Deckchair Poets

Welcome to the Homepage of the band of several names; Deckchair Poets, Zorbonauts and Zebras Don't Smoke.
Their main differences being that Deckchair Poets material can contain humorous lyrics along with an anything-goes attitude to music, whilst Zorbonauts lyrics tend to be of a serious nature, usually coupled with darker-edged music.
On the other hand Zebras Don't Smoke is a name used solely for albums wholly containing cover songs, so any kind of music can pop up under its banner.
As the same select core of musicians play on all recordings there are many similar sounds echoing throughout the differently named bands releases.

The present line-up, who'll hopefully sprinkle diamonds in your ears and paint rainbows in your mind, consists of...

Lynden Williams (vocals) - Jerusalem. The Britz. OXOXOX.
Ollie Hannifan (guitars & mandolin) - Mister Kanish. Synaesthesia. Mamma Mia.
Geoff Downes (keyboards) - Asia. Yes. The Buggles. Downes Braide Association.
Nick D'Virgilio (drums & percussion) - Big Big Train. Spock's Beard. Genesis. Tears For Fears.
Dave Meros (bass guitar) - Spock's Beard. Pattern-Seeking Animals. Iron Butterfly. Eric Burdon.
Rachael Hawnt (vocals) - Cosmograf. The Beautiful Secret. Great Scott!

Like many bands their musical journey is an ongoing and lengthy adventure, which started many decades ago when vocalist, Lynden Williams, joined the Salisbury-based band, Jerusalem, and made a lifelong friend of guitarist, Bob Cooke. Since those days the pair have been involved with many line-ups, have changed the band's name repeatedly, and invariably diversified into many interesting musical styles, never being afraid to even venture back to the beat music of their teenage years.

With the release of the second Jerusalem album, Escalator (2009), some 37 years after the release of their first, Jerusalem (1972), and with no knowledge of anything else, a reporter asked Bob what he'd been doing in the intervening years. Bob replied with a John Lennonism, saying he'd been 'sitting watching the the wheels go round', when in actual fact years of slogging around gigging, writing, recording and 'never giving up' had been happening. Looking back on those times Lynden and Bob discovered that they'd sent 32 release quality recordings to record companies during those 'in-between years'. A few of the submitted recordings were of just a single song, whilst many were of between 4 to 9 songs, along with several completed albums.

As those recordings were mostly sent out with just a band name, along with song titles written on cassette inserts, or on a slip of card slotted into a CD case, Bob and Lynden decided to add these historic recordings to the Discography Section of this website. They came up with some fun cover images and amusing titles, some named after specific songs, to show what could have been.

The band names used during this musical interlude were, The Page Of Swords, Lynden's Green Hippo, The Ghost Band, Stirling,The Britz, Footprints In The Snow, The Men Of The Doomsbury Lifeboat, OXOXOX, The Faith Healers, Via Dolorosa, The Mummies, Turn Left At Pluto, The Spotty Dogs and The Hubble Bubbles.

Jerusalem's other guitarist, Bill Hinde, recorded with The Page Of Swords and played a gig with them at Strathclyde University, along with the bands, Skid Row and The Parlour Band. Stirling played Dagenham Roundhouse with Chapman-Whitney Streetwalkers. Jerusalem drummer, Ray Sparrow, played a Spotty Dogs gig, which featured a three piece line up completed by Bob and Lynden, who played bass guitar.

Sadly Bob Cooke lost the use of his left arm, after his second stroke, in 2010. Thankfully he still composes, via his music computer, and his forthcoming work will always find an outlet on future releases. Despite his absence Bob's playing still occasionally features as part of the band's output due to a backlog of unreleased material containing his musical input.

Another invaluable member of the recording team, who flings many an extra noise, and effect, into the musical mix, is studio owner, producer and engineer, Rob Aubrey, who's worked with Bob and Lynden since 1987. His ears are enshrined in music legend, but he did have to get them syringed out lately.

