TWILIGHT HOTEL
Notes by Ian Tasker
Welcome to my fourth album and a complete change in direction. The previous three leaned heavily on material I had written nearly half a century ago –mostly in tandem with ace drummer and great friend Peter Monteith in Leeds and Marlow – and it was the culmination of a lifetime's ambition finally to bring those long-lost songs into the world. Twilight Hotel is something different: the songs are all new and co-written with another great friend, Neil Morton, who provided all the lyrics. Neil has been an inspiration during the making of those three albums, always ready with help, advice and especially encouragement and I couldn’t be more thrilled that we have been able to collaborate on this album. Neil, who during his career was known universally as the headline-writer supreme (in the days when that was an art form), has a brilliant way with words, as his lyrics here confirm. It has been a privilege to set his work to music and I only hope that I have done them justice in my intepretations of the songs. This album features nine brand new songs plus three that featured on earlier albums. I have included them again to showcase all of Neil’s lyrics for me on one album. Our first collaboration World That Cannot Touch came about during the nightmare that was Covid and many of the lyrics here reflect just how much worse the world has become since. Some of the themes are fairly depressing – war, hate, divisive politics and the sometimes poisonous effect of social media. Luckily a couple of more upbeat songs made it to the finish line as well. I’ll leave it now to Neil to provide some insight into the inspiration behind the songs and I hope you enjoy the results of our efforts◼︎
Words by Neil Morton
As Ian remarked in the liner notes of his 2021 debut album, Losing Track Of Time, what took us so long to collaborate? We met nearly 40 years ago as fellow sports journalists who spent as much time discussing musical favourites as football, cricket or tennis. My band days with Breakdown and About Time in the late Seventies and early Eighties remain precious memories but even though a career in journalism took me overseas the songwriting continued, albeit intermittently, until retirement. It was during the pandemic when an idea for a song about a world that could not touch began to take shape. Ian had sent me a couple of demos of songs he had reworked and revitalised from his own Seventies/Eighties back catalogue, convinced he had enough material for an album. Make that three albums, and counting. It was an exciting project, a celebration of an almost lost era, and it fired my imagination too. Little did I know that one lyric would lead to an album's worth. Ian rediscovered those musical relics – most written with old friend and bandmate Peter Monteith – in a carrier bag when he was clearing the loft. The Basement Tapes? Listen to the Attic Tapes (or Ghosts In The Attic, as he named his third album). Ian’s musical talents, particularly his guitar work and flair for harmony, have transformed my lyrics, and I feel honoured to have contributed to his fourth album, Twilight Hotel. From World That Cannot Touch, our first alliance, to Lift Me Up and Forever Song, our latest offerings, I hope you enjoy a joint venture that might just inspire a sequel. Twilight Hotel I was reading one of Michael Connelly’s Bosch-Ballard novels called The Waiting, and one of the chapters ended thus: A hundred miles to go, and nothing more to say. I had to use that in a song. It fit perfectly into this tale of a romantic reunion gone wrong, a road trip that ends in 'a silence that almost screams'. The fact that Connelly borrowed the title of his book from a Tom Petty song made me feel better. When Did The Dark Invade Your Heart A certain world leader does not need to be mentioned by name but is the obvious peg fo this song. The lyric is about tyranny and tyrants in general, and the misery their obsession with power and twisted ideology inflict on the innocent and peace-loving. The hawks outnumber the doves. Devotee The opening lines were tweaked from an old song that was never finished. A love song, perhaps the not-too-distant cousin of the album's penultimate track, Lift Me Up. Spiral Of Life Rather doom-laden but bleak themes seem unavoidable these days. Summed up by the opening line: 'The world was still here when we woke up today.' Middle Way The song alludes to the failure of the two-party system, the ugliness of political argument on social media and an idealistic (perhaps) hope that cross-party consensus can be achieved on the more vital issues. Ian and I have spent many an evening over a glass of wine too many discussing politics. My views are a bit further to the left but I’ve always respected and admired Ian’s advocacy of a middle way, a centre party devoid of extreme dogma. This lyric wasn’t a commission but I like to think I managed to articulate his standpoint. All Talk Similar theme to the next two tracks Algorithm & Blues and The Silent Days: the pursuit of truth is undermined by 'loose lips and motor mouths'. Algorithm & Blues A headline I wrote in my newspaper days begged to be used in a song. A protest of sorts: about the lies and fake news concocted via social media by politicians and tech giants alike. Beware the algorithm in a world dominated by an acronym. The Silent Days It was tempting to call this Anger Is All The Rage but we felt it was better not to spoil its impact. From Brexit to the Trump era, these are turbulent times. Too much noise. Does hate have to win? If Wishes Had Wings A meditation on loss, regret, mortality