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One of rocks unwritten rules is that with few exceptions, drummers come and drummers go, but, when a drummer of the quality of Paul Clarke arrives you get the feeling that lady luck is on your side. His credentials included playing with various name muso’s including Neil Schon (of Journey and Santana), Ken Hensley (ex Uriah Heep) and Phil Heybourne as well as BBC Rock Wars Winners Chase.
It was soon clear that the, still un-named, band had been very lucky to obtain the services of Micky and Paul. All that remained now was to find the right vocalist, not just someone who could sing but someone who could project to an audience and work a crowd. A number of singers passed through the ranks until one night in a crowded West London venue Micky spotted Mark Colton fronting Casual Affair...
Many publications have cited Mark as one of the best front men in the business, Micky wasn’t about to disagree and, having dubiously obtained Mark’s home telephone number, started his relentless pursuit. At various times Mark has been courted by some of the top Prog acts in the UK, including I.Q., Arena, Big Big Train, Sphere and a very early incarnation of Jadis.
Mark freely admits that the only reason he went to the audition in the end was to shut the bloke up who kept ringing him and telling him that he had the perfect band for him. After about ten minutes of the first rehearsal any of his doubts evaporated, mind you, the first two songs they played him were Phantom and Alicia!
From that point on the band seemed to gather a “second wind".
This line up performed with Jump, Jadis, GLD, Moria Falls, Landmarq, Grace & World Turtle and opened the Rotherham Rocks Festival in 96 when Porcupine Tree and John Wetton headed the bill.
People were beginning to sit up and take notice of the band. Mike had definitely improved the credibility of the band in "Prog" circles yet, more importantly, his songwriting and arranging abilities were becoming increasingly apparent.
In the Classic Rock Society's awards that year Credo's opening slot at Rotherham Rocks was voted into the Top Ten Gig's of 96. Mark and Jim were voted into their respective top twenties, whilst Tim and Mike were placed sixth and eighth respectively in their categories.
Mark, in particular, has for many year’s fought with jibes and comments that he was obsessed with Marillion and, much as Fish had to contend with continual references to the similarity of his voice to Peter Gabriel, Mark has battled with the “Son Of” Fish accusations, on reflection the choice of band name didn’t help!!! Suddenly the “Big Man” from Scotland needed firstly a new guitarist and then a little later that year a new keyboard player. Both Tim and Mike were sounded out about a move to the Premier League as members of Fish's band.
Mark tell’s a great tale of a musician from another band taunting him with “Fish has nicked your band, Fish has nicked your band” during a gig, Mark, as cool as ever, retorted with “Well at least he thinks my band are worth nicking!!!”
Although appearing relaxed on the outside he now freely admits “I was really worried, for years people had accused me of ripping Fish off and here he was trying to nick my bloody band, I suppose there is something quite amusing in that!!!”
On the strength of these recordings and the press response Cyclops Records, soon offered the band a contract. Pen was put to paper on May 1 1994. The band was already recording the album, having been approached by two other labels, but Cyclops had the background and genuinely loved the band.
The album was preceded by a Cyclops compilation album which featured the track Kindness, many magazines stated that this was THE stand out track on the compilation and the Credo album, now known as “Field of Vision”, was becoming increasingly more and more anticipated.
September 1994 saw the release of the first Credo album “Field of Vision”.
The album was met with a more than healthy degree of enthusiasm by the music press and Fanzines across the world, Kerrang gave the album 3 k's and were moved to say, with tongue firmly in cheek "...A band that looks old enough to know better", but, it was live that the band started to create a stir.
The Birrell, Clarke, Colton, Murdoch, Stovoldt line up undertook an extensive round of gigs across the U.K. Supporting the likes of Landmarq, GLD, Jump and Wishbone Ash. The set was based very heavily around the album, but also featured The Letter, a track that had just missed being on FoV as well as Alex Harvey’s Faith Healer and Santana’s Trane.
The first demo was recorded in Hayes in January 93. The four tracks, Sweet Scarlet Whisper, Phantom, Alicia and the now well-forgotten Street Hound. The tape was never made available but the version of Sweet Scarlet Whisper from these sessions, was later included on the British Progressive Rock Audio Directory, a triple album package compiled by David Robinson, the mastermind behind F2 records.
A great bit of trivia is that this demo was recorded at the same studios where Marillion recorded their legendary demo that got them their initial deal with EMI.
