Stored In Clocks And Mortal Shadows – pre-order

It is with immense pride that we are able to announce the forthcoming publication of a unique new book that, for the first time, brings together all of the lyrics and poems written by our dear friend Geoff Mann.

Stored In Clocks And Mortal Shadows, which comprises some 250 poems and lyrics, was co-edited and annotated by Andrew Wild and Mark Hughes with insights and assistance on unreleased Eh! Lyrics by former bandmate Paul Keeble. The book is introduced by Geoff’s close friend Peter Nicholls (IQ’s lyricist/vocalist) and features some previously unseen photographs. The back cover illustration was drawn, entirely unprompted, by 11-year-old Scarlett Mann, Geoff and Jane’s granddaughter who has clearly inherited Geoff’s artistic genes.

Running to nearly 300 pages, the idea for Stored In Clocks And Mortal Shadows was initially formulated during preparation of Geoff’s biography ‘His Love’ as its author Andrew Wild explains: “When I was carrying out research for the biography I worked very closely with Geoff’s family and former bandmates. One day I was surprised and delighted when Geoff’s lovely wife Jane handed me two folders containing Geoff’s poems. Most had been typed by Geoff on an old typewriter and it was immediately clear that this was an absolute treasure trove of previously unpublished material showcasing Geoff’s special talents.”

The earliest poems date from 1973, when the teenage Geoff was still living at home. The last, the remarkable and very moving Patients, dates from just before he died in 1993. We included a few of these poems, including Patients, in ‘His Love’ which elicited some very positive responses.

The poetry provided insights into Geoff’s thoughts, ideas and beliefs from a formative age, many themes of which were continued in his later lyric writing. It seemed obvious to us that combining the poems alongside Geoff’s thoughtful and intelligent lyrics would provide a deeper level of insight into the music that Geoff created between 1981 and 1993 with Twelfth Night, The Bond and the Eh! Geoff Mann Band as well as his various solo projects. Some of these lyrics have never been published before and include early drafts of two classic Twelfth Night songs, Sequences and The Collector. Those of you who are fond of those two songs will be captivated by these earlier drafts particularly those for The Collector as they are significantly different from the version recorded and issued on ‘Collector’s Item’.

We plan to print only a limited number of the books, based on the number of pre-orders, so we strongly recommended placing your order as soon as possible. We hope the books will be ready to be sent out before Christmas. But even if not, it will still make an excellent (New Year) present to yourself! The price of £14.99 has been set to reflect the unique nature of the book and to allow for a significant donation to The Christie Hospital in Manchester as all profits will be given to this fine charity in memory of Geoff.