Category Archives: folk / folk-rock

Goodbye 2024

avant-garde, classical, electroacoustic, electronic music, experimental music, folk / folk-rock, improvisation, jazz, Krautrock, music, obituary, progessive rock, psychedelic music, vocal, ,
Damo Suzuki

Once again the music world has lost another long list of people. From Damo Suzuki to Françoise Hardy to Dickie Betts to Quincy Jones. Luckily, many led very long and productive lives and gave us a large legacy to look back upon.

Steve Albini (American musician for Big Black, and recording engineer for In Utero)
Dave Allison (Canadian guitarist and singer for Anvil)
Ian Amey (English musician and singer for Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich)
Alfa Anderson (American singer for Chic)
John Barbata (American rock drummer for The Turtles, Jefferson Airplane)
Aston “Family Man” Barrett (Jamaican musician for Bob Marley and the Wailers)
Jim Beard (American keyboardist for Steely Dan)
Ernest Berger (Czechoslovak-born British drummer for Heatwave)
Dickey Betts (American musician for The Allman Brothers Band)
Frankie Beverly (American singer for Maze
John Blunt (British drummer for The Searchers)
Angela Bofill (American singer-songwriter)
Vincent Bonham (American singer for Raydio)
Mike Brewer (American musician for Brewer & Shipley)
Dean Brown (American jazz guitarist)
Jon Card (German-born Canadian drummer for SNFU)
Eric Carmen (American singer, songwriter, and musician for Raspberries)
Buzz Cason (American singer and songwriter)
Joe Chambers (American singer for The Chambers Brothers)
James Chance (American musician for James Chance and the Contortions)
Tony Clarkin (English guitarist and songwriter for Magnum)
Charlie Colin (American bassist and guitarist for Train)
Pat Collier (English musician for The Vibrators)
Eleanor Collins (Canadian jazz singer, television host and civic leader)
Gerry Conway (English drummer and percussionist)
Michael Cuscuna (American jazz record producer and music journalist for DownBeat, co-founder of Mosaic Records)
Daddae (English musician for Soul II Soul)
Palle Danielsson (Swedish jazz double bassist)
James Darren (American singer)
Sir Andrew Davis (English conductor for BBC Symphony Orchestra)
Rohan de Saram (British-born Sri Lankan cellist for Arditti Quartet)
Paul Di’Anno (English heavy metal singer for Iron Maiden)
Lou Donaldson (American jazz saxophonist)
Slim Dunlap (American guitarist for The Replacements)
Duane Eddy (American guitarist)
Joe Egan (Scottish songwriter singer for Stealers Wheel)
Ben Eldridge (American five-string banjo player for The Seldom Scene)
Péter Eötvös (Hungarian composer, conductor and teacher)
Duke Fakir (American singer for Four Tops)
Henry Fambrough (American singer for The Spinners)
Frank Farian (German singer, songwriter and record producer for Milli Vanilli)
Herbie Flowers (English musician for Blue Mink)
Tom Fowler (American bass guitarist and musician for Frank Zappa)
Artt Frank (American jazz drummer and biographer for Chet Baker)
Kinky Friedman (American musician, writer, and politician)
Agnes Buen Garnås (Norwegian singer)
Cynthia Garrison (American singer for The Three Degrees)
Paul Gilmartin (British drummer for The Danse Society)
Benny Golson (American jazz saxophonist and composer)
Gabriel Gonzalez (American musician for No Doubt)
Nick Gravenites (American blues musician for The Electric Flag)
Robin Guy (British drummer for Sham 69)
Guylaine Guy (Canadian singer and painter)
Françoise Hardy (French singer-songwriter and actress)
Steve Harley (English songwriter, producer, and musician for Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel)
Alex Hassilev (American musician for The Limeliters)
Jimmy Hastings (British musician for Caravan)
Michel Hausser (French jazz vibraphonist)
John Hawken (English keyboard player for The Nashville Teens, Strawbs)
Roy Haynes (American jazz drummer)
Gaps Hendrickson (British musician and vocalist for The Selecter)
Fritz Hinz (Canadian drummer for Helix)
Malcolm Holcombe (American singer-songwriter)
Bill Holman (American jazz composer and saxophonist)
Cissy Houston (American singer for The Sweet Inspirations)
Frank Ifield (Australian singer)
Doug Ingle (American musician for Iron Butterfly)
Reuben Jackson (American poet and jazz historian)
Tito Jackson (American musician for The Jackson 5)
Jimmy James (Jamaican-British singer)
Laurie Johnson (English composer and bandleader)
Jack Jones (American singer)
Quincy Jones (American record producer and composer)
Chris Karrer (German guitarist and composer for Amon Düül II)
Toby Keith (American country singer)
Conrad Kelly (Jamaican-born British drummer for Steel Pulse)
Rashid Khan (Indian Hindustani classical musician)
Greg Kihn (American musician for The Greg Kihn Band)
Steve Kille (American musician for Dead Meadow)
John Koerner (American songwriter and guitarist for Koerner, Ray & Glover)
