Charlie Francis - Audere Est Facere
Name: Audere Est Facere
Artist: Charlie Francis
Length: 18:34
Preview:
» Download the full track [25.5mb, MP3]
About Charlie Francis
Charlie Francis is a well-recognised music producer, especially amongst indie bands, and has produced music by groups such as REM, Robyn Hitchcock and many more.
Growing up in York, early exposure to Top of The Pops, the John Peel show and his best friend’s older brothers’ record collection created an overwhelming desire to be involved in popular music.
Charlie bought his first bass guitar when aged 14, and by 17 he had started writing his own songs and forming his own bands. In an attempt to broaden his horizons, he moved to London at 19 to chase the dream. A first taste of the music business came playing with a colourful character named Patrik Fitzgerald, known as ‘The Punk Poet’, recording a single and touring Britain, followed up by a year spent as Toyah’s bass player, touring and recording.
The young musician decided to break away after a couple of years to do his own thing, and there followed a period of doing session work while working on his own band ‘The Lost Boys’, eventually securing a major contract with MCA in 1986.
After time spent writing and programming, Charlie returned to work with bands in 1990, producing and engineering while occasionally playing bits on people’s records (mostly keyboards), which has continued to this day.
Meeting Sean O’Hagan and the High Llamas in 1992 proved a serious turning point in Charlie’s career, leading to the co-production of songs that formed half of their ‘Santa Barbara’ album, an association which has continued to this day with many exciting and creative recordings.
In 1997 he received a call from the world famous REM to engineer their next album. After meeting the band in Athens, Georgia, he was chosen for the job, and had a fascinating and rewarding time working with them on the ‘Up’ album.
In 2003 he and his wife fulfilled a long-held wish and moved out of London to the wonderful city of Cardiff. Having got to know the great people at Musicbox rehearsals, they joined forces to create a modest recording facility, in line with the current trend for low budget but killer recordings.
At present they are looking at ways to expand, without trying to become an old-style mega-studio, and are making many varied and wonderful albums and singles for a wide variety of labels.
The Inspiration
Charlie Francis has responded to the National Roman Legion Museum with ‘Audere est Facere’, in particular the clashing of indigenous and invading cultures during the emergence of Roman Britain.
Britiannia was one of the last provinces to be added to the Roman Empire, and it proved to be one of the most troublesome. The Romans invaded Britain in AD 43 with an army of about 40,000 men.
Landing on the Kentish coast, they won a decisive battle and quickly advanced to the River Thames. They marched on the British stronghold of Colchester, having awaited the arrival of the Emperor Claudius, and defeated the tribal leaders.
Within a few years, the new province covered all of south eastern Britain. By 48, Roman forces were on the borders of what is now Wales.
The two most powerful tribes in Wales – the Silures in the south-east and the Ordovices in the north – were bitterly hostile to the Romans. An arduous struggle ensued that would last nearly three decades.
During the tenure of Emperor Vespesian the Second Augustan Legion were led to their new fortress in Caerleon, and forward to complete the defeat of the Silures by Julius Frontinus, provincial governor from 74 to 77. In mid and north Wales, the Ordovices were likewise subdued after campaigns by Frontinus and his successor Agricola in 78.
Charlie Francis:
“I was looking for a fun project to work on myself and coming from York – a Roman town – I was naturally interested in the National Roman Legion Museum and its collections. The purpose of my track – which is based on one Miles Davies chord – is to accompany the National Roman Legion Museum experience.”
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