RIP- musicians

[Sue & Chris]

Sad to hear the news about Tony Clarkin. Magnum were my favourite band in the late 80s - 'Chase the Dragon' and 'On a Storyteller’s Night' were great albums and have stood up pretty well over time. Some good stuff on 'Vigilante' and 'Wings of Heaven' too. They never quite scaled the same heights after the split/reformation.

I guess this will be the end of them as a band - glad I went to see them one last time a year or so ago.

RIP Tony.

[davidmjs]

Sad to hear the news about Tony Clarkin. Magnum were my favourite band in the late 80s - 'Chase the Dragon' and 'On a Storyteller’s Night' were great albums and have stood up pretty well over time. Some good stuff on 'Vigilante' and 'Wings of Heaven' too. They never quite scaled the same heights after the split/reformation.

I guess this will be the end of them as a band - glad I went to see them one last time a year or so ago.

RIP Tony.

Don't think so...there's a tour in a few months and Tony only just announced he wasn't able to make it.

[bassline (Mike)]

Sad to hear the news about Tony Clarkin. Magnum were my favourite band in the late 80s - 'Chase the Dragon' and 'On a Storyteller’s Night' were great albums and have stood up pretty well over time. Some good stuff on 'Vigilante' and 'Wings of Heaven' too. They never quite scaled the same heights after the split/reformation.

I guess this will be the end of them as a band - glad I went to see them one last time a year or so ago.

RIP Tony.

Don't think so...there's a tour in a few months and Tony only just announced he wasn't able to make it.

The tour was cancelled.
Tony was, obviously, hoping to get better, and Bob decided it was not right to tour with a stand in.
Sadly, it looks as though this is the end for the band, even though they said 'We'll be back.' Without Tony's song writing, it won't be Magnum.
However, the new album is released today, probably the last batch of new material we will get to hear, unless there's stuff in the vaults.
It's called 'Here Comes The Rain', and there's a version with a live DVD recorded at K.K's Steel Mill recently.
Maybe there will be a tribute concert or tour in due time...

[wayne stote]

Sad to hear the news about Tony Clarkin. Magnum were my favourite band in the late 80s - 'Chase the Dragon' and 'On a Storyteller’s Night' were great albums and have stood up pretty well over time. Some good stuff on 'Vigilante' and 'Wings of Heaven' too. They never quite scaled the same heights after the split/reformation.

I guess this will be the end of them as a band - glad I went to see them one last time a year or so ago.

RIP Tony.

Don't think so...there's a tour in a few months and Tony only just announced he wasn't able to make it.

The tour was cancelled.
Tony was, obviously, hoping to get better, and Bob decided it was not right to tour with a stand in.
Sadly, it looks as though this is the end for the band, even though they said 'We'll be back.' Without Tony's song writing, it won't be Magnum.
However, the new album is released today, probably the last batch of new material we will get to hear, unless there's stuff in the vaults.
It's called 'Here Comes The Rain', and there's a version with a live DVD recorded at K.K's Steel Mill recently.
Maybe there will be a tribute concert or tour in due time...

I was given the new album as a present for Christmas (not sure how a copy ended up on sale in Swansea, a couple of weeks before the official release date) and it's very strong. A fitting swansong for Tony and (I assume) the band.

[quodlibet (Ian)]

Cajun accordianist, Jo-El Sonnier,  died of a heart attack on January 13, 2024, just after a performance near Austin, Texas, at the age of 77.

First came across him covering "Tear Stained Letter" & then duetting on it with RT. R I P.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wKZu8o0s9g

[davidmjs]

Cajun accordianist, Jo-El Sonnier,  died of a heart attack on January 13, 2024, just after a performance near Austin, Texas, at the age of 77.

Fist came across him covering "Tear Stained Letter" & then duetting with RT. R I P.

I saw an image he'd posted at some point on social media of him and RT together with the sentence, "with Richard Thompson, writer of my hit" which I thought was a little odd.  I'd certainly never heard of him or the fact he had a hit with it*

*apparently no.9 in the US Country Chart (and no.5 in the equivalent Canadian one) in '88

[Jules Gray]

Mary Weiss of The Shangri-Las, age 75.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/us-celebrity-news/breaking-lead-shangri-las-singer-31925941

Jules

[RobertD]

Cajun accordianist, Jo-El Sonnier,  died of a heart attack on January 13, 2024, just after a performance near Austin, Texas, at the age of 77.

Fist came across him covering "Tear Stained Letter" & then duetting with RT. R I P.