James Kottak (American drummer for Scorpions)
Wayne Kramer (American songwriter and guitarist for MC5)
Kris Kristofferson (American actor and musician for The Highwaymen)
Neil Kulkarni (British music journalist for Melody Maker)
Linda LaFlamme (American singer)
Alcides Lanza (Argentine-born Canadian composer)
Ben Lanzarone (American composer for The Love Boat)
Teddy Lasry (French sax player for MAGMA)
Steve Lawrence (American actor and singer for Steve & Eydie)
Keith LeBlanc (American drummer for Little Axe)
Martin Lee (English singer for Brotherhood of Man)
Phil Lesh (American Hall of Fame musician for Grateful Dead)
Steve Lewinson (British bass guitarist for Simply Red)
David Libert (American music executive, musician for The Happenings)
Dave Loggins (American singer and songwriter)
John Lowe (English pianist for The Quarrymen)
Russell Malone (American jazz guitarist)
Richard Macphail (English musician for Anon)
Ed Mann (American drummer and keyboardist for Frank Zappa)
Brother Marquis (American rapper for 2 Live Crew)
Shaun Martin (American record producer and musician for Snarky Puppy)
John Mayall (English songwriter and musician for John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers)
Albert Mayr (Italian composer of experimental and contemporary music)
Melanie (American singer-songwriter and guitarist)
Sérgio Mendes (Brazilian bossa nova musician)
Jerry Miller (American musician for Moby Grape)
Zoot Money (English singer and keyboardist for The Animals)
Roli Mosimann (Swiss-born American musician for Swans)
Johnny Neel (American musician for The Allman Brothers Band)
Phill Niblock (American composer, filmmaker and videographer)
Annie Nightingale (English radio and television broadcaster for Old Grey Whistle Test, BBC Radio 1)
Phil Nimmons (Canadian jazz clarinetist)
Mojo Nixon (American musician and actor)
Rocket Norton (Canadian drummer for Prism)
Seiji Ozawa (Japanese conductor for Boston Symphony Orchestra)
Larry Page (English pop singer and record producer)
Roger Palm (Swedish drummer for ABBA)
Del Palmer (English singer-songwriter, bass guitarist, and sound engineer)
Liam Payne (English singer for One Direction)
Colin Petersen (Australian drummer for Bee Gees)
Barre Phillips (American jazz bassist)
Mike Pinera (American guitarist for Blues Image)
Mike Pinder (English musician for The Moody Blues)
John Pisano (American jazz guitarist)
Maurizio Pollini (Italian pianist)
Sandy Posey (American singer)
Catherine Ribeiro (French singer for Catherine Ribeiro + Alpes)
Wolfgang Rihm (German composer)
Lucy Rimmer (British vocalist for The Fall)
Gerry Robinson (British musician for The Purple Gang)
Chita Rivera (American actress and singer)
Chan Romero (American singer-songwriter and guitarist)
Dexter Romweber (American musician for Flat Duo Jets)
Jack Russell (American singer and songwriter for Great White)
Freddie Salem (American guitarist for Outlaws)
David Sanborn (American alto saxophonist and television host for Night Music)
Dennis Schiavon (British musician for The Rezillos)
Peter Schickele (American composer and musical satirist for P. D. Q. Bach)
B. B. Seaton (Jamaican songwriter, record producer and singer for The Gaylads)
Leif Segerstam (Finnish conductor for Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra)
Marlena Shaw (American singer)
Screamin’ Scott Simon (American pianist and singer for Sha Na Na)
Peter Sinfield (English lyricist, record producer, and musician for King Crimson)
Nell Smith (Canadian singer for The Flaming Lips)
Jo-El Sonnier (American singer-songwriter and accordionist)
David Soul (American-British actor and singer)
JD Souther (American singer-songwriter)
Mark Spiro (American songwriter and record producer)
T. M. Stevens (American bass guitarist for The Pretenders)
Roni Stoneman (American bluegrass banjo player for Hee Haw)
Damo Suzuki (Japanese songwriter and singer for Can)
Shel Talmy (American record producer)
Richard Tandy (English musician for Electric Light Orchestra)
Pooch Tavares (American singer for Tavares)
Bobby Tench (British musician for The Jeff Beck Group)
Dennis Thompson (American Hall of Fame drummer MC5)
Johnny Thunder (American singer)
Libby Titus (American singer-songwriter)
Ken Tobias (Canadian singer-songwriter)
Happy Traum (American folk singer
Andrew Turner (British broadcaster for BBC Radio 1)
Mick Underwood (English drummer for Quatermass)
Jimmy Van Eaton (American rock drummer, singer and record producer)
Karl Wallinger (Welsh songwriter and musician for World Party)
Max Werner (Dutch singer and drummer for Kayak)
Gavin Webb (Australian rock bassist for The Masters Apprentices)
Mary Weiss (American singer for The Shangri-Las)
Harry Williams (American singer for Bloodstone)
Russ Wilson (Canadian bass guitarist for Junkhouse)
Steve Wright (English disc jockey for BBC Radio 1 and television presenter for Top of the Pops)
Marian Zazeela (American visual and musical artist)


