Tony McPhee (born England -23/3/44) a seminal musician in the history of British rhythm & blues. During the 1960`s he backed numerous American bluesman on their UK tours & recorded with several (see discography). McPhee`s extraordinary affinity with the blues is reflected in several tours backing John Lee Hooker & he named his band the Groundhogs (formed in 1962) after a Hooker track. The `hogs were Hooker`s favourite backing band. By 1969 McPhee realised that the public`s appetite for 12 bar blues was limited. The Groundhogs changed direction & had huge success in the early seventies with a heavy melodic rock sound. The ` hogs have had numerous line-ups over the years with one constant factor - guitarist Tony (TS) McPhee. His exceptional talents have been frequently underrated - this discography demonstrates the staggering range & quality of all of his recordings. It is as complete as possible. If a CD catalogue # is not listed then it isn`t currently available. Lists of currently available CD`s can be obtained from HTD Records & BGO records - see below.

Albums are listed in bold italic. Singles (7" / 12" & EP`s) are in underlined italic. This refers to their first listing after which everything (albums/singles/individual tracks etc) are all in italic. Dates are listed in the correct logical order ie day/month/year.

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The Groundhogs. Shake it / Rock me. (Interphon IN-7715) US only. 1965. Single

John Lee`s Groundhogs. Never Fall in Love Again / Over You Baby. (Planet 104) USA & UK. 1965. Single.

Tony McPhee; Ain`t Gonna Cry No More / Someone to Love Me. Purdah 45-350. Subsidary of Blue Horizon. 1965. Single. Mint copies now valued at £60 - TS doesn`t have one!

Tony McPhee. When You Got A Good Friend. You Don`t love Me. Blue Horizon. 1965. These tracks with the two Purdah tracks above have been issued in numerous collections & anthologies. Originally issued by Blue Horizon on two volumes - Blues Anytime Vol 1 & 2. You Don`t Love Me was also released as a single - Liberty LBF 15174. 1968.

Herbal Mixture. Machines / Please Leave My Mind. Love That’s` Died / Tailor Made. Parlophon. Singles. 1967. These recordings were reissued (with out takes) by Distortion (10102) records in the US in 1993. (Vinyl only). Also issued on CD - Herbal Mixture / Groundhogs. Distortion CD D-1012. 1996. This includes all the tracks above plus the rare 1965 Regency label acetate - Someone to Love Me / Hallejulah. Herbal Mixture was formed in 1967 while TS had a day job mending dictation machines. The tracks are poppy & catchy but no guitar solos.

The John Dummer Blues Band. Cabal. Mercury. SM6L 20136. 1969. Travelling Man / 40 Days MF1040 & Try Me One More Time / Riding at Midnight MF1119. Tony McPhee played lead on all the tracks. The LP sleeve had a photo of the band on the front cover. This did not include TS (relegated to the back cover) who had left John Dummer to reform the Groundhogs before the release of this LP. These Dummer sessions produced the two singles (above) & tracks were also featured on two compilation albums - see below.

Hapshash & the Coloured Coat. Western Flier Liberty. LBS 83212. LP. 1968. TS played lead on all tracks. Colinda / The Wall LBF 15188. Reissued on CD - Repertoire REP 4415-WY. German label. (Please order by fax - 0049 40 5515756 the price in £`s is £9.80 plus £6 p/p & insurance: enclose your credit card details or by snail mail with international money order.) Repertoire`s mail order tel 0049 40 5524680. Offbeat recording but well worth checking out. TS recalls that his session was completed in just one day. His one-off payment was the standard MU rate at the time - £50.

Champion Jack Dupree. News Orleans to Memphis. TS was one of the session guitarists for this LP released on the Decca label in 1966. Reissued on the See For Miles label - Won`t be a Fool No More. SEE 44. 1986

Champion Jack Dupree & Tony McPhee. Get Your Head Happy / Easy is the Way Blue Horizon 451007. 1966. Very rare single.

Eddie Boyd. Eddie Boyd & his Blues Band. Decca SKL4872. 1967. TS played on this alongside John Mayall`s Bluesbreakers with Peter Green.

