Trevor Lucas

[koho (Koen)]

I would guess that if a book does happen, there's a lot of Trevor Lucas in it. You knew each other pre-FC/Eclection ... there's this priceless anecdote about the two-man dulcimer you 2 brought into the Cecil Sharp House (can't remember where I read it) in 196something ... did you keep in touch after he left for Down Under? The world was a lot bigger then, pre internet days, contactswise. I know he was doing a lot of production work but would you think he'd gone back to performing had fate not intervened in '89? History (i.e. Clinton Heylin in his Sandy bio) has unfortunately not been kind to him (and that's putting it mildly - did Heylin hold some kind of grudge?) ... to me he's a giant not purely in the physical sense of the word - my fave album ever might well be Fotheringay and it's every inch his as Sandy's, and in Fairport he did some fantastic songs (why is The Plainsman not a classic? I want that played at my funeral, though I do not plan to ever die).
Anyway ... so had Trevor stopped at all being a performer, or did he ever think about, or plan, returning to stage or studio as an active musician?

[koho (Koen)]

-- PS after having posted this I see this very subject has popped up elsewhere ... anyway so here's the 2nd subject about Trevor Lucas ;-) --

[Swarb]

I dont think he ever really gave up performing, and would certainly have performed more had he lived. i have a bookful of trev tales, but you will have to wait for the book, the plainsman is wonderful i agree,
some biographers of fairport and associates are so biased that the end product becomes imho v unfair.you have named one of them, I would say humphries is another and there are more,usualy i think these people become obsessed with one member above the rest. they cant help it bless em.

[MarkC]

The bias against any Fairport line up that wasn't L&L, continues to frustrate me as a fan. "The Plainsman" is a perfect example...if it had come out on L&L I have no doubt it would be regarded as the classic song it is.

[Swarb]

i think the poor old journalists are beginning to wise up, soon with any luck theyl catch up with the rest of us.

[MarkC]

i think the poor old journalists are beginning to wise up, soon with any luck theyl catch up with the rest of us.

One may hope!

Just as an aside, while I am enjoying reading about past exploits (very much) I am personally far more interested in what is to come. My favorite record of yours will be the next one. Good on ya!

[Jules Gray]

The Plainsman and Knights of The Road are two much neglected gems.  Both from the Rosie album of course, and both, I believe dating from post-Sandy Fotheringay sessions.

I know Peggy overdubbed bass onto these tracks, Swarb, but did you also play on these songs?

I'd love to hear live versions of Plainsman and Knights by the Nine lineup.  I'm sure they must be out there...somewhere!

Jules

[Swarb]

yes i did

[Pat Watson]

Hi Swarb,

Do you read Heylin's book about Sandy. I have not. I just wondered what you thought of it.

Pat

[Swarb]

havent read it , but have heard comments etc, what do you think?

[koho (Koen)]

Here's a customer review on Amazon by one Jonathan Landry ... it's quite accurate IMHO, having read the book.

I was fortunate to get a copy of this nasty little book at the library, I'm glad I didn't spend money on this book.
The writing is horrid, with never ending sentences. One several occasions, one sentence went on for three or four lines, and contained easily a dozen commas. It's as if the author went out of his way to write in the most convoluted, confusing way humanly possible.

There really isn't anyone in the whole biography who the author seems to like, including and especially Sandy. The amount of hate and venom that the author spews towards Sandy's husband, Trevor Lucas, so awe inspiring that one would think that Trevor killed the author's cat. The author repeats a number of times how he is a talentless hack who only married Sandy because she was famous, not because he loved her. Granted, I don't think anyone would mistake Trevor for Richard Thompson, or even Simon Nicol (who I think is mentioned all of three times in the entire book); but I don't think he was the utterly talentless bozo the author makes him out to be. From what I've heard of him, he isn't that bad of a guitarist.

More seems to be written on how much Sandy drank, with whom she slept, how erratic and moody she was, etc., than anything else. It makes you wonder why the author choose to write a book on a person he doesn't seem to like one iota. Unfortunately, it's the only book out there on Sandy Denny. Which is the book's only remotely redeeming quality.

[Swarb]

well now, isnt that something, why in gods name did he write the book in the first place. thanks a lot for the review. If I ever meet him, and I pray I do, there will be another obituary in the telegraph,and it wont be mine.That anyone could write stuff like that about Sandy, and Malign one of the sweetest people to walk this planet,and incidently, someone who did a tremendous job in looking after Sandy and cared deeply for her,and I know! beggars belief.No!, he wasnt Richard,But he was most emphatically Trevor,and was, a huge talent.And Sandy adored him. lets all wish him unremitting trots and warts on his chopper.

[Sam]

WELL SAID !! But warts on choppers?? lol Ouch

[Swarb]

large festering ones i reckon, and barbed wire drawers.

[Sam]

Double ouch

[gower flower (Shirl)]

Blimey Swarb, you're really on form this morning.

[Philip W]

There really isn't anyone in the whole biography who the author seems to like, including and especially Sandy.
...
More seems to be written on how much Sandy drank, with whom she slept, how erratic and moody she was, etc., than anything else. It makes you wonder why the author choose to write a book on a person he doesn't seem to like one iota. Unfortunately, it's the only book out there on Sandy Denny. Which is the book's only remotely redeeming quality. [/i]

I hesitate to spring to the defence of Clinton Heylin but I don’t think we should condemn him on the basis of one extremely biased review. It’s true his book is very hostile to Trevor (as Martin Carthy complains in the Sandy DVD) and often badly written. But it’s not fair to say the author chose “to write a book on a person he doesn’t seem to like one iota”. The saving graces of his book are that he did a load of research in primary sources, knows her music well and, yes, loves her in his way (so far as you can love someone you never met). I believe he also did that book for a fraction of his usual fee (he usually publishes with Penguin) because he was so committed to the subject.

A second edition is coming out shortly, so prepare to have these arguments all over again!

[jude]

Personally I was very upset by the book.

Not because I knew Sandy very well, but Heylin did seem to pick out the worst possible anecdotes and suppositions and fit them together into an unpleasant and uncomfortable whole.
 
The Trevor I knew from the days of Eclection was unrecognisable in the book.

And I was very hurt by some statements that he made about me and what other musicians had apparently said about me, which were subsequently denied.

If those bits go in his next book he will have a seriously angry me and an even more seriously angry manager to contend with.

[Swarb]

funny thins is , that jill reminded me he came here and interviewed me re the book, seemed in interesting bloke ,a war correspondent .Was about to return to Iraq as i recall. He must have ignored everything i said and gone is own or someone elses way. does anyone know if I am quoted in the book.it seems v strange doesnt it?

[billy]

i am no scholar but the problem (i have) with his (Heylin's) book,and i have a couple of others (Dylan) is his (Heylin's) non stop (use) of parentheses (brackets) it does (my) head in.