Françoise Hardy

Goodbye 2022

avant-garde, classical, electroacoustic, electronic music, experimental music, folk / folk-rock, Gone Gone Gone, improvisation, jazz, Krautrock, music, obituary, progessive rock, psychedelic music
Klaus Schulze

Once again, many big names have left us. From Christine McVie to Angelo Badalamenti. As a fan of electronic music coming out of Germany since the 1970s, the deaths of both Klaus Schulze and Manuel Göttsching hit particularly hard. Also the deaths of Indian musicians Shivkumar Sharma and Lata Mangaeshkar.

The following list is just a small representation of some of the people that we have lost over the past year.

Jerry Allison (drummer for The Crickets)
Bruce Anderson (American guitarist for MX-80)
Jon Appleton (American composer and educator)
Angelo Badalamenti (American film and television composer for Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet)
Chris Bailey (Kenyan-born Australian musician and songwriter for The Saints)
John Beckwith (Canadian composer, writer and pianist)
Thom Bell (Jamaican-born American songwriter, arranger and record producer)
Sir Harrison Birtwistle (English composert)
Jet Black (English drummer for The Stranglers)
Gary Brooker (English singer-songwriter and pianist for Procol Harum)
Boris Brott (Canadian conductor)
Mira Calix (South African-born British visual artist and musician)
Irene Cara (American singer and actress)
Aaron Carter (American singer)
Steve Broughton (British rock musician for Edgar Broughton Band)
Manny Charlton (Scottish rock guitarist for Nazareth)
Coolio (American rapper)
Julee Cruise (American singer, musician and actress)
George Crumb (American composer)
Betty Davis (American funk and soul singer)
Jerry Doucette (Canadian musician)
Norman Dolph (American songwriter and record producer)
Lamont Dozier (American Hall of Fame songwriter, record producer and singer)
Martin Duffy (English keyboardist for Primal Scream)
Judith Durham (Australian singer for The Seekers)
Shirley Eikhard (Canadian singer-songwriter)
Ralph Emery (American disc jockey and television host)
Anton Fier (American composer, producer, and drummer for The Feelies, The Golden Palominos)
Andy Fletcher (English Hall of Fame keyboardist for Depeche Mode)
Ricky Gardiner (Scottish composer and guitarist Beggars Opera)
Mickey Gilley (American country singer)
Robert Gordon (American rockabilly singer)
Manuel Göttsching (German musician for Ash Ra Tempel)
Guitar Shorty (American blues musician)
Terry Hall (English singer for The Specials)
Ronnie Hawkins (American-Canadian rock and roll singer-songwriter)
Taylor Hawkins (American musician for Foo Fighters)
Paavo Heininen (Finnish composer and pianist)
Judy Henske (American folk singer)
Jeff Howell (American rock bassist for Foghat)
Toshi Ichiyanagi (Japanese composer and pianist)
Susan Jacks (Canadian singer-songwriter for The Poppy Family)
Philip Jeck (English composer)
James Johnson (American blues guitarist for Slim Harpo)
Jimmy Johnson (American blues guitarist and singer)
Wilko Johnson (English guitarist for Dr. Feelgood)
Syl Johnson (American blues singer)
Naomi Judd (American country singer for The Judds)
Danny Kalb (American blues guitarist for The Blues Project)
William Kraft (American composer and conductor)
Mark Lanegan (American singer-songwriter and musician for Screaming Trees)
Michael Lang (American concert producer, co-creator of Woodstock)
Keith Levene (English guitarist for Public Image Ltd., The Clash)
Gord Lewis (Canadian guitarist for Teenage Head)
Jerry Lee Lewis (American Hall of Fame singer and pianist)
Ramsey Lewis (American jazz pianist, composer)
Radu Lupu (Romanian pianist)
Loretta Lynn (country singer-songwriter)
Lata Mangeshkar (Indian playback singer and composer)
Ingram Marshall (American composer)
Dan McCafferty (Scottish songwriter and singer for Nazareth)
C. W. McCall (American country singer)
Ian McDonald (English musician for King Crimson)
Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack)
Meat Loaf (American singer)
Charnett Moffett (American jazz bassist)
Grachan Moncur III (American jazz trombonist)
Massimo Morante (Italian guitarist for Goblin)
James Mtume (American percussionist for Mtume)
Rachel Nagy (American singer for The Detroit Cobras)
Sandy Nelson (American drummer)
Olivia Newton-John (British-Australian singer)
Nichelle Nichols (American actress on Star Trek and singer)
Mo Ostin (American record executive for Warner Bros. Records)
Mimi Parker (American singer and drummer for Low)
Ric Parnell (English drummer for Spinal Tap)
Kelly Joe Phelps (American blues musician)
Paul Plimley (Canadian free jazz pianist and vibraphonist)
Ned Rorem (American composer)
Badal Roy (American tabla player, percussionist and recording artist)
Bobby Rydell (American singer and actor)
Paul Ryder (English bassist for Happy Mondays)
Pharoah Sanders (American jazz saxophonist)
Klaus Schulze (German electronic musician and composer for Tangerine Dream, Ash Ra Tempel)
Jim Schwall (American blues musician for Siegel–Schwall Band)
Alexander Scriabin (Russian musicologist and composer)
Jim Seals (American songwriter and musician for Seals and Crofts)
Burke Shelley (Welsh bassist and vocalist for Budgie)
Paul Siebel (American singer-songwriter)
Shivkumar Sharma (Indian composer and santoor player for Shiv–Hari)
Mark Shreeve (British electronic songwriter and composer)
Kim Simmonds (British rock guitarist for Savoy Brown)
Lucy Simon (American composer and folk singer for The Simon Sisters)
Ronnie Spector (American Hall of Fame singer for The Ronette
Fredy Studer (Swiss drummer)
Creed Taylor (American jazz trumpeter and record producer, founder of Impulse! Records and CTI Records)
R. Dean Taylor (Canadian singer-songwriter)
Nicky Tesco (British singer for The Members)
Barbara Thompson (English jazz saxophonist for Colosseum)
Nik Turner (English musician for Hawkwind)
Ian Tyson (Canadian singer for Ian & Sylvia)
Vangelis (Greek film composer and musician for Aphrodite’s Child)
Fred Van Hove (Belgian jazz musician)
Natty Wailer (Jamaican musician)
Norma Waterson (English musician for The Watersons)
Alan White (drummer for Yes)
Roland White (American bluegrass music artist)
Don Wilson (American guitarist for The Ventures)
Drummie Zeb (English reggae record producer and musician for Aswad)

Christine McVie

Goodbye 2021 (another year to forget)

2021, avant-garde, classical, electroacoustic, electronic music, experimental music, folk / folk-rock, improvisation, jazz, music, obituary, progessive rock, psychedelic music
Jon Hassell

2021 was yet another year when Covid-19 dominated the news. I’m sure that we’re all glad to see the end of it. Let’s all hope for a better 2022.

The following list is just a small representation of some of the people that we have lost over the past year.