The Groundhogs. Scratching the Surface. Liberty LBS 83199 (UK) World Pacific WPS 21892 (US).1968. UK single release – Still a Fool / You Don`t Love Me. Liberty LBF 15174. Compact Disc - BGOCD15. The CD includes 4 extra tracks from the Gasoline LP. This LP was recorded in just eight hours & it sounds like it. But it does have a powerful version of Still A Fool. The album was recorded as a four piece with Steve Rye on harp. The most highly valued release of Scratching the Surface is the red vinyl Japanese edition with hilarious (phonetically translated) lyric sheet. The first `hogs album was also the first release in the Groundhog series (total of six LP`s) - a short lived blues label set up by TS & Andrew Lauder at Liberty. The series included two excellent compilations - Me & the Devil & I Asked Her For Water & She Gave Me Gasoline (see below). Sales of these were very low but are now highly sought after collectors items.

Tony McPhee / Jo-Ann Kelly & Others. Me & the Devil. Liberty LBS 83180. (UK) Imperial LP1434. (US) 1968.

The Groundhogs. Blues Obituary. Liberty LBS 83253. (UK). Imperial LP 12452 (USA) LP 1969. UK single release BDD / Gasoline. Liberty LBF 15263. Compact Disc - BGOCD6. McPhee was one of the first British blues musicians to realise that the 12 bar blues format had a very limited life. This LP represented the end of that era & clearly showed an exciting future direction. The sleeve (with the Rev TS McPhee) is brilliant. The News of the World (A British sunday tabloid scandal sheet) featured a put-up story that the cover had used a recognised grave in Highgate cemetery. The album was recorded with the classic three piece line-up of McPhee on guitar & vocals, Pete Cruickshank on bass & the exceptional Ken Pustelnik on drums.

Tony McPhee / Jo-Ann Kelly & Others. I Asked Her For Water & She Gave Me Gasoline. Liberty LBS 83252 (UK). Imperial LP 12456 (US) 1969. Mint copies are now valued at £50. The chances of finding a mint copy are about as likely as a bunch of foxhunters admitting to the fact that they are sadistic perverts in fancy dress! The problem with any 60`s vinyl is that if its been played then it will usually have been damaged. It wasn't until the late 60`s that better stereo systems were widely available. Prior to this the ubiquitous `Dansette' record player metered out its heavy punishment & anything subjected to this treatment will at best be in average condition.

The Groundhogs. Thank Christ for the Bomb. Liberty LBS 83295 (UK) Liberty LST 7644 (USA). 1970.UK single release – Eccentric Man / Status People. LP reissued on the budget Sunset label in 1976. Sunset FA4131521. (Compact Disc - BGOCD67.) Thank Christ is a seminal work - recording for the first time with eight track allowed TS the chance to produce a complex multi-layered sound. And boy did it sound good! His influence as guitarist/singer/composer/producer is stamped right across it. The title track is simply magnificent & the solo on Garden is out of this world. The sleeve is a classic. First `hogs chart LP.

John Lee Hooker. John Lee Hooker. XTRA. 1971. Hooker with the Groundhogs recorded in London 1965. Not a live LP as the sleeve states but a rather uninspiring studio set. Re-released in 1993 on CD titled John lee Hooker - The 1965 London Sessions. Sequel NEB CD 657. This is the American version which has an overdubbed horn section which doesn`t improve anything. The original version was released in the US in 1965 with the bizarre & totally false title - Live at the Club A-Go-Go, New York.

The Groundhogs. Live at Leeds. Promo release (not for commercial use) 100 copies sent out to US radio stations. Live recording (five tracks) from the `hogs supporting the Stones on their UK "farewell" tour in Feb 1971. Owing to the scarcity of copies this has become the most valuable of all TS recordings & misinformation about Live at Leeds has led to numerous myths - the main one being that this was a bootleg. These tracks are available on Hoggin' the Stage (1984) & Live at Leeds (1998) - see below for details.

Tony McPhee & Jo-Ann Kelly. Same Thing On Their Minds. Sunset SLS50209. 1971. Superb 12 track compilation from Me & the Devil & Gasoline sets. Issued on the budget Sunset label mint copies are now worth over £30.

