GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT were a Duo formed in 1981 by Drummer/Percussionist, Singer/Songwriter, Musician/Composer and Co-Producer John (JJ) Johnson, A.K.A. John Johnson, and JJ Johnson,
formally of the Bands, Wayne County and The Electric Chairs, Mystere Five’s, The Flying Lizards, Skids, Low Noise=(Thomas Dolby) and others.
And Musician/Composer, Synth/Keyboard player, and Co-Producer Duncan Bridgeman,
formerly of Shake Shake, I Level, Tribal Drift, and others, eventually forming the Duo 1 Giant Leap in 2001.
Prior to being part of these various name Bands through the 1970’s and early eighties the Duo met and began recording together around 1981 in a spontaneous, open and experimental way, inspired by many things from The Beatles, Early Roxy Music, British Punk and New Wave to the then emerging 80’s Electronica and Music, which produced an Album and three Singles.
In 1983 the first Single ‘Strange News,’ was released initially on the Imperial Recordings Label, which became Interdisc, followed by the Singles ‘Diction and Fiction’ and ‘Whistling In The Dark’ and The Album ‘Method in the Madness’ through Interdisc Records (an Island Records subsidiary).
Defying current musical genres of the time. It incorporated early Synth Electronica coupled with Real Drums Percussion and Vocals.
Now, on the 40th Anniversary of the Albums Original release the original recordings have been re-released by the GBMMEDIA label and are now Exclusively available on digital distribution platforms.
released October 7, 2022
JOHN JOHNSON : Lyrics, Music, lead vocals, backing vocals, real drums, real percussion , trumpet, tape spin-ins, co-production.
DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN : Music, keyboards, synthesisers, programming, tape spin-ins, backing vocals, co-production
METHOD IN THE MADNESS ALBUM TRACKS.
1. METHOD IN THE MADNESS
JOHN JOHNSON : Lyrics, Music, lead vocals, backing vocals, real drums, real percussion.
DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN : Music, keyboards, synthesiser, programming.
MATTHEW SELIGMAN : Bass
BRAM TCHAIKOVSKY : Backing vocals
Recorded at THE CHAPEL.
Thanks to MATTHEW SELIGMAN and BRAM TCHAIKOVSKY
Written, Produced, Arranged, and Performed by GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT.
Mixed by GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT and NIGEL WALKER Mix Engineer at AIR STUDIOS.
2. LETTERS
JOHN JOHNSON : Lyrics, Music, lead vocals, backing vocals, real drums, real percussion, tape spin-ins.
DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN : Music, keyboards, synthesisers, programming, tape spin-ins.
BRAM TCHAIKOVSKY : Backing vocals
3. DICTION AND FICTION
JOHN JOHNSON : Lyrics, Music, lead vocals, backing vocals, real drums, real percussion, programming.
DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN : Music, keyboards, synthesisers, programming, tape spin-ins, backing vocals.
VICKI ASPINALL : Violin
MATHEW SELIGMAN ; Bass guitar
KEVIN ARMSTRONG : Guitar on outro
RICK WOOLGAR : Saxophone.
Recorded at THE CHAPEL.
Thanks to JOE DWORNIAK and BRAM TCHAIKOVSKY
Written, Produced, Arranged, and Performed by GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT.
Mixed by GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT and NIGEL WALKER Mix Engineer at AIR STUDIOS.
4.. WHISTLING IN THE DARK
JOHN JOHNSON : Lyrics, Music, lead vocals, backing vocals, real drums, real percussion, programming, tape spin-ins, vibraphone
DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN : Music, keyboards, synthesiser, programming, tape spin-
ins, backing vocals.
JOE DWORNIAK : Bass Guitar.
GEORGIE BORN : Cello.
BRAM TCHAIKOVSKY : Backing Vocals
Recorded at THE CHAPEL.
PRODUCED BY GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT. Mixed by GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT and NIGEL WALKER at AIR STUDIOS.
5. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
JOHN JOHNSON : Lyrics, Music, lead vocals, backing vocals, real drums, real percussion
DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN : Music, keyboards, synthesisers, programming, tape spin-ins.