Louis Andriessen (Dutch composer for La Commedia)
Astro (British singer and musician for UB40)
Chris Barber (English jazz bandleader and trombonist)
Andy Barker (British musician for 808 State)
Byron Berline (American fiddler)
Jay Black (American singer for Jay and the Americans)
Tim Bogert (American rock bassist for Bogert & Appice)
Juini Booth (American jazz double-bassist for Sun Ra Arkestra)
Leslie Bricusse (British composer)
Gil Bridges (American musician for Rare Earth)
Ron Bushy (American drummer for Iron Butterfly)
Sylvano Bussotti (Italian composer, poet, and artistic director for Puccini Festival)
Alan Cartwright (English rock bassist for Procol Harum)
Malcolm Cecil (British musician for Tonto’s Expanding Head Band, Blues Incorporated and record producer for Stevie Wonder)
Joel Chadabe (American electronic music pioneer)
Emmett Chapman (American jazz musician, inventor of the Chapman Stick)
Michael Chapman (English singer-songwriter and guitarist)
Richard Cole (English music manager for Led Zeppelin)
Charles Connor (American drummer for Little Richard)
Billy Conway (American drummer for Morphine)
Gary Corbett (American rock keyboardist for KISS, Cinderella)
Chick Corea (American jazz keyboardist)
Paul Cotton (American musician for Poco)
DMX (American rapper)
John Drake (American singer for The Amboy Dukes)
Graeme Edge (English drummer for The Moody Blues)
Les Emmerson (Canadian singer for Five Man Electrical Band)
Sergio Esquivel (Mexican singer-songwriter)
Don Everly (American Hall of Fame singer for The Everly Brothers)
Bobby Few (American jazz pianist)
Pat Fish (English musician for The Jazz Butcher)
George Frayne IV (American country singer and keyboardist for Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen)
Denny Freeman (American blues guitarist and keyboardist)
Curtis Fuller (American jazz trombonist)
Djivan Gasparyan (Armenian musician and composer)
James Mac Gaw (French guitarist for Magma)
John Goodsall (American-British rock guitarist for Atomic Rooster, Brand X)
Milford Graves (American jazz drummer for New York Art Quartet)
Burton Greene (American jazz pianist)
Nanci Griffith (American singer-songwriter)
Tom T. Hall (American singer-songwriter)
Jon Hassell (American trumpeter and composer)
Roger Hawkins (American drummer and recording studio owner for Muscle Shoals Sound Studio)
Dusty Hill (American songwriter and musician for ZZ Top)
John Hinch (British drummer for Judas Priest)
John Dee Holeman (American Piedmont blues guitarist, singer and songwriter)
Paul Humphrey (Canadian musician for Blue Peter)
Paul Jackson (American jazz bassist for The Headhunters)
Stonewall Jackson (American country singer)
Bob James (American rock singer-songwriter for Montrose)
Joey Jordison (American musician for Slipknot)
Richard H. Kirk (English electronic musician for Cabaret Voltaire)
Bob Koester (American music executive, founder of Delmark Records)
Alexi Laiho (Finnish death metal singer-songwriter and guitarist for Children of Bodom)
Rick Laird (Irish jazz fusion bassist for Mahavishnu Orchestra)
Alan Lancaster (English rock bassist for Status Quo)
Anita Lane (Australian singer-songwriter for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds)
Bob Lanois (Canadian record producer and recording engineer)
David Lasley (American singer-songwriter)
John Lawton (English hard rock singer for Uriah Heep)
