The Gardener

Review: Gypsy Blood by Tamsin Quin.

It’s Sunday morning and I’m listening to Gypsy Blood by Tamsin Quin. Tamsin is a young singer-songwriter from just up the road from here, Devizes in Wiltshire. I first heard Tamsin when she supported Beth Orton a couple of weeks ago in Frome. I was very impressed. I’m guessing that it was the biggest audience that she had ever played to, but she didn’t seem at all fazed by it and it must have been great for her that the audience actually listened to the songs which doesn’t always happen when you are the support act. I had a quick word with Tamsin during the interval and said I would write a review of the album, but I have been so busy lately that I’ve only just got around to it.

Tamsin in Frome

The opening track is called Searching and is a very upbeat cheerful country flavoured song. I should mention the contributions of guitar bass and cello of Lucas Drinkwater are very impressive on this album. We Are Home is much simpler with just Tamsin’s acoustic guitar, bass & drums, but very effective as is the next track Fearless. Upwards For Me has a much fuller sound with mellatron strings & vibes added. It is a very positive song about getting on with life after a disappointment.

The album takes a quantum leap then with Jennifer. This is the song that first made me pay attention when I heard it in Frome. It has a haunting quality and the line ‘I will find you one of these days’ lingers in the mind. I believe it was inspired by a book called Engleby by Sebastian Faulks. The cello adds to the brooding atmosphere of this song. I have shared a nice video of this song below which also shows some of our beautiful Wiltshire countryside as well. Seventeen is also a great song that tells a sad story of empty lives and broken dreams. The title track Gypsy Blood is next and is very simple with just acoustic guitars and upright bass but less is often more as in this case. I like the mention of October Skies which reminded me of Moondance by Van Morrison. The final track is Leaving In The Night which is a nice song to end the album with. I should mention the piano and vibes playing of Jon Buckett to the album and his production as well.

I have really enjoyed listening to this album this Sunday morning. I hope we hear more from Tamsin Quin. Tamsin has her own facebook page if you want to check out the album and find out about future gigs.

My Afternoon With Marianne Faithfull.

I went over to Warminster on the bus on Friday to meet a friend. I had a quick scout around the charity shops to see what I could find. I didn’t find any interesting books or records but in the Red Cross shop I found two nice photos of Marianne Faithfull. They aren’t modern glossy reprints, they appear to be genuine photos from the 1960’s. On the edges and the back, they are slightly mottled and foxed which is a sign of age. I was really pleased to find them because I have always liked Marianne. To me she has always seemed beautiful, intelligent, a free spirit and a rebel. She might not see herself as that, but I do. I like her music as well, although sadly at present I haven’t got any albums by her. I did see her once. It was at Glastonbury 1999 when she performed in the Acoustic tent. It was so crowded we couldn’t get in there. You could hear ok, but I only got glimpses of her from the entrance to the marquee. I didn’t think much of it at the time but looking back twenty years later I realise that it was a privilege to be in the presence of this legendary iconic singer even if it was only from a distance.

I met S in Wetherspoon’s  and we sat outside in the sunshine and spent a pleasant hour chatting and drinking wine. I asked her to take my photo with Marianne. Then I caught the bus home again. I scanned my photos so that I can show them to you.  I looked on google images and eBay to see if I could find those particular photos to see if I could find out when they were taken or anything about their history, but I couldn’t. I wonder if they might be rare photos. Then I played the only album I have with a song by Marianne which is No Prima Donna and the song is Marianne’s brilliant version of Van Morrison’s Madame George. 

Marianne & I

A Sunny Afternoon In Bath.

Royal Crescent, Bath.

I had to go to Bath again today. At Westbury station there were lots of trainspotters on the platform with cameras at the ready. When I asked why they were there I was informed that the royal train was due with The Queen on board. She was on her way to Castle Cary & Bruton for a visit. I didn’t hang about for the chance of a glimpse of Her Majesty and got on the 12.02 to Bath. She had certainly chosen a nice day for it; the weather was glorious.

After I had completed my business in Bath it seemed a shame to go straight home as it was such a nice day. I went for a walk up to the Royal Crescent. It was nice with dozens of tourists out and about, sitting on the grass and enjoying the sunshine. 

The Circus Bath.

Then I strolled down into town via The Circus, ‘the architecture I'm taking in with my mind, So fine’. In case you don’t know, The Circus is a historic street of large townhouses forming a circle with three entrances. Designed by the prominent architect John Wood, the Elder, it was begun in 1754, completed in 1768, and is regarded as a pre-eminent example of Georgian architecture. The name comes from the Latin 'circus', which means a ring, oval or circle. So there!

Then I ambled down Milsom St after a quick look in the Oxfam shop where I bought a copy of Good Vibrations, My Life As A Beach Boy by Mike Love. I don’t really like Mike Love but it’s only fair play to hear his side of things.

 I felt a bit thirsty, so I went for a drink in The Salamander which is a nice quiet little pub tucked away just off Queens Square. It was one of the first pubs I discovered when I moved to this area 42 years ago. While I was enjoying my pint of Thatcher’s Gold I remembered something I had been meaning to do. On leaving the pub I headed for the library.

