MUSIC historians Gary Cavanagh and Matt Webster have taken time out from working on a third volume of their books exploring Bradford's music scene to release a new CD compilation.

The pair have delved into local music history in their books, Bradford's Noise of the Valleys. The fifth edition of their Missing Music CDs presents more ‘missing’ tracks from artists born or based in Bradford, including Kiki Dee and Smokie - before they were known as Smokie.

"It seems the older stuff is becoming more popular as we go on; as more people find the books we're getting more older stuff sent in from periods we've already covered, but it's of no less importance or relevance than anything published so far," says Matt. "As a result, we feel duty bound to put out these Missing Music CDs every now and again. It's fun for us to hear it all too."

The CD covers a 30-year period of changing music styles, beginning with classic Sixties sounds, veering into the local folk scene then cantering into Seventies pop - including an early incarnation of Smokie and Kiki Dee, the first Bradford female singer to have a Number One hit - followed by late 1970s New Wave and 80s and 90s pop and rock. Among the rareities are former Turner Prize winner Elizabeth Price, from Bradford, who was in Oxford-based indie band Talulah Gosh.

"As we write and research Volume 3, which will take the story from 1999 to 2009, a lot of older material which we knew about but couldn’t find or, in some cases, knew nothing about, keeps turning up,’ says Gary. "We do our best to include this ‘missing music’ as extra CDs and update the story of these bands and songs in the preface of the next volume of the books. This is part of Bradford’s musical legacy - it’s simply too good to be lost to posterity and deserves to be heard by a wider audience."

Gary and Matt find their ‘missing music’ searching second-hand record stores and websites and also have tracks sent to them. "Matt's a genius at audio restoration and digital editing," says Gary. "We can usually make a scratched old seven-inch single or hiss-filled cassette sound like a freshly recorded song, or as close as we can get."

Volume One of the book covers 1967 to 1987, Volume Two 1988 to 1998, and Volume Three takes the story from 1999 to 2009.

Missing Music 5 includes: Three Good Reasons singing Beatles classic Nowhere Man, which topped the Dutch charts in 1966; Pretty Girl by Hogsnort Rupert’s Original Flagon Band, featuring Bradford's Ian Terry (1970); Rivington Pike's Wish A Little Love (1972), a collectable single by Bradford Cabaret band featuring Mike Berry of Lorraine & The Baht’ats; Lonely Long Lady (1973) by Kindness, the second incarnation of Bradford rockers Smokie; Jovial Crew by Keighley folk band Johnny Lad (1973) Rock Show(1980) by Cleckheaton new wave band Excel; Kiki Dee and Elton John 1976 hit Don’t Go Breaking My Heart; and Silver Screen Girls (1980), the only single by short lived Queensbury band Photograph.

* For more about the CD, visit bradfordnoise.com