It was whilst working on ‘Worthy’ (the album) I had a couple of conversations with old chums who really wanted to listen to some of the original worship tunes I’d written, the songs which started my journey in writing songs for public worship back in the mid to late 1980s and early 90s.

Bear in mind I started writing songs in my early teens but only started focussing on writing for worship not long after getting married. Some of those early songs were not great but others began to light up the church youth choir and youth group, then ‘I stand before You’ became a main church favourite along with ‘I love You Lord, (because You first loved me)’.

By the end of the 1980s I’d written some bangers that were now being sung nationally at conferences and churches across the U.K. Being at Bible College meant I was developing a broader network of connections in my student peer group and in leaders who were visiting teachers.

In the middle of all of that I was learning how to record. Initially recording on one cassette and playing it back whilst recording another part enabled me to layer up a little. Then friends invested in the magical world of 4 track cassette recording. By the time I returned from Bible college I was able to lay down an album’s worth of songs using a 4 track and inviting friends to add vocals and stuff. All real-time. Got to get it right. Mixed to cassette then duplicated and sold. On Cassette!!

Amazing the results you could get. This was what I used for the cassette albums ‘I Believe’ and ‘Run Deep’, and initially ‘Tears fall like rain’ (though that album was mixed onto DAT opening the way for it later to be mastered onto CD) But almost no one has a working cassette player these days. Put that alongside the fact that whilst I was really happy with those albums when they came out, my own production skills and 21st century contemporary musical tastes have moved on. Even if I could find a way to get those versions out, I would choose not to.

So my next conundrum was this. What should I do with these 20 or so really good songs. The answer is obvious. Start from scratch and record them. But which? I started with a few obvious ones and as I continued on I gathered 12 into some great modern arrangements but with a nod to their origins in some of the sound choices. ( I say 12 songs, it’s actually 14 but 3 have been put into a medley so only 12 tracks in the album)

One track features my old musical bestie Lin Nicholls on vocals. When I sent her the nearly finished mix we both remarked on how easily our voices blended – bear in mind, I knew which parts we had both sung but I couldn’t tell our voices apart – not surprising when we’ve sung together for so much of our lives.

Then the title: this came easily. Golden.

Two reasons. Obviously these are Golden oldies. Secondly 50th anniversaries are Golden – though none of these songs is quite 50 years old, nevertheless I am in my 5th decade of writing worship songs. How did that even happen!!!?

The only trouble is, in uncovering this collection of songs, I have at least as many again worth some attention. Could Golden 2 be a thing?? (You know it is! I have already started the process of recording and have a few absolute bangers laid down – Golden 2 will arrive in due course, not sure about late 2026 or early 2027)

It’s worth noting that this constant stream of releasing older material came from a sense that God wanted to pour new stuff into me and I needed to get the old out to make room for the new. I think I saw that in Two Worlds Kissed pts 1&2 as the new songs were written, at the right time they just poured out of me. It’s also great to hone my production skills and really learn to use the professional tools at my disposal.

I am looking forward to the new song material that I am about to write and co-write.