The name Credo was adopted at the same time and copies of the demo were sent to Fanzines and Magazines around the world, the response was unbelievable.
It would be fair to say that by mid 1995 the future was looking assured for the band, after years apparently banging their collective heads against the proverbial brick wall the band were pleased with life and started to write the follow up album. They had already recorded a version of The Letter, and another track that eventually mutated into Turn the Gun, as well as Faith Healer, “just for a laugh really", remembers Mark, "as we had studio time to kill” Again these were never made commercially available (yet!).
Who would have guessed at this point that album would take ten years to hit the racks!!! A Spinal Tap moment that lasted the best part of a decade was about to envelope Mark, Jim and Tim.
With the biggest date of the bands career looming, supporting Paul Young, yes that Paul Young, Micky Stovoldt decided that life in a band was not for him and walked out days before the gig.
Disappointed but undeterred, the rest of the band started the search for a new keyboard player.
With the small matter of the Paul Young gig only three days away, Helen Rees was drafted in on Keys for her one and only performance with the band. Helen, who bizarrely enough it transpired, was a distant relative of Micky, decided against joining on a permanent basis due to other commitments. But it was a great gig that was brilliantly received, just what the doctor ordered to revive the dented confidence of the band.
In the age old tradition an advert was placed in Melody Maker. The response was respectable, but there was only going to be one option for the position. Enter Mike Varty, keyboard wizard and member of the mighty Shadowland.
Mike duly joined and the existing gig commitments were met, with three gigs in Mike's first week in the band.
Legend has it that Mike was already aware of the songwriting abilities of Jim, Mark and Tim as he had worked in the studio in Aldershot where the embryonic Credo rehearsed. Often he could be caught listening at the wall to the material beginning to evolve. Infact this "inside" knowledge was the deciding factor in Mike agreeing to join the band, recognising the band from Tim's moustache in a photo in the press clippings forwarded to him following his initial phone call!
As well as having the perfect foil for Tim’s superb guitar work, in Mark, the band also had another talented songwriter. The songs were re-worked and finally in March 92 the band performed their first gig in Aldershot.
At this point, struggling to find a name, they called themselves Ad Hoc. This was soon discarded and the name Chequered Past was adopted. This didn’t last too long either, but more than aptly described the bands past.
Hit a nerve have I?
Well, in those far off days of extreme bad taste Tim Birrell and Jim “Mudrock” Murdoch were contemplating total world domination with seminal Scottish rock band Armageddon. The only problem at this stage was that neither of our two intrepid heroes could actually play anything and Armageddon at this point was more likely to perform in bedrooms and garages than in front of a paying audience!!!
After a couple of years of lessons and tantrums Tim and Jim were now more than competent and were playing dual lead guitar in Armageddon, and Jim was also singing.
So far so good then...
The band were playing to larger audiences and creating quite a stir in Scotland, when the fateful decision to move south to further their careers was taken.
In Context, Nazareth and The Sensational Alex Harvey Band were the two leading "Jock Rock" bands at this time, whilst Frankie Miller, Beggars Opera and Stone The Crows ruled the "underground", The Bay City Rollers and Slick offered the less acceptable but more recognizable face of Scottish music, yet, the only way for Armageddon to pursue their dreams was to re locate to London, where everyone knows "The musical streets are paved with gold"...
As with many a young band that took this route fate was not kind to Armageddon. Punk had arrived and unless you fitted those particular criteria the record companies were not interested, and to be honest, could you really see Jim and Tim in bondage trousers, safety pins and bin liners?
Exhausted and disillusioned the band split, and the members all went their separate ways.
Tim and Jim bumped into each other in a North London pub. Jim was now playing bass and had stopped singing whilst Tim had recently sold his sports car to fund the purchase of his, now trademark, PRS guitar and Mesa Boogie amplification.
After a few beers, and then a few more beers, and then some more Tim and Jim decided to start playing together again, just for fun this time.
Over the next few years, with only the living room furniture as an audience, the shape of many of the instrumental sections from what would eventually become the Field Of Vision album were written.
It was obvious that additional musicians were required, but, after the politics of Armageddon, Jim and Tim were determined that not only would the new boys need to be proficient, but that their personalities had to be compatible. Enter Micky Stovoldt, keyboard player and, more importantly, a superb lyricist. Who added images to the soundscapes that were being created.