HAD I THE HEAVENS

CATALOGUE RBXC1003
FORMAT CD
LABEL HAPPY VALLEY/ROSEBUD
RELEASE DATE 10/01/97
SLEEVE DESIGN Photography by Andrew Catlin
 
CURRENT VALUE £10
  TRACK LISTING WRITERS PRODUCER
  IT'S OVER NOW Virginia Astley Virginia Astley & Graham Henderson
  OVER THE EDGE OF THE WORLD Virginia Astley & Kate St John Virginia Astley & Graham Henderson
  NOTHING IS AS IT SEEMS Virginia Astley & Graham Henderson Virginia Astley & Graham Henderson
  BROKEN Virginia Astley Virginia Astley & Graham Henderson
  WHERE I BELONG Virginia Astley & Graham Henderson Virginia Astley & Graham Henderson
  I CAN'T SAY GOODBYE Virginia Astley Virginia Astley & Graham Henderson
  HAD I THE HEAVENS Virginia Astley Virginia Astley & Graham Henderson
  ANOTHER ROAD Virginia Astley Virginia Astley & Graham Henderson
  HOW CAN I DO THIS TO YOU Virginia Astley Virginia Astley & Graham Henderson
  I KNOW A TUNE WE COULD SING Virginia Astley Virginia Astley & Graham Henderson
  A LONG LONG YEAR Virginia Astley Virginia Astley & Graham Henderson
 

This release was a reissue of the original album and followed on from Rosebud's resissues of From Gardens Where We Feel Secure and All Shall Be Well.

The CD packaging was slightly altered and there are subtle differences in the typeface of the album title. The lyrics have also been dropped from the sleeve notes.

This album was originally titled The Woodlanders after the novel by Thomas Hardy. Virginia had worked on a possible musical based on the book and some of the songs on this album were an offshoot of that original idea.

The title of the album, and the words to the song Had I The Heavens, is taken from the poem He Wishes For The Cloths Of Heaven by WB Yeats.

Over The Edge Of The World was co-written with Kate St John (originally one-third of The Ravishing Beauties).

A Long Long Year was one of the few songs that had originally been inspired by The Woodlanders musical project.

I Know A Tune We Could Sing features vocals by Virginia's daughter Florence.

 

This album features musicians Roy Dodds, Simon Edwards and Graham Henderson who were also part of the band Fairground Attraction.

Virginia has not ruled put the idea of a musical: "The Woodlanders I still would like to record as an album intially and then who knows what may follow.."