and the hope of youth. If only we could claw back time to say the things left unsaid. The song was inspired by unconnected events: the death of an elderly relative on the same day her carer’s child was born in the same hospital. Then on my late father’s birthday the realisation that he had been gone longer than his children knew him. Did we appreciate him enough? My own mum's passing prompted two additional verses to the original. The perils of unspoken love. World That Cannot Touch Our debut song as a writing partnership appeared on Ian's 2021 album Losing Track Of Time. The idea for the song came from a phone call my wife and I received around Christmas 2020 from old friends in Liverpool. We hadn’t spoken for some years but they preferred a conversation to merely exchanging cards. It stirred memories of happier times instead of the dark ones we were experiencing during Covid. Vocal distancing, I suppose. The lyric has its sombre side, understandably. There’s anger at the missteps by our leaders and the needlessly high human cost. But the song ends in hope – that the world can safely touch again. Lift Me Up My indebtedness to a strong partner: happy and full of hope. Unlike me, she doesn't like sad songs! Forever Song Inspired by the growing number of choirs that have been formed up and down the country and the importance of singing to our mental wellbeing. This song would probably sound even better with a large choir to make it ‘an anthem for us all’◼︎
COMING SOON
A brand new album featuring new songs, with all lyrics by Neil Morton. Released on Bandcamp and all major streaming services on 1st August 2026
The lyrics
TWILIGHT HOTEL Checked in to the Twilight Hotel With only the baggage of old Rooms once laden with hope Now all mirrors and smoke We were blind to the scope Of the distance between A hundred miles to go That song the radio won’t play A hundred miles to go And nothing more to say From backroads to crossroads On a dark drive-through day From white lines to bad signs Memories that only betray Counting the scars and the cost We'll never find what’s lost All these trails are going cold We’re running out of road We’re running out of road We’re running out of road Neon blinking at the Twilight Hotel The only sparks of a lonely night Back at the wheel by first light Crunch of leaves and leftover dreams Fragments forgotten beneath The silence that almost screams
WHEN DID THE DARK INVADE YOUR HEART We’ll never really know you Which comes as some relief How does it feel to turn A world of hope into grief? We don’t believe in monsters But the pages of history do This land of drones and bones A hell on earth just for you When did the dark When did the dark When did the dark Invade your heart? Do you hear the cries of the old? Their tears as free as they once were Whatever gods speak to you Dare not betray their despair Tyranny was your destiny Peace an imaginary enemy Dreams ground into dust By a twisted ideology When did the dark . . . Every time we turn on the news Long table, short fuse Every time we turn on the news Long table, short fuse Blink first and we all lose When did the dark When did the dark When did the dark Invade your heart?
DEVOTEE Quarter moon, like a kite caught in a tree These wide-eyed nights have made an owl out of me Only you can put the blues to sleep Only you can keep us above the deep Devotee, devotee I will always be your devotee I’ve got my maps but I still feel lost Searching for something and I don’t know what Show me the rivers and bridges to cross I’ll follow the contours straight to your heart Devotee, devotee I will always be your devotee My mind’s all a mist, your vision is clear It's an oh so slow climb but the answer feels near Time has never been a friend of mine I’ll carry on clinging to your lifeline Devotee, devotee I will always be your devotee
SPIRAL OF LIFE The world was still here When we woke up today It’s getting harder to open the curtain Another bad day for the power of good How long can we go on this way? Spiral of life, spiral of life Down, down, down the spiral of life Our home was still here When we woke up today But our neighbours didn’t stand a chance Partners please, not these enemies Or is this an impossible dance? Spiral of life, spiral of life Down, down, down the spiral of life Our dream was still alive When we woke up today For the kind of world that seems kinder Profiteers of gloom cashing in soon They’d love hate to be the winner Spiral of life, spiral of life Down, down, down
MIDDLE WAY Too many living for the moment Too many living just for today Blind to what tomorrow may bring We need a new anthem to sing Where are the leaders of old? Where are the voices of change? Remember when gravitas was king We need a new anthem to sing There must be a middle way There must be a middle way Let the silenced have their say There must be a middle way Too much noise, too much hate The age of reason is made to wait Tolerance is the bell we’ll ring We need a new anthem to sing There must be a middle way There must be a middle way Let the silenced have their say There must be a middle way We go from extreme to extreme Left, right and little in between Make us an arrow for the sling We need a new anthem to sing There must be a middle way There must be a middle way Let the silenced have their say There must be a middle way