James Levine (American conductor and pianist for Metropolitan Opera)
Janice Long (English disc jockey for BBC Radio 1)
Alvin Lucier (American composer)
Kenny Malone (American drummer)
Junior Mance (American jazz pianist and educator)
Carlos Marín (Spanish singer for Il Divo)
Jon Mark (English singer-songwriter and guitarist)
Pat Martino (American jazz guitarist and composer)
Nobesuthu Mbadu (South African mbaqanga singer for Mahotella Queens)
Count M’Butu (American percussionist for The Derek Trucks Band)
Biz Markie (American rapper and actor)
Gerry Marsden (English musician for Gerry and the Pacemakers)
Barry Mason (English songwriter)
Marilyn McLeod (American singer-songwriter)
Les McKeown (Scottish singer for Bay City Rollers)
Mensi (English punk rock singer for Angelic Upstarts)
John Miles (British singer-songwriter and musician)
Mike Mitchell (American musician for The Kingsmen)
Paddy Moloney (Irish musician for The Chieftains)
Everett Morton (Kittitian-born British drummer for The Beat / The English Beat)
Juan Nelson (American bassist for Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals)
Michael Nesmith (American musician for The Monkees)
Melvin Parker (American drummer for James Brown)
Anthony Payne (English composer)
Lee “Scratch” Perry (Jamaican reggae songwriter and musician for The Upsetters)
Ralph Peterson Jr (American jazz drummer for The Jazz Messengers)
Christopher Plummer (Canadian actor for The Sound of Music)
Dee Pop (American drummer for Bush Tetras, The Gun Club)
Lloyd Price (American R&B singer)
Peter Rehberg (Austrian-British electronic musician for KTL)
Mike Renzi (American composer and music director for Sesame Street)
Jimmie Rodgers (American pop singer)
Frederic Rzewski (American composer and pianist for The People United Will Never Be Defeated!)
Phil Schaap (American disc jockey and jazz historian)
Al Schmitt (American recording engineer)
Robbie Shakespeare (Jamaican bassist for Sly and Robbie)
Sonny Simmons (American jazz saxophonist)
Joe Simon (American soul and R&B singer)
Johnny Solinger (American singer-songwriter for Skid Row)
Stephen Sondheim (American composer and lyricist for West Side Story)
Phil Spector (American record producer)
Michael Stanley (American rock guitarist, singer and songwriter)
Pervis Staples (American Hall of Fame gospel singer for The Staple Singers)
Robby Steinhardt (American singer and violinist for Kansas)
Jim Steinman (American musician, composer and lyricist)
Dean Stockwell (American actor and recording artist)
Sylvain Sylvain (American guitarist for New York Dolls)
Gene Taylor (American pianist for Canned Heat, The Fabulous Thunderbirds)
B. J. Thomas (American singer)
Mikis Theodorakis (Greek composer)
Rosalie Trombley (Canadian music director for CKLW)
U-Roy (Jamaican reggae singer)
Hilton Valentine (English Hall of Fame guitarist for The Animals)
Leo van de Ketterij (Dutch guitarist for Shocking Blue)
Yoshi Wada (Japanese sound installation artist and musician)
Bunny Wailer (Jamaican reggae singer for Bob Marley and the Wailers)
Rusty Warren (American singer for Knockers Up!)
Charlie Watts (English drummer for The Rolling Stones)
George Wein (American festival promoter and jazz pianist for Newport Jazz Festival)
Chuck E. Weiss (American songwriter and vocalist)
Mary Wilson (American singer for The Supremes)
Rusty Young (American musician for Poco)
Wanda Young (American singer for The Marvelettes)

