A FORMER Clackmannanshire MP is reaching the high notes after releasing his second album.

Gordon Banks, who is director of Cartmore Building Supplies in Lochgelly, said he produced his first album, titled 'It Never Made the News', "many years ago".

Since then, he has spent 10 years in Westminster as Member of Parliament for Ochil and South Perthshire and has presided over Cartmore Building Supplies winning three UK wide awards for their hard landscaping display.

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This new album, Roulette, was produced by Michael Brennan at SubStation Recording Studios in Rosyth and features guest appearances by The Zephyrs, members of Pork Pie, Carl Williams, Peter Little and Gary Campbell from Empire Music Productions and Elaine Green, who Gordon has worked with before.

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Released on Bandcamp at https://gordonbanks.bandcamp.com this Tuesday, December 12, it will move to other on-line platforms including Spotify on January 1 with a CD release later that month.

The album contains 12 original songs written by Gordon and the title track, Roulette, is a love song involving dementia as a source of inspiration His song 35 men is dedicated to The Valleyfield Mining Disaster in 1939, where Gordon's grandfather was killed and other songs focus on his family and his varied life for inspiration and range in style from Rock, Country and Reggae to Blues.

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Gordon said: "I'm really happy to have reached the point of releasing Roulette. The album has taken over two years to complete but I believe it’s a really enjoyable and moving compilation of songs.

"Everyone who worked on the tracks are excellent musicians who have all added to the finished article and the production work by Michael is the icing on the cake.

"I hope the public warm to the album and I look forward to some live gigs being arranged later in the year."