ALL TALK All talk and no action Knees jerking, overreaction All talk and no action Let’s join the great distraction Empty words and the air is hot A grain of truth is so hard to spot I’ll follow you if you follow me Social climbers in our family tree All talk and no action. . . Another can kicked down the road Tall grass for the heavier load Another promise you know you can’t keep Is there nothing that can shake your sleep? All talk and no action. . . Trading lies in the talking shop Hear the noise, it just won’t stop What’s your poison, we serve it here Let’s get high on spreading fear All talk and no action. . . Loose lips and motor mouths Turn the sound of yourself up loud If you were still for just one minute You might find reality within it All talk and no action. . . All talk, small talk, all talk, small talk
ALGORITHM & BLUES Big Brother, Big Sister too Blurring the false and the true Virtual world in your inner ear Telling you what they want you to hear Algorithm and blues Algorithm and blues I’d do anything to lose Algorithm and blues Bless the kids who couldn’t go to school Rules are rules, fools are fools A nation left scratching its head It’s only human to be misled Algorithm and blues. . . Locked in this echo chamber It’s getting darker, getting stranger Safe-space invaders They're the new hidden persuaders Algorithm and blues . . . World ruled by an acronym Artificial Insurrection Perhaps this is all a hoax And nobody needs protection Algorithm and blues . . . Algorithm and blues Algorithm and blues Can’t we just refuse Algorithm and blues
SILENT DAYS Screaming at the TV Shouting at your phone Indignation across the nation Every difference overblown They’re calling you names Your ears must be burning They’re fanning the flames Troubled times returning Anger is all the rage Anger is all the rage Anger is all the rage Take us back to the silent days We soon broke our promise To shut out all the noise They got under our skin And we threw out the toys Anger is all the rage. . . With Lennon we imagined With Joni we sang the hymn Peace and love forsaken We let hate win, we let hate win Screaming at the TV Shouting at your phone We’ve even violated The sanctity of home Anger is all the rage Anger is all the rage Anger is all the rage Take us back to the silent days
IF WISHES HAD WINGS If wishes had wings we’d fly and we’d fly From a brand new hello to an old goodbye We’d give and we’d give and never think twice We’d tell you a thousand things If wishes had wings If wishes had wings we’d go back in time To the days when love was the unspoken kind He’s been gone now longer than he was here He’d tell you a thousand things If wishes had wings If wishes had wings we’d let the tears flow Hold on to good times and never let go Free all the feelings we were too proud to show We’d tell you a thousand things If wishes had wings If wishes had wings we’d fondly recall Your brave maiden flights To London and Singapore And that pink limousine on a grand birthday tour You’d tell us a thousand things If wishes had wings If wishes had wings we’d whisper to the wind Where can we find the why of everything? Hope springs like a child from an old hiding place We’d tell you a thousand things If wishes had wings If wishes had wings we’d all hold your hand No reason for guilt in your forgiving land You made light of your pain Now we’ll try to do the same We’d tell you a thousand things If wishes had wings
WORLD THAT CANNOT TOUCH Sorry if I sounded weary and worn When we last spoke it was before the storm Let's take it slow, life’s been on hold Some stories, friend, are better left untold Memories have never meant so much Leaning on the past like a crutch Touching moments In a world that cannot touch A world that cannot touch With every twist of the truth Every roll of the dice A one-sided game of paying the price Listen to the wise, was it too much to ask? You can’t hide this all behind a mask Memories have never meant so much Leaning on the past like a crutch Touching moments In a world that cannot touch A world that cannot touch Love at a distance, how cruel the glass Longing for laughter, for this fear to pass We’ll open the door, welcome every face And embrace, embrace, embrace Memories have never meant so much Leaning on the past like a crutch Touching moments In a world that cannot touch A world that cannot touch In a world that cannot touch In a world that cannot touch
LIFT ME UP You lift me up from the lowlands Show me a piece of the sky You light me up with your easy smile Give me a reason not to cry The wayside’s become a crowded place With friends from the best of times We keep raising a glass to memories Yours is always fuller than mine Sometimes I try to shut out the news No room for mercy these days You switch over to the bright side You rarely have a bad word to say You lift me up from the lowlands Show me a piece of the sky You light me up with your easy smile Give me a reason not to cry You and your hope, lifting me up You and your hope, lifting me up You lift me up from the lowlands Show me a piece of the sky You light me up with your easy smile Give me a reason not to cry Don’t blame me for loving sad songs They can stir the spirits too But you have the heart of a dancer It’s time I fell in step with you You and your hope, lifting me up
FOREVER SONG Everybody’s singing Solace for the soul Everybody’s singing An anthem for us all Everybody’s singing A choir can make you strong Everywhere the sound Our Forever Song Hear the voices ringing Round and round your head Hear the voices ringing Let the harmony spread Hear the voices ringing Bring your friends along Everywhere the sound Our Forever Song Everybody’s singing Music for the mind Everybody’s singing Hope for humankind Everybody’s singing We can all belong Everywhere the sound Our Forever Song Everywhere the sound Our Forever Song