Hola!. My name is Cesar Quintero, even though this particular recording was made under my "artistic name", David Valley... I live in Madrid, Spain, and I'm several things in life, among which I could say computer geek, businessman, happy husband and daddy, and a few more... but the thing that I really think that define me is songwriter and producer...

How come I came to that?... Well, I think Paul, John, Mike (Oldfield), Garth (Brooks) and someone named Chris are to blame here... When I was 18, pretty late by most standards, I started playing guitar at the same time I started writing songs... Then I heard "For Rosanna" and I started playing Piano, I listened to Live in Dublin and got myself a 12 strings Ovation... And decided I wanted to make music.

So I listened to everything I could lay my hands on. Especially those people who I really admired, whose work were scrutinied to the maximum I could... Which chords, stories, instruments they used to create that beautiful music, hoping that, if I could understand how they were making this music, I could create it too!...

And one day I went to London and could buy three or four CdeB's albums I still were missing. And one of them was Crusader... I didn't start right at the first track, but at the fourth. Just the title of the song had captured me: "The Girl with April in her Eyes"... I knew I was going to like it even before I even listened to it!... Wow, it was great... And a little while later, came the Masterpiece, the compendium of it all, a three-part historical-mythical song named "Crusader"...

This song had very clearly differenced structures... A slow start where the lyrics introduce us from the viewpoint of a omnipresent narrator who is at the moment at the very scene, and where the players are introduced to us. Then a fast strong middle section where the battle is, and ending with a full circle, with the same sounds, rhythm and story of the beginning, but with a slight change to it. All of this surrounded in myth, and in the mists of time...

And here comes "Excalibur". I tried to write a song from the same structure Introduction (slow) - Battle (fast) - Back to start, (but with a slight change).

I had at the time the wonderful collaboration of my band ATLANTIS (www.atlantismusic.net ) to record this song, where Rodolfo del Fresno helped me with some guitars, my beloved Kitty did some wonderful voices, along with Silvia Estevez , and CdeB just breathed some spirit into it.

I hope you like the results!

I wondered a lot of times what would I say to CdeB if one day I could meet him... I've had the honour a few times since then, but I'd still say the same. Chris, THANK YOU for your music. Thank you.

P.S. I don't want to end this writing without saying once again how wonderful is to participate in a global effort like this Tribute CD's. It's been already eight years since we started, and even more (eleven, I think) since I proposed the idea for the first time in the recently- born mailing list... And still I am amazed every time we, as a group more than individuals, manage to create this labour of love enlightened just by CdeB's music. Thank you people!

Cesar D. Quintero (Madrid, Spain)

Lyrics:

Once upon a time, in a distant land, 'tween the magic sands
lived a brave young man, brilliant sword in hand, as strong as kind
and the young man's on his way... and the young man's on his way...

Mist surrounds the path, as he rides his horse, through his countryland
has no lady at home, has no dog to feed, only a dream he has...
and the young man's on his way... and the young knight's on his way...
And Arthur's his name... And Arthur's his name...

Excalibur, wake up now
Excalibur...
Excalibur, wake up now
Excalibur... your country needs you now!...

He foud a silver lake where a strange light shone underneath the lines
then the water rolls and a lady flows with a sword in her hand
and the lady calls his name... yeah the lady calls his name...
King Arthur he became!
King Arthur he became!

Excalibur, wake up now
Excalibur...
Excalibur, wake up now
Excalibur... your country needs you now!... again!

And old men say that they heard since children, that he'd be back some day
at the time of his country direst need, Excalibur would wake him up again!

Excalibur...
Excalibur...

And in another time, a thousand years from now, a baby child is born
he will have to fight, for fate has chosen him as the Pendragon
...and his mother holds him tight... and his father smiles and says...
...that Arthur'll be his name!...
...that Arthur'll be his name!...