TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

From John Kirkpatrick's website....ought to have picked up on this sooner!

12 Jul 2006: More news for Thompson fans!

David Suff, who runs Fledg'ling Records, has compiled a CD from live recordings made in 1975 of Richard & Linda Thompson and their band - Dave Mattacks, Dave Pegg, and JK. This was the first year that I had played with them on stage, and a handful of gigs were recorded, and then forgotten about - except for the three live tracks which appeared on Richard's double LP "Guitar, Vocal" - Island Records ICD 8, 1976. Originally the new CD, on Island Records, was to have come out quite soon, but Island have mysteriously postponed the release till some time in 2007.

23 Mar 2007: MORE THOMPSON NEWS
Those of you whose breath has been bated ever since you first read the news here (in July last year) about the release of live recordings of the Richard & Linda Thompson Band from 1975 - well, keep it bated for a bit longer! David Suff, of Fledg'ling Records, has supervised the mixing of tracks from three different gigs from the autumn of that year, where Richard & Linda's Band was Dave Pegg on bass, Dave Mattacks on drums, and JK on button accordion and concertina. This was the first year I'd played with them live, so I dare say you can hear me trying to work out just what a twelve-bar sequence was in the unrehearsed rock'n'roll workouts. A bit different from the morris dance licks I was used to!

Richard has given the project his blessing, although he has not got involved in any of the decisions, but Linda has listened in to give her support to Mr Suff's work. The album is set for release this summer, not on Fledg'ling as was originally planned, but on Universal Records, who own the recordings.

It was from these sessions that a couple of tracks appeared on the 1976 double album "Guitar, Vocal".

More news as we get it................

Oh what a good year this is turning out to be  ;D

Oh good... I mean, oh no, more expense...  ::)

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :)
Staffan

Mixed feelings about this one.

Some of my absolute favourite RT songs are from this period but the more I listen to them the more the accordian parts irritate me - on the live versions of For Shame of Doing Wrong and Calvary Cross from the Oxford Poly recordings for example. I liked them at first, and JK's a great player, but now the parts just sound like aimless meandering, which is kind of a shame because the playing of RT and the two Daves together is awesome on those recordings. Maybe it's just a phase I'll grow out of.

Let's hope so!  ;D

I regret to say that I agree with this.  I love JK's playing, but I just don't think the accordion suits half of the songs the band played on that tour.

Jules

Here is a track listing and album front cover

(http://www.richardthompson-music.com/albumart/rlinda_a.jpg)

1 I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
2 Hard Luck Stories
3 Night Comes In
4 Morris Medley: Old Woman Tossed Up In A Blanket/ Shepherd's Hey/ Bean Setting/ Shooting
5 A Heart Needs A Home
6 Why Don't You Love Me
7 Now Be Thankful
8 Jet Plane In A Rocking Chair
9 Streets Of Paradise
10 For Shame Of Doing Wrong
11 Calvary Cross
12 Hokey Pokey (The Ice Cream Song)
13 Things You Gave Me
14 It'll Be Me
15 Together Again
   
From the RT website

Does it give a release date Ollie?

Sometime in August. Here is the link

http://www.richardthompson-music.com/catch_of_the_day.asp?id=732



Edit: Just read the article, August 6th!!

Juat another thing for you to spend money on @ Cropredy.

Smart, huh?

Sadly I suspect the Cropredy CD stall may not be the cheapest option. I tend to reserve that for new discoveries made at the festival itself for which i crave the instant gratification of a CD!  ;D

Not too many of those in prospect this year. Sorry, this probably belongs in a Cropredy thread.

I tried to order this from my local indie shop last week but it's not on the listings yet.  I hope it's still coming in August.

Jules

... and have been added to re-issues of Pours Down Like Silver and Hokey Pokey.

But it'll be excellent to hear them as part of a live album from those days. I quite like JK's squeezebox playing on those tracks. I'll certainly be buying a copy.  8)

I'm also a fan of JK's work on the parts of the 75 shows that have turned up so far. He is soloing along with RT, and really developing a whole new framework for how the old squeezeybox can be used. I saw a review somewhere about this upcoming set (may have been in Uncut) and the reviewer also complained about too much JK. I'm looking forward to hearing it, and I can't imagine there is ever a thing as too much Kirkpatrick.

TG

Just picked up my copy, so it's now out there folks!

Jules

Had this for a few days now and the sound is good, R & L's performances are excellent, but I too have some reservations about JK's inclusion.

Huge release!  I treasure my old tapes from '75 above all others!

I'm a bit suprised about the mixed feelings for the accordian.  To me, it was a fundamental part of the sound and dynamic which helped make that period so special - almost as important as the Rickenbacker for the Byrds.

Ah, well........maybe I'm getting a little carried away there.  :-[

Pretty darn excited about this one, though!

JK wasnt a huge shock back when he was in the rtb, but when you hear it now it does sound quite strange after the last 20 years of the rtb

I guess it all depends when you 'came on board'.  To me when I think of the Richard Thompson Band, I think of a band including JK.

