Debut album from Richard William Jenkins

Some creative ambitions never disappear, they simply wait patiently for the right moment to arrive. Richard William Jenkins found that moment at the age of 84 with the release of his debut album, a collection of songs that’s been decades in the making. While many will recognise his decorated career behind the camera, music has accompanied him throughout almost every chapter of his life and now, after nearly 70 years of writing songs, Richard is finally sharing them with the world.

Before streaming platforms and home recording software made independent releases possible, Richard was building a distinguished career in the film industry. For 28 years he served as Head of Film Production at the National Film & Television School in Beaconsfield, where one of his many achievements included production supervising the first Wallace and Gromit film, A Grand Day Out. It was the latest chapter in a career that had already seen him work as a freelance Assistant Film Director on some of cinema’s most celebrated productions.

His output stretches across four Sean Connery James Bond films, another starring Roger Moore, Murder on the Orient Express with Albert Finney, Franco Zeffirelli’s television epic Jesus of Nazareth, Carry On Girls and 2001, A Space Odyssey. Throughout those years he became part of countless productions that would leave their mark on film history, all while songwriting remained a constant companion away from the set.

Music was always something far more personal and as a self-taught guitarist, he’s been writing songs since his school days, creating melodies and lyrics simply because he loved doing so. Those songs gradually accumulated over the decades, never disappearing, even as filmmaking occupied much of his professional life. It’s only been through modern technology that those long-held compositions have finally found their recorded form and while working from home, Richard now records his own vocals alongside his guitar playing, using AI backing musicians to bring his songs to life.

Album One is the result of that endeavour, presenting his first full-length release, with its follow up, Album Two, already set to follow. There’s something quietly fitting about the way these recordings have come together; now attempting to recreate a traditional studio environment, Richard has embraced the tools available to him, allowing technology to open a creative door that may once have remained closed. The songs themselves, however, remain based in ideas that have travelled with him for most of his life.

The nine-track outing opens with the elegant flutter of acoustic guitar notes on “I’m Not Lonely,” crafting a lilting rhythmic sway as his soft vocals enter to stitch storytelling lyricism into the delicate folk fabric. “Don’t Send Flowers” flows with bouncy guitar work as Richard’s lighthearted lyrics float through buoyant melodies as gentle backing vocalisations glide around his voice, offering a charming musical moment that’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Songs like “No Known Cure” brings a breezy groove of bluesy guitar flickers, putting his musicianship panache on full display as his mellow vocal delivery hovers above while “On a Monday” sees him lean into country stylings with the twang of guitar as bright vocal leads forms a playful jam. “Go Tell the Rain” glides with graceful notes to present a dreamy soundscape that progresses with tender vocal performance to serve up a delightful sound that’s impossible not to love. With “Remember Charlie,” the plucks of guitar and swell of strings creates a moving scene as hushed vocals enter to deliver an intimate indie folk sound that transports listeners to the heart of the story.

Closing the album with “Your Melodies,” the soothing tones of guitar and blissful vocal melodies combine to present a memorable and truly enjoyable finale to his superb debut full-length record. From start to finish, Album One captures the culmination of a lifetime spent collecting stories, melodies and experiences across two very different creative worlds. The same curiosity that once helped bring celebrated films to life now finds expression through songs written over the course of almost seven decades, showing that sometimes the most rewarding debuts are the ones that take a lifetime to arrive.

Listen to Album One below