Ant Barbeau is one of the most prolific solo artists out there today, most of his releases on other labels are original songs but for Fruits de Mer he's mixed in a series of great covers - from Julian Cope to Bowie, Traffic to Big Star - on various singles releases, compilation album contributions and collaborations.

This 'Introduction' CD includes many of those covers, together with bonus tracks including his tribute to the Cellar Bar, where he played our Dr. Sardonicus summer festival a few years ago - and even managed to persuade Liz to give him the t-shirt of her back (it's a long story), together with a live recording from our 10th birthday bash in Glastonbury, to round things off

Here's the full track listing...

1. Psychedelic Mynde of Moses 3:36 (Barbeau) from 'The Psychedelic Mynde Of Moses' 7" EP
2. Sometimes I Wish I Was A Pretty Girl 2:33 (Hitchcock) from 'The Psychedelic Mynde Of Moses' 7" EP
3. Out Of My Mind On Dope And Speed 3:02 (Cope) from 'The Psychedelic Mynde Of Moses' 7" EP
4. Occupy/Divide 3:34 (Barbeau) from 'The Crabs Sell Out' CD
5. When I Was 46 (In The Year 13) 3:52 (Barbeau) from The League Of Psychedelic Gentlemen 7" EP
6. Dr. Crippen's Waiting Room (with The Honey Pot) 4:23 (Orange Bicycle) from 'Ascending Scales' double LP
7. Ziggy Stardust 3:44 (Bowie) from 'A New Career In A New Town' CD
8. Heaven Is In Your Mind 3:49 (Traffic) from 'Heaven Is In Your Mind' 7" EP
9. Secretion Of The Wafer 4:10 (Barbeau) from 'Heaven Is In Your Mind' 7" EP
10. September Gurls 2:53 (Big Star) from 'Heaven Is In Your Mind'7" EP
11. Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) 5:15 (Bowie) from 'Heaven Is In Your Mind' 7" EP
12. Sunshine Superman 3:54 (Donovan) from 'The Three Seasons' 3LP set
13. Heavy Psychedelic Toilet 4:26 (Barbeau) from 'We Are The Cellar Bar Restoration Society' LP
14. Berlin School Of Doubt (Barbeau) 6:39 from 'Head In The Clouds' 2LP+2CD set
15. Pleasant Valley Sunday (with The Fishheads) (Goffin/King) 3:49 from 'The Fishheads' 7"
16. Beak 4:33 (Barbeau) from 'Heads Together' 4CD set

bonus tracks...
17. Cellar Bar 3:06 (Barbeau) from Ant's 'Stranger' CD
18. Third Eye 2:33 (Barbeau) previously unreleased
19. Trouble Was Born 5:02 (Barbeau) from the DVD 'Fruits de Mer Records Live In Glastonbury

Ant spills the beans on The fish and him...
I met Barry Melton at his home in Davis, California, which is 11 miles from where I lived in Sacramento, a few weeks before I was to be supporting him on a UK tour. Next time I saw him was at the Bullingdon on Cowley Road in Oxford. I did a solo opening set, then I'd come back onstage and do two numbers with Barry and his band, "I Don't Like You" and "Drug Free." The latter song was always introduced by Barry, with him explaining to the audience that I was a CIA plant, but that I'd been found out and allowed to remain part of the concert to pay off my karmic debt. It was a great tour, right down to the fact that we drove from gig to gig in the back of a police van - the promoter, "Psychedelic Mike," happened to also be a cop.

Not so long later, with the tour over and both Barry and me back in California, I invited him to a recording session at the Hangar, a suitably huge recording studio in a warehouse in downtown Sacramento. It was the first session with what turned into my now longtime-stead local band, The Maude Squad, and Barry made for a welcome addition. He showed up with a custom-built Mesa Boogie amp. It was LOUD! He played at Woodstock volume, seriously. Amazing vibe. And did I mention it was LOUD?? We worked on two songs at the session, one called "I Used To Say Your Name," which I'd written for Allyson Seconds, and the song of the day, "Dog Star." I knew Barry was THE dude for the song and it was an honour and a thrill to have him on board.

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