Oh yes, once again your editor "puts to bed" (as they say in the newspaper business) an issue of ALAN in the small hours, rejoicing as by chance a brand new Bobby McFerrin track comes on the radio.

It is his job now on the first page of ALAN to say hello and mention all the things he's forgotten to put in the rest of the issue.

So: hello ALAN folk old and new. A special hello to all of you who have come to see us play in the last few months. It really makes it all worthwhile to see a few faces singing along to the songs. A child of ALAN should never fear to step forward after RUTH gigs to say hello; it gives Ben a chance to play "guess-the-surname" and all of us a chance to stop packing up the leads for a few moments for a chat before escaping in our dodgy van.

I see from your letters that it has been exam time for you at exam age. I hope they all went well, and don't forget that if you really do badly you could always join a band where you don't need any qualifications at all. Apart from at least a C in French.

This edition of ALAIN is all about the story of I don't know and the next single, Fear of flying. Did you know that if everyone in ALAN got two of their friends to buy a copy of it in the week it comes out, we'd get into the Top 40? That's an interesting thought, isn't it?

Enjoy your ALAN 8.