Alvin Lucier
Richard H. Kirk

A Hipgnosis Oddity

books, folk / folk-rock, , , , , , ,

Chances are that if you own records from the 1970s, you probably have an example of the graphic design team known as Hipgnosis.

Formed in the late ’60s with the team of Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey Powell, they were later joined by Peter Christopherson. In 1968, they were approached by Pink Floyd to design the cover for their second LP – A Saucerful of Secrets. They continued designing covers for the band for several years as well as providing artwork for several other artists including Led Zeppelin, The Pretty Things, Humble Pie, The Nice, Wishbone Ash, Genesis and a host of others.

I probably have dozens of albums with covers designed by Hipgnosis as well as two large format books featuring their work. However, I recently discovered an oddity by sheer accident.

I was perusing the selection of music books at Attic Books here in London, Ontario the other day and found a book that I had been wanting for some time. I am always on the lookout for books about British folk music and Folk Song in England by A.L. Lloyd was always on my wants list. Finally, there is was.

Originally published in 1967 by Lawrence and Wishart, this was a mass market paperback edition issued by Panther Arts in 1969. The cover illustration was created for this edition and did not copy the original release. It wasn’t until I got the book home that I noticed on the back the text, “Cover illustration by Hipgnosis“.

This seems to be a unique item in the history of Hipgnosis and I can find no mention of any other books that might feature their work on the cover.

An oddity, indeed.

Isolation Viewing: British Folk & Folk-Rock

folk / folk-rock, music, , , , , ,

When I hear a mention of British folk and folk-rock, a few names immediately pop into my head. Top of the list is usually Fairport Convention. That’s quickly followed by the likes of Pentangle, John Martyn and Michael Chapman.

So, I’ve collected a few clips together here that give a representation of all of those people.

Many people associate Sandy Denny with Fairport Convention as she was their on-again / off-again vocalist for a few years. Only a couple of minutes of the band exist with her on vocals. So, I’ve included a nice clip of Sandy with her short-lived band Fotheringay.

Here is a very early performance of Fairport Convention on French TV in 1968. It includes original vocalists Judy Dyble and Ian Matthews. Also, a very young Richard Thompson on guitar.

Another early performance of Fairport Convention in 1970.

A rare short clip of Sandy Denny with the band from 1975.

Sandy with Fotheringay on the German TV program Beat Club in 1970.

A very early broadcast of (The) Pentangle on Norwegian in 1968.

