Away Days - ‘At the River’ in Ambleside
This is the latest in a very occasional series of ‘Away Days’ posts which has so far taken the blog out of The Tweed Valley to The Howgill Fells and Edinburgh’s 7 Hills. This time I present a remix of a tale I shared last year on Instagram, celebrating a Lakeland beauty spot and a classic chill out tune…
Ambleside, slate hewn honeypot of The Lakes, with more outdoor shops than anywhere else in Europe (probably…). Nestled between England’s deepest lakes and highest mountains, it’s a picture postcard place which has charmed tourists for centuries, as well as being the site of an impressive Roman fort. Did you know, however, that it has a further claim to fame and place in UK dance music history? Read on…
Just over 25 years ago Groove Armada wrote and recorded ‘At the River’ in Ambleside. Chances are even if you’ve never heard of Groove Armada, you will know the song - it became an advertising staple for Marks and Spencer. They (Andy Cato and Tom Findlay) were staying in a rented cottage in the village, writing their first LP. They stumbled across the famous vocal sample (“If you’re fond of sand dunes and salty air…”) on a 50p bargain ‘Hits of the 50’s’ CD, purchased in one of the few shops in town not stuffed with Berghaus and Rab. The original song is ‘Old Cape Cod’ by Patti Page and is worth a listen - the first 10 seconds of the 1957 recording are instantly recognisable. A downtempo drum beat and squelchy keyboard bass was added. Cato happened to have his trombone with him (he was a former member of the renowned Grimetheope Colliery Band and a talented Jazz musician) and by the time his laid back, jazzy riff had been added it was clear that magic was in the air. A chill out classic had been born. The majority of the tune finished, the band headed south in separate cars - each with a copy of the tape they knew was special. The recording and journey home was during that unprecedented period of national grief and soul searching which followed Princess Diana’s death in August ‘97. Whether that truly weird atmosphere added to the beguiling melancholy of the tune we will never know. It took a while for ‘At the River’ to hit the mainstream, an initial run of 500 vinyl became a cult, underground hit but it wasn’t until the tune got into the hands of BBC Radio 1 DJ’s in 1999 that it became a more mainstream success. Even then it wasn’t easy, it’s slow groove totally at odds with the prevailing sounds of the day - Nu Metal, Ricky Martin and Britney! But a hit it became and, 25 years on, it’s power is undiminished - I love it as much at 41 as I did at 17 - the sign of quality music. These days it’s more likely to be played as I get my kids to sleep than it is at 05:00 at an all night party, but it’s still a part of my life. So there you go, the story of ‘At The River’, a tune for the ages, crafted among the slate, cakes and lakes of Cumbria.