BRAM TCHAIKOVSKY : Backing vocals
Produced,Performed,Recorded at THE CHAPEL by GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT.
Mixed by GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT and NIGEL WALKER at AIR STUDIOS
6. STRANGE VIEWS (IS IT SAFE)
DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN : Music, keyboards, synthesisers, programming, tape spin-ins.
JOHN JOHNSON : Music, real vocals, real percussion, trumpet, tape spin-ins.
PASCAL GABRIEL : Syn drum
Recorded at MOODY STUDIOS Produced, Engineered, Performed and Mixed by Duncan Bridgeman and John Johnson.
7. CHANCE
JOHN JOHNSON : Lyrics, Music, Lead vocals, backing vocals, real Drums/real percussion,
DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN : Music, piano, synthesisers, programming, backing vocals.
Recorded at MOODY STUDIOS Produced,Engineered, performed and Mixed by Duncan Bridgeman and John Johnson.
8. STRANGE NEWS 12"
JOHN JOHNSON : Lyrics, Music, lead vocals, backing vocals, real drums, real percussion, trumpet, tape spin ins.
DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN : Music, keyboards, synthesiser, Bass Synth, programming, tape spin-ins, backing vocals.
PHIL SMITH : Saxophone
JACQUI CALLIS : Backing vocals
ALAN COWLEY : Backing vocals.
Produced, Arranged, Engineered and Mixed by Duncan Bridgeman and John Johnson.
Recorded at MOODY STUDIOS and THE CHAPEL and Mixed at THE CHAPEL by GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT.
9. METHOD AGAIN
Instrumental medley of Alternative 'Stripped Down" Mixes of the songs: Strange News, Whistling in the Dark, Letters, Method in the Madness.
Strange Clues Dub mix by Adrian Sherwood of ON-U Sound
RECORDED at THE CHAPEL and MOODY STUDIOS, MIXED at THE CHAPEL and MUSIC WORKS STUDIOS.
Produced and engineered by Duncan Bridgeman and John Johnson. All other tracks mixed by Duncan Bridgeman and John Johnson.
BONUS TRACKS,
10. GREEN LIGHT
(From 7" Vinyl B Side of Diction and Fiction.)
JOHN JOHNSON Music, Vocals, Real Drums, Real Percussion, tape spin-ins.
DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN : Music, Keyboards, Synthesiser, Programming, Samples.
Recorded at THE CHAPEL.
Produced and Mixed by GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT at MUSIC WORKS STUDIOS.
11. HISTORY:
(From 7" Vinyl B Side of Whistling In The Dark.)
JOHN JOHNSON Music, Real Drums, Real Percussion.
DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN Music Keyboards, Synthesiser.
Recorded at THE CHAPEL.
Produced and Mixed by GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT at MUSIC WORKS STUDIOS.
All additional instruments on all other tracks,
Duncan Bridgeman and John Johnson
ALL TRACKS WRITTEN, PRODUCED, ARRANGED and PERFORMED by GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT.
RECORDED AT THE CHAPEL and MOODY STUDIOS.
ALL ALBUM TRACKS MIXED by GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT and NIGEL WALKER at AIR STUDIOS, except
STRANGE NEWS Mixed at THE CHAPEL, STRANGE VIEWS=(IS IT SAFE) and CHANCE Recorded and MIXED at MOODY STUDIOS by DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN and JOHN JOHNSON.
GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT are JJ and DB.
Special thanks to CHRISTINE ROBERTSON @bluegenemedia for Co-design, IT and all round “Wonderfulness”.
.
Special thanks to DAVE KITTO @
www.cliftonbankstudios.com for Audio Transfer.
And DALE LUNHAM-HARRISON for Tape Tracing and Retrieval.
METHOD IN THE MADNESS LP ARTWORK CREDITS.
Foreground Photography, RICHARD HAUGHTON.
Background Photography by TREVOR KEY.
Calligraphy by GEOFF HALPIN.
Design and Typography PETER SAVILLE ASSOCIATES.
Special Thanks to PAULA ADDAMS and CAROL WILSON @ INTERDISC.
Original Release: 1983 INTERDISC / ISLAND RECORDS.
2022 Release GBMMEDIA.
