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Statues – time for a reappraisal?

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There has been lots of controversy recently about a statue of a 1970s entertainer erected outside a venue in Belfast. The statue was paid for and its erection in a public place lobbied for by an interest group – so, a case of local government listening to a groundswell of popular opinion and providing the location and authority for the thing to be erected, in perpetuity.

Controversy around the people depicted in statues tends to occur decades after the event, when attitudes to the individual or the values they represented change. In this instance, not many people (currently) seem to have a problem with the person depicted or their cultural contribution (though some online have grumbled about the geography/nationality aspect, spuriously reckoning that a Belfast-born rock musician ‘deserved’ the plinth instead).

Rather, the problem is with the quality of the depiction. I share that view. It’s rubbish. Proportions are wrong, facial resemblance is not there. (I’m not bothered about the brand of instrument depicted, which seems to appal many commentators – it’s based on a photo in which the instrument depicted is around the player’s neck. My only problem with it is that it’s proportionally wrong.)

This is, I’m » Continue Reading.

SOUNDING THE CENTURY: THE EXHIBITION (MANCHESTER CENTRAL LIBRARY)

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28/01/2025

Sounding the Century: The Exhibition gathers paper ephemera, record sleeves, photographs and original artwork to highlight the life and achievements of Bill Leader, the prolific sound engineer and record producer. The experience of viewing is designed to complement the experience of reading Sounding the Century, the projected eight-book series by Mike Butler. The books and exhibition between them tell the whole story of the British Folk Revival.

Bill Leader was born on Boxing Day, 1929, in Newark, New Jersey, to Londoner cousins of Irish heritage. The Depression drove the family back to England and, during the Blitz, Bill’s father’s factory was ordered to evacuate to Keighley, West Yorkshire. Bill co-founded the Bradford branch of the Workers’ Music Association with Alex Eaton. This left-wing front believed in social change through music. Topic Records, its record label, existed to supply members with a monthly 78rpm record of Shostakovich and factory choirs or some such. Bill maintained the association upon moving to London in 1955 and volunteered to record folk singers for Topic. It was at just the moment when folk music was deemed a suitable vehicle for the workers’ struggle, and, coincidentally, folklorist Kenneth Goldstein identified a gap in the » Continue Reading.

The Pentangle’s finest moment?

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I’ve been listening to Pentangle a lot recently (a couple of projects might be in the air). I have a feeling their finest hour is the five-minute instrumental break in the otherwise dreary side-long ‘Jack Orion’ (1970). It’s effectively a stand-alone composition and features everything that made Pentangle so distinctive – a could-be-no-one-else Bert Jansch guitar pattern, pugnacious, counter-melodic jazz bass and spooky xylophone from drummer Terry Cox (he hated playing it, but it was always brilliant – and few others were using the instrument at the time). In the mix for a couple of minutes we hear octavey electric guitar parts from Renbourn, then a clean solo, with his singular mix of distinctive low-volume ‘English blues’ licks and brinkmanship, then a wild, teetering on the cliff-edge foray into a fuzz solo, with everything building up, including Terry’s (again, highly distinctive) drums entering and laying down a groove. It’s a masterpiece.

There are no live versions of this – it’s a one-off slice of magic.

The only contender for peak Pentangle, I reckon, is ‘Reflection’ (1971) – for which there are two stunning televised versions.

The Painting on the Wall – a TH White conundrum…

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Colin H on TH White

Here’s a conundrum that Afterworders might find interesting: what to do with a painting – unique in the wild, with no other precedents at auction – by a significant mid-20th century literary figure?

TH White (1906–64) is well-known as the author of ‘The Sword in the Stone’ and other Arthurian tales (and much other writing). He painted only as a hobby – one rather fantastical self-portrait, used on a book cover, being the only THW painting that appears via Google.

The painting was bought at auction in September 1981 by a resident of Alderney and depicts the four-master ship ‘Liverpool’, which ran aground on Alderney in 1902. White lived on the island from 1946 until his death in 1964. The painting, signed in White’s distinctive monogram and dated ‘49, was based on an old postcard that was reproduced in a book entitled ‘The Channel Islands’ by the art dealer Harald Eggert, who was also the husband of the buyer. The painting is currently owned by a relative of the original owner’s second husband.

As Mark says:

‘Amongst accompanying documents kept by the original buyer (who died in 1997) is an invoice for the cleaning and » Continue Reading.

Madfish Music present…

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20/12/2024

My good pal Mark Case has created this seasonal promo for recent releases on the splendid Madfish imprint. I was delighted to have worked with Mark, and Madfish, this year past on the Fairport Convention 12-disc set featured in the promo. I’ll be involved in at least three Madfish projects next year (Horslips at the BBC 4CD+DVD, Martin Carthy at the BBC 20CD and a mystery Horslips item later in the year) – and perhaps more. Exciting!

