More about Martin Day’s Music

Martin’s Musical History

I started writing lyrics from the age of about sixteen. I was initially enchanted (if that’s the right word) by the shock-rock of Alice Cooper and my first couple of efforts were in that macabre vein. But what I was attracted to was his cleverness of making one thing appear like another or making two statements simultaneously. At the same time I was intrigued by much of the other-worldly imagery of some of the prog-rock bands of the mid-seventies. Not understanding song writing in those days and without music, I could only think to count the syllables in each line to establish a structure in a lyric. A friend at sixth form college set one of my early efforts to music and it came to life. I was seventeen by this time and I was so enthused that when summer came, and I had too much time on my hands, I set about writing a twenty-one song concept album, ‘Bradbury Hall’! It was Alice Cooper meets Genesis’s ‘the Lamb lies down on Broadway’. Set in an insane asylum each inmate had his own tale to tell of their decent into insanity. Each one’s name gave a clue to their root problem often in anagram. Nurses tended to them and their bids for freedom only ended in recapture or return. A few of the songs were put to music all have which has now been lost bar one that started it. There was no satisfactory ending to the story until I found faith in the autumn of 1977 which as well as giving me a new purpose also gave me inspiration for the last lyric that concluded and completed the project.

Soon after my conversion I teamed up with a friend in my Christian youth club who was teaching himself guitar. Rob Bathurst and I shared a desire both to communicated Jesus’ message of hope to others and to write songs. Our plan was to write songs and gradually find musicians to form a band. Rob was to be the guitarist and I would be a lyricist in the Bernie Taupin mould, but in the mean time I needed to sing the lyrics is songs were to be created. As it happened we never found a singer so I continued as lyricist and singer for the next thirteen years. During that time I taught myself guitar and eventually was able to pen both music and lyrics as part of the Salt Solution band. To this day it still comes as surprise to people that I can only play what I have written myself. I have never had a desire to re-create or cover the work of others.

At the conclusion of Salt Solution in 1995 I focused my creative energies into writing worship songs and preformed them occasionally in singer-songwriter form. Only notepad recordings of these songs currently exist.

In later years I have co-written songs with Simon Gardner for the Prog band ‘The Prognosis‘ and a few other odds and ends.

During this same time I embarked on my most ambitious project to date – a musical called ‘Sharp to the Flat‘. that now even has it’s own website. This project was triggered by a dream I had in 1999 and I have since written the script, lyrics and melodies for the 21 songs that make the work up. Rich Milner had partnered in this project with me adding his considerable talents to produce fully orchestrated recordings. Although it is now as complete as we can make it I will need to find a theatrical partner to bring it to stage. My partnership with Rich Milner continues and we have more recently written and released a number of independent singles together.