The Groundhogs. Who Will Save the World – The Mighty Groundhogs! United Artists UAG 29237. (UK) United Artists UAS 5570 (USA). 1972. Compact Disc - BGOCD77. The most complex sleeve of any McPhee recording - the gatefold had extra flaps for the eye-catching comic graphics. After from the time of its release TS has totally ignored this LP in his live work. Instead of going for a sequel to the hugely successful Split McPhee introduced keyboards & a distinctively different sound. There is plenty of stunning guitar especially on the final lengthy track - The Grey Maze - at 10.06 this tour de force is the longest studio track recorded by the Groundhogs. (See below - The Two Sides of Tony (TS) McPhee). But this album also marks McPhee as an outstanding lyricist. The opening track presents the disturbing image of a gas chamber execution & the offbeat Bog Roll Blues is curious by anybody's standards.

The Groundhogs. Hogwash. United Artists. UAG 29419 (UK) United Artists UAS LA008 (USA) 1972. Recorded with a new drummer (Clive Brooks). Compact Disc - BGOCD44. The CD includes four extra tracks from the Me & the Devil LP.

Tony (TS) McPhee. The Two Sides of Tony (TS) McPhee. World Wide Artists. WWA 001 1973. His first totally solo LP - in fact TS was the sole musician & the producer & engineer. The first release on the ill-fated WWA label the LP had one side of acoustic & electric blues & the other was a synthesiser suite - The Hunt. This is the longest studio track TS has recorded. (See above - Who Will Save the World?)

The Groundhogs. Solid. WWA 1974 . UK single release in 1973 (prior to the LP release) – Sad Go Round / Overblue WWS 006. After the LP release a further single was issued. Plea Sing Plea Song / Dog Me Bitch WWS 012. Solid reissued on CD - Repetoire REP 4307-WY. 1993. Includes extra track - Overblue.

The Groundhogs. Crosscut Saw. United Artists. 1976. UK single release - Live a Little Lady / Boogie Withus UP36095A

The Groundhogs. Black Diamond. United Artists. 1976. UK single release – Pastoral Future. UP36095. This curious & wonderful single is different to anything else McPhee has recorded. It is also a rare instrumental. The others being Take it Out from the The Two Sides solo LP. Light Was the Day from Blues Obituary & Amazing Grace from The Mighty Groundhogs.

Mike Batt & Friends Tarot Suite. Epic 86099. 1979. TS plays on two tracks. Mike Batt was the mastermind behind the Wombles who had several top ten singles in the mid-seventies. He also produced the first `hogs LP & played keyboards on Western Flier.

The Groundhogs. Crosscut Saw & Black Diamond. Reissued together on one CD - Beat Goes On. 1992. BGOCD131

Billy Boy Arnold & Tony McPhee. Superharps (4 track 7" EP) Red Lightnin` RLEP27. Two absolutely superlative tracks with TS - Catfish & Just A Dream. 1979. Billy Boy Arnold is a highly regarded Chicago harp player & blues singer.

Billy Boy Arnold & Tony McPhee. Checkin` It Out Red Lightnin` RL0024. 1980.The Superharps tracks are not on the LP. Recorded in 1977 in just two days. TS used his band Terraplane (McPhee/Campbell/Fish) for these sessions. Voted blues LP of 1980 - Black Echoes. Although this LP was primarily a Billy Boy Arnold recording McPhee`s influence is staggering. Whenever he takes off into one of his blistering solos the whole thing goes into glorious TS overdrive. Essential listening. Released on CD in 1996 on Sequel NEB CD 850 as Checkin' It Out with Tony McPhee & the Groundhogs - The 1977 London Sessions. This has all the tracks on all the original vinyl releases. Distributed by Castle Communications.

Billy Boy Arnold & Tony McPhee. It`s Great to be Rich. 5 track 12" single. TS only on the title track. From the Checkin` It Out sessions. Red Lightnin` RLEP 120045. 1983.

Tony McPhee Band. Time of Action / Born to be With You. This single was issued on TS records. 1983. The only record released by the Tony McPhee Band & the only issue on TS records.

The Groundhogs. Hoggin the Stage. Psycho 44. 1984. This double LP set of live archive sessions was originally issued with a limited edition 4 track 7" EP. Tracks includes all five of the Live At Leeds (promo) tracks plus outstanding vintage cuts from the Radio One In Concert broadcasts including a knockout 17 minute rendition of Still A Fool. Excellent front cover & sleeve notes. Reissued on CD - Receiver Records. RRCD 207. 1995.