The Salamander.

In the library I asked the assistant if they had a book called Not Fade Away, Pop Music At Bath Pavilion 1963-1969. They Did! brilliant, because I had been trying to get hold of a copy for ages. A friend of mine Simon has been helping to compile a list of all the concerts Van Morrison has played in his career. They wouldn’t let me take the book home because I don’t live in Bath but I was allowed to study it and I can confirm that Van played in Bath with his group Them twice in 1965. I left the library feeling quite pleased with myself, “Good sleuthing Pat”. Then I made my way back to the station.

The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore.

Following the sad news yesterday of the death of Scott Walker many people have paid tribute to him on social media by sharing the Walker Brothers song from 1966 called The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore. Even the BBC played it on the TV News last night. It is a great song. It was first recorded by Frankie Valli and was a bit of a flop but when the Walker Brothers re-recorded it with a Phil Spector type wall of sound arrangement it reached Number 1 in the UK charts in March 1966. I like the song, but whenever I hear it, I am reminded of a very grisly tale.

One evening in March 1966 two men entered the Blind Beggar pub on Whitechapel Road in Whitechapel in the East End of London. One of them was George Cornell and the other was an associate by the name of Albie Woods. George Cornell was well known in London’s gangland as an ‘enforcer’ for a notorious gang called The Richardsons. It was outside the Blind Beggar that William Booth gave his first sermon which led to the creation of the Salvation Army but the events that followed on that fateful March night 53 years ago were far from Christian. Cornell and Woods ordered two Light Ales and sat on stools at the bar. The barmaid put a song on the record player which was the latest hit by the Walker Brothers.

They were approached by Ronnie Kray and another man by the name of Ian Barrie. There had been a feud between the Richardson's and the Kray's since an incident the previous Christmas at the Astor Club when Cornell had referred to Ronnie as ‘a fat poof’. This caused a gang war which resulted in the death of Richard Hart, a Kray gang associate at Mr Smith’s Club in Catford. Ronnie was out for revenge. When he was approached, George Cornell sneered and said sarcastically, "Well, just look who's here". In order to tell the barmaid and the other clientele it was time to scarper, Barrie fired his gun into the ceiling while Ronnie calmly walked towards George, took out a 9 mm Mauser, and shot him once in the top of the forehead, above his right eye. The bullet went straight through his head and hit the record player which got stuck in a groove and repeated over and over ‘The sun ain’t gonna shine anymore, anymore, anymore’.

George was taken to hospital where he died a few hours later. Ronnie and Barrie made a sharp exit to a waiting car. They were seen both outside and inside the pub by several witnesses, but nobody would testify to the police about what had happened. It was to be 3 years until Ronnie Kray was finally found guilty of George’s murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. His brother Reggie was also found guilty and sent down for life for murdering Jack ‘The Hat’ McVitie, who was killed the year after Cornell. Ronnie died in Broadmoor Hospital in 1995 and Reggie in 2000 just a few weeks after being released. They were probably the most notorious brothers in British criminal history. That is why I can’t listen to The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore without being reminded of the terrible events of that night in The Blind Beggar.

Scott Walker.

Monday morning: I woke up today to the sad news that Scott Walker has passed away aged 76. I can’t claim to be a big Scott Walker fan because I haven’t got any of his albums and never seen him perform apart from on television. I have always respected him though for turning his back on the trappings of fame and show-business and just creating his avant-garde art regardless of whether it was fashionable or commercial. I didn’t particularly care for his work with The Walker Brothers although they were very popular especially in Britain. It was his early solo career that I will remember, with songs like Joanna and Lights Of Cincinnati. I really liked his interpretations of songs by Jacques Brel, especially Jackie which was a big hit in Britain, also Mathilde, If You Go Away, Amsterdam, & Next . This morning I was listening to The Seventh Seal which was based on a film by Ingmar Bergman. Scott Walker has certainly left a great body of work and a legacy to be proud of. I think his reputation will continue to grow in the years ahead.

                                                                                                                                                                                

Van Morrison. The Healing Game. 3cd Deluxe Set.

HMV in Bath.

It is Sunday morning; the sun is shining and I’m listening to my new 3cd deluxe set of The Healing Game by Van Morrison. I bought it in the HMV record store in Bath yesterday afternoon. This shop had closed recently but a Canadian business man stepped in and saved it and it has re-opened. I’m pleased about that because a great city like Bath deserves to have a good music shop. When I was served at the counter the man said they had been playing it in the shop and he liked it. I told him Van was playing in Bath on June 2^nd. He knew that and said he would be going. It should be a great day seeing Van in one of his old stamping grounds, especially if the weather is nice.