Pinpointing the end of ‘the 60s’

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Historians often talk of ‘the long 18th century’ and ditto of the 19th century, with a few years either side of the calendar century deemed to belong with the hundred-year period in terms of style, innovation, industry, values, etc. The 60s, as we understand them as a cultural decade, are similarly not quite calendrical. But what can we say vis a vis British history (the US is a separate case, let’s not bring it in here) – as a bit of fun but also as something useful to the study of history – are the start and end points?

Phillip Larkin’s poem referencing ‘the Beatles first LP’ (March 1963) is helpful. One could make a case for October 1962 (‘Love Me Do’ becomes a hit – a month after skiffle sensation Lonnie Donegan’s last UK hit, which is conveniently baton-passing in retrospect). I’m tempted by 1963, maybe even beginning in January 1963 – the Marquee Club in London beginning its weekly R&B nights, initially with the Mann-Hugg Blues Brothers (soon to be Mannfred Mann) and ex-trad jazzer (who saw which way the wind was blowing) Big Pete Deuchar’s Country Blues, but soon ushering in the likes of the Rolling » Continue Reading.

A 14 LP coloured vinyl Pentangle set (no, really)

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25/04/2025

Pentangle: The Albums: 1968-1972 boxset to be released on vinyl for the very first time via Svart Records on 16th April 2025

1968 to 1972, saw the release of 6 studio albums from Folk’s first supergroup Pentangle. Featuring the songwriting talents of guitarists Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, alongside bassist Danny Thompson, drummer Terry Cox and singer Jacqui McShee, their innovative folk-fusion encompassed elements of jazz as well as pop, which left a lasting influence and legacy.

The first 5 albums were released on legendary Folk label Transatlantic, while Solomon’s Seal (1972), on the Reprise label, was their final album with the original line-up.

Now for the first time ever, these albums are available as a 14LP deluxe box set. Each album has been expanded with a wealth of bonus material, including choice selections from contemporaneous solo LPs by Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, out-takes and live tracks. Across the package, there is an impressive amount of 22 recordings which are previously unreleased on LP. Some of the albums are being reissued on vinyl for the first time in decades with Solomon’s Seal last being released as an LP in 1977, shortly followed by Reflection in 1980.

Each » Continue Reading.

Dick Gaughan, Vienna 1981

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Dick Gaughan, a colossus of Scottish folk music, slipped away into unexpected retirement in Edinburgh in 2016 after a stroke. I’m working on a project that may, if all goes to plan, find a route to market and remind the world what an extraordinary singer, guitarist and artists he was. The film below, possibly from Belgian station RTBF, appeared on YouTube a couple of months ago – a reminder of his brilliance at the end of what I’d regard as phase one of his career (almost entirely focused on traditional music) and the beginning of phase two (incorporating more songwriting and politics of the present day).

Wizz Jones retires – last of the 60s British folk-blues greats

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Word on the highway, the National Seven, the road to Newquay, the road less travelled and the paths of glory is that British folk-blues pioneer and total original Wizz Jones has finally called it quits at 85 and played his last show – at the Acorn Theatre, Penzance, on Saturday 3rd August. It’s the county in which he was filmed busking on the beach by Alan Whicker for a BBC magazine show in 1960, gently protesting about local antagonism to beatniks like himself. People protesting against others who are slightly different to themselves – wouldn’t happen in Britain today, would it…?

To Brit folk connoisseurs, Wizz is one of the all-time greats – a contemporary of Davy Graham, an influence on Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Ralph McTell and the rest. He swung like no one else, with a plaintive voice that captured something of the poverty and fragility of British youth growing up after the Second World War, looking, hoping for a better way to live. He was still brilliant to the end – not advertising his last show, as far as I’m aware – just quietly telling people on the night that he was stopping because ‘I just can’t » Continue Reading.

‘Sounding the Century: Time Immoral 1959-69’ by Mike Butler

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I’m delighted to say that the crowdfunder / purchasing opportunity for Mike Butler’s latest volume in his eight-book series ‘Sounding the Century’ – on 1950s-70s British/Irish folk music producer Bill Leader and his circle of characterful associates – is now ‘live’.

As Mike has been abroad, with most of his sales in Britain/Europe, I’ve taken on the responsibility of organising the printing of the book and the mailing out to purchasers, and Norman Boyd – newly freelance designer, highly recommended – has very kindly handled the typesetting etc.