I saw an image he'd posted at some point on social media of him and RT together with the sentence, "with Richard Thompson, writer of my hit" which I thought was a little odd.  I'd certainly never heard of him or the fact he had a hit with it*

*apparently no.9 in the US Country Chart (and no.5 in the equivalent Canadian one) in '88

He was a giant in the Cajun music scene. I saw him here in NY in the 90’s. As to Richard, he obviously had an affection and awareness of the music from long back. He also guested and wrote the title track of Beausoleil’s Cajun Conja album

[Malcolm]

Cajun accordianist, Jo-El Sonnier,  died of a heart attack on January 13, 2024, just after a performance near Austin, Texas, at the age of 77.

Fist came across him covering "Tear Stained Letter" & then duetting with RT. R I P.

Diligent research locates TSL on his 'Live in Canada' album. Backing band was Amos Garrett, remember him from Cropredy 2001

[davidmjs]

Backing band was Amos Garrett, remember him from Cropredy 2001

Nope.  Help me out...

[Malcolm]

Backing band was Amos Garrett, remember him from Cropredy 2001

Nope.  Help me out...

He is a solo guitarist/bluesman. I can't remember if he had backing musicians at Crops, but probably not. He played 'Sleepwalk' at Cropredy on an ordinary guitar (not a pedal steel). He is best known for the guitar solo on 'Midnight at the Oasis' as he was in Maria Muldaur's band for some time.

I bought his album from the stall and shook hands with him.

[davidmjs]

Backing band was Amos Garrett, remember him from Cropredy 2001

Nope.  Help me out...

He is a solo guitarist/bluesman. I can't remember if he had backing musicians at Crops, but probably not. He played 'Sleepwalk' at Cropredy on an ordinary guitar (not a pedal steel). He is best known for the guitar solo on 'Midnight at the Oasis' as he was in Maria Muldaur's band for some time.

I bought his album from the stall and shook hands with him.

Thanks for trying but I'm disappointed to admit I have no recall at all of that performance.

[John From Austin]

Peter Schickele, aged 88.

He was a classical musician and composer who created the comic ahistorical figure "P.D.Q. Bach," J.S. Bach's youngest and "least talented" child. He used this character as a vehicle to compose such works as "The 1712 Overture" and "The Abduction of Figaro." He also composed the score for the 1972 sci-fi classic "Silent Running," including the original songs performed by Joan Baez on the soundtrack.

I got to see him perform live in the 1980s and again in the 2010s. He was somewhat unique in blending humor with genuine classical music, and I will miss him.

[Jules Gray]

Melanie Safka, of Brand New Key fame, 76.

Jules

[GubGub (Al)]

I have just read that Melanie (Safka) has passed away.

It reminded me of a trip I took with my parents to the Isle of Wight 5 years ago. We stayed in a comfortable but modest B&B in the middle of nowhere but the elderly proprietor was keen to tell us about a singer who had been staying there the previous week. She couldn't remember the name but had enough tidbits of information for me to guess that it was Melanie, which she then confirmed. There had been a small event commemorating the original IOW festivals and Melanie had flown over to participate. RIP.

[Alan2]

Melanie Safka, of Brand New Key fame, 76.

Jules

Oh no.  I love Melanie.  Was fortunate to see her live in the early 2000s.  She was so great on stage.

[ColinB]

Melanie Safka, of Brand New Key fame, 76.

Oh no.  I love Melanie.  Was fortunate to see her live in the early 2000s.  She was so great on stage.

My one and only gig at the long-since demolished venue The Dome in Morecambe was to see Melanie in 2008. Support was from a guitarist called Beau who I seem to remember joined Melanie during her set.

And I've just discovered that the gig was recorded and released in 2017 as a live album. Guess I'll be giving that a listen today.

https://melaniesafka.bandcamp.com/album/live-from-morecambe
 

[Nick Reg]

Melanie Safka, of Brand New Key fame, 76.

Jules

Oh no . i bought most of her early albums and saw her in 1972 , and then twice more recently. Sadly she tended to talk more than sing in her later years (just like Donovan!) but I adored her in the early days. RIP.

[Nick Reg]

Melanie Safka, of Brand New Key fame, 76.

Oh no.  I love Melanie.  Was fortunate to see her live in the early 2000s.  She was so great on stage.

My one and only gig at the long-since demolished venue The Dome in Morecambe was to see Melanie in 2008. Support was from a guitarist called Beau who I seem to remember joined Melanie during her set.

And I've just discovered that the gig was recorded and released in 2017 as a live album. Guess I'll be giving that a listen today.

https://melaniesafka.bandcamp.com/album/live-from-morecambe
  

Her son I think.

[mickf]

Thinking of Melanie takes me back to my teenage years..... I loved her songs. All the earnest stuff as well as the fun ones (Alexander Beetle, Animal Crackers etc) and the ones that were simply great songs (Nickel Song, Lay Down, Bitter Bad and so on) RIP