Disc 1 is called The Original Album…Plus.  Is it really twenty-two years since this album came out? It seems only yesterday that Kim went away for a week to Torquay with her residents from work.  When she returned she had bought me Van's new album. I thought at the time that it was a huge return to form after the disappointment of Tell Me Something and How Long Has This Been Going On? when I thought Van had just been treading water for a couple of years. In the 22 years since this album came out Van has written some great songs and released some excellent albums, but I don’t think he ever again quite reached the brilliance of The Healing Game. About the album, I think the rough god referred to in the opening track has something to do with a Yeats poem or it might be about Van having a go at the press who gave him a hard time the previous year. Fire In The Belly has the same title as a book by Sam Keen. I don't know if that’s where Van got the idea from, but I like hearing 'Gotta get through January, gotta get through February' on a nice sunny morning in March. This Weight is Van complaining about the weight of being famous and all he wants is anonymity. The Waiting Game is a great song with mysterious lyrics such as ‘I am the brother of the snake’. It’s a great song even if it is an enigma inside a mystery. It also incorporates one of Vans favourite images of leaves coming tumbling down. 

Piper At The Gates Of Dawn is based as you know on Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame. It is very Irish in flavour featuring Van’s old friends Phil Coulter and Paddy Moloney. It was commissioned for a film by Terry Jones of Monty Python fame but wasn’t used so it ended up on this album and makes a nice contrast to the heavier songs. Burning Ground is a powerful song driven along by some awesome sax playing by Pee Wee and Leo Green. I have read lots of discussion between Van fans over the years about the meaning of the lyrics such as ‘Dump the jute’. It Once Was My Life has a very 1950’s feel to it. Then we get to one of Van's all-time great songs Sometimes We Cry which is a masterpiece. From Alec Dankworth’s opening notes on the bass to Pee Wee's exquisite solo and Robin’s piano playing it is faultless. I met Pee Wee once when he played in a pub in Bradford On Avon and he signed my Healing Game CD booklet on the Sometimes We Cry page and he put 'Thanks, Pee Wee Ellis’. If You Love Me is another 1950’s style song before the tour de force of the title track The Healing Game which is another of Vans greatest songs. I first heard it a year previously at Wembley Arena when Van appeared with Ray Charles. Of the bonus tracks, I sometimes think Look What The Good People Done is about Van’s friend George Best. There is a reference to the Wogan TV show on which George made a notorious drunken appearance. At The End Of The Day is a Van song that I can’t remember hearing before. It was a track on a cd single. I never have rated the Full Force Gale 96 remake all that much. I do like the version of St Dominic’s Preview included here. It is from a compilation album called Sult and produced by Donal Lunny. I wish they had included another song that Van recorded around this time with Paddy Moloney called Celtic Spring.

Disc 2 is called Sessions & Collaborations. There are three more alternate versions of The Healing Game here including one with John Lee Hooker. I really like the alternate version of Fire In The Belly which shows off the delicate piano playing of Robin Aspland to great effect. Didn’t He Ramble is a great song of Van’s that is previously unissued, maybe because the lyrics evolved into The Philosophers Stone. The full length eight minutes of Sometimes We Cry is fabulous. I have never been all that keen on Muleskinner Blues of which there are two versions here, one with Lonnie Donegan. I don’t think I have ever heard A Kiss To Build A Dream On before. It is a song first made famous by Louis Armstrong and recorded by many other people. The two songs with Van’s friend John Lee Hooker Don’t Look Back and The Healing Game are great. I bet Van enjoyed working with John Lee. He seems to have had a great time recording with Carl Perkins as well. There are five songs all recorded on March 27^th, 1996 just down the road from here at the Wool Hall in Beckington. It sounds like they had great fun and Carl loved the sound of that saxophone. The sad thing is that Carl died less that two years later in January 1998.

Disc 3 is called Live At Montreux 19 July 1997. It is a recording that is well known to Van fans as a bootleg but it’s great to hear it finally on an official release. The sound quality is excellent, and Van and the band are on top form. The band all deserve a mention, Georgie Fame, Ronnie Johnson, Geoff Dunn, Nicky Scott, Robin Aspland, Pee Wee Ellis, Leo Green, Matt Holland & Brian Kennedy.  Hearing this performance again brings lots of memories flooding back because we saw Van at Glastonbury just three weeks prior to this Montreux show and they performed all these songs if my memory serves me well. It had rained nonstop since Friday and the site was a quagmire. The sun came out on Sunday afternoon though in time for performances by Sting, Beck and Van. Van started his performance with Rough God Goes Riding, the opening track on this disc. The lyrics seemed strangely appropriate referring to the 'mud splattered victims' which was us. I remember that performance vividly because during Van singing 'Its A Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World' he stopped and asked the audience "Who is the godfather of soul?”. Quick as a flash I shouted out "James Brown”, “That’s right”, said Van. Lots of people looked at me and I felt quite brainy although I expect lots of other people also shouted it out as well. Van closed that show with a slowed down version of Burning Ground, lifting the mike stand above his shoulders before finally smashing it down on the stage and walking off in triumph with the applause of at least 50,000 people ringing in his ears.

I’m tired now after a most enjoyable morning of listening to The Healing Game for three hours and writing about it. The sun is still shining. I might go to the pub to unwind. See you later.