia, Aha, Lisa Stansfield, One Machine, B*witched, Jo Harmon, Steve Vai, Nicko McBrain, Brian May, John Entwistle, The Nice, Tom Chaplin, Paul Di’Anno, Nina Hagen, BIMM, MI London, DIME, ACM Guildford, Guitarist, Guitar Techniques, Total Guitar, Guitar World).

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