Just had a heads up that Tom Paxton is playing at the Hall for Cornwall in Truro. Is he worth seeing?
Tom Paxton
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Musings on the byways of popular culture
Musings on the byways of popular culture
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Just had a heads up that Tom Paxton is playing at the Hall for Cornwall in Truro. Is he worth seeing?
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Was half-expecting to be told he’d shuffled off.
I’m pleased to find he hasn’t, but he’s never really been my kind of American folkie, from what little of him I’ve seen and heard. A very good guitar player with a good clear voice but it’s all a bit too Earnest ’60s for me.
Thanks for the reply Mike. Kinda my thoughts as well. And the HFC isn’t a great venue.
Tom Paxton was right there at the birth of the early 60s Greenwich Village folk/protest movement. One of the earliest signings to Elektra records along with Judy Collins, his songs were covered by everyone of note at the time.
When I first started playing folk guitar in 1965 it was absolutely de rigueur to learn a couple of Paxton tunes , including The Last Thing On My Mind (perhaps his biggest song) alongside all those Dylan and Bert Jansch numbers.
His style dated badly in the folk rock boom, but for a few years Paxton was as important as anyone in folk.
Here’s Tom on a 1965 CND march in London. That’s him far right with DONOVAN and Joan Baez. A young, pre-fame Marc Bolan is far right.
http://i.imgur.com/Wj5TFpE.jpg
Another shot from the same march. Tom is second right between DONOVAN and Vanessa Redgrave
http://i.imgur.com/GGfz4AK.jpg
So if I’m reading this correctly, what you’re saying is that DONOVAN invented CND. And protest marches.
Not only protest marches, but celebrity protest in general. It was a short step from here to Live Aid
Shurly Bolan is on the left. Is this one of these in Oz the water goes firm the plug hole the other way round things? Left and right reversed?
By the look of it Bolan (or Feldy, as he probably was called back then) had some time to do a bit of shopping before the march.
I also note that Paxton is carrying his guitar, presumably in the hope that someone will ask him to bang out a few tunes.
Correction. Sorry, I mean Bolan/Feld is far left.
Looks like Marc has been record shopping. I wonder what he bought.
Seems like the Proclaimers have gone back in time and are marching behind Bolan.
It’s obvious, surely – “What’s Bin Did And What’s Bin Hid”
Of course!
Never mind about averting that pesky nuclear holocaust, I just love the fact that Joanie is marching in the very same mod-style PVC coat she’s wearing on the cover of her 1965 LP Farewell Angelina
http://i.imgur.com/MjCrmWC.jpg
I saw Tom Paxton in 1974 in Leicester. He was very good.
I have his last record from last year. Also recommended. It is partly a tribute to his late wife.
My parents went to see him a dozen or so years ago and came back raving about how good it was.
Oddly enough I saw Tom Paxton in Leicester, but in 1966 or 7. We drove all the way from Coventry, so must have been keen. Only time I’ve ever been to Leicester as far as I can remember.
Was he any good? Can’t remember. But he’s been at it for an awfully long time, so he’s had plenty of time to polish his act. Hall for Cornwall is a ‘ansum venue too – I saw Steve Cropper there. Handy Pizza Express round the corner too.
If that’s from Easter 1965, it’s not just a pre-fame Marc, it’s a pre-first 45 Marc (!!), and DONOVAN’s first single, Catch The Wind, released in March, would presumably have been in the Top 10.
I definitely think 2017 should be made The Year of DONOVAN. What on earth have we got to lose?
Here’s a few stats.
DONOVAN’S debut single Catch The Wind was released late March 1965 and spent 13 weeks in the charts, peaking at #4
His first album What’s Bin Did and What’s Bid Hid was released in May 1965
Marc Bolan’s first single The Wizard was recorded in August 1965 and released in November 1965
The CND march above took place in June 1965
So, to sum up. DONOVAN was a new artist with a debut single and album in the charts, while Marc Bolan was yet to make a record.
In conclusion, DONOVAN invented Marc Bolan, and by extension T-Rex and Glam Rock. QED.
…and Chicory Tip
http://i.imgur.com/dqXWlA7.jpg
You spoil us, Johnny.
(unsees)
Drat!
You’re welcome