The Groundhogs. Razor`s Edge. Conquest. Quest 1. 1984. (McPhee/ Kirton/Fish line-up).

The Groundhogs. Moving Fast Standing Still. Raw Power. 1986. RAWL PO21. This double LP comprises The Two Sides of Tony (TS) McPhee & Razor`s Edge plus four tracks from the 1965 Blues Anytime LPs. Excellent sleeve notes.

Various artists. Blues on 2. BBC REN610. The Groundhogs (with Ken Pustelnik on drums) recorded three tracks for the Radio 2 Paul Jones rhythm & blues show - 8/5/86 (broadcast date). One track (Express Man)was included on this compilation issued on BBC records.

The Groundhogs. Back Against the Wall. Demi Monde. CDTL 005. 1987. This marked the first `hogs release issued simultaneously in both vinyl & CD formats. At this time the Compact Disc was still a novelty & hadn`t superseded the vinyl format. The worst sleeve of any `hogs / McPhee record. (McPhee /Jones/ Anderson line-up.)

The Groundhogs. Hogs on the Road. Demi Monde. 1988. Live (McPhee/Jones/Anderson line-up) double LP set. Issued on CD as Extremely Live (Demi Monde CDTL 008) with a reduced number of tracks. This is one of the best live recordings available.

The Groundhogs. No Surrender. HTD 2. 1989. Live recording (1985) of the McPhee/Fish/Kirton line-up. Excellent sleeve. Unfortunately HTD added rock stadium applause at the end of each track which sounds awful. It is a very good live recording & didn`t need this - it was after all taped in a pub! This was reissued in 1998 as No Surrender / Razors Edge Tour 1985. HTDCD86. This was remastered from the original tapes. The final track is a lengthy twelve minute version of Cherry Red & it captures some extraordinary guitar histronics which includes a solo of Amazing Grace. This one track alone makes this an essential purchase. The original black & white sleeve has been replaced with something not as good but that wonderful stadium applause is still there.

Tony McPhee. The Blues & the Beast. 1992. Nibelung. Nr. 23013-222. Recorded in 1991 this is an outstanding collection of acoustic blues standards. To date this CD has only been released in Germany where the Nibelung label is based. Excellent sleeve. This remains very difficult to get hold of & is currently deleted.

Tony McPhee. Foolish Pride. HTD CD10. 1993. Solo album recorded without any other musicians.

The Groundhogs. Groundhog Night. HTD. 1993. Live double CD set recorded (21/4/93) at London`s Marquee club with the McPhee/Jones/Fish line-up.

The Groundhogs. BBC Radio One. Live in Concert. Windsong. WINCD 064. 1994. Knockout archive recordings from two Radio One In Concert sessions - `72 & `74. The `hogs had a considerable & well deserved reputation for their live performances in the early `70s. The `72 line-up is McPhee/Pustelnik/Cruickshank & the `74 session has Brooks replacing Pustelnik on drums.

Tony McPhee. Slide TS Slide. HTD 1994. Solo with studio & live tracks.

Yorkshire Chamber Choir featuring Tony McPhee. A Carol for All God`s Creatures. Loose Records. LSECDS 30. 1996. Three track CD single with TS on one track. This is an alternative Christmas Carol which presents a haunting image of the despicable treatment of animals in factory farming. Available by mail order from Hillside Animal Sanctuary, Hall lane, Frettenham, Norwich. NR12 7LT. CD - £3.95 & Cassette - £2.95. Prices inc p/p.

Tony McPhee`s Groundhogs. Who Said Cherry Red. Indigo Records IGOCD 2058. 1997. Re-recording of various tracks not played live.

Tony McPhee. Bleaching the Blues. HTDCD72. 1997. Recorded at his own home (loft) studio.

The Groundhogs. A Hog in Wolf`s Clothing. HTD CD 81. Recorded in Dec `97 & released in Feb`98. All the 15 tracks are versions of Howling Wolf numbers.

The Groundhogs. On Air 1970-72. Strange Fruit SFRSCD053. 1998. Archive sessions from BBC Radio One. Excellent 12 track CD with a total running time of 73.31.

