Strange Tales by Dominic Yarns

By the end of 1966 he was living in San Francisco and hanging out in the same haunts as The Doors,The Grateful Dead, Buffalo Springfield,Love,Sly Stone and Janis Joplin. He caught a regular weekly spot as a DJ at the newly opened Rose Garden in Daley City and in July 1967 returned to London to put "a state of the art" DJ show on the road which he called "The Magicians Workshop".He toured this show around the U.K and Ireland for the next 7 years.

In the mid 1970's he was the co-owner of Roche Studios in Cornwall,S.W.England where both Elvis Costello and A.B.C. cut their studio teeth. In 1979 he picked up 3 No.1 production credits from CBS (France) for producing J.P.Capdeuvilles first Album "Les Enfants de Tenebre's" and the 2 singles taken from it.

Throughout the eighties he was the pioneering spirit behind B.M.D.LTD (Brixton Music Development),a musician and producers co-op based in Brixton,South London with it's own 24 track recording facilities (Globe Studios).For ten years he worked with a steady flow of grass root and over ground projects covering many diverse musical styles from Alternative and Progressive Rock,to Hip Hop,Computer dance, Reggae,Caribbean Steel,Blues,Pure Pop,Soul and good ol Rock n Roll.

By 1991 and after 17 years of fairly continuous round the clock sessions,he was advised by a hearing specialist to take a break from the rigors of studio life.Ok,he thought- Next! Well the next thing that happened is that he got sampled by Chicago rap band De La Soul (Say No Go 7" and 12" inch versions Tommy Boy Records).They used some previously released voiceover work from 1975.Long story short - the record went No.1 in the dance charts and they paid him for the use of the sample.He decided to hit the road again with a show and in 1992 procured a London agent, a sound and light system and whole bunch of ancillary outboard equipment,dusted off the vinyl and CD collection that stretched back to the late 1950s and, retracing his path of the 66-73 era performed 6 nights a week with "The DJ Uforia Disco Party and Karaoke Road Show" playing London and Home Counties dance clubs and pubs,corporate and private events and fund raisers.He ran this show for 4 years and finally said enough was enough in May 1996 when he moved back to Cornwall,where,as previously cronicled, he had based himself from the late sixties to mid seventies.

He rented a remote cottage half an hours drive from the city of Plymouth and picked up a six month contract to promote and perform at the cities premier dance venue "Club OZ - The Warehouse."With this contract completed he felt it was time for another complete break away from gigs and nightclubs.He was somewhat weary of the DJ tag and was in need of a new challenge where he could apply his creative edge.He had started to think tunes and write lyrics again.

It was mid winter 1997 when he shunned all offers of gainfull employment and retreated to write a new set of catchy rock songs with strange lyrical content.He wrote of alien encounters,crystals,freedom and liberation,natural energy,magic,entrepreneurial hermits,old flames,sons and daughters and General Uforia!!

In June 1997 Sony Music(formerly CBS France)sent him his six monthly royalty payment.He could hardly believe his eyes when he noticed the amount accrued from previous vinyl releases given a new airing in CD format.It was enough for him to live for a year without to much pressure. As luck would have it, Paul Craddick, a near neighbour, was in the process of completing the building of Goodmerry Farm Studios,a 24 track Adat facility in a renovated barn large enough to accomodate a 50 piece orchestra.Having met Dominic at a party one night he invited him to visit,heard his music and offered him studio time to finish the project.By Christmas Eve 1999 he had laid all tracks and taken rough mixes of ten titles. At the beginning of 2000 he received a call from a sister in Fallbrook,California with an offer of a years work helping in her business and with a place to hang out.He jumped at the chance and left the UK in May of that year returning via New York in May 2001.He set about tidying up and mixing "Strange Tales" thoughout July and with the demo album finished,moved back to South London. He set up a dance music studio and label in South London with long time associate Bill Farley -now sadly deceaced (Dec18th 2003).Knockout Studio's opened its doors in October 2002 and KORecordsUK released some well received vinyl dance offerings throughout summer 2003.The "Strange Tales" demo is now a mastered,limited edition reality and it is currently available on CD from CD Baby.com and as an MP3 download at the Dominic Yarns website (www.Rokit.biz),which finally went live late August 2003.Since November 2003-April 2004 he has been living in LA where he now has an agent,Mike Antony to represent him for stateside work deals and licence placement.Currently back in London talking to record companies.15th April 2004

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