We’ve added two extra ‘rewards’ for those wishing to help Mike towards a fifth volume (I am taking zero monies from the enterprise – after costs, it all goes to Mike): a limited edition revised-packaging repress (50 units) of 70s folk-rockers Hunter Muskett’s 2014 comeback album ‘That Was Then…’ (the last album Bill produced); and a totally exclusive 68-page book by me (50 units), being an enhanced ‘lost chapter’ of my book on uilleann piping, focused on Bill’s adventures in that area.

More info, and a video message from Mike, in the link in the comments. 🙂

The best song Hank didn’t get around to writing…

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My old pal Brian Houston has a new album out, ‘Belfast Troubadour’ – very much in the Americana vein influence-wise, but a fairly big production rather than a campfire vibe on most of it. It’s not streaming anywhere, so I can only post a live version of the lead track – my favourite on it, the best song Hank forgot to write (in my view) 🙂

If anyone (in the UK) fancies reviewing the album, PM me and I’ll have a copy posted to you. It’s tough out there for sole trader artists to get heard. I’ve written a couple of times before here about Brian – someone else’s turn. One interesting thing about the release is that the vinyl version is a different mix to the CD. I can have both posted out if one person with time on their hands and a bit of interest wants to hear both. 🙂

Shock Treatment – live at the American Bar, Belfast

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Venue:

The American Bar, Belfast

Date: 06/07/2024

There may be those who thought that Dave McLarnon was pushing a fridge up a mountain in pursuing the goal, with quiet determination, of re-establishing Shock Treatment – his 1978-82 Ulster punk band – as an active, inspiring, celebratory band of then and now… But if those people exist, they weren’t there yesterday afternoon at the American Bar. Metaphorically, Shock Treatment blew the bl**dy doors off – and if they’d done so literally, it would been very welcome indeed, because the place was rammed, the heat was hot and outside the sun had got its hat on. But no one left because Dave and the boys were on fire!

Covid/lockdown took a lot of wind out of the sails of the local gig scene in NI – people’s attending habits, opportunities to play, etc. – and it’s perhaps only now that things are looking a bit healthier on that front. Chris Roddy runs the American Bar’s ‘Saturday Afternoon Club’. Chris is a legend who deserves to be celebrated widely. Unlike some in the NI music world, he doesn’t go around talking about himself so it’s up to others to do that for » Continue Reading.

Fairport Convention – It All Came Round Again: Onstage and on air 1982-90

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Limited Edition 11CD+DVD Set. For the first time ever, fans can experience the timeless magic of Fairport Convention’s ‘second golden age’ all in one place with this meticulously crafted and comprehensive 11CD and DVD deluxe boxset ‘It All Came Round Again: Onstage and On Air 1982-90’. The set includes over 160 tracks, 57 of which are previously unreleased recordings.

Also included in this limited edition set is a replica festival programme signed by Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg, Dave Mattacks and Richard Thompson. This bespoke Madfish offering, curated by Bert Jansch/John McLaughlin biographer Colin Harper, is the definitive tribute to the legendary British folk-rock band’s enduring legacy.

The Fairport Convention legend was forged between 1967 and 1979 – 12 years, 16 albums, umpteen line-ups and four exhausted people at the end of it. In August 1980, the last line-up – Simon Nicol, Dave Swarbrick, Dave Pegg and Bruce Rowland – reunited for a day in a farmer’s field in Cropredy, Oxfordshire, establishing the iconic ‘Fairport’s Cropredy Convention’ festival in the process. Five relatively quiet years passed by before, in 1985 and by popular demand, a new recording and touring Fairport Convention assembled around Peggy and Simon. Everything moved up » Continue Reading.

Are we Focused?

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One should always be focused… on the finest of Dutch progressive rock. The tunes entitled ‘Focus’ and numbered 1-5 can be found across that mighty ensemble’s ‘original era’ albums of 1970-76. ‘Focus 6’ is fairly obscure, having appeared originally on a 1981 Thijs Van Leer (organ/flute in Focus) solo album. When Focus rebooted as a recording/touring sensation in 2002, the first album was called ‘Focus 8’ (featuring, of course, a tune of that name). The album ‘Focus 12’ is due in July… featuring not a tune of that title but one called ‘Focus 13’. (See below for the answer to ‘where’s ‘Focus 12′?’)

But what of ‘Focus 7’? Well, it seems to have first appeared on a little-known live album (sold on the band’s merchandise stall rather than being a ‘proper’ release called ‘Live in America’ in 2003 and then on an even more obscure semi-release called ‘Live in South America’ the following year. A studio version of ‘Focus 7’ belatedly appeared on the 2006 album ‘Focus 9’ (along with, obviously, ‘Focus 9’). Luckily, for those of us who were blinking and missed things, the well-marketed ‘Focus 50’ (referring to their 50th anniversary – not that they’d jumped several dozen » Continue Reading.