Me & the Devil & I Asked Her For Water & She Gave Me Gasoline. Reissued on one CD - BGO CD 332. 1998. These are the classic albums from '68 & '69. Selected tracks have been available on other CD's but this is the first complete reissue. Highly recommended.

The Groundhogs. Live at Leeds. Akarma. AK 010. 1998. Reissued by the Italian Akarma label on both CD & vinyl. The packaging is excellent with two archive photographs from the correct era. These famous recordings fully deserve this special release. The total running time of the five tracks is 32.14 but this is all about quality not quantity. It just sounds brilliant & highlights the fact that Ken Pustelnik is the best drummer that TS has ever worked with. The vinyl version has a heavyweight sleeve & is probably a future collectors' item.

The Groundhogs. The Muddy Waters Song Book. HTDCD91. 1999. Recorded in January '99 & released in April '99 with 15 tracks.

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Anthology of British Blues. Vol 1 & 2. Both 2 LP sets issued on the Immediate label in the UK & on RCA in the USA. The four TS tracks are Ain`t Gonna Cry No More / Someone to Love / When You Got a Good Friend / You Don`t Love Me Me.

White Boy Blues. The Collector Series. Double vinyl album. 1986. CCSLP 142. This has all four of the above tracks.

Gutbucket. Liberty. 1968.Various artists. Liberty records sampler with the two tracks from TS - one (solo) from Me & the Devil & the other (band) from Scratching the Surface.

Son of Gutbucket. Liberty. 1969. Sequel to Gutbucket sampler. TS has two tracks - one (solo) from Gasoline & the other (band) from Blues Obituary.

Big Joe Williams. Hand Me Down My Old Walking Stick. Liberty LBL83207. Recorded in 1968 in just three hours. TS acted as producer & supplied the sleeve notes. Reissued - Sequel NEX CD 208. 1992. CD issued without the TS sleeve notes.

Andy Fernbach. If You Miss Your Connection. Liberty. LBS83233. 1968. Produced by TS. This album sold in microscopic amounts in the late sixties & now passes hands for £50.

All Good Clean Fun. Various artists. This United Artists 2 LP sampler was issued in 1971 with the 'hogs track - Cherry Red from the Split album.

Paradiso. Original movie soundtrack. United Artists 93344. Live recording at the Paradiso in Amsterdam with Canned Heat, Brinsley Schwarz & others. The `hogs have one track - Still A Fool. Only released in Holland.

History of British Blues. 1973. Features odd previously unreleased TS tracks inc Blue Guitar & I B`s Troubled. Both from 1965.

John Dummer Band. Nine by Nine. 6382 039 & Try Me One More Time 6382 040. Both compilations released on Philips in 1973.

Stray. Mudanzas. Transatlantic. TRA268. TS supplied the sleeve notes. Stray supported the `hogs on a couple of their major UK tours in the early 70`s.

Groundhogs Best 69-72. UA 1974. United Artists put out this 15 track compilation after the `hogs left UA to join the fledgling World Wide Artists label. This 2 LP set is an awful mess. It makes the basic mistake of not putting the tracks in chronological order. TS was not consulted when the original version was issued. However, he has contributed excellent track by track notes for the "budget" CD reissue in 1990 - EMI CDP 7 90434 2. Also reissued on vinyl by Beat Goes On. BGO DLP1. Incidentally, the CD sleeve has a hilarious misprint. It states that - "It does not include many performances from their first album." This should, of course, be any not many.

Legends. Cambra CR 1562. 1984. Blues compilation.

The Groundhogs. Classic Album Cuts 1968 -1976. Document series. CSAP CD 112. 1992. This compilation has four tracks from the Best 69-72 but everything is in the correct order with selections from the first eight `hogs LPs. The back cover photo has TS playing his rarely seen custom Zematis. Very good sleeve notes.

The Fall. Middle Class Revolt. Permanent records. Perm CD16. 1994. This has a bizarre version of Junkman from the Split album. The track is credited to McFree! The Fall are long term survivors after emerging at the tail end of the British punk era & they have recorded other unlikely cover versions. The band are highly regarded by BBC DJ John Peel & there is a curious accolade attached to having The Fall record a Tony McPhee track.

