BACK to BACK Mixed and mastered at the close of 2008, ‘Back to Back’ is the culmination of a 20 years old dream and 18 months of realisation. Over the last 25 years, Richard and Chris have crossed paths many times working on the same projects, often working for each other. In the past, having only written together for fun, they were surprised when a co-written song, ‘Too Much To Ask’ attained the equivalent of a Billboard No.1 by being played more than 650 times in one year on Geneva’s Radio Lac. “We should do an album together.” was repeated every time they worked together. Consider this. Richard’s formative years were spent listening to The Beatles, Elgar, Grieg and John Martyn. On the other hand, Chris was listening to Wes Montgomery, Charlie Parker, Pat Metheny and Bob Marley. Imagine these two meeting in the dark!! Meet they did! and the result exemplifies the notion that the boundaries between musical genres are soft, wide, giving and potentially explosive. That the album should be essentially instrumental was the only rule applied to the project. Roll the ‘tape’ and see what happens. Listen for yourself. BIOGS RICHARD DOVER "I think I must have been nine years old when my father gave me my first guitar. I know now that it was his way of diverting my attention away from wanting a drum kit. His tactic worked, well, for a while anyway. I shall be eternally grateful for his fear of my bringing a drum kit home."

 By the time he was eighteen he was writing non stop. An all consuming interest in all things audio became his passion. His studio today is a far cry from those early days of recording onto one portable cassette recorder, playing back the result whilst accompanying it on another instrument and recording onto a second portable cassette recorder. 

" The number of overdubs was limited, but only because the original recording finally disappeared under a sea of tape hiss. The process was no less exciting than than it is today. I learned a lot in those early years."

 By the time Richard recorded his debut album, he already had his own multitrack studio. But, seeking sonic perfection, he recorded elsewhere on an early AMS audiofile digital hard disc recording system. CDs were the new medium and his debut album 'What You Make It' was independently released in 1988 on CD. After signing to a record label, Richard travelled to Germany to remix the album. 'What You Make It' was re released in 1990. 1992 saw him co-writing with Swiss musician Benoit Corboz and working with French producer Jacky Sanders. Continental radio stations were paying much attention to Richard's work and, in 1993, he set about writing his second album whilst living in the south of France. 'Scared Myself Alive' was recorded in England in 1994 and distributed to continental radio stations, consolidating Richard’s popularity with Swiss radio listeners. A third album, 'Making Out' was recorded in 1997. One track, 'Too Much To Ask', co-written with guitarist Chris Dawkins, was played on Geneva's Radio Lac 650 times in one year alone! Later in 1997, out of a need to try some new production techniques, the EP ‘Gallery' followed. In 1998 he collaborated with No 1 Spanish recording artist, Alex Warner, co-writing and producing 'Time For Life'.

In recent years Richard has composed music for scores of projects including Fox TV Network’s ‘America’s Most Wanted’ and has designed the soundscape for the backdrop videos on Westlife’s ‘No.1s’ tour and Blue’s ‘Guilty’ tour. More recently he has been more involved with his first love record production, producing Rob Cowen's debut album 'The Other', released in March 2004, which received much critical acclaim in music press reviews. Following on from that acclaim, Richard worked with Beverley Craven who featured on his next production, Rob Cowen's new single, 'Lady Advertiser'. ‘Back to Back’ is his latest collaboration with long time friend Chris Dawkins. “We decided to embark on this project without rules, with the exception that it was to be essentially instrumental. It has proved to be a great musical journey. The combination of influences has produced some extremely exciting results. We should have done this years ago.” CHRIS DAWKINS “Probably at about the age of six, I remember playing my very first notes on an old broken guitar. Though I didn’t know what those notes meant, I knew that there was no going back.” Amongst Chris’s notable credits are working with David Holmes on the motion picture soundtracks of ‘Oceans 11’ and ‘Buffalo Soldiers’. Currently he is regularly on tour with Finley Quaye and has taken time out of his busy schedule to work with Jack Johnson (Bushfire Records). Other credits include working worldwide with Lonnie Liston Smith, Juliet Roberts, Detrimental, Nightmares on wax, Jimi Tenor, L.S.K. and Rhianna to name a few. “‘Back to Back’ is a project we should have made time for years ago.”