THE TREE ORCHESTRA

UNLIKE many of their contemporaries like The Clash and Anthrax, The Trees just loved strings, whether it was the lone violin of Andrew Coghill, or the altogether more lush sound of Andrew Coghill's violin dubbed on twice.

Coghill worked closely with horns maestro Al "Boring" Corrigall to form what became known as The Tree Orchestra. At one point there were plans to record an album featuring instrumental versions of top Tree tracks. McPherson was especially enthusiastic. (In lighter moments he saw himself as Noel Coward and longed to drop witticisms against the background flutter of jazz piano.) However, when McPherson realised there would be no room for singing on an instrumental album, he immediately moved to veto the project. Over-ruled by the other Trees, he offered to "do" some of the orchestra. A brilliant impressionist, he managed a passable viola but couldn't quite handle the pitsicatto movements on "Sun" and "Arnold Bennett" . It was eventually agreed to let him be the piccollo.

The twittering vocal technique he perfected at this time was used as a solo section on the band's version of "No Warning". "This is how a white man's soul sounds," he said when asked to describe his unique warble. There were imitator's of course - notably Riot Squad's Shaun Bucket - but nobody came close to matching McPherson's other-worldy wail. After the break-up of The Trees their lead singer would add the bassoon and flugel horn to his vast repetoire of impressions.