The Best of A.O.G. Various artists. HTD CD20. 1994. This budget sampler has two previously unreleased tracks (Down in the Bottom & Shake for Me) from Tony McPhee`s Terraplane. These were only taped as demos (1977) & are the only recordings of Terraplane apart from the Billy Boy Arnold Checkin` It Out sessions. The CD also has two tracks from Groundhog Night & one from Foolish Pride.

The Groundhogs. Four Groundhogs Originals. EMI CDHOGS 1.1996. Four album box set. - Scratching the Surface / Blues Obituary / Thank Christ / Split. The first 4 `hogs LP`s in a superb box set. Excellent graphics & notes - each CD is packaged in a miniature (CD size) copy of the original sleeve. In sharp contrast to the dire Best 69-72 set this demonstrates that EMI can do the business when they want to. An essential addition to any `hogs aficionados collection. Scratching the Surface was recorded while the `hogs were a four piece with Steve Rye on harp & all the other LP`s had the classic McPhee/ Cruickshank/ Pustelnik line-up.

The Groundhogs. The Best of. EMI Gold collection 7243 8 55504 2 3. 1997. Yet another EMI compilation. This has 15 tracks selected from five `hogs LPs - Blues Obituary through to Who Will Save the World? Eight of the 15 tracks are on Best 69-72. Once again tracks are sloppily thrown without any chronological order. In fairness to EMI the front cover is pretty good.

The Groundhogs. Quinn Abbey. Bootleg Italian CD. Live tracks (eight) nicked from other official releases. It`a rip-off - Don`t buy it! Bootlegs are immoral & line the pockets of scumbags who couldn`t give a toss for the rights of the artist who gets bugger all. OK - for bands like Led Zeppelin bootlegs are going to a have minimal effect on their mega-millions. But for a musician like Tony McPhee bootlegs are more than just a nuisance. Besides there is now an extensive & excellent range of live `hogs/McPhee stuff to choose from. At least if bootleggers were honest about their "product" it would be something but they aren`t. Quinn Abbey gives no info, apart from "recorded live in 1971", about the sources of the material. Apart from one track (Garden) it`s all available on official CDs. What is the significance of Quinn Abbey? It implies (falsely) that this CD was recorded live at the derelict church featured on the sleeve.

The Groundhogs. Flight no. 5 to Houston. Habla label HBL20601. US. 1989. Five track bootleg American vinyl LP. Don`t buy it - see above. Sleeve notes claim the following - "Recorded live in Houston, Texas 1972." The `hogs did their one & only US tour in 1972 but they never went anywhere near Houston. The tracks are all nicked off Hoggin the Stage & BBC In Concert sessions. Sleeve notes also absurdly claim - "all traditional songs, arranged by Tony McPhee" & that Catfish is an "unreleased" track even though it`s Still A Fool nicked off Hoggin the Stage. The sleeve also makes the bizarre claim that it is "licensed from United Fan Club". Never heard of it mate!

The Groundhogs. Live at the Marquee, London. Prism Leisure Corporation. Plat CD243. 1997. Extracted from the HTD double CD - Groundhog Night (see above). Budget priced bargain with 14 tracks / 64 minutes.

Various artists. Knights of the Blues Table. 1997. Viceroy / Lightyear 54189-2. TS has one track - Drop Down Mama (Sleepy John Estes). Recorded in 1996.

The Groundhogs. Live at the Astoria. Video recording of the 'hogs at London's Astoria on 20/2/98. This is the complete gig apart from Garden. Using five cameras this is a highly professional product. It really captures the atmosphere of a great night especially on the encore. The view from the audience camera has some terrific close ups of those magic fingers as TS performs an absolutely brilliant version of the Groundhog Blues. Originally released by HTD the video is well packaged with some excellent stills & it is now available via Weiner World.

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HTD Records 36 High St, Crayford, Kent DA1 4HG. 01322 / 523100. Web site http://sky marshall.com/htd/index.html

Beat Goes On Records. (BGO) PO Box 22, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP28 6XQ. Please send large (A4) SAE for BGO catalogue.

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The Yelping Hounds is the Official Tony TS McPhee Appreciation Society. This discography is copyright (1998) The Yelping Hounds & Paul Freestone (editor). It can be downloaded for personal use but please do not reproduce without permission. Website graphics - Incompetent Designs. With thanks to Marcus Povey & Jon Halle for all their assistance.

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