If you're reading this out of curiosity, then please listen to the music.

If you've heard the music then stay curious, as you never know what might happen next!?

Now where's that tin of rainbow paint?

Ah! Sarah-Jane Szikora, former artist in residence at Deckchair Palace, has obviously pinched it!

Bring back that tin of rainbow paint you very naughty, but exceptionally lovely and talented, artistic genius!!

Zorbonauts
'The Smartypants Variations'

(Singsong Music: Singsong ???)

Digital Album
Released - TBA

Featuring:
Lynden Williams, Ollie Hannifan, Geoff Downes, Dave Meros,
Nick D’Virgilio, Rachael Hawnt, Bob Cooke & Rob Aubrey

Samples

Jerusalem
'Jerusalem'

(Singsong Music: Singsong 171)

Digital Album
Released - 29th April 2022

Featuring:
Lynden Williams, Bob Cooke, Bill Hinde, Ray Sparrow,
Paul Dean & Phil Goddard

Zebras Don't Smoke
'Inflatable Noise'

(Singsong Music: Singsong 172)

Digital Album
Released - 18th March 2022

Featuring:
Lynden Williams, Ollie Hannifan, Geoff Downes,
Dave Meros, Nick D’Virgilio, Rachael Hawnt & Rob Aubrey

Samples

Zebras Don't Smoke
'Inflatable Noise'

(Limited Edition - Private Print of 26 CDs)
Not For Retail

Manufactured - February 2022

Featuring:
Lynden Williams, Ollie Hannifan, Geoff Downes,
Dave Meros, Nick D’Virgilio, Rachael Hawnt & Rob Aubrey

Deckchair Poets
'Be My Pillow'

(Singsong Music: Singsong 154)

Digital Album
Released - 14th January 2022

Featuring:
Lynden Williams, Ollie Hannifan, Geoff Downes,
Dave Meros, Nick D’Virgilio, Rachael Hawnt, Bob Cooke,
Rachel Hall, Ray Drury & Rob Aubrey

Samples

Deckchair Poets
'Forever Christmas'

(Singsong Music: Singsong 127)

Digital Single
Released - 12th November 2021

Featuring:
Lynden Williams, Ollie Hannifan, Geoff Downes, Dave Meros,
Nick D’Virgilio, Rachael Hawnt & Rob Aubrey

Sample

Deckchair Poets
'Be My Pillow'

(Limited Edition - Private Print of 26 CDs)
Not For Retail

Manufactured - July 2021

Featuring:
Lynden Williams, Ollie Hannifan, Geoff Downes,
Dave Meros, Nick D’Virgilio, Rachael Hawnt, Bob Cooke,
Rachel Hall, Ray Drury & Rob Aubrey

Zorbonauts
'Armed Slobbery'

(Singsong Music: Singsong 134)

Digital Album
Released - 21st May 2021

Featuring:
Lynden Williams, Ollie Hannifan, Geoff Downes, Dave Meros,
Nick D’Virgilio, Rachael Hawnt, Ray Drury, Will Wilde,
Bob Cooke, Rachel Hall, Gina Briant & Rob Aubrey

Samples

Zorbonauts
'The Unobserved Beaver'

(Talking Elephant: TECD462)

Released - 19th March 2021

Featuring:
Lynden Williams, Geoff Downes, Ollie Hannifan,
Nick D’Virgilio, Dave Meros, Rachael Hawnt,
Bob Cooke, Rachel Hall & Rob Aubrey

Samples

Deckchair Poets
'The Crop Circlers' Guide To Abstract Expressionism'

(Singsong Music: Singsong 129)

Digital Album
Released - 26th February 2021

Featuring:
Lynden Williams, Ollie Hannifan, Geoff Downes, Dave Meros,
Nick D’Virgilio, Rachael Hawnt, Ray Drury, Will Wilde, Bob Cooke,
Rachel Hall & Rob Aubrey

Samples