Catalog of Works

All my Heart © M Day 15-Jan-1997
Arctic Ostrich© M Day 3-Oct-1984
Are You a Man or a Mouse © M Day 9-Oct-2006 & 28-Jul-2018
The Art of Growing Old © M Day 5-Apr-1991
Back to the Maker © M Day 18-Oct-1984
By Your Son © M Day 14-May-1996
The Blood © M Day 09-Dec-1983 (& verse 3 © M Day 12-Apr-1984)
Buried in the Mix © M Day 16-Jul-1987 (verse 2  © M Day 19-May-1989)
The Cardiac Slap © M Day 05-Oct-1983
Character Assassin © M Day 10-Apr-1985
Chris Says No © M Day 08-Jun-2020
To Close the Day © M Day 19-Jul-1978
The Day In Between © M Day 18-Oct-1990
Dogslife © M Day 1982
Escapology © M Day 12-Nov-2020
‘E Never ‘urt No-one © M Day 1979
A Faith of My Own © M Day © M Day 22-Jan-2017, 17-Oct-2017 & 20-Feb-2018
Floating on the Pedello of Life © M Day 23-Mar-1987
Fullness and Fun © M Day 27-Jun-1996
Get Out © M Day 15-Apr-1983
Go Green © M Day 12-Aug-2010
Going Too Far © M Day 29-Oct-1980
Halcyon Days © M Day 17-Sep-2006
Halcyon Days (reprise) © M Day 17-Sep-2006
Hard Way to Learn © M Day 14-Jan-1986
Here is the News © M Day 21-Jul-2011 & 6-Jul-2012
House of Old Wounds © M Day 29-Jan-2013 & 7-Oct-2016
House of Old Wounds (reprise) © M Day 29-Jan-2013, 07-Aug-2016 & 24-Nov-2017
How Could You Steal My Thunder © M Day 18-Jul-2012
How He Loved You © M Day 16-Oct-2006
How Is It You Know Amanda? © M Day 20-Dec-2012
I Can’t Believe © M Day 27-Feb-2013
I Desire a Crown in Glory © M Day 21-Jan-1995
I Dreamed of Heaven © M Day 05-May-2000
The Igneous Rock © M Day 1982
I’m Alive © M Day 08-Nov-1983
I’m Good Enough © M Day 18 Sept 2013
In My Dream © M Day 30-Mar-2011
Insurance Man © M Day 02-Oct-1984
Into the light © M Day 1978
In Victory © M Day 23-Sep-1998
It Can’t Work © M Day 20-Feb-2013 & 6-Feb-2017
It’s A Scandal © M Day 30-Jan-2013
It’s All About Me (Show Business) © M Day 16-Nov-2012
It’s All About Me (reprise) © M Day 26-Feb-2018
I Will Enter In © M Day 09-Apr-1997, 06-Oct-2012 & 12-Mar-2018
Just a Friend © M Day 22-02-1980
Let’s Pretend © M Day 13-Feb-2013
Let the bandages be shed © M Day 23-Apr-1998
Lightning © M Day 26-Jan-1992
Lonely On My Own © M Day 21-Apr-2001, 25-Jan-2012 & 9-Jan-2017
The Man of My Dreams © M Day 05-June-2013 & 14-July-2015
Mediterrain © M Day 13-Jun-2013
Men Have Feelings Too © M Day 05-Mar-32023
Michaelmas Cay © M Day 16-Mar-1993
More than this © M Day 24-Apr-2003
Must be Seen © M Day 29-Sep-1991
My Mind has Hands © M Day May-1988
My Reptilian Brain © M Day 22-Aug-2023
The Name of Jesus © M Day 19-Jun-1995
New Life © M Day 01-Sep-1983
Nobody’s Going to Kiss You © M Day Apr-1995
Not What We Planned © M Day © M Day 09-Jan-2013, 15-July-2015 & 21-Feb-2018
Not What We Planned (reprise) © M Day © M Day 05-Aug-2015 & 16-Feb-2017
Now, Now © M Day 20-Apr-1983
On my way Home © M Day 23-Jun-1983
Our Time Together © M Day 13-Apr-2014
The Patience of the Lord © M Day 17-Jul-1997
People Like These © M Day 15-May-2022
The Perfect Day © M Day 31-May-1989
Respondez Sil Vous Plait © M Day 1982
The Rich can’t Win© M Day 1979
The Rule of Thumb © M Day 04-May-1983
Rings True © M Day, S Gardner & A Clarke 01-Nov-2022
Safe Among the Shadows © M Day 16-Dec-1982
Second Fall © M Day 8-Sep-1981
See the Lord Approach His Temple © M Day 08-Apr-1998
Sonbathing © M Day 1980
Somebody’s Watching Over Me © M Day 26-Jan-2012 & 02-Mar-2018
Something’s Missing © M Day 10-Nov-2021 & 08-Nov-2022
Spirit Come Inside © M Day 29-Jan-1996
The Straight Furrow © M Day 15-Jan-1991
Strong © M Day 1986
Super Stimumemorite © M Day 30-Jun-2014
Take Jesus © M Day 30-Jul-1984
Taking His Own © M Day 1982
Tarmac Wheels on Rubber Roads © M Day 1978
Tearing the Curtain © M Day 31-Oct-1985
Thorn © M Day 22-Apr-1980
Topsy Turvy © M Day 05-June-2013
To Raid the Grave © M Day 23-May-1997
To Ride the Unicorn © M Day 07-Dec-1993
Torn Leather Tearaway © M Day 1979
Unwilling Guest © M Day 04-Jan-1981
We Could Be Best Of Friends © M Day 12-Mar-2013 & 7-Oct-2016
What More Reason © M Day 16-Dec-1995
When’s it Gonna Change © M Day 21-Oct-1982
When There’s A Deadline Involved © M Day 25-Oct-2006
Where are You Going? © M Day 20-Jun-1978
White Collar Blues © M Day 18-Oct-2012
Who is Mr. X? © M Day 15-Dec-1983
The Word © M Day 23-Feb-1996
You’re Still There © M Day 21-Dec-2021
Your Call Is Important © M Day 14-Nov-2012
Your Company Needs You © M Day 06-Dec-1984 & 3-Feb-2004
Your Country Needs You © M Day 06-Dec-1984