Title Track "Long Distance Dream" WAMI Award Winner, Best Blues Song 2001 Long Distance Dream is a journey through different musical moods and styles combining to reveal a depth of character, emotion and honesty we can all relate to. Enjoy the trip. The History Early 60's... East London... Cream, Elvis, Leadbelly. The beginnings of a passion for rhythms on percussion and lyrics on guitar. Up in the attic of Walthamstow... Berry, Dylan, Tull, teddy boys, mods 'n' rockers, The Stones, The Beatles... these were influences shaping the life and music of Richie Pavledis. Richie took his burgeoning talents to Western Australia whilst in his teens, and began honing his skills with a number of local bands including Prayer Wheel, Buckshot, Slave and Barrelhouse. The 70's gave way to the 80's, by which time Richie had worked the blues circuit with the likes of the Dave Hole band, and the country scene with Alby Pool's No City Limits. Finally Richie found the blend of styles that suited his eclectic foundations and wide ranging talents with Rick Steele and Marc Gordon in The Hot Biscuit Band. Whilst a great many bands have benefited from Richie's rhythmic interpretations and unique vocal style, there has long been a yearning to express his thoughts and feelings through his own compositions. Occasionally given flight in solo performances, Richie's ability as a writer has been given recognition through several songwriting awards, with his material being recorded by a range of artists in the rock and country fields. More recently, Richie has contributed some very highly regarded material to the two Hot Biscuit Band albums "Fire don't burn" and "Valiant", and now, having finally taken the bit between his teeth, we welcome the release of his debut solo venture, the deeply personal Long Distance Dream. The Music There it is; intensity, passion and integrity flow through his songs, like breath through the lungs, and make them live. Hearing the CD is like having a conversation with Richie, where you don't talk much, but you listen, you listen. The songs relate to various qualities, but they all share on central theme; we're alive. And that joins us somehow; "Take me to the place where borders fade For blood is red in everyone..." The songs vary in style and effect too, from the Tony Shergold song "Monkey Man", with it's Bo Diddley rhythm, to Jean Guy's restrained harmonica that washes through "Sea of Sorrow", the exquisitely phrased "Water to Man", the sad and simple truth of "This World" to the resplendent affirmation of "Lily's Song". Richie is joined on the album by some names you'd recognize; Dave Clark, Bob Patient, Marc Gordon, Jean Guy, John Burn, Tony Shergold (who also produced, recorded and mixed the CD) and Jane Pavledis on backing vocals. A tasty line-up, bringing Richie's songs into focus with careful arrangement and instrumentation.