Thought this was telling...Walter brought enough to a song or project as a producer that he would have been within his rights to request a songwriter's credit. I also thought it was telling that for the particular song discussed here, King in a Catholic Style off of the 1985 China Crisis album Flaunt the Imperfection, the thing that Walter—renowned guitar and bass player—brought was a keyboard riff to really tie the song together. Easy for me to forget that Walter was no slouch on keys, and did the majority of his composing, both solo and with SD, on a keyboard/piano.
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Walter spoke as often of the China Crisis projects almost more than any other non SD experience … within the limits that his pantomath nature allowed, anyway. All of his stories about his times with them were warm, most of them hilarious, and it was obvious he held his work with them and their personal relationships with great affection and pride.
Many of the stories seemed to be leavened with the indignity--For Walter anyway--of working in the “dreary, gray, slit your wrists” UK for rather long periods of time, including over at least one Christmas season. He praised everyone plus families for making him feel at home, but there were still some cultural glitches. I seem to recall Walter telling me that they didn't work on Christmas day — fair enough even for Walter— but when he mentioned plans for the very next day's work, he received a shocked silence, astonished looks, and the explanation that no one works on Boxing Day! Apparently this was more sacrosanct a holiday then Xmas itself. He reports it might have been weeks before all the fellows regarded him as an okay bloke once again
I also recall a few tales of several slow rolling car wrecks — was a plate-glass window somehow involved? -- and maybe a not so slow rolling one— copious amounts of ETOH consumed, and heaps of laughs. He loved their humor and their Northern sensibilities. Walter clearly cherished these guys and his time with them, and it's obvious how much he respected their talents.
Sometime during the later SD touring years, shortly before one of the Liverpool gigs, Walter and Garry corresponded by email and made plans — overly hopeful it turned out — to get together. I can't recall if they could only manage some phone contact, a backstage hallo, or a painfully short visit; I think it was a hit-and-run show when we had to skedaddle right after the gig—but Garry told Walter he was working on some new things and Walter as always was interested to hear it and hear about it.
This tribute from the stage would've meant a lot to him. And I'm sure he could've added a few embellishments to the story himself.
[Edit: I may well have more to say, if folks are interested, about the rather unique position CC held in Walter's musical mind and heart -- which he revealed in a few concrete examples]
apparently the guy in the plaid shirt isn't hearing the same Rapure WB is...