The anniversary show at the Troubadour earned a 4-star review in The Independent on 22 April. Someone close to the Editor must be an enthusiast: the previous day, the anniversary day itself, the Indy ran a two-page feature on Sandy Denny in the middle of the news pages. And it's less than six months since the same newspaper published another generous tribute to the departed songstress. Tim Cumming, Jonathan Brown and Robert Webb are the authors, respectively. Hats off to these gentlemen!
Setlist on the night
Linde Nijland
A Sailor’s Life
Listen, Listen
No End
Rising For The Moon
Who Knows Where The Time Goes
Linda Thompson, Joe Boyd and Karl Dallas
Three-way discussion
Martin Carthy
The Deserter
Sir Patrick Spens
Georgie
Seven Yellow Gypsies
Vikki Clayton
Solo
Like An Old Fashioned Waltz
John The Gun
Lisa Knapp
Blackwaterside
Quiet Joys Of Brotherhood
Kamila Thompson
Stranger To Himself
Nothing More
Finale
I’m A Dreamer
(All photos on this page are by Chris Bates.)
Andrew Batt and I took some stick – and this we weren’t expecting – for including Martin Carthy in the programme. The beef seemed to be that Martin performed the ‘wrong’ versions of trad songs, i.e. not the same versions as Sandy’s, and talked too much off-topic. I wouldn’t have thought the presence of one of the giants of the folk revival needed any justification, and it was a great honour – and testimony to Denny’s continuing hold over her friends – that he agreed to take part. But let Sandy speak for herself:
‘Martin is probably one of the biggest influences in this country. He’s influenced a hell of a lot of people – obviously to their advantage because… the thing with Martin is that he always studies his subject totally. I mean, you’ll always find that he’s picked out THE best words. He’ll go to Cecil Sharp House and dig out words and he’ll get about four versions of a song and he will take it apart and stick it together the way he wants it… and he studies the tunes and his actual singing control and everything is quite phenomenal. He’s a great guitar player and he’s got just what it takes… the brains, you know, that really get it across. I think he’s done an awful lot for this country and for people, like Maddy and Steeleye and all those people have learnt from Martin as well.’
(Interview with Patrick Humphries, 5 March 1977)
Look out also for the May/June issue of Rock’n’Reel. It has a 4,000 word commemorative piece on Sandy Denny by yours truly.
3 comments:
Dear Philip, although I missed that great evening because of a thoudand miles of distance, I'm sure it deserved 4 stars, maybe 5 or 6! And at least one should be for you and for your commitment.
best
Paolo
Philip, thanks again for organising the Troubadour evening. As Paolo says, it really deserved 5 stars and one more for yourself.
My only regret - I rested my glass of wine on a shelf teetering above the head of a certain biographer, and I forbore to let it slip off....
The site/blog is splendid too by the way!
Philip I was one of those that criticised MC.
My beef wasn't that he performed the 'wrong' versions; it was his comment that Sandy had performed the wrong version.
If I recall it was regarding 'The Deserter' where she chooses to miss off the final verse.
He may well be 'correct' in the purest sense but the comments were, perhaps, gratuitous and not in keeping with the tone & purpose of the evening.
It was a minor niggle and didn't detract from a great night - Lisa Knapp and Linde Nijland particularly.
Cheers
Roger
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