Lavender Lane was written in gratitude about a week after Halloween of 1999 (The Prisoner Of Disco). Sun was beginning to experience the ramifications of certain past experiences he was becoming aware of that were unfelt even probably at the time they happened. He seemed determined to give thanks to the people in his life who caused him to make these painful discoveries...no matter how much it hurt. Even though what he was feeling was difficult to cope with he felt that with this new awareness, a burden could begin to dissolve. There was an underlying feeling of gratitude he felt must be expressed. It seemed the place where the light of love is was “Lavender Lane”.

            Sun had always wanted to write a song about a mythical, fantasy type place like Penny Lane or Sugar Town or Itchycoo Park and “Lavender Lane” was going to be it. The title appeared on the list in mid-October ‘99 and about three weeks later when the gratitude was stronger than the blues it squeezed through his pen and on to the paper. Though he doesn’t remember, it must’ve been channeled (partnered) because looking at the note book there’s little that’s been crossed out or changed. One interesting thing of note is that at the top of the page where “Lavender Lane” starts is written the word ‘Terpsichore’. Sun had written it there to remind himself that as he woke up that morning, that word was in his head. Though he’d heard it before, “What the heck is Terpsichore?” he asked himself and jotted it down before feeding the cats. Then he looked it up. It turned out that It was a She and She was the Ancient Greek muse of dance...and later that day he wrote “Lavender Lane”...stranger things have happened! I mean, who dreams in words, let alone the word Terpsichore?

            When Sun did the original sketch it was just the ‘ball park’ organ. The closest to a Farfisa that Dan had in his vast array of synthesizers. The song that was the inspiration for that organ part was actually played in single notes but Dan had accidentally done it double time when it was first played. Sun didn’t bother about that at the time as it was only a sketch. When they began production Sun asked Dan if he thought it might work with the less busy organ part but Dan wanted to leave it alone and Sun was happy so they didn’t bother. Hmm...

            Sun brought in an unused TV Land Jingle Demo (TV Garden) that he’d done with Art Labriola a couple of years before that had a good harp sample on it but when he played it, Dan thought that harp sound was too cheesy. Determined to have a harp on the song Sun asked Dan to find out how much it would cost to hire a live harpist. Dan got on the phone and came back seeming like it was kind of expensive but Sun, with the thought in mind that ‘this might be the only real record I’ll ever make, I’m not going to nickel and dime it about things like this’ said “Hire her.” It practically happened overnight and boom, there was Stacey Shames in the studio. Sun was so overwhelmed by how heavenly harp really is that he forgot to take pictures of the event. Bummer. Later that day on his way home Sun said to himself “If I died today, at least “Lavender Lane” has harp on it!”

            Sun: Can you guess what oldie and group were the inspirations for the organ and harp parts? [Lavender Lane trivia contest]

            Dan was very obliging about all of the sound effects that Sun wanted on the record. The tinkling bells at the end of “I Wonder How I Know” are these four little Indian bells in different sizes that Sun often wore on his belt when partying. It appears that Sun likes sound effects in places other than his records! They were part of that percussion track on which Bill and Sun played every shaker and maraca in the studio that they could fit in their hands. And wasn’t Sun thrilled to play maracas and bells on his own record? You bet! The chimes at the beginning of “Lavender Lane” were a combination of three sets of chimes that at the time of this writing, Sun has hanging in his kitchen. He took them down, hauled them to the studio and when they were just about ready for them he hung them on a guitar stand where Dan figured out how to jiggle them just right.

            The little “Lavender Lane” vocals in the fade section were ones that Dan had originally recorded for the choruses but Sun didn’t like them. They were too chirpy for the chorus. Sun wanted something more laid back sounding and suggested the part that they used but told Dan not to get rid of the chirpy ones because he thought a couple of them might be a nice touch in the ending and aren’t they though?