Do the names Ghost Dance, Muggins Blight, The Thimbleriggers or Ellison’s Hogline mean anything to you?

If the answer is yes, chances are you were a hip young thing hanging out at gigs in Bradford sometime between 1967 and 1987.

The sounds of Bradford over that 20-year period – from Motown darling-turned Seventies chart-topper Kiki Dee to high-energy Eighties band Getting The Fear – have been chronicled in a book compiled by Bradford Noise, alias music historians Gary Cavanagh and Matt Webster.

The book, Bradford’s Noise Of The Valleys Volume 1, is accompanied by a four-CD set featuring acts from the period.

Now Gary and Matt have released a ‘digipack compilation’ CD featuring some missing tracks they were unable to include first time around.

From the 1960s grooves of Barbara Moore and The Accent to the Seventies folk vibe of Hebric, the Eighties energy of Ghost Dance and the laid-back vocals of Susan Fassbender, the new CD celebrates snapshots of Bradford’s musical heritage.

“The book created a big stir and a lot of people have been in touch since it came out,” says Gary.

“We have come across quite a few ‘missing’ tracks from that period, but it was too late for us to include them on the first CD companion. We felt they needed to be heard, so we decided to release an extra compilation.

“There are some real gems on there. I Kill God by Keighley band The Shakes is a killer track, and the Kiki Dee song Someone To Me is one she wrote herself.”

Bradford’s Noise Of The Valleys Volume 1 is the first of a series of books being put together by Gary and Matt.

They have carried out extensive research, which has involved trawling through the old Telegraph & Argus Rock On columns, and say the aim of the books and CDs is to document Bradford’s rich musical heritage, both for reference use and for future safekeeping.

“Nothing evokes a memory like a song,” says Gary. “People like to be reminded of bands they saw at particular venues, many of which don’t exist anymore.

“As we get older, we cherish our memories, and there’s a lot of nostalgia tied up with music. We felt it was important to document Bradford’s musical heritage, while paying tribute to its music scene.”

It’s a scene that has evolved over the years, from post-war skiffle to indie pop, and Gary says the current vibe is as strong as ever.

“To some extent, now is the golden age of Bradford music. There’s so much talent and energy out there,” he says. “There are loads of young bands around, and they’re out there marketing themselves on the internet.”

Bradford's Noise Of The Valleys Volume 1 – which has been selling around the world in countries such America, Canada, New Zealand, Vietnam, France and South Africa – features more than 5,000 local musicians and 1,000 bands, including Ilkley band Summon Bonum, Sloan Square East, Clocks and Clouds, Smokie and New Model Army. Profiles of bands and venues are illustrated with photographs, posters and other images from the period.

As well as chronicling Bradford bands, it includes slices of local history and references to Bradford characters such as Wild Willi Beckett.

Volume 2 – due for release later this year, with six CDs of local music featuring rock, metal, punk, thrash, pop, ska, dance, folk and world music – will cover the city’s musical history from 1988 to 1998. The third volume will span the years 1999 to 2009.

“We’re working on Volume 2 now, and there are several gaps to fill. Think of Bradford’s music history from that period and you think mainly of Embrace and Terrorvision. The more obscure bands have been harder to find and research,” says Gary.

“We’re looking for information, pictures and record releases from the following bands from the 1988 to 1998 period – A Six Silent Years single called The Keep, the 1988 Hansaid charity single by Sloan Square East; Chest releases on Fierce Panda Records, and a single called The Longer by Vochi. There’s very little information about Vochi, so it would be amazing to get hold of that.”

Clayton-born Gary is a founder member of Bradford’s 1 In 12 Club and a former vocalist with Bradford rock gods Phobia. He has been involved in the district’s music scene since the 1970s.

Matt, from Thackley, has been a drummer in local bands since the early 1980s. A graphic designer and recording engineer/producer, he is co-founder of Mutiny 2000 Studios/ Records. While working in pre-press at the Telegraph & Argus, he wrote occasional rock reviews and was the original co-presenter of BCB’s Bradford Beat show in the 1990s.

For the third volume of their music chronicles, Gary and Matt will be turning to today’s gig-goers.

“It covers my son’s generation of bands, so we’ll need the help of him and his peers with research. I’ve been learning about areas like dance music which I’ve never been into,” says Gary.

“And we’re reclaiming the Kaiser Chiefs! They tend to be labelled a Leeds band, but Ricky Wilson is from Keighley and the others are from Menston so, as far as we’re concerned, they’re Bradford.”

The book will cover all genres of music, including pop acts like Gareth Gates and Kimberley Walsh.

Gary adds: “They’ve had No 1 records, we should celebrate that. Part of the reason we’re doing this is to raise Bradford’s profile. The city tends to get a bad press and we thought it was time to promote it in a good light.

“The books, and CDs, offer a slice of social history because to a certain extent they reflect what life was like in Bradford back then. A lot of gigs were at places like Queen’s Hall and the Mecca in Manningham which are now long gone.

“We’ve had loads of people thanking us for reminding them of gigs they went to.”

Bradford’s Noise Of The Valleys is available, priced £5, from The Music Centre and the Sparrow Bar, Bradford, Jumbo Records, Leeds, Vinyl Tap, Huddersfield, or online from bradfordnoise.com.

Anyone with information about the 1988 - 1998 bands mentioned above, or any other Bradford acts from that period, is asked to e-mail matt@bradfordnoise.com.