Trevor Lucas

[billy]

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?

the index mentions you on almost 30 pages,haven't got time to check the content.

[billy]

there is another Heylin book on Sandy....................

SAD REFRAINS
The Recordings of Sandy Denny

[Philip W]

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?

Are you sure you've got the right man, Swarb? Wasn't that someone else - maybe Fred Woodwood who did the book on The Woodworm Era (I think he was a Times journalist)? Heylin rightly attracts fire but I don't think he's ever been near a warzone.

Philip

[Swarb]

got a correction to make ,the bloke i  thought intervieved mefor sandy  book was not the chap i thought it was.Was another far less nicer man jill assures me.thanks swarb

[fstix (Michael)]

I remember Karl Dallas went to Iraq in the early days of the conflict there as a human shield; don't know if that's who you're thinking of or if I'm confusing the issue further!

[Pat Watson]

Hi Swarb,

I've been convinced my time can be spent better elsewhere than reading this book. I'm not intersted in reading gossip especially when the subject can't defend herself/himself. Sorry if I offended.

Pat

[quodlibet (Ian)]

got a correction to make ,the bloke i  thought intervieved mefor sandy  book was not the chap i thought it was.Was another far less nicer man jill assures me.thanks swarb

Could it have been the occasional Newsnighter / Guardianeer, good egg &  Fairport friendly Robin Denselow?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/3094345.stm

[MarkC]

I've not read the book, and have no desire to, but I can say that mindless comparisons drive me batty.

Trevor Lucas is no Richard Thompson. So? Richard Thompson is no Trevor Lucas. He's no Simon Nicol, either, for that matter, who is no Snoop Dogg, who is no Rory Gallagher, who is no Ginger Rogers. Such idiotic comparisons are a sure sign of a hack writer.

Thanks to everyone here for saving me a few dollars I could better spend on new guitar strings.

[koho (Koen)]

Then, of course, there was Pam Winters' biography on Sandy, which Heylin's kind of replaced - at rather short notice even - because Helter Skelter was unhappy with the manuscript. This was only available for download from her site shortly after it had been rejected - and then, because of all kinds of rather nasty legal theats, taken off the internet. I do have Pam's bio; it's been years since I read both books but if memory serves me well that one was way, way more sympathetic. Maybe the publisher decided there wasn't enough sleaze in it to make the story more dramatic; maybe Pam was too much of a fan in their eyes. But Pam was respectful where Heylin digged up dirt; and really, what I most remember of the Heylin book was the utter disdain shown towards Trevor Lucas, who in this book really appeared to be the villain. Someone who by then had been dead for 11 years must've been an easy one to kick.

[Jules Gray]

Clinton can be a pretty spiteful character.  My brother is a writer and they've crossed swords recently.  I won't bore you with details, but suffice to say that Mr Heylin isn't brimming over with compassion and love!

Jules

[Swarb]

or full stops it seems

[Andy]

Then, of course, there was Pam Winters' biography on Sandy, which Heylin's kind of replaced - at rather short notice even - because Helter Skelter was unhappy with the manuscript. This was only available for download from her site shortly after it had been rejected - and then, because of all kinds of rather nasty legal theats, taken off the internet. I do have Pam's bio; it's been years since I read both books but if memory serves me well that one was way, way more sympathetic. Maybe the publisher decided there wasn't enough sleaze in it to make the story more dramatic; maybe Pam was too much of a fan in their eyes. But Pam was respectful where Heylin digged up dirt; and really, what I most remember of the Heylin book was the utter disdain shown towards Trevor Lucas, who in this book really appeared to be the villain. Someone who by then had been dead for 11 years must've been an easy one to kick.

I got Pam's book in pdf form some time back; it's pretty good, certainly in comparison to Mr Heylin's approach. It's sad that it cannot be distributed publicly because of contractual issues.

[Swarb]

i couldnt agree more,pam is lovely too.

[Jules Gray]

And while we're talking about Trevor Lucas, let's celebrate what was great about the man.  For example his impeccable production of albums such as Fairport Nine and Sandy.  And how about his singing on Polly On The Shore?  What a beautiful performance!

Jules

[Swarb]

you have my vote!

[Pam]

No offense to Jill, but Swarb, if you're ever looking for another wife, your recent compliment won my heart!

I'm very, very limited in what I can say here about any of what you're discussing. Psychically, and legally, this is touchy territory. (I don't get over to Talkawhile nearly often enough, perhaps because moving in these circles can be like traversing a minefield for me, emotionally speaking. A friend directed me here.)

I have not read Heylin's book on Sandy, by the way.

I do want to say (with all due respect to Swarb and others) that I don't think one should write only about people one loves or has some empathy for (though empathy helps).

Also: It takes a person with guts of steel to go digging around in the past, bringing up old hurts, unleashing demons, perhaps. Maybe that's one of the reasons I gave up music journalism altogether.

Also: Whatever happened beforehand, at the time of Sandy's death Trevor must have been in a horrible, horrible situation. I feel for him.

Finally: If I loved Swarb for nothing else, even if he were a right bastard and chopper-warts-worthy, I would love him for making the best coffee I ever had in the United Kingdom.

Maybe not everybody will help you, but some people are very kind.

[Swarb]

hello Pam, hope yr well , think your comments pertinent, but the idiots should have gone with your book.

[Pam]

C'est la vie.

Speaking of Trevor: Which of his songs or performances do you think is most memorable?

("You" being Swarb--or anyone else out there.)

I could listen to "Polly on the Shore" till the cows had wings.

[Swarb]

thats one of those questions I am afraid! I dont know, far too many smashers to say.However the ballad of ned Kelly is bonza aye?

[Pat Watson]

Well said Pam. Once again I have not read the book but it seems that a lot of biographies tend to dig up the dirt because that's what sells. It's a sad commentary on the book buying public that have been so conditioned to reading National Enquierer that there seems to be an insatiable demand for the ''tell all'' book.



PS Polly on the Shore gets my vote.

Pat