(The) Pentangle live on BBC TV in 1970.

A John Martyn performance from 1978.

Michael Chapman is still active today. Here he is in 1970.

And again in 1975.

Enjoy!

Leonard Cohen 1934 – 2016

folk / folk-rock, Gone Gone Gone, music, vocal, ,

Canadians have a reputation for being rather quiet, polite and certainly not braggarts. It seems to be an inbred part of our culture. We have produced some of the most talented people involved in the arts but, we seem very surprised that their work becomes known outside of our own country. Luckily, the rest of the world has embraced such Canadian artists as Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Leonard Cohen.

It seemed quite fitting that within hours of his passing, the word that Leonard Cohen was gone appeared to make the news around the globe. His words and music appeared to resonate well beyond our Canadian borders.

Although he was a successful poet and novelist in his early years, Leonard wished to have a career with which he could actually afford to pay the bills. He was in his thirties by the time he began to set his words to music. Judy Collins and others began to cover his works and Cohen soon followed suit to begin his own recording career.

Both his dark voice and even darker lyrics seemed to make for an unlikely path to success. However, he became an unlikely “star” none the less. His worked garnered both love and respect from other artists and his audience.

As with any artists with such a lengthy career, his also included many ups and downs – musically, personally and financially. Through it all, he kept going and created a body of work which would keep his star shining right up until the end.

Those who thought that his music was a doom and gloom have missed the point on many occasions. There was often a great deal of humour hidden among the black thorns.

When I began playing his album Old Ideas upon its release back in 2012, I was soon laughing out loud. The song Going Home pretty well says it all.

Going Home (Leonard Cohen / Patrick Leonard)

I love to speak with Leonard
He’s a sportsman and a shepherd
He’s a lazy bastard
Living in a suit

But he does say what I tell him
Even though it isn’t welcome
He just doesn’t have the freedom
To refuse

He will speak these words of wisdom
Like a sage, a man of vision
Though he knows he’s really nothing
But the brief elaboration of a tube

Going home
Without my sorrow
Going home
Sometime tomorrow
Going home
To where it’s better
Than before

Going home
Without my burden
Going home
Behind the curtain
Going home
Without the costume
That I wore

He wants to write a love song
An anthem of forgiving
A manual for living with defeat

A cry above the suffering
A sacrifice recovering
But that isn’t what I need him
To complete

I want to make him certain
That he doesn’t have a burden
That he doesn’t need a vision
That he only has permission
To do my instant bidding
Which is to say what I have told him
To repeat

Going home
Without my sorrow
Going home
Sometime tomorrow
Going home
To where it’s better
Than before

Going home
Without my burden
Going home
Behind the curtain
Going home
Without this costume
That I wore

I’m going home
Without the sorrow
Going home
Sometime tomorrow
Going home
To where it’s better
Than before

Going home
Without my burden
Going home
Behind the curtain
Going home
Without this costume
That I wore

I love to speak with Leonard
He’s a sportsman and a shepherd
He’s a lazy bastard
Living in a suit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv4J7sID3Pk

Broadsides at Chetham’s Library, Manchester

folk / folk-rock, music, , , , ,

Last year, I heard an interesting programme on BBC Radio 4. It was hosted by British folk singer Eliza Carthy who was on the hunt for a new piece of music to record. Her search lead her to Chetham’s Library in the heart of Manchester. In recent years, my interest in British folk music has increased and a visit to the library was added to my to-do list for my recent trip to the UK.

Established in 1653, Chetham’s is the oldest public reference library in the UK. Amidst its vast rows of shelves are the contents of two impressive collections of folk music broadsides from Manchester and surrounding environs. These are the Holt Collection and the Axon Collection which both feature an impressive array of paperwork spanning the nineteenth century.

The Holt Ballad Sheets are affixed to the pages of a huge book. The book contains over 400 broadsides and over 900 individual works.

The Axon Ballad Collection contains 132 sheets and a total of 280 ballads. These are all on separate sheets stored in file folders in another room of the library.



Scholars are welcome to visit the library to view these works but, an appointment needs to be booked a day in advance. During my stay with friends in Sheffield, I called to book a viewing on Wednesday, August 31.

On the day, my friend Simon and I headed over to Manchester to visit the library. We were greeted by Fergus Wilde who has been on staff at the library for the past twenty years. The first location that we visited was the room where the Holt Collection was housed (see photo above). As previously mentioned, these sheets were glued into a large leather-bound volume by their original owner. One can actually see that the sheets cover the original text in the book as it is faintly visible underneath each broadside.

