Just right for now as 30-year-old song is revived for Eastbourne single

The Hot Crocs, newly formed to release the track (via itunes and other download platforms), are Tony Norman and Chris Downton, who 41 years ago had a top ten hit with Eastbourne band The Mobiles. Move on to 1992 and Chris and Tony were playing in the USA with blues band The Roosters. Kicking back at their hotel in Portland, Maine, before a gig they wrote (Hey Hey) Everything’s Alright. That night at the show the bass amp blew up plunging the band into instant silence. They spontaneously broke that silence with a song just hours old.

“We had come up with the song in the hotel room and it’s got a nice country blues guitar part. We just started kicking it around and we thought it was a nice song. It came quite quickly but we gave it no more thought and went for the gig but then the bass amp blew up and we had to stop. There was a pregnant pause. Chris said what should we do and I said ‘Shall we do the new song?’ His guitar was still working and my mic was still working and while the roadies were sorting out the amp we did the song and it felt appropriate in the circumstances, saying that everything will be alright. The idea was hopefully that everything would be alright by the end of the gig, and the crowd were really supportive.”

Cut to 2022 and Chris was thinking about sending out email cards: “I thought about the postal strikes and this song just came up on my computer. I remember that I liked it and that it's got something about it and then I realised that its message is just perfect for this present time. We're all hoping for the best but really we're all going into a very difficult time for many people. I just thought about sending this to family and friends and then decided to make it a single. The message of the song is that if you stick close to your loved ones, your family and your friends, it will be OK. The heart of this song is to be close to the people you love. The world might be going crazy but if you stick close you will be OK. It's maybe a simplistic message but really it is often the simple things that are true. If you had a lousy day at work and then you go to the pub with a friend and you have a beer and you just chew the fat and talk about the hassles of day then the chances are that you will be OK. If you are lucky enough to have loved ones and you're lucky enough to be with them, then you'll be fine. When we did the song in Portland it went down very well. I think Americans like something that's a bit different and also something that’s bit spontaneous. They like the fact that we only just came up with the song and that it made sense in that moment and when we got back to England we recorded it within a few months.”

Tony is now putting out that 1992 version: “I just found that it worked as a recording. It feels good and it sounds good and it's got lovely memories of a great time making music together. The Hot Crocs are me and Chris and we will just see how it goes. If there is an interest in us to start performing together as The Hot Crocs, then that would be lovely to do that.”

The single is available from iTunes and download sites. https://tonynorman.com/