TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

His autobiography is called White Bicycles - Making music in the 1960's is available through Telegraph Books 0870  428 4112. Yesterday's DT colour mag had the obligatory picture of FC on TOTP with the roadie playing along - lots of stuff re Nick Drake.

And a CD to go with it from Fledg'ling records

There is also a great review in the Observer. Lots of good comments about the Fairports and Sandy.

Another music group I am involved with are trying to set up a talk and signing session with Joe in Central London - if this comes off I will post an invite here.

I strongly recommend Joe's book. He writes very well, tells some great stories and manages to remain urbanely polite even when you can see he's being downright provocative. I have a problem with his claim that "Sandy couldn't relate to Nick" because of class differences between them, she being "suburban middle class" and he being "rural/colonial upper middle". Got a feeling that at least one of Sandy's (female) friends would fall into the "rural/colonial upper middle" bracket (if we're going to start typing people by class, which is a pretty bad idea anyway). 

Just ordered it from Guardian Unlimited after trying TWICE to find it in B*rders ("Yes it's in but it must be on a trolley somewhere").

I loved the Observer review too - see  http://books.guardian.co.uk/reviews/biography/0,,1773820,00.html    (http://books.guardian.co.uk/reviews/biography/0,,1773820,00.html). And there's a great big chunk of the book in Froots this month. Norma Waterson - 1965 - ooer missus!!

On the earlier point, I'd say Sandy was slightly upper middle class judging by the photo on the front of Unhalfbricking. And she came from Wimbledon. But she swore rather more than most of the Brit upper middles....(I speak as a working class git who got pitchforked into a public day school at age 11, for those unused to the minutiae of the British class system) 

Just got the book through the post. Picture of Nick Drake studying an FC album sleeve!

Also just got Fledg'lings flyer. Got to have the CDas it has Ribbon Bow which is missing from my collection.

Long live nostalgia :)

Bought it last night, finished it at 1am this morning not bad  :)

Just listening to playback of Thursday 18th's Radio 4 Front Row prog which includes interview with JB re the book

It's a great read, full of wonderful gems of information and insight. I loved it. makes you feel you were there. Respect, Joe.

One tiny point of pedantry: "No two Fairport Convention records have ever featured the same line-up." That isn't true is it? Even relatively early on, Angel Delight was followed by Babbacombe Lee, which have the same line up. Unless he means of those he produced, which is of course true.

Dropped on the mat this morning - I made myself late for work reading it.

Absolutely excellent, very well worth the money, he really comes across as a good bloke. Don't know if Swarb would agree though - remember the questionnaire in a Cropredy programme from years ago? "Favourite drink - Boyd's blood!"

Joes's descriptions of running tours with people like Muddy Waters, Rev. Gary Davies and Sister Rosetta Tharpe are priceless. Reminded me of tales of the immortal Alexis Korner's household, where it was all to easy to fall over a sleeping elderly bluesman at 3 a.m.

And I loved the anecdote about Joe pointing out to Alan Lomax that after all, what Alan did collecting songs for posterity was really just a commercial activity like being a record producer, and Lomax offering Joe a knuckle sandwich in return  :o.

And of course it will keep the N*ck Dr*ke cult going. Splendid stuff - suppose we all get the book signed at Croppers 2007 then?

There's a report pn the FC website about the launch party that Peggy, Simon & Swarb attended....

Must be enough material for a "what Joe did next" Volume 2. All the Hannibal/ World music stuff that he did and I think he produced one of REMs early albums.

fables of the reconstruction, i think

Spot on Jim, well done bonny lad  :)

It probably doesn't matter much - but am I the only one who hasn't got a clue what this is all about?

Confused of Stratford.

Sorry Steve.... "Dad Volt" said Joe Boyd produced an early REM title, Jim came up with the right one. I think they'd specifically asked for Boyd after being longtime fans of his Fairport etc work but I don't think the sessions went that well and he wasn't asked back for the next album.

Thanks Alex.

Obviously need to brush up on my early REM.

So little time....so much to do.


Steve

Just received the CD. Thanks, Jude, for posting re its existence.

Ribbon Bow credits someone called Tristram Fry as a member of FC on vibraphone. Never heard of him.  Jude, any recollections?

Malcolm

He did a lot of session work - Nick Drake, John Martyn probably the closest to Fairport - and was the drummer in Sky I think (John Williams etc). I think it's actually Tristan Fry but seemingly nobody can decide how to spell it...

Tristan Fry.

Here he is

 http://festival.i-kan.net/2003/TristanFry.html

His name has been spelt differently at different times, but I guess his main claim to fame was as part of SKY with John Williams and Herbie Flowers and etc:

http://plum.cream.org/sky/band.htm

He was really sweet with a big grin  ;D

Jude

WHich is a pity because I quite like Fables.

Must say that Lifes Rich Pagent knocks its socks of though.