Back in November 2013 I took part in a filmed (podcast) evening of John McLaughlin-related music and speech ahead of my book on JM, which was published in March 2014. Most of the evening went online ages back but for some reason this section was forgotten. It features Tíona McSherry performing ‘It’s Funny’, in a one-off grouping with Ali McKenzie (bass), Ronnie Greer (guitar), Scott Hamilton (piano) and Sean Randle (drums).
‘It’s Funny’ was co-written by Duffy Power and John McLaughlin and was first released on a French EP in 1966 credited to Duffy’s Nucleus. That version later appeared on the 1971 LP ‘Innovations’ by Duffy Power, collecting together several of his mostly unreleased mid 60s publishing demos. John McLaughlin, uniquely, featured an instrumental version on his own debut LP ‘Extrapolation’ in 1969.
Duffy passed on in February last year. Earlier today I finished work on a (mostly instrumental) album, which has been percolating in between books etc for three years. During the session, at Cormac O’Kane’s Red Box Studios, we had time (and remembered, at last) to upload this missing video.
I’m delighted to say the CH album will include two previously unheard Duffy Power tracks – collaborations we made back in 2001, some of which appeared on his last solo album ‘Tigers’. He was, in my view, one of the greats.
I wonder if Thomas Dolby was channelling this when he wrote “I Scare Myself”.
…and I’ve just checked and it was in fact Dan Hicks who wrote it and Dolby covered it. For some reason I thought it was the other way around.
Colin – please make sure you post us links to obtain the new CH album when it’s been mastered.
The last CH one was a stunner, and “Tigers” itself has been in my car since the day it arrived in the post – an astonishingly sweet collection that I’ve really enjoyed over and over again.
You’re very kind Vulpes. Hopefully it’ll be available (physical/digital, itunes, amazon, etc) before the year is out. It’ll be called ‘Sunset Cavaliers’.
I’ve been very priveleged to have had some really wonderful jazz, blues, rock and trad people help out on it. Instrumental guests include (former) Word/AW blog blues maestro Shane Pacey, Chris Spedding, Andy Powell, Steve Kindler & Premik Russell Tubbs from the great Mahahavishnu Orchestra Mk 2, John McSherry, Brooks Williams, and Linley Hamilton. There are three vocal tracks featuring Duffy Power, Alison O’Donnell and Sarah McQuaid. And a I’ve included, as a bonus track, Bert Jansch’s own unreleased mix of ‘Blues for a Green Earth’, which we recorded for a charity project in 2004 – because it fitted the mood and idea of the album.
I haven’t really had a chance to think about it properly because of having to focus on three books, and other matters, over the past 3 1/2 years, but listening to the completed thing now it feels like a revelation – a really nice surprise! It’s only a hobby, of course, but I certainly hope other people like it.
Let’s have Duffy’s fabulous 1964 ‘Parchman Farm’ single , backed by the future Procul Harum no less:
‘Video not available’, sadly…but it’s on Spotify luckily. Great stuff. By future Procul Harum you mean the Paramounts, I take it? Used to go and see them dahn the Shades on Southend seafront.
Great stuff Mike – did you know Peter Eden back then? When he was riding on a crest of success managing Donovan in 1965, EMI offered him a three LP deal to find another three folkish sensations – two of whom were his Southend pals, Bob Davenport and Vernon Haddock’s Jubilee Lovelies.
Here’s one of the other two tracks by Duffy and the Paramounts, from 1964, ‘Tired, Broke And Busted’. Dufy had a way of finding aposite titles…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdK8TCjO8Og
Just announced today – a 4CD Graham Bond At The BBC set promising ‘great sound’, and featuring the Graham Bond Quarter (Bons, Bruce, Baker, McLaughlin) + Duffy Power’s 1963 session on ‘Pop Go The Beatles’, plus another 1962 session with the Quartet minus Duffy. Hurrah!
(This is the correct link despite the reference to a Jerry Garcia release in the URL):
http://www.spincds.com/coming-soon/garcia-live-volume-4-veterans-hall-sebastopol-ca-3-22-78-2cd-46667
Please tell me there’s a spoken word track on the album wherein you take us back, Colin, take us way, way back…
“Duffy Power and John McLaughlin, comin’ through the ether…”
Ha! There doesn’t need to be any mystical nostalgic rants – here it is ‘comin’ through cyberspace…’
“Rave on, Duffy Power, rave on, rave on….Rave on let a man come out of Romford, rave on Graham Bond, rave on down through Gonks Go Beat, Rave on down through Ginger Baker’s Air Force and Holy Magick…anyone here remember Fusco’s?”