Graeme Williamson - Because You Were There

Today I'm taking a break from my vinyl reminiscing to write about Graeme Williamson's wonderful, breathtakingly beautiful posthumous release, Because You Were There.

Those who know me know that one of my favourite records ever is Pukka Orchestra's debut album. For whatever reason, it's indelibly ingrained in my musical DNA. I remember Neil Chapman (Pukka alumnus and fret wizard) mentioning in passing, through one of our infrequent exchanges, that he was working on fleshing out some demos and recordings Graeme had made before his passing in 2020.

Then the other day I received a digital copy of the album, complete with a comprehensive booklet - something sorely missing from most releases. Sadly, it wasn't part of the iTunes download; hopefully that gets fixed. They say you can't go home again, but hearing Graeme's distinctive voice was a homecoming of sorts.

There's still a bite to his lyrics, but the angry young man has evolved into an introspective, wizened old soul who appreciates the value of life and wants to draw attention to both beauty and injustice. He sums it up best in "Promised Land":

Many the road that I've been down
Many the river I have found
Many the wonderful thing fell in my hand
So don't talk to me about being free
If you won't make what you want to be
Then, man, you'll never live to see the Promised Land

I have no idea what condition the bed tracks were in when Neil started working on the album. Graeme's widow says it best in the liner notes: most of this music was originally recorded solo, at home in Glasgow, and Neil — his friend and longtime colleague — added his magic to the tracks. Graeme would have loved that. I couldn't agree more.

Because You Were There reminds me of Gerry Rafferty's Rest in Blue: a decade after his passing, the album he'd been working on was stripped down to his vocals and re-recorded to hearken back to his earlier work. It's a great record, and an almost perfect farewell to one of my favourite artists. Similarly here, Graeme's voice is front and centre, and on the full-band songs, the music really is magic.

There's a small part of me that wishes Tony Duggan-Smith were here somewhere, just to have the band back together — even if only through studio wizardry. That's the fanboy in me talking; who knows the logistics behind how things work, and frankly it's none of my business. I will say it was really cool seeing bassist Ian de Souza's name in the credits — I've been a fan since I first heard "Slow Train" by The Breit Bros.

Because You Were There is really two albums: one where the songs are fully fleshed out, and another that's far more intimate, often just guitar and vocal. I can't imagine the challenge of sequencing the songs. Do you separate them into two categories, which would likely draw focus to the "band" songs and relegate the intimate ones to bonus-track status? Or do you weave them throughout, letting the album ebb and flow stylistically? It's the latter approach that's taken here, and having listened through a few times, it was the right call — it enhances the ethereal quality of many of the songs and adds to the overall listening experience. As if to underline that ebb and flow, the sound of the ocean runs through the record: waves rolling in, waves rolling out.

This isn't an ordinary release. It's an attempt to document a legacy, not just put out a record. Sometimes an artist teases you with the promise of more to come. There isn't any more here. As Graeme writes in "Evershall":

This world’s too big for just one lifetime
I’ve been here for years and I don’t know nothin'
Don’t know nothin'

There are some great tracks on this album, and it's a wonderful epitaph to an artist many didn't get the chance to hear. Here's your chance.

Band Camp

If you were a fan of the Pukka Orchestra this is a must have.

Credits: Pictures are from the digital booklet for Because You Were There.

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