Sonar Music – 25th Anniversary

Featuring tracks from all of our artists.  Liverpool had the Cavern Club and Ringo Starr but in Coventry we had Cabin Studio, Paul Sampson and Robin Hill. It's hard to believe that we've now had 25 years of Sonar Music and indeed Cabin Studio and that's all thanks to one man, Jon Lord (but not the one in Deep Purple as he always reminds us!)

Coventry - Spring 1983.  The furious apples vocalist  Greg Crabb recruited Robin Hill (Pink Umbrellas) on drums, John Westacott (ex-Urge) on bass and  (Raphael Moore) on guitar, along with Mike Crabb, and Abbe Collins on keyboards to record a single - Engineering b/w Belladonna, was released in October 1983. This was the second release on the Sonar record label.   Paul Sampson engineered and produced.  The apples were the first band managed by Wayne Morris, owner of the European Son T-Shirt shop in Gosford Street and a budding pop svengali. John Peel played the Apples single and some interest was shown by CBS.  Greg is fondly remembered for being one of Coventry's best looking rock stars, his scarves which used to drape his mic stands and the Coventry Evening Telegraph headline ; 'Don't you know who I am? - I'm Greg Crabb!'  The apples have two rare tracks featured on this album 'Engineering' and 'Belladonna' originally released on 45r.p.m vinyl.

Armalite were formed by singer/songwriter and multi instrumentalist Cary Lord who started life as a bass player for Coventry band L’Homme de Terre in 1980.  Over several years this band experienced several line up changes including Toby Lyons (Colourfield) ex Swinging Cats drummer Billy Gough, ex Clique singer Caron Joyce, and Targets guitarist Adrian Dix. They were runners up in a battle of the bands at the Lanch Uni in 1981, and eventually Armalite came together in early 1984.  Paul Johnston - drums, Cary Lord - Bass guitar/backing vocals, Caron Joyce - Lead  vocals, and Adrian Dix -  guitars recorded this single at the 8 track Cabin studio. Produced by Armalite and Paul Sampson, ‘Living on the Edge’ was the third release on the Sonar Record label sporting the catalogue number SON 3.  

Formed in 1986 by bass guitarist Cary Lord, and keyboard player Helen Tierney, She's the Leader were a professional all female rock band playing a combination of covers and original material, and probably had the largest hair do's ever. The recording line-up featured Stacy on lead/rhythm guitar, Mad Maz on drums, Cary on bass/backing vocals, Helen on piano/synth/backing vocals and Lisa on lead vocals, all coming from diverse musical backgrounds of tastes and styles. In 1988 the band went into Cabin Studio to record 4 tracks ‘Bed of Roses’, ‘Love me like a Lover’, ‘Next to Your Heart’, and ‘Stranger’ to release in cassette format to sell at American bases on a European tour taking place that year.  These tracks have now all been made available for download and the track 'Bed of Roses' is featured on this album.

After She’s the Leader split up, Cary started to write and record original material collaborating with Reluctant Stereotypes / Pink Umbrellas Paul Sampson, Phil Brown, Alf Hardy and Crokodile Tears.   Viktoria's Sekrets were an early project and the track 'Don't be Scared' appeared on several compilation albums released Worldwide.  Cary continued playing bass and singing in her own bands releasing the album 'Independence Day' in 2006 on the Sonar record label featuring the track ‘Obsessed by You’.

Phil Brown appears with City Dread who's slick Caribbean grooves prove that Cabin studio is no musical one trick pony  on this sublime track ‘Understand You’.

One time D. J.Coventry's Kenny B (Buchanan)  provides a more rootsy rock groove on his track ‘I wanna know’.

The undisputable mover and shaker of the Coventry music scene in the 80’s, multifaceted musical chameleon Dave Pepper gave us fresh new wave tunes in ‘The X-Certs’,  and went on to grow the tallest Mohican within the city boundaries with ‘Blitzkrieg Zone’.  Just one of the projects in-between was the first release on Sonar Records and his only visit to Cabin Studio in the shape of the ‘Courtiers of Fashion’ self named track. Penned by Dave, this track featured Dave Pepper - Vocals, keyboards,  and Guitars, Paul Johnston - Drums, Keyboards, and Karen Ellett – Vocals.  The Pep is still rocking with ‘The Dave Pepper Band’ and based in Washington DC in the states.

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