Following this viewing, we headed to another more modern room where the Axon Collection was situated. In this case, each broadside had been affixed to separate white pages in an effort to keep them from suffering damage as they were handled.

The songs contained in these incredible collections reveal a unique insight into the world of nineteenth century life in Manchester and surrounding areas. They reveal tales of daily life, social concerns and humorous insights. It is a fascinating tour into the past as related through the words of the songwriters of the day.

It is a testament to the people who collected these works as well as Chetham’s Library that these documents from the past are made available for us to enjoy and study in the twenty-first century.

If you are interested in seeing some of these pieces of history, please check out the link to the scans of the Axon Ballads Collection listed below.

Here are some links of interest:

BBC Radio 4 – “The Manchester Ballads” 

The Axon Ballads Collection

Chetham’s Library website

 

Sandy Denny: Remembered Again

books, folk / folk-rock, music, vocal, , , , ,

SandyDenny-book-IveAlwaysKeptaUnicorn

Sandy Denny was one of the richest voices to come out of the British music scene during the 1960s and ’70s. She was a person who was much admired and respected within her area of folk and folk-rock music. Unfortunately, at the time of her death in 1978 at the age of 31, the promise of her hard work seemed to never be fully realized.

Mick Houghton’s new book about the late British singer brings together impressive amounts of information which help to gain an insight into the events which shaped her path through her musical career.

Many surviving members of her inner circle of friends and fellow performers have been interviewed to provide an insight into her rise and fall. These include people like Richard and Linda Thompson, Al Stewart, Ralph McTell, John Renbourn and members of Fairport Convention. Archival interviews with many other people including her late parents are also mined for extra depth into her character.

Denny began singing in folk clubs when just barely into her mid-teens. She sang what were called floor spots. These were performances by young hopefuls whereby they could sing and play a few songs without having yet achieved the status of being a credited performer on the main stage. Eventually, she did move onto that stage where she succeeded in attracting the attention of the audience and other folk musicians.

The story traces her first recordings with other musicians such as Alex Campbell and Johnny Silvo to her move to join the Strawbs with Dave Cousins. Of course, the thing that may be of most interest to many people was her joining Fairport Convention as a replacement for singer Judy Dyble.

Her days in and out of Fairport are covered in lengthy detail and bring the experience to vivid life. This includes such events as the horrific van crash which took the life of drummer Martin Lamble and Richard Thompson’s then girlfriend Jeannie Franklyn. Fortunately, Denny was travelling in another van with Trevor Lucas and his bandmates from the group Eclection. However, that did not prevent her from feeling the scars of the tragic event.

Houghton artfully weaves the story dealing with Denny’s involvement with Fairport Convention, her departure to start her group Fotheringay and her time as a solo recording artist.

Her personal life and relationships are also covered in great detail. Both that personal life and her musical life were often victims to her own emotional ups and downs. Bouts of insecurity often seemed to derail her attempts to keep things both musical and personal on a steady track. The addition of heavy drinking and cocaine use also served to keep things off a productive path.

I’ve Always Kept a Unicorn (a line from Denny’s song entitled Solo) is a well documented and well paced book which helps to put Sandy Denny’s life and career into perspective nearly forty years after her death from a fall down the stairs.

This is essential reading for any fan of British folk music from that era.

(I’ve Always Kept a Unicorn by Mick Houghton is published by Faber & Faber, London) 

Essential Sounds – John Martyn

Essential Sounds, folk / folk-rock, music, vinyl, , , ,

John Martyn (1948 – 2009) was one of the stand-out artists on the British folk / folk-rock scene for many years. Over that time, he produced a number of wonderful albums which varied from straight-ahead folk to folk infused with jazz elements.

He also pioneered the use of the acoustic guitar along with a number of electronic effects like delay and reverb which produced a unique sound.

For many people, Martyn’s 1973 LP entitled Solid Air is regarded as his classic release. The title track was written about his friend Nick Drake and its fluid bass and shimmering keyboards provide a superb backdrop to his acoustic guitar and sultry slurring vocal lines.

Martyn also has occasion to get a bit rocky with I’d Rather Be the Devil. It contrasts with more gentle folky numbers like Over the Hill and May You Never.

This is an album which I consider to be an essential addition to anybody’s record collection. It is currently available on vinyl via the Back to Black series.

Pictured below is a UK pressing of the album dating from around 1976.

JohnMartyn-SolidAir-Island-UK