Totally agree, classic RT band for me:

Thompson, Gregson, Collister, Kirkpatrick, Zorn, Pegg, Mattacks

mmmmm, folky

Take out Clive and Christine, replace Peggy with Pat D, throw in a Simon and have Linda standing by stage left and that will do me very nicely thankyou  :)  But yours isn't exactly awful either though, is it?   ;)

Quite surprised that Gregson has not come back to the fold as his solo career seems to have downsized somewhat. He mostly seems to play with the likes of Nanci Griffith & Denis Locorriere (unless I imagined that) as a hired hand these days.

Unless, of course, he hasn't been asked? Christine still pops up with RT from time to time. Perhaps that is the problem.

In Humphrey's RT bio, Clive didn't seem complementary about Richard's current (early '90s) musical direction - claimed he was becoming too "americanized".  I've never thought so, but I guess I'm too "amercanized" to judge adequately.

Maybe that's the reason for his absence...... maybe not.

"Americanised"? That's interesting, given Clive's relocation to Nashville. Mind you, I imagine Nanci griffith pays her hired hands more (I've seen a quote for how much she charges for a gig  :o ) and although Mr Gregson's solo career does seem to have downsized there's always his occasional fronting of Plainsong and the forthcoming Any Trouble reunion to keep him busy. Interesting that when RT was asked some time ago about a live album from this era he claimed that he didn't think there was enough material in the vault to put one together. I've got a soft spot for the Ruari McFarline/Gerry Conway rhythm section meself.

I had no idea about this - many thanks!  http://www.anytrouble.co.uk/

There may well be new music from a group featuring Gregson, Hewerdine & Dawson next year too....

All of this is very good news, albeit slightly off topic.

There is already one live album out there - Faithless - recorded in 1985 which is (was?) available from the RT website.  I think it's great - I saw that line-up in Nottingham around then.  My first RT 'band' (as opposed to solo) experience.

There is already one live album out there - Faithless - recorded in 1985 which is (was?) available from the RT website.  I think it's great - I saw that line-up in Nottingham around then.  My first RT 'band' (as opposed to solo) experience.
[/quote]

Sorry, I meant the 1975 era. I went to that Nottingham gig!

I love the new live CD.  Richard sings the heck out of Streets Of Paradise and the band scorch it up on It'll Be Me.

I too have reservations about JK fitting in with the band (not about his playing in general though which I like).  I'd have much preferred to hear a fiddle instead of a box, but this is still a 24 karat barnstorming live CD.  Ifyou're sitting on the fence, don't - highly recommended!

Jules

I went into town in this morning thinking I might find it at HMV but no luck and I even had birthday money to spend! So I guess I've have to order it online.

But I found a copy of Hanne Hukkelberg's latest album and the Concert for Bangladesh DVD.

I'll buy that for a dollar.

I got the latter for a fiver in Banbury's Chaly's record store last week!

Well the R&L Live 75 cd is finally showing up here in the USA as an import, and I picked up a copy. I think it's fantastic. JK playing is amazing. He is really inventing a whole new way to play accordion in a rock (or folk rock at least) context. I wish RT would go back to that sound, but I'm sure those days are behind us. Still RT's last GREAT tour was the 1988 tour with JK. JK can do more with a squeezebox than Pete Zorn can do with whatever sixty instruments he drags up on stage.

And of course RT is at the peak of his guitar playing brilliance in 75. I just love this cd. I only wish all 3 shows that were recorded were being made available. But I can not complain. I will be listening to this cd for years to come.

I have to admit to belonging to this particular 'Less is more' school of thought myself as well....  :)

well , while being unwilling to be dragged into any JK v PZ stramash, i will only say RT obviously wants  PZ up there on stage as hes been afixture in the live band since the dinosaurs got their arses kicked
  he'll do for me, but i love all of rt's bands and have never been disappointes whether it was Peggy,or Ruari or Danny on bass, or Mike J or DM or Earl Harvinor even Gez on drums

Not to mention Kenny Aronoff (spelling?) whose drumming on the live take of Can't Win on Watching The Dark (probably my single favourite RT song and recording) us absolutely extraordinary!

yes, yes, him and al the others ive failed to mention

Finally got my copy of the Live 75 cd. So glad it's finally seen the light of day. An excellent live set from Mr & Mrs Thompson. Especially like Linda's vocals on Why Don't You Love Me - her voice really suits that kinda C&W.

John Kirkpatrick plays some fine squeezebox throughout. Night Comes In, Calvary Cross and It'll Be Me are personal favourites though partly as I first heard those songs on RT's guitar,vocal comp. It's a slightly shorter version of Night Comes In on this album but I'm not complaining!

The more I listen to this set, the more I love it. The interplay between RT & JK on the long instrumental pieces is really amazing. The way JK doubles RT's licks is so cool.